From the Melanated Man:

This is my favorite store in the world! Well, maybe Atlanta. The unique Sevananda Natural Foods Market.

“Seva” means selfless

“-ananda” means bliss and joy

Website: http://www.sevananda.coop/

467 Moreland Avenue NE

Atlanta, Ga 30307

It is a natural foods store in the Little Five Points district that has been around since 1974!!!  They sell vegan and vegetarian local foods, organic foods, non-GMO foods, and a heap of herbs, grains, supplements, incense, candles, etc.

I wonder if they have always been that kind of store or if it was a progression…

For them to be around this long I am surprised it’s still not as well known as it should be. I guess since the general consciousness of the population regarding food has been raised over the last 10 maybe 15 years I think the popularity has risen considerably in that time frame. I have never experienced a natural foods store like. Part of the reason is that the store has a very Afrocentric, conscious vibe to it, and most of the staff is melanin-dominant, and friend as well! I love that fact! The store is also co-op. So you can become a member-owner if you choose to, like myself.

You get six shares, $20 a share, which you can pay yearly, all at once, or a couple of shares at a time when you start. As a member-owner you can voice your opinions,be on a Board Committee,  vote the Board of Directors who are in charge of the governance of the store, or be a candidate for one of the Board of Director’ position yourself. As a member-owner, you have an opportunity to attend educational ans health classes hosted by Sevananda. Annnndddd there is a 10% monthly discount for member-owners, an additional 5% discount for those who are 65 and older each time you shop there!

Everyone who I have met that is owner-member and/or involved with Sevananda seem like they really care for  its welfare. That’s something that is uncommon in this corporate wasteland. I looked at the amount food co-ops in general there were listed and their were no more than maybe 25 co-ops in the country alone! That’s truly a shame. There may be more that’s not officially recorded, but it does not help if people don’t know they exist.

This may be a more common avenue to take for when more  people start to wake up and  change  their eating habits. Melanin-dominant people, we need to embrace the co-op format in our own communities. There are a very  few pockets of us who have community gardens and that’s good, but it needs to be more commonplace. This type of format could spill into other areas of commerce for us, where we can start to build those self-sustaining communities that we’ve been clamoring for, that at one point we did have. Bring our talented brothers and sisters back from European suburbia to serve their people.

Anyway…I just wanted to give a shout out to Sevananda. If you’re ever in the area stop by and check it out.

Peace and love to my melanated family,

The Melanated Man