“Food became more and more a revolutionary tool, opposed to what I just put in my body,” says activist Qiana Mickie, the special projects consultant for Just Food, the New York City-based pioneering food justice organization focused on community-driven solutions to inequities in the system. Qiana, who was most recently executive director of the organization, views food as a driver of enterprise, innovation, and equity, and she’s made it her mission to empower community members of color to lead these charges in the food community. Qiana joins Chef Tiffani Rozier, the host of the Afros + Knives podcast, to discuss the thinking behind her leadership transition, building safe and constructive workplaces for people of color—especially women, and ways in which white supremacy can impact the food justice space. 

You can find Qiana on Instagram @ragamickie. Host Tiffani Rozier can be found at @cheftiffanirozier and @afrosandknives. Be sure to subscribe to and support Afros + Knives wherever you listen to podcasts! 

Thank you to the folks at Traeger Wood Fired Grills for supporting our miniseries. Visit traegergrills.com for more. Traeger has also made a donation to support Kia Feeds The People, an initiative by @kiacooks to fight hunger and food apartheid by supporting the Black and QTPOC community in Brooklyn.