Choosing Between School Supplies and Food: The Tough Reality for Black and Brown Families, by Dr. Charise Breeden-Balaam

When President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) on July 4, 2025, it was touted as a major step in fiscal reform. However, for many families, particularly in Black and Brown communities, it left them with a heartbreaking choice: buy school supplies or put food on the table.

This law significantly changes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It raises work requirements for able-bodied adults up to age 64 and limits caregiver exemptions to parents with children under 14 years old. Sadly, protections for vulnerable groups like homeless individuals, veterans, and youth aging out of foster care have been removed (National Agricultural Law Center, 2025). For communities of color, already facing food insecurity at nearly twice the rate of white households (USDA, 2024), these cuts are devastating.

The timing is particularly troubling. Over 300,000 Black women have left the workforce this year due to federal layoffs and ongoing inequities (Houston Chronicle, 2025; The Week, 2025). These women often serve as the backbone of their families, and the reduced access to SNAP while unemployment rises ensures that hunger could soon reach many households.

Think about the broader impact. Black veterans struggling with joblessness, Latino youth exiting foster care, and unhoused individuals denied food support—the fallout is immense. Many Black and Brown families are also led by grandparents who are now excluded simply because their dependents are over 13. Instead of empowering families, the OBBB seems designed to penalize them for their circumstances.

Furthermore, the bill cuts state flexibility. States previously had the power to waive SNAP time limits during tough economic times. Now, only areas with unemployment rates above 10% qualify—ignoring the reality of underemployment and the barriers many Black and Latino workers face. Meanwhile, Alaska and Hawaii benefit from special exemptions, sending a harsh message to urban communities on the mainland: you’re left to fend for yourselves.

The consequences are already visible. Food banks in cities like Newark, Detroit, Houston, and Los Angeles are bracing for increased demand. Parents are faced with impossible choices—whether to buy pencils or pasta, notebooks or nutrition. This isn’t real reform; it’s a system driving families towards hunger.

Experts argue that immediate action is needed. Congress must restore exemptions for veterans, foster youth, and the homeless, expand caregiver protections, and give states back their flexibility in managing SNAP. Additionally, federal agencies should be required to publish data showing how these changes disproportionately affect people of color. Otherwise, the OBBB will go down as a law that starved America’s most vulnerable.

Food is essential. It’s the foundation for learning, work, and dignity. Unless policymakers recognize this truth, Black and Brown families will keep grappling with the impossible choice of food versus school supplies.

— Dr. Charise Breeden-Balaam, LSW

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