Soul Food Junkies (Trailer)

Byron Hurt put together this short trailer for an upcoming documentary he's working on, on the topic of soul food. I see that he uploaded it around August of 2009, so hopefully he still plans to release it in full. The issue of health within Black (and Latino) communities is one that really needs to be brought to the forefront and hopefully this documentary does just that. In our neighborhoods, we have fried chicken establishments, McDonalds and Gyro restaurants on every corner, but we're forced to drive miles upon miles to suburban areas in order to find a moderately healthy restaurant or grocery store. Our grocery stores are often filled with filth, expired foods and a high abundance of sugary, fattening foods. Our culture encourages us to indulge in these foods that are high in fat, sodium and cholesterol simply because they taste good, and they are what's available. During slavery, we were forced to eat these foods, as they were left overs from our owners, or foods they did not want to eat themselves. However, eating these foods regularly will not equate to a long, prosperous life. Soul Food is apart of our culture, and while I don't think the food should be abandoned (it's too good to give up completely, lol), I believe it should be eaten in moderation, like other unhealthy foods. Moderation meaning, not every week or everyday. In fact, it should be noted that there are healthy alternatives to all the foods we consume and are personally addicted to. It just takes a little research. I hope through some of these post I can encourage some to not go on a diet, but go on a lifestyle change. The foods we consume in high volume (from our neighborhoods mainly) are the ones that have most of our relatives in the hospital because of high blood pressure or diabetes. I'm not asking anyone to sacrifice this food, as it is a vital part of our culture, or not eat stuffing on Thanksgiving. I'm just saying, please do it in moderation, and please make wise choices and seek alternatives.

You may recognize Byron Hurt for putting together the highly controversial (and much needed) documentary, "Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes" a few years back where he tackled the issues of sexism, masculinity and homoeroticism, amongst other things, in hip hop of course. I STRONGLY encourage you all to support the man and buy the documentary [HERE] if you are interested in hip hop culture or are a fan of the music. It is very thought provoking. The trailer is below.