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Spring 2026 Food and Food Pathways Screening

The Power+Place Collaborative project to build bridges of dialogue across lines of racial, religious, geographic, and generational division and to create spaces of understanding, healing, community, and action. This project uses community-based oral history interviewing, tours of local community spaces, digital storytelling, and public engagement to explore hidden histories and untold stories of Alamance County, while building new connections and envisioning new possibilities.

In 2026 the Collaborative featured six stories from eight community members focusing on the themes of 鈥淔ood & Food Pathways.鈥 Stories explored how rural and urban communities have overcome adversity, generational inequality, and historical struggles that impact the present. Moving forward, these stories emphasize how communities can support culturally-appropriate foodways and how the government can support food justice.

Pie chart showing the percents of each racial-ethnic group in attendance at the "Food and Food Pathways" Screening.
Race/ethnic representation in participants of the “Food and Food Pathways” screening.

This year鈥檚 public screening brought together over 80 members from Alamance County and 10 participants from outside the local community. Represented in the graph to the left, approximately 61.9% of attendees identified as White, 23.8% Black/African-American, and 7.1% Latinx/Hispanic, among other races. In addition, approximately two-thirds of attendees were female (30.2% identified as male and 4.7% as nonbinary). Highlighting our commitment to support intergenerational connections, attendees were also diverse by age. Approximately 61% were between the ages of 19-24, while 14.6% were over the age of 65.

In part one of this year鈥檚 鈥淔ood & Food Pathways鈥 series, eight storytellers educated attendees through their digital stories about the systematic implications and future motivations for sustainable food production in the county. Unique themes to this year’s stories included:

  • Connecting over shared struggles despite differences in urban and rural communities;
  • Grappling with legacies of inequality in access to land and livelihoods, and how we adapt;
  • The importance of supporting culturally appropriate foodways regardless of individual resources;
  • The role of government, small business, and non-profits/faith organizations to support food security.

Between story panels, attendees were encouraged to share their thoughts via small group dialogue facilitated by students and storytellers. A summary of the insights emerging from these conversations is noted below.

Summaries of the themes that emerged from each storyteller's video, which include feeding our communities, food justice across generations, and the roots of food systems and infrastructure.
Summary of the themes that emerged from each storyteller’s video.

Support the Collaborative:

The Power + Place Collaborative is a partnership between the African American Cultural Arts & History Museum, Burlington City Recreation and Parks, and 51爆料网 and other participating community organizations, including the Alamance Dream Center. Since 2018 the Collaborative has been dedicated to sharing the rich and diverse stories of Alamance County. With your support, we can continue to empower individuals and communities through storytelling, foster a deeper understanding of our shared history, and create lasting spaces for connection. Your donation enables us to share and celebrate the voices of our community, ensuring that these crucial narratives are honored and remembered for years to come.