In South-Central, We Pay More for Less

I have lived and grocery-shopped in South-Central Los Angeles my entire life. As a child, I was sent to the local store, often twice a day, for various items my mother needed. The store was clean, the fruit was delicious and the clerks were friendly.

As an adult, I began to see a disparity in what my local store offered as healthy food. I noted the selection of items was limited, often overpriced and the meat was unattractive. So being a conscientious parent, I changed stores.

I chose another [major chain] store, still in my neighborhood. After a few visits, I realized this store was not much better than the first. The prices were higher, but the quality was not. This store’s meat, though redder on the outside than the previous store, was also of poor quality when cut. The gimmicks sponsored by the store allowed me to acquire a four-place setting of dishes and enough silverware to serve 10. But when I used these items, I ate poor quality food.

My next decision was to drive a greater distance to a store in an affluent neighborhood. I drove approximately 25 miles from my home to another branch of the chain grocery in my neighborhood. The prices were cheaper and the presentation more appealing. Even the parking lot was cleaner. But the ultimate test was the meat. Sure enough, when opened there was no discoloration and it smelled fresh. When it was cooked, it tasted better.

To this day, I drive more than 20 miles from South-Central to shop for groceries in order to have confidence that what I purchase for my family is fresh, untainted and reasonably priced.

I’ve heard all the so-called “reasons” why this incongruity exists--principal among them that the abundance of crime in my neighborhood drives prices higher.

There is a large population of this city that has no concept of what members of minority communities go through in order to live normal, healthy, productive lives. We earn our salaries working as others do. Frequently, we work longer, harder and are paid less per hour. And we are always that this situation is not equitable or ethical. This is the circumstance under which the residents of South-Central are expected to raise polite, conscientious, respectful, self-motivated, high-achieving, industrious, law-abiding, healthy children. Sons and daughters who will not choose to be recipients of welfare, will not sell drugs, will avoid gang membership and do not aspire to become drug addicts when they grow up.

Discrimination is not as blatant as it once was, but it still exists. It lives in the form of poor quality for more money at your local grocery store. The motto of corporate America seems to be “Kill them slowly by making sure what is purchased and how it is purchased are vastly below the standard offered to affluent parts of the city.”