Today, we begin our 48-hour sugar fast in preparation for our Liberation Tables this weekend.

Enslaved Africans were forcibly brought to Central and South America and the Caribbean to work on sugar plantations. These enslaved people labored under some of the most brutal conditions, one of them being the powerful Carlota Lucumi, whom we learned about earlier this month. The production of sugar continues to oppress people around the world. In the Amazon, for instance, the creation of sugar plantations has led to local Indigenous people being violently evicted and poisoned by pesticides.

We fast from sugar in honor of our ancestors who were not able to indulge, as well as those who continue to suffer under the oppressive system that is the sugar industry. We recognize our complicity in their harm and will take this time to reflect on how we are complicit daily in the harm of others. However, our guilt will not hinder us. Instead, may it make us aware of our relationships to each other and our possessions and inspire thoughtful action so that pleasure need not be tied to suffering. We also fast to offer gratitude for the abundance of natural sweetness in our everyday lives. Even without sugar, we can take delight in simple pleasures such as laughter, being in the sun, embracing a loved one, and resting.

TODAY’S PRACTICE: Listen to the 1619 Podcast episode, “The Land of Our Fathers, Part 2”. Read “Sugar Fast”, page 9, in the Liberation Table Guide. Begin your sugar fast tonight!

DAILY REFLECTION: How has this exploration impacted your thinking about the role of sugar in your food?

TAKE ACTION: Finalize your menu for your Liberation Table and prepare to tell a brief history of one of the dishes you’ll be serving.