Today, we’re talking to Tyree Marzetta (also known as Zetta), one of the members of Black to the Future. We asked him a few questions to get to know him a little more.

Interview conducted by Stetson Hines

What neighborhood did you grow up in?

Bay View Hunters Point

In general, how would you describe your health?

Pretty good I try to keep a pretty clean diet.

What does your diet currently consist of? 

A lot of lean meats and vegetables.

Do you think quality food depends on your income? 

The quality of food depending on your income. It does matter because if you can’t afford to eat a certain way, you have to eat cheap, and the cheapest food is like McDonald’s fast food, something quick and easy. But to get real healthy, nutritious food, you have to go to Wholefoods, Andronico’s, and different types of grocery stores that are not in the neighborhood. So it’s tough if you don’t have the right type of income to feed yourself like that. I struggled with a diet I couldn’t afford when I was trying to change up my eating habits and try to switch over to more vegetables and lean meats. It’s tough if you don’t have the money to support that type of lifestyle.

Why might healthy, affordable food be difficult to obtain in certain areas? 

It’s hard to obtain that type of stuff in general in this area because one theirs no Whole Foods, Fresh & Easy, and no nothing we have Foods Co Inc. over here in Hunters Point, and that’s about it we have Save Mart it basically supplies and demand, if you think about the neighborhood, was in their only going to supply us with what was demanding it’s not a high demand for healthy food, organic. Fresh vegetables, when you think about the community, it’s not something we're accustomed to eating or using. Most people turn their heads away from vegetables eating organically. They think it’s something wrong with it. Theirs not enough demand for it, so they're not going to put it in this neighborhood. It’s kind of tough because a small number of people want to eat a certain way and change their eating habits. In general, it should be pushed into the neighborhood and something people should try out before they knock it and have that option. Before, they don’t have it over here at all.

What types of restaurants are in your neighborhood? 

JJ’s Fish & Chicken, Frisco Fried, BJ’s, Two Jacks, and Bay Side Cafe places with many greases. Not a lot of vegetables, nothing too green on your plate. A lot of brown, starch, bread, and a lot of butter just typical shit people eat in these types of communities. People like to call it “black food” I wouldn’t really call it “black food”; I would call it “cheap food,” something cheap and east and accessible again supply and demand theirs not much of a demand for healthy stuff, so that’s what they're going to keep pushing and continue to push.

How would not having a grocery store near your home affect you? 

I have to travel a lot, but lately, I haven’t been buying groceries because I’ve been eating out a lot going to a sushi restaurant, or going somewhere healthy like a Panera and grab a salad. Their nothing over here, something quick that I would like to shop at and not a cheap one either.

How does our neighborhood influence the choices we make about our health? 

Again supply and demand, so theirs not a high demand for too many healthy food choices like vegetables. Anything you want in your neighborhood could be put there. Their planning, commission board meetings, and poster boards up. We could get Cannabis clubs, beauty salons, and nail tech instead of getting something that’s right for us back into our body. There's no demand for it.