I’m trying to be more intentional about sharing the steps that I and we take at The Black Church Food Security Network (BCFSN) to further food justice in local communities through the work of African American congregations. This is not only to help support others around the country that are interested in this work, but it’s also a chronicle that helps me to reflect on how I process, analyze and take action against food apartheid.
This week, the work to take action against food apartheid looked like showing up to the local community association meeting. Pastor Brenda White of Allen AME Church in Baltimore made arrangements for me to attend and speak at a community dinner and meeting of the Poppleton Community Collaborative. Residents of Poppleton, along with stakeholders, community organizations and government officials were all in attendance. After a one hour meal, we had a meeting about development plans, transportation projects and other pertinent issues in the community.
The meeting was led by Mrs. Sonia Eaddy. Mrs. Eaddy is a force in the Poppleton community challenging imminent domain and helping to organize alongside her neighbors and allies. Imminent domain and gentrification are a very present reality in the Poppleton community. Construction, large vacant, city-owned lots and older houses alongside brand new housing show all the signs that this neighborhood is being changed by direction of very powerful forces in the city. Upon learning that their community was being changed without their input, local residents, pastors and others organized to amplify the message that Black Neighborhoods Matter!
The community meeting was a reminder that those who are seriously committed to overcoming food apartheid and furthering food justice in Black neighborhoods in particular do not have the luxury to only be concerned about food access. Food intersects with almost everything so being a student of many issues is imperative for those that truly want to make lasting change in local neighborhoods.
I loved being at the meeting alongside Pastor White. Since the beginning of BCFSN, I’ve been telling people that we see ourselves as an extension of the pastor and church’s ministry. Knowing the very real personal and organizational capacity issues at churches, I’ve always wanted to let pastors know that I’m here to be a sidekick to them as we work together to manifest the vision that God gave them for their community. At the community dinner and meeting, Pastor White was working one side of the room while I was working the other and we were getting things done! We recruited a few more people to help us at Allen AME’s garden and connected with government officials that appreciated our statements about shifting power to local people. Pastor White is a perfect picture of what a “community pastor” looks like. She preached a Homegoing Service for one of her members that morning, but that evening was at the community association meeting.
Earlier in the week, we were side by side again as university officials from Utah were in town and wanted to see what our work looked like in community. I gave them a tour of the garden and spoke about the importance of food justice in the neighborhood. Pastor White put on her “community griot hat” and shared with stories, histories and interesting facts about Poppleton and why this community mattered. They left inspired and now we’re all dreaming together about what a partnership can look like between folks in Provo, Utah and Baltimore, Maryland.
Believe it or not – all of this was food justice work through Allen AME Church this week. What I just shared about these meetings, helps to move the work of the garden forward. I know that I didn’t say one thing about seeds or soil; but I hope that you see how cultivating the soil of community and watering relationships with people is just as important as anything that we do with plants. This is the work of SUSTAINING food justice ministry through the church in a local community.
Stay tuned for more as this story unfolds. In our next episode, you better believe that we’ll have more to share that will inform and inspire!
Sincerely,
Rev. Dr. Heber Brown, III aka “Gardener-In-Residence”