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A New Grocery Beacon in Oakland, Mississippi
Early Morning at the Farmacy Marketplace
In the oppressive heat of an August morning in the Mississippi Delta, Marquitrice Mangham, a grocery store owner, slips into her freshly launched Farmacy Marketplace. She arrives an hour before the doors open at 10 a.m., navigating the quiet streets of Oakland — a town of about 400 residents, over half Black, located fewer than 30 miles from Webb.
Mangham immediately greets her assistant manager, Kini Bradford-Jefferson, recognizing her indispensable role in making the store functional. The two laugh, exchange pleasantries, and begin readying the 3,000-square-foot space for customers.
A Town Without a Grocery Until April
Until April, Oakland lacked any grocery store. Like many rural towns, especially in the Delta, residents face intense food insecurity and limited economic opportunities, which contribute to high rates of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Black communities are disproportionately affected and find it difficult to attract full-service grocers, often ending up with only dollar stores.
Nationally, in 2023, over 14% of Americans—more than 47 million—experienced food insecurity at some point. In Mississippi, that rate rose to 18%, exceeding the national average.
Policy Challenges & Local Leadership
The End of USDA Food Insecurity Tracking
After October 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will discontinue gathering and publishing food insecurity data, citing concerns that the statistics have become “overly politicized.” This move coincides with deep cuts to federal food and nutrition assistance programs across the country.
Shrinking Federal and State Support
Maintaining consistent government backing for anti-hunger efforts is difficult. In two successive years, Mississippi’s Department of Health and Human Services declined participation in a federal program that would have delivered $40 in grocery aid to children during summer months. Advocates worry that the decision will worsen hunger and health disparities. At the same time, cuts to SNAP benefits and the elimination of grants aimed at improving food access and supporting farmers worsen the problem.
Black Women Leading Community Solutions
Amid these headwinds, Black women like Mangham are stepping forward to lead grassroots efforts. Through food retail and distribution initiatives, they are helping neighbors access nutritious food and building healthier communities from within.
Filling the Gap: A Local Grocer’s Impact
Birth of a Crucial Store
Community leaders in Oakland approached Mangham after hearing of her success opening a store in Webb in 2022. As Bradford-Jefferson recalls, Oakland lacked basic retail infrastructure: no grocery, no general store — just a library, post office, bank, clinic, and a food plant. Previously, residents had to travel to everyday shopping destinations like Walmart or Piggly Wiggly.
Bradford-Jefferson, who commuted 40 miles daily for work in Batesville, welcomed the opportunity to work closer to home — saving money and time. “I can walk here (to work) if needed,” she said.
Opening Day: A Community Affair
When the store’s doors opened, the bell chimed and the first customers flowed in, exchanging hugs and greetings with Mangham and Bradford-Jefferson. The atmosphere felt like stepping into a familiar neighborhood gathering. Bradford-Jefferson seamlessly shifted from handling sales to prepping deli orders for lunch patrons.
At 58, she understands firsthand the store’s importance to rural communities. “Some people don’t have cars and can’t afford rides to other towns to shop,” she said. “This store matters — for our town and neighboring ones.”
Roots, Return & Reinvention
Growing Up on the Land
Mangham hails from Webb, a small predominantly Black town. Her family farm spanned over 200 acres of soybeans, corn, fruits, trees, and livestock. As children, they essentially “lived off the land,” producing most of their own food. Grocery trips meant driving 20–30 mile stretches. At that age, Mangham couldn’t fully grasp the larger issue.
From Military Service to Food Equity
After high school, Mangham joined the military and relocated, eventually settling in Atlanta. In 2016, when she inherited her family’s farm, she began visiting Webb more often and started seeing the deepening food disparities — worse than when she left decades earlier. Her 89-year-old grandmother, diabetic and on a special diet, still had to drive 15–20 miles for fresh food.
In Tallahatchie County, where Webb is located, 21% of residents reported food insecurity in 2023 — exceeding state and national averages.
From Nonprofit to Marketplace
Mangham founded In Her Shoes Inc. in Atlanta, focusing on food access and farmer support. But as she observed worsening conditions in the Delta, she redirected attention there. After conducting research and securing funding, she launched her first Farmacy Marketplace. Beyond retail, the store offers cooking lessons tailored to dietary needs, teaches food storage skills, and enrolls in Double Up Food Bucks to help SNAP users purchase more fresh produce.
Her example has inspired neighboring communities — including Oakland — to reach out for guidance. “It showed other towns: this can be your town, too,” she says.
Expanding Access: Delivery in Drew
A New Frontier in Food Access
About 19 miles away in Drew, Gloria Dickerson is working to lift her community from “poverty to prosperity” through her youth-focused nonprofit. She aims to extend food security by providing access to food delivery for residents without transportation.
A Legacy of Resilience
Raised in extreme poverty, Dickerson’s parents worked as sharecroppers, sustaining the family via gardens that yielded fruits, vegetables, and beans. Yet, when her family integrated Drew High School in 1965 — becoming the first Black family to do so — they faced violent backlash: their garden was razed, credit was cut off in town, their home was attacked, and they were evicted.
Civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, who lived nearby, intervened. She sent Charles McLaurin to check on the family, and other activists helped them find a new home in Drew. In Dickerson’s memory, downtown Drew once boasted grocery stores, retail shops, and general stores — a stark contrast to its more challenged present.
Conclusion
In the heart of Mississippi’s Delta, Marquitrice Mangham’s Farmacy Marketplace stands as a bold and needed solution to chronic food insecurity. When rural towns like Oakland have lacked even a single full-service grocery, leaders like Mangham and Bradford-Jefferson step in to transform access, health, and local economies. Their work happens against a backdrop of shrinking federal support and policy changes that obscure hunger measurement. Yet, by combining local leadership, creative program design (like Double Up Food Bucks), and roots in the land itself, they’re rebuilding pathways to nourishment and dignity for their neighbors. Their model — and the movement of Black women-led food justice efforts — signals hope for communities long underserved and forgotten.
FAQs
What is Farmacy Marketplace and why is it important?
Farmacy Marketplace is a grocery store launched by Marquitrice Mangham in rural Mississippi towns like Webb and Oakland. It fills critical gaps in local food access, especially in towns that lacked any grocery store, enabling residents to buy fresh produce and essentials close to home.
How does the Double Up Food Bucks program work in this context?
The Double Up Food Bucks program matches SNAP benefits spent on fresh fruits and vegetables, effectively doubling their value. By participating, Farmacy Marketplace helps families stretch their budgets and encourage healthier eating.
Why is ending USDA food insecurity reporting in 2025 significant?
With the USDA discontinuing food insecurity data collection in October 2025, researchers, advocates, and policy makers will lose a key tool for tracking hunger trends and tailoring interventions. The move has raised concerns that it could weaken national efforts to address food inequality.
