ABOUT US
OUR ROOTS
Rooted in Melanin is a food justice-focused non-profit organization founded in the Spring of 2020. Our mission is to provide Austin-area BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) with the resources, tools, and community necessary to build healthier, more sustainable lives.
We believe that healthy communities are built by healthy people and healthy people have healthy habits. By creating a community of members dedicated to building healthy habits and healthy lives, we believe that we are doing our part in empowering our members to take ownership of their health, combatting health inequities that adversely impact BIPOC, and making Austin a stronger, healthier, and more sustainable community
WHAT WE DO
Our approach to our work is rooted in the idea that healthier habits beget healthier lives. RIM focuses on providing members with the resources, tools, and community necessary to build healthier habits and healthier lives.
In the way of resources, we provide members with high-quality training and workshops covering topics such as public health, nutrition, healthy eating and cooking, and gardening so they have the information needed to make healthier decisions about what they put in their bodies.
Additionally, we provide our members with the tools necessary to build healthier habits and lives. We provide members with land, gardening tools, soil, compost, water, and a variety of other tools necessary to grow healthy foods for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Finally, we provide an intergenerational, inclusive, intentional, and health-centered community to support our members.
All RIM members are here for the same reason: to build healthier habits and lives. The RIM community allows our members to do this together through community events and workdays.
WHY WE DO IT
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the many health disparities that disproportionately afflict BIPOC communities within the United States. Countless public health studies have found that Black Americans and Hispanic have been found to suffer from higher rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, strokes, and heart disease than other groups. Additionally, studies have shown that American Indians and Alaska Natives continue to suffer from higher rates of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, and chronic lower respiratory diseases than non-Hispanic whites. The fact that many BIPOC communities have limited access to nutritious foods and greenspace and are more likely to be exposed to polluted air than other communities only exacerbates these health issues.
While we acknowledge that many of these outcomes are due to systemic issues that are largely beyond the scope of our control at this time, we refuse to sit by and do nothing.
RIM encourages our members to focus on what they can control, such as what we eat every day. We believe that by providing our members with the tools, resources, and community necessary to make healthier choices and habits for themselves, we can make Austin a healthier, more environmentally sustainable city.
