What's a Food Rebel?
WVON AM Radio Chicago advertisement of Dr. Fulton's weekly radio show in the Chicago Tribune, Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune
I identify three groups who in the 1960s and early 1970s argued against celebrating and eating soul food because of its adverse health effects. Members of the Nation of Islam like Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali, college students and advocates of natural-food diets like Dr. Alvenia Fulton of Chicago. They championed healthier dishes and some even sold healthier options in food co-ops and restaurants. These advocates of holistic foods which I call food rebels fought an uphill battle against ingrained eating traditions.
