ACTION demands end to food deserts in Youngstown at annual meeting

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

ACTION, a Youngstown faith-based organization, is demanding city officials and other community leaders take action to bring full-service grocery stores to the city and enact legislation to protect residents from predator land-contract purveyors.

Speakers at ACTION’s annual public meeting Sunday at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Youngstown called on whichever mayoral candidate is elected to within two months present a plan of action to bring a grocery store to areas of the city which are designated “food deserts” because their residents live a mile or more from a full-service grocery store.

Minister Ted Brown said about 17,500 of Youngstown’s some 65,000 residents live in food deserts, which he said is product of structural racism.

“Big box stores won’t build in the inner city because of ‘white flight’ to the suburbs leaving blacks and other people without the means to move,” said Rev. Brown.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.