In light of the nation’s recent and ongoing push for social change involving issues of racial injustice, the Bethlehem Food Co-Op will be facilitating a monthly Monday night study group which they have titled “Growing Together: Co-Op Community Conversations.” 

The study group plans to cover material in a variety of mediums, and is intended to be an opportunity “for those interested in furthering their work on anti-racist and racially just systems,” according to the web page of the Bethlehem Food Co-Op.

The Bethlehem Food Co-Op  is an organization of volunteers working to bring a ‘full-service, community-owned’ grocery store to downtown Bethlehem that will be stocked with “healthy, nutritious, locally-sourced products.”

However, the Co-Op aims to provide more to the community than a grocery store, and has been working diligently on a number of educational, environmental, and social justice initiatives. The monthly study group is only the most recent of a long list of opportunities for those in the Bethlehem community to educate themselves on issues regarding food and social justice, and in turn enact positive change.

The first three study group sessions, held on February 8, March 8, and April 5 will be led by Kelly R. Allen.  Allen is a professor of Literature at Northampton Community College, Coordinator of the NCC East 40 Community Garden, and the Board Chair of the Bethlehem Food Co-Op.  All three of these sessions will be held via Zoom.

The first session will be held this Monday at 6:30 PM, and it will cover the article Identifying and Countering White Supremacy Culture in Food Systems from the Duke Sanford World Food Policy Center. 

Next month, on Monday, March 8 at 6:30 PM, the study group will discuss the second episode of the podcast All My Relations, titled “Food Sovereignty: A Growing Movement”.

Finally, the April 5 session (also at 6:30 PM) invites participants to “binge watch” the TV show Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi. This show is available on Hulu, but there are also some episodes available for streaming on Youtube.

Moving forward after the April 5 session, the Bethlehem Food Co-Op is seeking volunteers to moderate events starting in May. You can moderate for a single month or multiple sessions, and do not have to be responsible for coming up with materials if you don’t want to. If interested, please let the Co-Op know by emailing [email protected]. 

If you are interested in participating in the study group but cannot commit to attending all of the sessions, that’s fine.  However, the Bethlehem Food Co-Op is asking for potential participants to indicate what dates they plan to attend using this Google form.  Included below is the information for the Zoom meetings:  

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 983 4060 3130

Passcode: 357296

“Growing Together” provides a wonderful opportunity for the Moravian College community and larger Bethlehem community to come together to learn about issues that are important but often overlooked.  As we continue to work towards positive change, not only in our community but in our nation and our world, it is more valuable than ever to be able to learn whatever we can that will assist us in enacting that change.

For more information about the study group and other events and announcements regarding the Bethlehem Food Co-Op visit bethlehemfood.coop.