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Melinda James

Graduate Student, SocDoc Program
Research Interests: 

SIXTEEN SEEDS examines the roles that people of color play in the struggle for food justice through a community organizer's journey of increasing the visibility of black farmers and the groundwork of an elder seeking to preserve family traditions. Focused on three individuals – Gail, Mia, and Micky – living in Oakland and San Francisco's Bayview district, this film positions them at the forefront of the movement in their communities to reclaim food and our connections to it. From planting rows to farmer's markets, the work of reconnecting people to their food is never done, especially in black communities where food deserts, not choice, have been the rule for too many years.

Biography: 
Residing in the Bay Area, Melinda James has recently discovered the fascinating and intricate world of film. Her works have been screened at Frameline, QWOCFF, Olivia, and M.I.T. Outside of her larger projects she also enjoys directing music videos and filming live concerts and performances. She is currently attending UC Santa Cruz’s Social Documentation Master’s program to complete her first documentary film about African Americans and food justice in the Bay Area.
Class of: 
2012
Project: 
16 Seeds (Video)