SNAP And Medicaid Are Under Attack—But Black Communities Are Building Their Own Safety Nets

Female doctor discussing with a patientsBy Teon Hayes ·Updated November 21, 2025 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… As programs like Medicaid and SNAP face unprecedented cuts and restrictions, one truth rings louder than ever: the answer has always been us.Black and Brown communities have built systems of care and resistance for centuries, long before government safety nets existed. From Harriet Tubman’s freedom networks to Mary McLeod Bethune’s schools; from the