Leah Penniman is a leading figure in the food justice movement, centering the experiences and knowledge of Black and Indigenous communities in food systems. As co-founder of Soul Fire Farm, she has created a working example of reparations-focused agriculture that addresses historical land theft and builds Black food sovereignty.
Through Soul Fire Farm, Penniman operates a community-supported agriculture model with no-cost and reduced-cost shares, demonstrating that thriving food systems can prioritize equity over profit. She has been a vocal educator and organizer, sharing knowledge about traditional African American agricultural practices, anti-racist food justice work, and the connections between food, land, and liberation. Her work challenges the predominantly white food movement to examine its own complicity in systems of oppression.