07/20/2019
“While many factors influence what stores come and go in a neighborhood, research shows that convenience stores persist where poverty does. Spelman College sociologist Ashanté Reese has also shown that food access aligns with historical patterns of racial segregation. In low-income neighborhoods—and even more so in those that are predominantly black—researchers have found that the number of convenience stores increases with poverty, while supermarket availability decreases.”
![](https://hungeractionnys.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/bloomberg.com_.jpg)
Lake Kittamaqundi in the heart of Columbia, Maryland — a planned community embarking on a long-term plan to build more housing and offices.
Photographer: Andre Chung for The Washington Post via Getty Images