WS Chronicle

By Nathan Scovens

In West Winston-Salem, grocery runs are simple: fresh produce, meats, and whole grains line the shelves. In East Winston, a single Food Lion on New Walkertown Road is the only full-service supermarket for thousands of residents. Others must rely on Family Dollar and Dollar General, where fresh produce is scarce, and processed foods dominate. 

Is East Winston’s money or dollars “green” enough to attract investment? The answer exposes decades of disinvestment, structural inequities, and neighborhood neglect. 

Food insecurity in East Winston is not new. Multiple census tracts in the neighborhood are classified as food deserts, where residents must travel significant distances for healthy food (NC Newsline, 2024). Even when a full-service grocery store exists, residents often face long bus rides and strict limits on what they can carry, two grocery-sized bags per passenger, making it nearly impossible to transport enough fresh, healthy food for a family. Discount stores dominate the local retail landscape, providing calories but not nourishment (Family Dollar, 2024; Dollar General, 2024). Research links these conditions to poorer diet quality and higher rates of chronic illness (WFDD Food Resilience Report, 2025). 

What surprised me in conversations with community leaders is how deeply historical patterns continue to shape present realities. Establishing the first grocery store after the civil unrest of the 1960s was met with fear and hesitation; investors avoided East Winston for decades. Even today, the neighborhood is still judged and overlooked as if those events define its worth. Food insecurity here is not just about temporary gaps in service; it is the outcome of long-term structural barriers and the lingering stigma of history. One local leader noted, “There’s a sense of pride when people are not just being handed food, but can access it on their own terms.” This emphasis on dignity aligns with Esau’s (2022) insight that addressing systemic issues requires structures that restore choice and agency, not just resources. 

Some argue that grocery chains follow market logic: dollar stores fill gaps, and investment follows perceived demand. But this reasoning fails in East Winston, where historical neglect and ongoing stigma distort the “market.” Nutrition isn’t just about calories; it’s about dignity, choice, and access. A neighborhood dominated by processed foods cannot support healthy bodies or flourishing communities. 

Contrast this with neighborhoods like Cloverdale or downtown Winston-Salem, where residents have access to multiple full-service grocery stores, including Publix, Whole Foods, and Harris Teeter, all within walking distance. The contrast is stark: fresh, nutritious food is abundant for some, but scarce for others, not because of market forces alone, but because decades of investment decisions have ignored East Winston. 

The problem is urgent, but so is the opportunity. Incentivizing supermarkets to invest, supporting cooperative markets, and expanding community gardens can restore access. Food insecurity is not simply a public health issue; it is a moral and civic issue. 

East Winston’s money is green; it circulates through households, businesses, and local commerce, but the city has historically undervalued it. If equity matters, food access must be treated as an essential pillar in the infrastructure. 

Residents of East Winston deserve more than long bus rides, bag limits, and limited options. They deserve supermarkets, local markets, and programs that foster choice and dignity. They deserve health, opportunity, and a real chance to thrive.  It’s time to ask not just whether East Winston’s dollars are green enough, but whether our city and developers dare to recognize them as such. Because justice isn’t measured in profits, it’s measured in who gets to eat, live, and flourish in their own neighborhood. 

Nathan Scovens serves as the Senior Pastor of the Gallile Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC