Above: Ally Hardebeck, 27th Class Emerson Fellow. On December 9, I found myself on apple duty: open bag, fill with 15 apples, tie it off. The methodical simplicity of this task was comforting. Months of remote work had left me … Read more
Persistence and Pandemic Response: Getting the Word Out in Montgomery, Alabama
Above: Curtis Hills, 27th Class Emerson Fellow. Years ago, a buddy of mine and I worked as youth organizers with the Nollie Jenkins Family Center (NJFC), a social advocacy organization, in Lexington, Mississippi. We were the new kids on the … Read more
Laying Pathways for Success: Grantmaking and Native Agriculture in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Above: Sara Maillacheruvu, 27th Class Emerson Fellow. In a typical Emerson field placement blog, fellows often begin with a reflection that compares where they’ve come from—their hometown, where they went to school, where they’ve worked—and where they are now, or … Read more
Collaboration, Trust, and Agency: Community-Based Food Systems in Chicago
Above: Riani Carr, 27th Class Emerson Fellow. When I received the long-awaited email that contained my field placement, my eyes quickly found the part that read, “…your field placement is with the Chicago Food Policy Action Council!” In my excitement, … Read more
Serve the Line and Shorten the Line: Emergency Food and Equity in Houston
Above: Leslie Rios, 27th Class Emerson National Hunger Fellow, at her placement with the Houston Food Bank. I had only been to Houston a handful of times before I learned my field placement assignment would be the Houston Food Bank (HFB). … Read more