We Can’t Talk About Freedom With out Talking About Food
BY THIANE SAMB, METRO PLUS HEALTH POPULATION HEALTH COMPLEX SERVICES MANAGER
When we talk about freedom, we often refer to the right to vote, to speak our minds, and to build a better future for ourselves and our families. But what’s commonly left out of that conversation is one of the most basic forms of freedom: the ability to feed ourselves with nutritious food. What we’re able (or unable) to put on the table each day is directly tied to our health, safety, and stability.
And yet, in New York City, more than 1.2 million people struggle with food insecurity, with Black communities across the city disproportionately affected due to systemic racism and economic inequality. This Juneteenth, as we reflect on what freedom really means, we must recognize that true freedom includes the ability to nourish our bodies and care for our families’ wellness in order to thrive.
As a Population Health Complex Service Manager at MetroPlusHealth, I help oversee food-related health benefit programs designed to support our most vulnerable members. These include comprehensive programs like the Hospital Discharge Benefit for Medicare recipients, the VBP Benefit for eligible Medicaid members, and ILS-MTM—a New York State initiative that provides medically tailored meals to people with chronic conditions.
Since its launch in 2022, our ILS-MTM program alone has enrolled more than 1,600 members, and that number continues to grow. We’re seeing more people open to receiving medically tailored meals than ever before. For many, it’s a practical decision in the face of rising grocery costs. These shifting attitudes reflect deeper economic strain and a growing awareness that access to nutritious food is fundamental.
Freedom Starts at the Table
The right to eat well is slipping out of reach as households are forced to make tough choices between paying for food or paying rent. A dozen eggs now costs more than some hourly workers earn in an hour, while millions of Americans could lose access to food stamps or see reductions in their monthly SNAP benefits.
If we want to talk about freedom in a meaningful way, we must start with the type of food available in our neighborhoods. In many areas where low-income families live, access to fresh produce is limited or significantly more expensive than canned or processed foods. As a result, items like chips and boxed macaroni and cheese are more readily available than fresh fruits and vegetables. This is more than just a nutritional imbalance—it’s a structural one that shapes the long-term health and futures of entire communities.
The Health Toll of Hunger
In Black communities—where chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease are more common and more deadly—access to healthy food is not only important for sustenance, but also serves as necessary medicine to help manage and prevent these life-threatening diseases.
There’s a gap in understanding how food affects the body, and that kind of education is critical for the advancement of our communities. That’s why eliminating barriers to food access must be a priority for policymakers, healthcare systems, and community leaders alike. If we want different outcomes, we need different systems that place nutrition and holistic care at the center of how we support historically excluded communities.
What Real Change Looks Like
Often overlooked and underserved, many communities carry a deep distrust of the healthcare system. Rebuilding that trust requires consistent, proactive outreach—and empowering people with the knowledge that they can take control of their health.
This starts with teaching how food directly impacts the body and long-term well-being. Preventive care doesn’t start in the emergency room; it starts with annual checkups, culturally relevant health education, and access to resources that meet people where they are. That means healthcare providers, community organizations, and local leaders showing up to educate at local events, barbershops, churches, and neighborhood centers—with information that resonates and is delivered in a way that feels familiar and affirming.
Juneteenth calls us to remember the freedom our ancestors fought for, while offering a reminder of the ongoing fight for equity. And as we work to eliminate barriers to health, we must recognize that access to nutritious food is a right, a remedy, and a powerful step toward collective liberation.
