At just 22 years old, Mykela Jackson is becoming the change she wishes to see. She founded the plant-based pop-up Keiko’s Kitchen and the healing herb business Keiko’s Electric Herbs in 2018. Since then, Jackson has been part of a local movement to introduce plant-based foods and wellness practices to North Minneapolis and beyond.
As a Black woman, Jackson has recognized the overwhelming food inequalities in Minneapolis. Some have labeled North Minneapolis a “food and wellness desert—an area where access to fresh ingredients and support for healthy lifestyles are limited. Until 2017, there was only one full-service grocery store in the area.
The Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) estimates that $7 million per year on food is spent outside of the neighborhood. North Minneapolis is also saturated with fast food options—there are more than 30 fast food restaurants on Broadway Avenue alone, according to the nonprofit Appetite for Change.
“There’s a reason there aren’t co-ops in minority neighborhoods,” Jackson says.
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