Manny Macedo
Lincoln, NE
Manny Macedo is two-spirit Tupinambá leader, scholar, and community organizer based in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is the Executive Director of Indigenous Foodways, and works to strengthen community ties through ancestral food systems, land-based education, and Indigenous knowledge.
She is a multilingual advocate and researcher who focuses on global Indigeneity, food sovereignty, and creating safe, culturally grounded spaces for future generations. Her life and work honor ancestors, uplift community voices, and serve as a living commitment to love, reciprocity, and collective healing
Manny's Civic Action Plan:
Manny’s civic action plan is to strengthen neighborhood food systems by educating community members in the garden, and providing nutritious food to those who need it. In the face of federal cuts to SNAP and WIC, Manny’s work blends agriculture and community building. Manny has started four community gardens across Lincoln and built partnerships with mutual aid organizations to help anyone who needs good nutritious food.
Beyond the practical aspect of feeding families, Manny centers education in her civic action plan through workshops and community garden days. The process consists of creating a sense of community and shared responsibility for all participants, so she can empower and provide resources for those participating. The long-term goal of her work is to grow consensus about food sovereignty, community resiliency, and bodily autonomy.