Today we're celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of civil rights; in two weeks, we'll be commemorating the Greensboro Four, the four young black men who launched a sit-in at a “whites only” lunch counter in a Woolworth’s in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1st, 1960.

The Greensboro Four inspired a rash of demonstrations, and by July of 1960, the Greensboro Woolworth's lunch counter was integrated. But on that February afternoon, the young men were denied service.

“I wanted a cheeseburger with french fries,” recalled Jibreel Khazan, whose name at the time was Ezell Blair Jr. “I wanted vanilla ice cream on apple pie…I would have liked a cherry soda and maybe a banana split.” What Khazan and his three friends wanted, most of all, was the right to sit and eat their apple pie at the counter, instead of being forced to eat standing up like second class citizens.

Three cheers for equal access to cheeseburgers. Nearly fifty years after that battle was won, a surplus of fast food joints in inner city neighborhoods combined with a lack of affordable fresh produce or other healthy foods has contributed to a disproportionate rise in obesity among African Americans. According to a recent Rand study, “children who lived in metropolitan areas where fruits and vegetables were relatively more expensive gained significantly more weight than similar children living where fruits and vegetables cost less.”

When it comes to cheap comfort foods, what's good for the soul, and easy on the wallet, takes its toll on the body. If Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today, would he be calling for better access to healthy foods in our inner cities?

Nothing could be healthier than collard greens and black-eyed peas; you just have to hold the ham hocks. So, to honor MLK Day, I made a gumbo with these Southern staples, and added a bit of lean smoked ham.

Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo with Collards & Smoked Ham:

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil or canola oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, and thinly sliced (or 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, or a dash of Tabasco)

1 bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

4 cups fat free or low fat chicken broth

1 bunch collards, thick stems removed, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups dried black-eyed peas (you can use canned or frozen, adjust cooking time accordingly)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried sage

2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes (drained)

10 ounces okra, sliced

6 oz lean smoked ham, diced

salt & pepper to taste

2 tsp red wine vinegar (optional)

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker or large pot. Add the garlic, onions, and peppers, and cook, stirring frequently, till softened, about 5 minutes.

Add broth, collards, peas and herbs. If using a pressure cooker, lock lid in place, bring to high pressure and cook for 11 minutes, then quick-release pressure and place back on stove. Otherwise, bring to the boil and simmer till collards and peas are tender, about an hour, or less if you're using canned or frozen black-eyed peas.

Remove the bay leaf. Add the tomatoes, okra, and ham, and season to taste. Simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, till the okra is tender. Add vinegar and serve.

Photo credit: Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., at Lincoln Memorial National Park Service Photograph