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Malik Kenyatta Yakini is a founder and the Executive Director of the Detroit
Black Community Food Security Network. He chaired the Detroit Food Policy Council from December 2009 – May 2012. He served as a member of the Michigan Food
Policy Council from 2008 - 2010. He serves on the steering committee of Undoing Racism in the Detroit Food System. From 1990 – 2011 he served as Executive Director of Nsoroma Institute Public School Academy,
one of Detroit’s leading African-centered schools. In 2006 he was honored as “Administrator of the
Year” by the Michigan Association of Public School Academies. He served as a member of the Board of Directors
of Timbuktu Academy of Science and Technology from 2004 - 2011. He is dedicated
to working to identify and alleviate the impact of racism and white privilege on the food system. He has an intense interest
in contributing to the development of an international food sovereignty movement that embraces Blacks farmers in the Americas,
the Caribbean and Africa. He views the “good food revolution” as part of the larger movement for
freedom, justice and equality. Yakini has presented at numerous local community meetings and national conferences on food justice and implementing community food security practices. He is featured in the book "Blacks Living Green," and the movie “Urban Roots.” He is currently an Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy “Food and Community Fellow”. He is a vegan and an avid organic grower. |
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Marilyn Barber is the Vice-Chair of the DBCFSN. She is the manager of D-Town Farm. She
initiated several children’s gardens in Detroit including at the Cappuchin Soup Kitchen, Inner City Sub Center and Belle
Isle. As a docent at the Belle Isle Belle Conservatory, she planted the first African Garden and conducts cooking
demonstrations of her delicious greens for the children who visit the Conservatory. She is a Market Manager and Garden Coordinator
for the Marketing Workgroup Committee for the Garden Resource Program. She is an Americorp volunteer as an Urban Agriculture
Intern for the Greening of Detroit. She is a Certified Master Gardener and is currently attending Michigan State
University in the Student Organic Farming Program. She teaches students at O.W. Holmes Elementary School from the
classroom to the garden at Romanowski Park. |
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Ebony M. Roberts, Ph.D., is treasurer of the DBCFSN. She
is also Operations Manager for Black Star Educational Management, and grant administrator for Helping Our Prisoners Elevate,
Inc. Both roles require her to create and manage budgets and report to various governmental agencies. As Treasurer
of DBCSN, she is responsible for maintaining an accurate record of the organization's assets, as well as collecting, recording, depositing
and dispensing monies. She works closely with the Farm Manager to maintain records of all proceeds raised
through the sale of the farm's produce and other products.
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