Get to Know Nicola Norman

Through her work with the Black Yield Institute, Bloomberg Fellow Nicola Norman is working to build better food systems for residents of Baltimore City.

We sat down with her to learn more :

Can you share a little about your current role, background, and what brought you to where you are today?

I am in my first year as an MPH student in the Food Systems for Health focus area. I currently work as a Marketplace Volunteer and Outreach Engagement Specialist with Black Yield Institute (BYI). In this role, I support the BYI Marketplace, a community run food market featuring regional growers and vendors that operates weekly in the Cherry Hill community in South Baltimore.

Additionally, I support the programmatic side of BYI by partnering with community programs that have a strong emphasis on nutrition, such as cooking education programming in Baltimore City. For over a decade I have lead summer programs through Baltimore’s Mayors Office of Employment Development (MOED) YouthWorks program, in partnership with the Nova Institute for Health, where I also supported and co-led bulk cooking community workshops and participated in training medical students in nutrition education. In more recent years I’ve entered the research space exploring the importance of community participation in food systems and the prevalence of food insecurity.

What does your day-to-day look like in your current role?

My day-to-day work varies, and I’m grateful for the flexibility that allows me to balance my studies and community work. The BYI marketplace operates weekly on Saturdays and Sundays in the Cherry Hill community, where I support and co-curate both in person and hybrid programming and community activations, as well as orient cohorts of volunteers.

We also recently joined the Bloomberg School’s SOURCE Community Based Organization network to connect to different opportunities for expanding and supporting broader technical assistance efforts and engagement within the student population.

How do you, and BYI, organize your work to increase impact?

BYI organizes through two key areas: Food Supply Chain Development and Movement Support & Organizing. These areas of focus work in tandem to create sustainable, self-determined systems for Black communities, particularly in the realms of food and land. Through strategic programs, community partnerships, and innovative marketplace solutions, BYI is working towards building comprehensive food systems that serve, empower, and transform Black communities across Baltimore and beyond. The BYI Marketplace is one of those touchpoints.

You mentioned the importance of a functional food economy. What does that look like? What are the benefits of this?

A functional food economy moves beyond charity and food giveaways, and toward systems that honor people’s agency and participation. These systems are built with the goal of ending extractive systems and moving towards models that both physically and economically nourish Black communities. Co-operative trail blazers such as Fannie Lou Hamer and her work with the Freedom Farm Cooperative exemplify such models that empower Black communities and are member-led.

It is also important that as part of that, institutions that have long benefited from Black communities actively invest in local food economies.

How does access to nutritious food impact health outcomes?

In 2017, the Baltimore Health Department Neighborhood Health Profiles revealed an up to 20-year life expectancy gap between Baltimore's most impoverished communities and its most wealthy.

Having access to nutritious foods is a basic human right, but in cities like Baltimore, your zip code can significantly impact the food options that are readily available; if you don’t have reliable transportation, it becomes even more difficult. Community food systems like the legacy of the Baltimore Arabbers, Black street vendors who sell fresh produce from horse-drawn wagons in communities with limited access to grocery stores, highlight the importance and impact of community driven solutions.

How do you hope to continue making an impact in your community?

I’m committed to weaving together multiple streams of work—community engagement, academic research, creative projects, motherhood, and personal growth.

In Baltimore, where many students heavily rely on school lunches for regular meals, ensuring quality food and education for young people is something that I’m very passionate about. I’m grateful to be involved with a program at my son’s school that enables me to make a difference in the classroom setting and bring my skills directly to the community. I’ll also continue to engage with other community driven organizations like Crayons & Culture, The Living Well, and many others in the Baltimore ecosystem that are contributing to solutions in Baltimore.

What made you apply to the Bloomberg Fellowship?

I applied because I needed support to continue my education. The fellowship removed a major financial barrier and made it possible for me to return to school. Access to education is directly connected to social determinants of health, and this opportunity allows me to deepen my impact.

Additionally, having this opportunity to learn from some of the top public health leaders has given me a different perspective on the importance of various aspects of public health. I leave every class with new tools that I can use, and feel more empowered to  bring something of value in my community.

What would you say to someone hoping to get involved in this work?

Research shows that the legacy of redlining continues to shape present-day health outcomes in Baltimore; but anyone can play a role in their local food economy whether it be through mutual aid efforts like the Baltimore community fridge network, joining a co-op, or occasionally assisting in food distributions if you have a reliable car for drop offs.

Justice and human rights issues both locally and globally are also central issues to food system resilience and the survival of our planet in general. We are all accountable to the future, right now.