This is apparent in all too many ways: the physical divide between the North and South Sides, the magnified presence and deadly aggression of police, the defunding of public schools in favor of privatized charters. One thing that seems to get ignored around here, however, is the inequality in health outcomes in Chicago.

This is no joke or minor complaint about fast food burgers. To put it straight up: young boys and girls in our city are dying too early, losing far too much of their livelihoods due to malnutrition and preventable deficiencies. This is a policy choice, and it's only going to change if WE OURSELVES step up and lead by example.

The U.S Department of Agriculture defines a food desert as an area with a poverty rate of at least 20 percent and where at least a third of the population lives more than a mile from a supermarket. According to a report from the Illinois Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, these food desert neighborhoods are almost exclusively in Black, PoC and poor neighborhoods. Therefore, the problem of food deserts in Chicago is not simply a public health issue...it's an imperative civil rights crisis that needs a response.