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WASHINGTON, DC--We’re thrilled to share that Tambra Raye Stevenson, Founder and CEO of Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture (WANDA), has been nominated for the prestigious Food Justice Champion Award at the AfriThrive’s It Takes a Village Conference and Gala! This award will be presented on November 2, 2024, during the Night of Excellence Gala at the Hilton Washington DC/Rockville Hotel, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD, to honor her incredible work advocating for food justice, health equity, and community empowerment.
AfriThrive is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving food security, promoting sustainable agriculture, and advancing health equity in African immigrant and underserved communities through culturally relevant solutions and community empowerment.
AfriThrive’s Dr. Truphena Choti beautifully encapsulates the spirit of this honor, saying: “This award honors an individual who, despite all odds, is a tireless advocate for food sovereignty and community health, embodying the spirit of AfriThrive's mission. With unwavering dedication, this champion has committed a significant part of their life to advancing food equity and justice as a basic human right. Through collaboration and impactful advocacy, the honoree dismantles food access barriers, inspiring collective action and a more resilient, empowered community.”
For Tambra, this mission has always been deeply personal. Born and raised in Oklahoma with deep agricultural roots, Tambra’s passion for food justice stems from her family’s struggles with preventable diseases and her reconnection with her Fulani heritage in Nigeria. Witnessing firsthand the power of food to heal, she founded WANDA to address health disparities and empower Black women and girls to become changemakers in their communities.
As Tambra says, “This award is not just about me. It’s about every woman and girl who sees food as a pathway to resilience, health, and economic empowerment. WANDA’s mission is to ensure that our communities not only survive but thrive through food justice.”
Why Support WANDA’s Mission? 🌿
WANDA was created to uplift Black women and girls, providing them with the tools, resources, and knowledge to lead in food and health. Through education, advocacy, and innovation, WANDA is building a generation of women who can tackle the root causes of health disparities and drive transformative change in the food system.
WANDA’s work is more than a mission; it’s a movement for equity and empowerment. This year, in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, WANDA launched the Food as Medicine in the Black Community initiative, emphasizing the healing power of culturally significant foods and the role they play in creating sustainable health solutions for marginalized communities.
The Urgency of Food Justice and Health Equity 🍲
Food justice is about more than just access to food; it’s about reclaiming our cultural heritage, healing our bodies, and empowering our communities. As Tambra’s work shows, food is not only medicine but a vehicle for health equity, particularly in communities that have historically been underserved and marginalized.
This is why your support is crucial. WANDA’s vision—to educate, uplift, and empower—cannot flourish alone. It needs allies, advocates, and supporters who believe in a future where food justice is accessible to all. Every step forward creates ripples of change, from healthier individuals to stronger communities and resilient futures.
How You Can Make a Difference 📢
Tambra’s nomination for the Food Justice Champion Award is more than a recognition; it’s a call to action. We invite you to join us in furthering WANDA’s mission to empower communities with tools to reclaim food as medicine, strengthen cultural pride, and ensure a legacy of health for future generations.
Whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading the word, your support matters. This isn’t just an award. It’s a commitment to creating a more equitable and healthy future, where food justice is a reality for all.
Join us in supporting WANDA and help drive the movement for food justice and health equity. Together, let’s build a legacy of health, resilience, and justice.
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