Reporting on Food Justice has continued to be an interesting topic. Studying food justice brings knowledge and understanding of how resources are used.
Heber Brown, a pastor in Baltimore, Md. spoke about the work his church does concerning food justice. He started speaking about how he was 28 when he was voted in to become a pastor, along with being a third generation preacher.
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The idea of food justice came to Brown when he spent most of his time in hospitals and found that members in the church were suffering from dieting issues. Because the church sits on a nice piece of land, the idea came to grow a garden on the property.
The garden is named after one of the elderly members of the church and the garden has been flourishing for 5 and a half years. The garden has received 500 pounds of produce since 2015 and is open to the public anytime during the day. Those who come by leave tools to help keep the garden in shape.
Some other things that Brown’s church partake in are helping people get jobs and trained. Partnerships with the church are done to make things happen. A lot of resources are made locally. But with those resources, it brings people together, with those who have never met before.
Brown then discussed the Baltimore uprising that happened in April 2015, during the arrest of Freddie Gray. Before this incident happened, six months’ prior, Brown discussed with a team he works with about Baltimore and how to make it better. With the uprising, it left people hungry. But in that time frame, the idea from six months ago, help put a plan to action.
With an action plan in place, things started to happen. To help bring the community together, Black Church Security Network was formed. The purpose is to bring churches together. Some of the focuses are sustainable community through war, growing their own produce without getting approval, bringing farmer’s markets to church, and church kitchens. Since this network has been in place, churches around the world including places like Dallas, Chicago and Virginia are looking into starting their own garden.
With Brown continuing to support black churches, he also supports education. Brown is a graduate of Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. so he understands how important education is. In some areas in Baltimore, he wishes children can learn more academically.
Brown founded Orita's Cross Freedom Schoolin April 2012 to help build, mold and shape black youth. When children attend school daily, what is taught may not help them progress, “Public school is not helping our black youth,” said Brown. The Freedom School offers free education that children may not expect to learn in a public school setting. The school is funded through churches and communities.
Brown’s church is Pleasant Hope Baptist Church, where their motto to living is “Put your faith in Action.” It also stands as a church that loves God, serving the community and standing for social justice.
For more information about resources:
Black Church Security Network: http://www.blackchurchfoodsecurity.net
Orita's Cross Freedom School: http://www.oritascross.com/home.html
Pleasant Hope Baptist Church: http://pleasanthope.org
