Come to Think of It, We Were Pretty Self-Sufficient

This chapter provides an historical overview of Deanwood, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Washington, D.C. It details several key periods in the neighborhood’s development and the role food played in each, arguing that self-reliance was integral to the early sustainability of the neighborhood, as it undergirded the development of schools, small businesses, and small grocery stores. Secondly, this chapter explores the systematic decline of supermarkets in the poorest and blackest areas of Washington, D.C., and examines what that decline meant for residents and the city.