3/13/22
Today we visited Pleasant Hope Baptist Church where we had breakfast at 9 am and were pleasantly welcomed with open arms. It honestly felt like I was reconnecting with my lost cousins as they comfortably welcomed us without any hesitation. Everybody introduced themselves in passing along with taking the chance to get to know us. The day served as a follow-up to the previous day in which we had a warm introduction on the prevalence of anti-blackness and its connection to the environment, not quite getting to what this meant for the functionality of the Black Church Food Security Network.
Mass started at about 10 am. The choir’s voices warmed us up for what would be a lengthy yet purposeful worship. Not only did we offer gratitude for everything that God has done for us, we were able to hear a sermon from Pastor Brown about our changing climate which is meant literally and figuratively. Not only are we battling the devastating effects of climate change which has been strongly influenced by human impact, we are also dealing with the changing climate of our time, also directly affected by greedy, human acts. This refers to the strengthening of inequalities on marginalized communities due to COVID-19 and other pending, constructed perils.
What left the largest impact on me is being able to discuss the presence of the Black Church Food Security Network. They have built infrastructure from the ground up for black people by black people. After not feeling welcomed in a local grocery store that could have made building this food system easier, but would have ironically defeated the mission, Pastor Brown sought other solutions. Now sourcing from black farmers and land of their own, the Black Church Food Security Network is reshaping the narrative surrounding black people, land, agriculture, and nutrient-rich food. Putting money into the pockets of black farmers, the network utilizes trucks to take it back to the church for redistribution to then be given to churches who then give it to the people. The network even has its own farmers market centralizing black businesses and their sustainably sourced nutrient-rich foods. I felt nothing but grateful to have experienced such a wonderful community and now have wider hope for the future of black people and our land.