Student Spotlight: Farwa Zaidi
Tell us about your research.
My master's research concerns the links between food apartheid and carcerality, especially in formerly redlined Philadelphia neighborhoods. I aim to find whether an inability to access healthy foods can impact a person's relationship with the criminal and carceral justice system, and whether food access in redlined neighborhoods plays a role in the policing of such neighborhoods.
Why is this research important to you?
In my time living in Philadelphia, I have noticed the prevalence of food apartheid in many low-income neighborhoods. As someone who identifies as an abolitionist, I began to wonder how food access plays a role in my abolitionist worldview- how does food access (or lack thereof) contribute to the society that I aim to build? As I advanced in my degree, I realized I wanted to answer these questions through my research.
You can follow Farwa on Instagram @everydayfarwa