This article about Rufus and Demalda Newsome is a great way to end these blog posts, and a way to tie in all of the themes and topics that we have discussed throughout the course. Before I began to read this article, I was expecting another explanation about how a husband and wife were helping those in their community who were in need, but I got so much more than that. I read an article that touched on religion, social, political, economic, and community triumphs and failures.
What really struck me about this piece was the fact that Rufus and Demalda lived amongst the people whom they were helping. I thought this was great because it brought an even greater connection between all of the families that lived in the neighborhood. I think the takeaway from this is that food is a form of connection because it brings so many people together from so many different races, creeds, and backgrounds. The ability for one dish or one ingredient to have the ability to strike up a conversation between people of different races, beliefs, creeds, and individuals who speak different languages is absolutely amazing.
The way this article ties in religion and social issues is also very intriguing because it shows how much food influences so many immediate factors in our everyday lives. I loved when Demalda mentioned that it was important to build a connection with the people she was giving food to by the way she framed the question. She mentioned that instead of educating about obesity; she would ask about family history in order to form a connection with those whom she was serving. Additionally, I think that Demalda being Catholic plays a big role in her interest with social justice and serving others. She has great care about these issues because through her faith and religion she is exposed to the methods of how to help those whom are suffering in this world.
Both Demalda and Rufus do so much good for people, but perhaps their greatest strength together is their ability to connect with the people they are serving because it forms a great deal of trust between the community; a community in which both Rufus and Demalda call home. This article shows how valuable living off of the land is today, and how a call back to the value of the land can begin to help solve many of the health and societal problems that haunt individuals today.
Your point about “She mentioned that instead of educating about obesity; she would ask about family history in order to form a connection with those whom she was serving” reminds me of a podcast that I listened to that Grace brought up in one of our video conferences. The podcast was talking about how do you change people’s beliefs and through an informal study found that when gay-rights canvassers started the conversation about equality regardless of sexual orientation by talking to people about their families, relationships, and friends (i.e. personal relationships) they were actually able to change people’s minds! It seems like Rufus and Demalda are taking this approach as well! It’s all fine and good to hear statistics and facts but I think what both of these cases prove is that meaningful social connections change behaviors and beliefs.
Hi, Armon.
Your mention of Demalda’s Catholicism struck me, both because it relates to your own Catholic education in high school and because I have been reading and reflecting on the recent Encyclical by Pope Francis. His own faith motivates him to care for the poor in a very concrete way, and to tie the larger scientific picture of climate change back to issues of justice in the way St. Francis himself did. I recently wrote an op-ed piece about the Encyclical and would be glad to share it with you if that were of interest.
Best,
John