These are words for all of us to reflect on as we begin Black History Month 2025. Rev. Dr. Bernice King told us to reclaim space and time for the mission. She reminded us that mission is not about “you” but about all of us, as we seek to be people of faith. She reflected on the mission of her mother, Dr. Coretta Scott King, to organize to pass legislation to name a holiday in her husband’s honor, which we have commemorated since 1980.

This year’s remembrance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Black History Month coincide with several notable anniversaries that remind us to “stay on the mission.” This year is the 1700^th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, which is foundational to the Christian faith—and which was influenced by Origen of Alexandria, an Egyptian theologian who is considered one of the African Fathers of the Church. This is also the 140^th anniversary of the “Scramble for Africa” that colonized the nation states of Africa. And this year marks the 40^th anniversary of the Kairos document in South Africa, which was a foundational statement of faith toward a free South Africa and the end to apartheid.

2025 is also a Jubilee Year—which began on December 24, 2024, and will run through January 6, 2026. In his proclamation, Pope Francis calls for debt relief of some of the poorest countries in Africa. The theme for this Holy Year is “Pilgrims of Hope.”

Black History Month 2025 captures all of this and much more as we welcome the Second International Decade for People of African Descent. The second decade focuses on reparatory justice, with attention to kinship in Africa—particular toward people who are the children of Africa but live outside the continent. Did you know there are over 200 million people of African descent in the Americas alone? We are close to 350 million, globally.

This Second Decade was proclaimed on December 17, 2024, as “an opportunity to take concrete actions to confront the legacies of enslavement and colonialism, deliver reparatory justice, and secure the full human rights and freedoms of people of African descent worldwide.”

Bread for the World celebrates the contributions of Pan African communities this month as it celebrates its own 50 Years of Advocacy. 

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

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Unlike previous visits, there was an exhibit of Afro-Futurism featured at the museum that was recently featured on 60 Minutes on CBS. Here is the museum’s statement about this exhibit:

“Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures immerses visitors in a conversation that reimagines, reinterprets and reclaims the past and present for a more empowering future for African Americans.”

This conversation had particular meaning after just returning from Ghana and Nigeria the prior week. Our work with Pan African Women of Faith/PAWEEN took me to Ghana, and the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) global gathering took me to Nigeria, which has the largest numbers of Baptists in the world. The conference of the Circle of African Women Theologians and the BWA global gathering were opportunities to link hunger, poverty, climate change, and other intersecting issues to the historic disparities affecting African peoples and to the historic gifts of African peoples. Such linkages of lament and hope invite innovative solutions for the future as we excavate our past.

Climate adaption, Indigenous practices of good agricultural practices, modest lifestyles, and renewable energy are concrete proposals resulting from excavating our past. But investment in this is important to making these proposals live in communities of African peoples. Eighty percent of the global population most at risk from crop failures and hunger from climate change are in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, where farming families are disproportionately poor and vulnerable.”

Another timely invitation for looking back to go forward is the upcoming Black Future’s Summit happening prior to the United Nations’ Summit of the Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow in September of this year. The UN states the following about the Summit:

“The aim is to build upon the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit and deliver an action-oriented Pact for the Future to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.” 

The UN adds that The World Economic Forum’s Chief Economists Outlook has warned of a “deepening trade-off between development and climate action.”

Although the idea of Afro-Futurism and a Black Futures Summit is timely, the issues are not new. African Peoples have always had to reimagine, reinterpret, and reclaim present realities and future possibilities. The new exhibit at the museum demonstrates this. Faith and diverse religious practices have been key foundational legacies for this. 

Black August is a time to reflect and re-imagine renewed ways to repair the injuries and harms to African peoples and our beloved planet—and to end hunger and poverty. But it is also an opportunity to consider what may be already in front of us, like elections, and behind us to reconsider.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

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Christ Has Risen! Christ Has Risen Indeed!

One of my favorite Resurrection hymns is Christ the Lord Has Risen Today! Like Matthew 28:6, the melody and the words point not only to the glory of Jesus the Christ rising from the dead, but also to the realized promise of new life. It is because of this rising that verse four has special meaning: 

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!”

“Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!” suggests that we have a role to play in not only testifying to Jesus’ resurrection, but also in living out a calling to be instruments of God’s grace—for all to rise to new life. This includes the ministry and mission of advocacy for those affected by hunger—that they may have new and renewed life.

Hunger denies life and denies God‘s promise of life for all. Studies have shown that food insecurity results in a wide range of physical and mental health problems and can be lethal. 

Matthew 28:6 and the hymn tell us all are invited to rise to new life because Jesus has already risen for us! Therefore, we have power and grace to be living testimonies and agents of this new life. Bread for the World is committed to promoting and supporting policies and practices that promote this promise of new and renewed life. 

This new and renewed life invites us to redress the historic inequities that have resulted in diminished life—and even death. One of these inequities is evident in the ownership of farmland. During the twentieth century, Black farmers were stripped of land and experienced crippling levels of discrimination when seeking government and private assistance. Did you know that Black farmers in the United States account for less than 2 percent of the total number of the nation’s farmers, according to the latest Census of Agriculture? Farmers of color account for less than 5 percent. 

The loss of this farmland has contributed significantly to the racial wealth gap. Breaking this cycle of discrimination in farming is an important aspect to consider when advocating for the farm bill. There are provisions in this bill that promote equity, sustainability, and nutrition.

Bread’s Policy and Research Institute provides valuable details on how food is produced today and the value of the Farm Bill as an expression of God’s promise of life for all.

Go here to learn more about your role in advocating for new and renewed life by advocating for the Farm Bill. 

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

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“Do good, seek justice.” Jeremiah 1:17

Black History Month 2023 invites a timely reflection on how we repair the historic root causes of hunger in communities in Africa and in communities elsewhere in the world where people of African descent live. I wrote the following in the 2019 Pan-African Bread devotional:

“[A]fter centuries of structural change, protests, and policy reforms, most often led by Africans and people of African descent, why do these groups still experience such disproportionately high percentages of hunger and poverty today? And why is there still such a wide wealth and income gap between these groups and individuals of European and Asian descent? An essential part of the answer lies in the history of the quadricentennial of the transatlantic voyage of African peoples from the country of Angola in 1619 to Jamestown, Virginia. The practice, and later policy, of enslaving African peoples before, during, and after this time are the foundation on which inequitable policies were established.”

We are in a season in which church and public policy initiatives in 2022 and 2023 have provided some timely responses that move us towards repair of this history. In January 2023, the Church of England’s Church Commissioners released their report of a forensic investigation into one particular component of the Anglican Church’s historic link with the trans-Atlantic slave trade. They admitted institutional guilt and moral liability, and then committed to a solemn public effort to make reparation to the present-day descendants of the communities that were negatively impacted.

Repair of this history must also systemically address the environmental crisis and engage climate justice. In November 2022, a new loss and damage fund for which Bread has advocated was adopted at the 27^th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).

In August 2022, a presentment outlining the harms and offenses of the Catholic Church regarding the transatlantic slave trade and slavery was presented at the Vatican. The presentment also referenced the legacy of those harms and offenses and reparations measures that are needed for full repair. “The Catholic Church has admitted that it played a role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade,” said Kamm Howard, director of Reparations United, who is co-convener of the Global Circle for Reparations and Healing (GCRH). “The focus now will be on continued conversations to move the work forward to ensure repair becomes a reality.”

In 2022, A preliminary report by a statewide panel to study and recommend ways to implement reparations for Black Californians outlined how a “blight law from 1945 paved the way for officials to use eminent domain to destroy Black communities,” according to a Dec. 7, 2022, New York Times article (“A Look at What California Has Done So Far About Reparations”).

This year, Bread has as a primary advocacy focus the reauthorization of the farm bill. The farm bill is our nation’s most important national food system legislation. It is critical to the work of ending hunger at home and abroad. Supporting the farm bill legislation through your Offering of Letters, lobby visits, phone calls, and social media will help build healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems that move us towards repairing historic injustices. Please click here to learn more about the farm bill and the Offering of Letters, and to engage this domestic and international timely call for justice.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

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“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

In 1852, Frederick Douglass, a leader in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and a Republican abolitionist, was invited to give a July Fourth speech. His address, “What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July,” acknowledges the successes of the young democracy that became independent from England. It also offered a courageous challenge to the institution of slavery. The summation below reflects this sentiment:

“I do not despair of this country …. The arm of the Lord is not shortened, and the doom of slavery is certain. I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope. While drawing encouragement from the Declaration of Independence, the great principles it contains, and the genius of American Institutions, my spirit is also cheered by the obvious tendencies of the age.”

Indeed the “doom of slavery” did come in 1863 and 1865 with the signing of the executive order of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the successive law in 1865. Douglass’ speech became another catalyst for increased advocacy to end the policy of slavery in the United States.

Today, Independence Day is celebrated twice as federal holidays in the United States: July 4 and Juneteenth, June 19, which became a national holiday in 2021. But sadly, the historic contexts of 1776, 1852, 1865, and 2021 did and still do reflect the pain of disproportionate levels of hunger and poverty among people of African descent in the U.S. and Africa. Associate Professor Angela Odoms-Young of Northern Illinois University captures this history:

“It really is not surprising when you consider the drivers of food insecurity: Income, employment. It’s also an accumulation of disadvantages that happens. I don’t think people always recognize that accumulation—how disadvantages can accumulate over generations and cause those disparities in wealth.”

Independence matters, but so does interdependence when addressing the drivers of food insecurity Dr. Odoms-Young speaks to. Independence of any people and the governance that follows should build interdependence among the peoples. Interdependence is a biblical concept that undergirds a spirit for collaboration to end challenges like hunger. In the case of Pan-African communities, interdependence invites the recognition of historic and present-day inequities that prevent access to nutritious food and lands to grow nutritious food but also invites collective action.

People of faith are called to create and lead communities of interdependence and collaboration, which is a value of Bread for the World. Advocacy to end hunger is one of the ways we recognize our interdependence for and with each other and, thereby, “bear one another’s burdens” as was done in 1863 and 1865. Bread for the World believes there is enough for all. 

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

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“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16 NRSV

Around 479 B.C., Esther, a teenage Hebrew girl—who later became the Queen of the Persia—called her Hebrew community to prayer and fasting. Following this, she called on her government to do no harm to her community, knowing that this action could lead to her own demise. Esther’s call reminds us of our ongoing duty to pray and fast for justice.

In 1960, South Africans called on their government to abolish pass laws requiring black South Africans over the age of 16 to carry a pass book at all times. Sixty-nine of them were killed, and more than 180 were wounded by the police in the Black township of Sharpeville, including some 50 women and children. Many were people of faith. It was one of the first and most violent demonstrations against apartheid in South Africa.

In 2020, the New York Times reported that 15 to 26 million people called on various levels of government and local police departments to stop the historic violent deaths of Black lives at the hands of police. They also reported that Black Lives Matter was the largest movement in U S. history. Since then, this decentralized movement—with primary leadership of women of African descent—has become global and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021. Many members of the movement are people of faith.

In the Church year, we are invited this month to a season of prayer and fasting—and of sacrifice. March is also Women’s History Month—and March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, inspired by the events in Sharpeville, South Africa, in 1960. Both are occasions that remind us of past and present sacrifices.

Bread for the World recognizes the inequities experienced by women and by people affected by racism as hunger issues and matters for prayer and fasting. But Bread is also committed to action to address this. Bread’s legislative agenda of advocating for global nutrition and preparing for the reauthorization of the Farm Bill and the Global Food Security Act includes a lens of gender and racial equity. Go here to learn more about how you can be involved.

We close with this a devotional Lenten prayer excerpt from “In Times Like These … A Pan African Christian Devotional for Public Policy Engagement,” written by Father Daniel Wafik Habib of the Coptic Orthodox Church:

O Lord … There are divisive and distracting worldly windows … let us bring our hearts, broken and humbled … let us bring our minds wholly redirected by your Holy Spirit to the throne of Christ. Bring us to that table where all may find a place. For all the races of humanity can be found in your garden, where each of us is one of your beloved flowers. Amen.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

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Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Recently, I discovered the gravesite of a great-auntie with an older cousin. Her gravesite—like so many gravesites of people of African descent in the Black Belt of Alabama—was hidden. A few days later we visited the family gravesite of my great-great-great-grandmother, also hidden and buried behind the high hedges of a very well-kept white cemetery with many other descendants. I fell to my knees, prayed, and once again gave thanks for my ancestors and for the honor of being their descendent.

Black History Month offers a hallowed time for all of us to give thanks to ancestors like these and to actively engage in solidarity with their legacy, which calls us to faith, love, equity, and hope. It is a time to not only recognize the public and visible leadership of those most often celebrated, but to also recognize those who have been less visible, invisible, and even removed from the memory of yesteryears. Alabama is not the only place where our gravesites are hidden; they are hidden in locations across the nation and around the world.

Stories, individuals, and peoples of Africa and of African descent have been systematically erased from our memories. This erasure includes black lives who did not survive infancy as well as those who gave life. Black lives have been erased from cradle to grave. This lack of memory desanctifies black lives and compromises the history and herstory of all of us.

The proper honoring and remembrances of gravesites and the related narratives of black lives remind us of the policies of enslavement of African peoples, of the Emancipation Proclamation, of the abbreviated period of Reconstruction, and of the congressional reversal of these policies that ushered in the Jim Crow laws. It reminds us of periods when black lives were not properly buried, when they were isolated or even bulldozed over to benefit those who took black farmlands and built their homes atop black lives. This legacy informs the system of racism today. Please see more policy lessons here.  

The acts of honoring and remembering helps to avoid repeating past horrors like these and encourages a more sanctified way forward as cited in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. This remembrance also recognizes the hope these ancestors foresaw for their children. Today, their descendants are reclaiming the meta-narratives and common narratives of and by people of Africa and African descent. We ask, “Who do you know who can tell ancestral and descendent stories?”

Students from our Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and related sanctuaries will be sharing their voices during our Black History Month observance at Bread for the World. This month, Bread will also be convening leaders from Black farming communities, addressing the upcoming farm bill while celebrating the sanctity of black lives. We invite you to join us as we remember and honor black lives, as we advocate together to end hunger.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

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“As a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement rooted in his Christian identity, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. remained at the forefront of protecting and securing the voting rights of all people regardless of their identity or political affiliation. 

“Bread for the World, likewise, rooted in our Christian identity, remains unwavering in our commitment as a nonpartisan organization to preserve democratic principles and free and fair elections. We will only see a true end to hunger when all people are empowered to raise their voices and leverage their power for the sake of those who need help – today. We therefore seek to promote government accountability and transparency, the rule of law, and bipartisanship, working closely with Republicans and Democrats in Congress and the White House who share in this deep commitment.

“Now is the time to hold our government leaders accountable, strengthen our democratic institutions, and promote policies and programs that redress racial, gender, and economic disparities, and alleviate hunger and poverty.

“As the nation reflects on the courage and calling of Dr. King, we urge the Senate to pass legislation that will ensure access to the ballot; promote best practices for voter registration and election administration; and enable voting constituents to freely and fairly elect and hold accountable public officials engaged in promoting policies that address hunger and poverty. Our nation’s moral and civic duty will impact generations. We therefore pray and urge our leaders to remain faithful and uphold our democratic values.” 

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In his 1967 book Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned a “World House.” In the book, he called us to take the following actions: 1) to transcend tribe, race, class, nation, and religion to embrace this vision; 2) to eradicate the triple evils of racism, poverty, and militarism, at home and globally; 3) to curb excessive materialism and shift from a thing-oriented to a people-oriented society; and 4) to resist social injustice and to resolve conflicts in the spirit of love embodied in the philosophy and methods of nonviolence. Dr. King also advocated for a Marshall Plan to advance a collective agenda of eradicating global poverty and hunger. He proposed a living wage and a guaranteed minimum annual income for every American family. And he urged the United Nations to experiment with the use of nonviolent direct action in international conflicts.

Through his sacred imagination, Dr. King redressed the traumatic social, economic, and political conditions of people of African descent and resisted colonial and neocolonial structures. He exercised resilience, self-determination, and agency regarding our rightful place and presence in the global space—acknowledging the grave challenges that have hindered us since the transatlantic journey of enslavement from Africa 400 years ago.

Today, the 1.3 billion African descendants outside of Africa continue to fight alongside Africans living on the continent for a World House with and for all people. Last month, a historic and potentially transformative global decision advanced this vision. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that supports a Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. This was an outcome of the UN International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024 and the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa.

The Forum, set to launch in 2022, has the potential to create a more visible global space—by and with people of African descent—that is nonviolent and engages diplomatic approaches. The Forum will act as an advisory body to the UN and will partner with civil societies and grassroots organizations around the world to address issues related to anti-Black racism and human rights. These issues include the climate crisis, health, hunger, poverty, and the legacies of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade. In so doing, it will be a space that gives increased direct access to the UN and its international networks. In sum, it will help the Black diaspora and our African kindred connect, unite, and strategize around issues that we face in our respective regions and provide methods to make sure that our recommendations are implemented.

Read more about the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World.

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The World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance was held in Durban, South Africa, from August 31 to September 7, 2001. The vision of the conference was global engagement in a broad anti-racism agenda for the first time in the post-apartheid era. The conference’s objectives were (1) to produce a declaration that recognized the damage caused by past expressions of racism and that reflected a new global awareness of modern forms of racism and xenophobia, (2) to agree on a strong practical program of action, and (3) to forge an alliance between governments and civil society that would carry the fight against racism forward. This conference produced the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, which eventually led to the International Decade in Solidarity with People of African Descent, adopted by the United Nations in 2013 for the ten-year span of 2015-2024.

During Black August 2021, we commemorate the 20-year anniversary of that historic global conference and continue the decade of solidarity that arose from it. We also advocate for a permanent Forum on People of African, which was mandated by the UN General Assembly in 2014 but has not yet been established. This season brings another opportunity to embrace the sacred value of freedom—including freedom from racism, hunger, mass incarceration, and over-policing. It is an opportunity to recognize, yet again, the disproportionate prevalence of poor maternal and child health and nutrition in Pan-African communities in the United States and around the world. This moment invites all people to join in solidarity for Black freedoms and for Black liberation from the damaging legacy of racism. And this moment invites all people to remember the ancestors who advocated for freedom and liberation.  

This month, we are mindful of the loss of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, and we remember the enslaved people of African descent in Haiti who resisted their enslavement and led the freedom struggle. The Haitian Revolution, from 1791 to 1804, established the second modern independent nation in the Americas—although the United States would not officially recognize Haitian independence until 1862, just before the Emancipation Proclamation.

Bread for the World is an advocate for black freedom from hunger, past and present. The Decade in Solidarity with People of African Descent helps inform how we engage policies and structures to address racism and related issues, domestically and globally, by recognizing African peoples. Bread for the World invites you to join us in advocating for policies and practices that address Black freedoms. These policies include equitable U.S. agriculture and trade policy, climate change policies, international food aid, foreign assistance, criminal justice reform, maternal and child health legislation, and racial equity for and with Black Farmers.

To learn more about current issues and actions, visit Bread’s “Policy Change” webpage. To fire up your advocacy spirit, visit our virtual Advocacy Summit 2021 webpage.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World.

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“The earth and all in it belong to God.” (Psalm 24:1)

Recently, we celebrated the new U.S. federal holiday of Juneteenth. Many of us rejoiced in this moment, which makes more visible our nation’s history of chattel slavery and the post-enslavement period known as Reconstruction. Reconstruction was a time of investment in land and food production to benefit formerly enslaved African-descended people.

But these gains quickly ceased. And much like during the enslavement period, people of African descent were disinherited from the bounty that God intended for all of us. In sum, they were legally free, but they were prevented from becoming financially free and food secure. Many were left with sharecropping as a primary way of life, leaving them in perpetual debt for generations.

At the peak, Black American farmers owned 16-19 million acres. Now, Black farmers own only 3.6 million acres—less than 1% of the farmland in the United States. Because of the inequities during the enslavement period and during the following century of Jim Crow laws, Black farmers remain structurally challenged when it comes to owning land and producing food today.

Recently, I was honored to be a part of the organizing team for a United Nations consultation with U.S. Black farmers in preparation for the upcoming 2021 Food Systems Summit. The consultation was co-hosted by the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA), the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund (FSC/LAF), and Bread for the World. The Land Loss Prevention Project (LLPP) also participated.

The consultation recognized the legacy of poverty caused by lack of investment in land and resources, with a focus on three issues:

1. Racial discrimination against black farmers.
2. Best farming practices to address food access, food justice, and food sovereignty.
3. Necessary resources to advance equitable livelihood.

Our recommendations focused on the need for a concerted and substantial transfer of capital. These are our specific recommendations:

1. Establish a separate fund for Black farmers, run by Black farmers. This is a key solution for redressing the exclusion of Black farmers from the food systems.
2. Create a Black-owned-and-operated resource arm that corrects previous mistreatment of Black farmers by advocating for them and by providing loans and capital.
3. Promote sustainable fruit and vegetable consumption, educating consumers about the diversity of foods and destigmatizing locally grown produce.

Please commit to learn more about our effort to create a path to equitable livelihoods for Black American farmers. Here is the link to the dialogue. May we all discover renewed ways to insure all people have access to God’s gift of the land and being fed.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World.

The post The Disinheriting of Black Farmers Before and After Juneteenth appeared first on Bread for the World.

Climate change affects everyone, but some populations are disproportionately impacted. In the United States, those groups include Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color (BIPOC). Systemic racism both past and present means that members of these communities are more likely to live with poverty and hunger.

Bread for the World recently published our newest series of one-pager resources on the intersections of hunger, racial equity, and climate change in the United States. The three pieces look at the specific impacts of climate change in African American, Indigenous, and Latino/a communities.

In order to slow climate change and respond to its current and projected impacts, the United States must use a climate justice approach. This means simply that all plans for mitigation and adaptation, as well as their implementation, need to take into account the systemic inequities that have led to our country’s current divisions based on race, ethnicity, gender, and other ingrained biases. As noted, such injustices make some people far more likely than others to be affected by climate change, and as a group, these people have contributed far less to the problem than other Americans. Climate justice is person-centered, responding to the unique needs of those in the most immediately and most severely impacted communities. Its principles should be an integral part of any initiative from its beginnings.

African Americans, Indigenous people, and Latino/as also have higher rates of food insecurity than white households. Bread’s analysis identifies four main ways that climate change exacerbates hunger in BIPOC communities: (1) the racial wealth divide; (2) housing segregation, racialized concentrated poverty, and disinvestment in neighborhoods; (3) racial health inequities; and (4) lack of sovereignty, meaning that communities do not have the agency needed to make independent decisions in the best interests of their people.

The one-pagers include four recommendations to strengthen efforts to keep climate change from increasing hunger in BIPOC communities. These focus on ensuring that BIPOC communities have the resources and space they need to make decisions that protect their people from both hunger and damage caused by climate change.

To develop a climate justice framework that centers racial equity:

• Honor the expertise and leadership of BIPOC communities in the planning, implementation, and evaluation phases of all climate response efforts.
• Center the leadership of BIPOC communities in developing strategies to reduce racialized concentrated poverty, racial health inequities, and racial wealth divides.
• Equitably increase investments in BIPOC-led initiatives to strengthen infrastructure that is at risk of severe damage or destruction as climate change disasters become more frequent and more severe.
• Walk in solidarity with BIPOC communities as they exercise their sovereignty to make decisions to prepare for and respond to climate change.

See Bread’s one-pagers on African American, Indigenous, and Latino/a communities to learn more about the intersections of hunger, racial inequity, and climate change.

Karyn Bigelow is a research analyst with Bread for the World Institute.​

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When I was 7 years old, my father went to prison. He was sentenced to more than 20 years. Like many children with an incarcerated parent, I experienced feelings of shame, depression, and withdrawal. In my case, this lasted until I was a young adult and went to college.

Having a father in prison felt like I was being punished for something beyond my control. The concept of “indirect sentencing” has resonated with me and with others I’ve met who have an incarcerated family member. There is an understanding that Incarcerating one person has emotional and economic impacts beyond that person. Families face a number of problems as their relative goes from arrest, to conviction and sentencing, to incarceration.

My father’s absence caused a financial strain. My mother had to raise me as a single parent, leaving both of us more susceptible to living in poverty. We were fortunate to have a certain level of stability because of strong support on my mother’s side of the family, but not all children with an incarcerated parent are as fortunate. The rising rate of incarceration of women has made the problem worse. With one or especially both parents in prison, many children fall deeper into hunger and poverty. 

In the United States, one in 28 children have at least one parent incarcerated —approximately 2.7 million children at any given time. An estimated 10 million children have experienced parental incarceration at some point in their lives. Many are quite young—about half of all children with an incarcerated parent or parents are under the age of 10. The likelihood of confronting parental incarceration is very closely tied to race. Broken down by race, the statistics show that one in nine African American children (11.4 percent), one in 28 Latino/a children (3.5 percent), and one in 57 white children (1.8 percent) have an incarcerated parent. 

Bread’s fact sheet Hunger and Mass Incarceration reports that more than two-thirds of all incarcerated men had been employed at the time they were sentenced to prison, and more than half had been their children’s primary source of financial support. A study by the Pew Charitable Trust found that family incomes were on average 22 percent lower in the years the father was incarcerated than during the year preceding his being sent to prison, and they remained 15 percent lower the year following his release. Many household budgets were further strained by expenses associated with incarceration, such as collect phone calls, day trips to visit their relative, and prison commissary costs—in addition to lawyers’ fees and court fees.

Many incarcerated people work, but most are paid very little, between 23 cents an hour and $1.15 an hour. They struggle to afford their own basic necessities, such as soap and toothpaste, which are sold at prices that may be twice those of n neighborhood stores. They may also be required to make restitution payments. Thus, parents in prison are able to send very little money, if any at all, home to help support their children. 

All these factors help explain why children with an incarcerated parent are more susceptible to living with hunger and poverty. The United States does not have many nonprofit or government-funded programs  targeted specifically to families who have lost a wage earner to incarceration. Some may qualify for federal nutrition programs such as SNAP or other types of social protection. But overall, the assistance available is simply not enough to respond in a meaningful way to the needs of the several million children who are living with indirect sentencing.

Karyn Bigelow is a research analyst with Bread for the World Institute.

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Finally, be strong in the Lord, relying on his mighty strength. Put on the whole armor of God. Ephesians 6:10a

Recently, I spoke on behalf of a man of African descent at his parole board hearing. He had been incarcerated for more than 41 years. As a juvenile, he was arrested and sent to prison. His resilience and self-determination over the ensuing years was evident in his accomplishments, despite incarceration. We hoped that this would lead to his return to his family. The parole board decided to release him to a halfway house. While his return was welcomed news, he and I both knew that he would still face many of the same historic inequities that contributed to his sentencing more than 41 years ago.

The historic and continuing structural inequities of race, caste, wealth, and income have led to the disproportionate numbers of people of African descent living in hunger and poverty. Black fathers are being removed from their families and communities through mass incarceration, unjustified police killings, and COVID-19.  

The Economic Policy Institute reports that one in every three Black men will be incarcerated and that the mental and physical health of their children will be diminished as a result. Statista reports that this year the rate of fatal police shootings of Black Americans was much higher than for any other ethnicity. COVID-19 has killed 1 out of every 800 African Americans. ProPublica cites a 2020 study that finds that Black people ages 35 to 44 die at nine times the rate of white people the same age.

Even in the face of their public removals from their families and communities, fathers of African descent demonstrate resilience. African descendants of enslavement pioneered their way to the northern regions of the United States during the period of Jim Crow laws and have continued to fight for life. Just like families coming from countries south of the U.S. fight to overcome historic inequities.

This month, as we celebrate Father’s Day and the anniversary of Juneteenth, which celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation. All of us are called to stop the removal of African American fathers and their children. We are called to build up personal and communal resilience with them and return our fathers and our children back to their families.

In the case of the man I met at his parole hearing, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018 contributed to his return to his family and community. The 2019 passage of the First Step Act was a critical win in the fight to reduce mass incarceration. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan is combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. Today the George Floyd Policing Act is being debated.

Advocacy matters! You are invited to partner with Bread for the World to advocate for Black men at www.bread.org.   

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World

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“Momma! I’m through.” This was the cry of a mother’s child, George Floyd, during the last moments of his life as an officer knelt on his neck. One of the witnesses to this was a nine-year-old girlchild after she bought snacks at a nearby store with her cousin.

When Jesus, the child of Mary, was crucified on a cross, his last words were also directed to his mother. According to John 19:26-27, “he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”

These same cries are also heard today from unaccompanied children who have or are making the dangerous journey to the United States because of the disturbing conditions and dangers in their homes. ProPublica reports that “they scream ‘Mami’ and ‘Papá’ over and over again, as if those are the only words they know.” There were 18,663 unaccompanied children in March 2021.

How many cries are made today by children and mothers desperate for their lives to be protected and saved? How many are assaulted by the threat and horror of death because of violence, conflict, hunger, poverty, climate change, and other interrelated causes? Perhaps we will never know but these echoed cries of Rachel’s lamentation in Jeremiah 31:15 and Matthew 2:16-18 beckon us to listen and respond today: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Revelations 21:4 says God is listening and responding: “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Therefore, as people of faith and goodwill we are called to listen and respond. Listening to our mothers and children and advocating with them can help turn their cries and tears of anguish to tears of renewed hope and possibilities.

Mothers and children have been key leaders in the increased public advocacy for a racially equitable future that has been a response to the tragedy of George Floyd’s death and other similar deaths. Recently, there were tears of hope when the policeman who put his knee on his neck was held accountable. There are tears of hope as unaccompanied children who have crossed the U.S. southern border are placed in foster care homes until permanent homes can be found—instead of being caged and condemned.

Bread for the World, in partnership with persons like you, advocates for policies that advance resources for child and maternal health and nutrition, and police and immigration reforms. You are invited to join us at the upcoming Bread for the World Advocacy Summit to learn more.

This month also brings Mother’s Day and the Africa month celebrations that can bring hope. May the tears and cries of all of us find hope in our individual and communal acts of love, justice, and compassion.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World.

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The victims of Tuesday’s shooting include: Xiaojie Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; Hyun J. Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; Yong A. Yue, 63; and Soon C. Park, 74; all women of Asian descent. Delaina Yaun, 33, and Paul Andre Michels, 54, were also killed. Elcias Hernandez-Ortiz, 30, remains hospitalized. 

“We mourn the life of each victim – many of them Asian women – and pray for their families and loved ones,” said Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World. “As we pray and lament, we must also continue to stand up and speak out against these atrocities committed against AAPI communities. Our righteous anger against hate and injustice must be loud but our pursuit of justice and commitment to the beloved community must be louder.” 

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian racism and hate crimes have skyrocketed. This rise is undoubtedly tied to the racist and inflammatory anti-Asian rhetoric that spread across the country and has been promulgated by the media, prominent media personalities, and government officials.

Bread stands against this racism and violence, and we stand with AAPI communities. While the details of the Atlanta shooting are still emerging, Stop AAPI Hate has reported nearly 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents since the start of the pandemic – with 68 percent of the reports coming from women.  

Just as rising hunger rates among AAPI communities amid COVID-19 are exacerbated by systems and structures tainted by the sins of racism, misogyny, and colonialism, the increasing violence and hate speech against these communities is a product of those same systems and structures. They operate through policies that perpetuate attitudes and behaviors that dehumanize those who are labeled “foreigners” or “the other.”  

This is evidenced in the long and often untold history of anti-Asian racism in the U.S., including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and the anti-Asian violence following the 9/11 attacks. 

This history contributes to the significant impact that AAPI communities have endured during the pandemic. Twenty-eight percent of Asian American-owned small businesses have closed in the past year. AAPI communities and individuals have also suffered mental health impacts and trauma, due in part to anti-Asian violence.   

Bread affirms the Statement on Anti-Asian Racism in the Time of COVID-19, issued by Asian-American Christian leaders last year, and calls upon the Christian community to seize this teachable moment and speak out against anti-Asian, and all racist, violence. We, as a community, must rekindle our confession that all people are created in the image of God and that the love of God is for everyone, without exception. 

*LORD- help us to stand with those who are oppressed, harassed, vulnerable, and abused. 

Like You, we condemn each hateful act of violence, knowing each act was committed against one of Your precious children and our siblings – each carefully crafted in Your image. We cry out in anger and sadness for the victims. 

• For the constant barrage of verbal assaults and dehumanizing harassment – have mercy. 
• For the displays of intimidation, unrelenting threats, and societal ostracizing – have mercy. 
• For the acts of violence against the elderly – have mercy. 
• For the continued graffiti and hate-laced messages left at churches – have mercy. 
• For the targeted murders of Asian women in Atlanta – have mercy. 
• For any thought, attitude, belief, or behavior of our own that communicates anything other than Your immense LOVE – we repent – have mercy on us. 

Restore lives. 

Rebuild communities. 

Redeem what has been stolen. 

Renew that which has been destroyed. 

Resurrect. For You alone give life. 

And may You use Your beautiful work. 

We pray in Jesus’ name. 

Amen. 

*Prayer adapted from Overlake Christian Church

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COVID-19 has exposed ugly truths about the effects of systemic racism.

Headlines report that Black, Brown, and Indigenous people are dying at disproportionate rates compared to their white counterparts, and many wonder how this can be. Yet, it is no surprise to people who live under the burden of systemic racism or to those who are working to end hunger. 

That is because discrimination is a root cause of hunger.

The Biden administration is pulling off the blinders. Within the first two weeks in office, President Biden issued four executive orders aimed at reducing racial opportunity gaps, stating, “advancing racial equity is everyone’s job.” This whole-of-government approach, a first for any administration, uses a racial equity lens in crafting policy, collecting data, and allocating resources to address systemic racism.

This is a big deal at Bread for the World. Years of discriminatory policies and practices have denied opportunity to people of color, creating environments of persistent hunger. An equity lens is the only way to unweave a system engineered to oppress.

Bread for the World’s domestic policy expert Chonya Johnson said the administration’s commitment to equity gives her hope. “It helps to level the playing field and pays attention to those who have historically been impacted by the lack of access to resources,” she said.

However, it is Congress that holds the purse strings. Johnson, who spent years on Capitol Hill, has no allusions change will be easy. “People don’t always want to play fair if they think they are losing the power that they think they have.”

She hopes that with the administration laying the groundwork, members of Congress will be more open to addressing racial equity and allocating the necessary resources. “It sends a clear message,” said Johnson, “but at the end of the day, it’s about us on the outside holding them accountable.”

The next stimulus bill provides an opportunity to act on the administration’s goals.  

“We can address hunger but also set a foundation for recovery—a foundation that supports everybody,” said Johnson.

Bread for the World has recommended that the COVID relief bill now being negotiated should not only provide immediate relief to people affected by the pandemic; it should also include provisions to increase the minimum wage, expand low-income tax credits, and support and protect essential immigrant workers—all policies that would especially support communities of color. 

The stimulus is just a tiny step. It will take more than a single bill to dismantle the structures of racism. According to Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith, who leads Pan-African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World, the opportunity for meaningful change is possible but not inevitable.

“I think we have to learn from history,” said Walker-Smith. For example, the years after the Civil War and the Great Depression were periods of rebuilding that missed the mark in leveling the playing field for Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.

“Here we are on the eve, again, to do better,” said Walker-Smith. She hopes the theology of inclusivity and hospitality will overcome the warring factions that divide the nation. “Racial equity is an opportunity to get it right for everybody.”

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Fannie Lou Hamer is rumored to have said, “If you give a hungry man food, he will eat it. [But] if you give him land, he will grow his own food,” while referring to her Freedom Farm Cooperative, which was established in 1967 in rural Mississippi.

We enter Black History Month in the middle of a pandemic that disproportionately impacts Black communities—while those same communities continue to face state violence and police brutality. Fannie Lou Hamer’s wisdom continues to ring true. She speaks to the need for deep systemic change, particularly in relation to racial equity and structural opportunity in land access, rather than unsustainable Band-Aid solutions.

As one of the few Black women recognized publicly as a Christian Civil Rights leader, an intellectual, and a landowner, Hamer embodies what Dr. Melanie L. Harris terms Ecowomanism. Ecowomanism intertwines womanist theology—which focuses on the spiritual experiences of Black women as a pathway toward liberation and equity—with an ecological lens that examines kinship, care, and deep spirituality rooted in land stewardship. This lens can provide key insights to healing through land reclamation for Black and Indigenous people in the United States.

Black people continue to face barriers to land ownership and farming, while also facing structural racism and oppression that contribute to disparities and negative outcomes in spiritual, mental, physical, and socioeconomic well-being.

This is dramatically reflected by the fact that as of the 2017 USDA census, registered Black-owned farms in the United States make up less than 2 percent of all farms. Black women own marginal amounts of those farms. Kafi Dixon, founder and executive director of Common Good Cooperatives in Massachusetts, says this of her farm founded by and for Black women:

“This space [is focused] on the love, respect, and acknowledgement of all that Black women bring forth. And how do we reward that? By giving to them and creating a space of joy for them. Of happiness, of health. That seems like safe space, that’s protected, that’s healing.”

Dixon celebrates self-sustainability and intentional trauma-recovery at her cooperative farm space.

This work has inherently spiritual dimensions when seen through an ecowomanist lens that centers equity, which is inextricably linked to land access, healing, and community. The opportunity to grow our own food and sustain ourselves and our communities also cultivates a place of healing, connection, and reclamation of our relationship to the land poisoned during the trauma of slavery. In many ways, this also strengthens our connection to God.

Psalm 89:1-11 (KJV) refers to the covenantal relationship we have with God. Psalm 89:11 reads, “The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them …” and Psalm 89:3-4 says: “I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant. Thy seed will I establish forever.”

After the enslavement of Black people, Jim Crow laws, and the civil rights movement, there is no reason for Black people to still be fighting for our basic humanity, to be understood, or for the right to own land and to have resources to sustain that land.

“Black Lives Matter” is still not inherent to many people; Black history is only intentionally celebrated publicly once a year. This is reflective of a deep cultural wound that can only be remedied with radical healing, genuine accountability, care and love for one another, and our sustaining Earth.

Ecowomanism and the movements for Black lives and Black-owned land remind us that we are divinely tied to the land and that now is the time for our faithfulness to God, to the land, and to each other.

Nicole Taylor Morris (she/her/hers) is a womanist bioethicist, scholar-activist, doula, and aspiring movement chaplain and healer. She holds a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School focused on the intersections of Black women and community’s health, community-centered healing, and the role of spirituality in wellness.

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“Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His Word; Just to rest upon His promise…How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er; Oh, for grace to trust Him more!” Hymn Excerpt from “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” (1882)

As I witnessed the recent historic U.S. presidential inauguration events that included the inauguration of Vice-President Kamala Harris as the first woman of African and Asian descent to hold the office, the sweet memories of my matriarchal family lineage came to mind. I recalled their laughter, joy, faith, wisdom, courage, and bold resolve for life during periods in the United States where such a historic occurrence was not even imaginable. Historical periods where daily loss of black lives, due to racialized terror, hunger, and poverty in Pan African communities, were normative. These periods were foundational to the same evils that exist today.

One may think justified anger and righteous indignation might be the only responses to this experience of Pan African peoples. But our history and testimonies also suggest a complementary response – sweetness. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sweetness as something that is pleasing, agreeable, and gratifying to the mind and feelings. Pan African peoples have lived into this definition of sweetness despite the ongoing struggle for human dignity, agency, and rights. This is, in great part, because of our primary trust in God – and not persons, structures, systems, and practices that may have the flawed moral values of exclusion and racial inequities that have demonstrated their inability to be trustworthy and hospitable.

People like Vice-President Harris and Senator Raphael Warnock, the first person of African descent to serve in the Senate from the former confederate state of Georgia, are beneficiaries of this historic struggle. While their elections to office are but two of many historic firsts; they, like us, are called to move towards a renewed season of repair and healing for those yet to come. Vice-President Harris referred to this when she also honored her mother’s instruction: “I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me…we are bold, fearless and undaunted…You might be the first, but make sure you’re not the last.” Youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman, who recognized her enslavement ancestry at the inauguration, said: “…the dawn is ours before we knew it… It’s the past we step into and how we repair it.”

Black History is a bitter-sweet testimony of struggle yesterday, today, and tomorrow seeking to repair and heal humanity for and with all of us. Our collective faith and ability to trust in God can inform and inspire all of us to a renewed vision of repairing and healing a world without hunger and poverty. Testimonial hymns like” Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”, a popular Black Church hymn, encourage more moments of sweetness, and not bitterness, to do this.  Bread for the World has a number of resources to aid in your reflection this Black History Month and throughout the year, including “Lament and Hope: A Pan African Devotional Guide” and our report “Racially Equitable Responses to Hunger During COVID-19 and Beyond.”

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World.

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God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you …. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. Luke 1:26b-28, 31

I remember my first empowering glance of the “Black Madonna,” also known as Our Lady of Czestochowa, during my Pan African classes in college. I have since appreciated that her image has historic importance during the Advent and Christmas season. Although this painted ionic image of Mary with Jesus is primarily associated with the Catholic and Orthodox church families, it is known throughout the world.

In 1979, during his first papal visit to Poland, Pope John Paul II visited the shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa and said, “The call of a son of Poland to the Cathedral of St. Peter contains an evident and strong link with this holy place, with this shrine of great hope. ‘Totus tuus (I am all yours),’ I had whispered in prayer so many times before this Image.” In 2016, Pope Francis, visited her image during the global World Youth Day gathering. The Shrine of the Black Madonna in Missouri and the image of Our Lady, Mother of Ferguson and All Those Killed by Gun Violence were also inspired by the Black Madonna.

In this age of “Black Lives Matter” and deepening Pan African global identity, the images of blackness and African identity are being revisited. Unlike the ill-founded observations, arguments, and faith perspectives that continue to demonize and minimize Blackness, Africans and people of African descent are revisiting and rewriting their histories and herstories regarding legacies like the Black Madonna. They understand that Blackness, Africa-relatedness, women, and children have always mattered and continue to matter.

At the recent Pan African Women of Faith conference co-hosted by Bread for the World, women affirmed this and advocated for justice with our Bread for the World legislative agenda. They advocated for the stimulus package this year. They brought their stories and lenses to the occasion. They embraced hope and prayed in the face of the adversities of COVID-19 and economic challenges.

At the same time, these women lamented loss and disproportionate health and economic consequences during this season. Many, like the Black Madonna, have sojourned and migrated with the threats of economic and health peril. Some, like Our Lady, Mother of Ferguson and All Those Killed by Gun Violence, have experienced violent governmental policies against them and have lacked appropriate shelter. Despite this, they gave thanks and expressed hope. May the Black Madonna and Holy Child be an inspiration to you as well in this challenging Advent and Christmas season.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World.

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This devotional celebrates the hope, faith, and resilience of Latino communities, while also lamenting the evil of inequitable policies that, to this day, continue to oppress our people leading to hunger and poverty in the United States and south of the U.S.-Mexico border—even further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This devotional, written by and for Christian Latinos/as, seeks to inspire and empower individuals and churches to address the structural causes and negative consequences of hunger and poverty through faith and advocacy.

As we confront an uncertain future, our faith grounds us in God’s love for all people, ourselves, our family, and our community. This bilingual Latino devotional invites you to reflect biblically on the interconnectedness of hunger, malnutrition, and climate change, issues that negatively impact Latino communities in the United States and drive migration abroad.

Our devotional writers challenge us to feel the Spirit of God within us and to hear God’s urgent call to demand justice so all can put food on the table.

With the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, we know we can end hunger and poverty—systemic issues that are central to the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. We are committed to building a movement grounded in spiritual power so that we might be guided to the other side of this health crisis stronger and ready to rebuild our society in line with God’s vision of thriving and flourishing for all people.

To that end, we invite you to use these five devotional entries with your community of faith to reflect, pray, and act. Rooted in Christ, we can actively work against poverty by advocating for public policies that foster racial equity, shared prosperity, and opportunity for all.

Thank you for all you are doing to end hunger and poverty in our time.

Advocacy

Rev. Carlos L. Malavé, executive director
Christian Churches Together in the USA

Christians are bearers of good news and bad news. Our church’s theological tradition tends to sway us into one or the other. Some traditions overemphasize the proclamation of the “new heaven and new earth.” As if that were all of what God is concerned about. Others forget or ignore the promises of the “new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” Since the fall of our original parents (according to) Genesis, God began a process of renewing humanity.

The first coming of Jesus inaugurated the beginning of the end of that process. Notice that this transformation or renewal is an ongoing process. The Spirit of God is actively using the church (and even those who do not identify with the church) to influence human institutions and demand justice due to all of God’s children.

The faith we have received from Jesus and the apostles reveals the principles of God’s reign and his will for humanity. We are a megaphone for God: “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (Matthew 5:15). Those who know the heart of God cannot be satisfied with preaching about a future perfect life while people today are hungry, homeless, abused, enslaved, rejected, and killed.

We have been empowered and sent to the world to change the world so that all people can experience “fullness of life.” “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). We are the voice, the arms, and the feet of Christ in the world.

Demanding that our elected officials work for a world that provides the same care for all, equal opportunities and rights, is our responsibility. Advocacy is one powerful tool to proclaim the good news that God is setting the world aright.

Reflection: Do you fear the consequences of speaking up and engaging in advocacy to hold our elected officials accountable on issues related to hunger and poverty?

View full devotional entry

U.S. Hunger

Rev. Jeanette Salguero, senior vice president
National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NaLEC)

As a pastor, I hear all about the sins that beset people like pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, and gluttony. Interestingly, I have never heard anyone confess the sin of partiality.

James 2 talks about this often unknown, forgotten, ignored, or unseen sin. It is the type of partiality that believes that one group is superior or has more value than the other. It is a sinful distinction that denies the image of God in others. Partiality can seep into our lives in subtle ways and manifests itself in the choices we make, who we talk to, pay attention to, or care for.

Partiality exists when people struggling with hunger and malnutrition are ignored. Partiality reigns when people living in poverty are discounted and shunned. Sadly, partiality is seen all over the United States when nearly 37 percent of Latino households with children struggle to put food on the table. Thankfully, James provided the antidote to resisting partiality by reiterating the words of Jesus that we must love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

The church cannot allow itself to be plagued with the same vices as those in James’ day who let their selfish gains and desires outweigh love. When we love people as ourselves, we want for them what we want for ourselves. When we love our neighbor, we desire their flourishing and prosperity.

May we heed James’ words and “show no partiality as we hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1).

Reflection: Have we unintentionally said to our brothers and sisters in need, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things they need for the body?

View full devotional entry

global hunger

Brenda Noriega, mission educator
Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers

In Proverbs, we find an exhortation to see, hear, and attend to the cries of those in need: “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9). But, we are also told to attend to their needs quickly: “Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow, and I’ll give it to you’—when you already have it with you” (Proverbs 3:28).

In Matthew 14:15-21, Jesus cared for the basic needs of those who followed him as much as he cared for their spiritual needs. The disciples came to Jesus to ask him to let people leave to find something to eat, but Jesus’ surprising response was to “give them something to eat.” He invited his disciples to see the resources that were among them. It is from these resources, five loaves and two fish, that Jesus performed a miracle.

In some regions of Latin America, income inequities are quite significant. Some people do not even have a loaf of bread, while others have abundant food and resources.

The first 1,000 days—from a woman’s pregnancy to her child’s second birthday—are critical for a child’s development. However, too many children in Latin America die before reaching that milestone because they lack a nutritious diet. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating hunger and malnutrition in the region. As disciples, we are called to attend to the cry of people in need. Perhaps our five loaves and two fish are the answer to these children’s prayers.

Reflection: When was the last time you did not know when your next meal would be?

View full devotional entry

migration

Rev. Lori Tapia, national pastor for Hispanic Ministries
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

In Matthew 7:24-27, we find Jesus utilizing a comparison of where one builds a house to teach the difference between wisdom and foolishness. Jesus speaks of the wise as those who build their house on rock, while the foolish build upon sand. But this scripture also speaks to the everyday realities of those who find themselves living in a house built upon sand due to no fault of their own and who strive to build a house on rock. One could reflect upon this scripture when thinking of those people who are forced to flee their homeland due to unstable living conditions.

At the root of migration are hunger and extreme poverty, amplified by violence and corruption. For individuals and families who have migrated to the United States, the idea of building a house on rock is much deeper than owning a physical building. Rather, it is about building a home, a safe space, that provides the ost stability and well-being.

It may look different from time to time, and may be shared with other families and friends during different seasons. It looks like a one bedroom apartment with two families working to make ends meet; it looks like the living room of a relative; it looks like the long road between Guatemala and the United States; it may even look like the hot concrete under a tarp at the Mexico-United States border.

The rock foundation is demonstrated in the resilience of parents and individuals who are willing to face the dangers of migration and the risk of rejection by a government blinded by political ideologies. It is demonstrated in their willingness to submit to less-than-humane working conditions and to accept unlivable wages.

Migration is a better option than staying to die in a country torn by war and poverty. But, the conditions that many migrants face are wrong and unjust. The foolishness in this reality represents those who perpetuate the sand-shifting foundation—the broken immigration system and those who exploit it, and the limited and unequal access to resources. There is enough for all: this is the solid rock foundation that brings hope to those who risk their very lives for just one piece. Here, true wisdom lives and builds.

Reflection: Where do you see the sand shifting under those who live in the margins due to their undocumented status?

View full devotional entry

climate change

Rev. Dr. Neddy Astudillo, Latin America director and Florida organizer
GreenFaith

From the early scripture passages (Genesis 2:15) to the last (Revelation 11:18), we hear a call and warning to care for God’s creation (Psalm 24:1). When we disrespect this call, the harmonious order under which God created life is threatened, and all creatures suffer the consequences (Jeremiah 14:2-7).

Although the story of Joseph (Genesis 37, 40-41), and the dreams of the Pharaoh of Egypt does not speak of a climate crisis like the one we are facing today, it certainly describes the reality of a region that will face major climate shifts. After seven years of hospitable climate that generates an abundance of food, there will be seven years of climate conditions that will create famine—unless people organize to mitigate its impact.

Like Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, climate scientists today have interpreted climate data and warn us about coming fluctuations in temperatures, stronger storms, longer droughts, and floods. These are already affecting the planet’s biodiversity and the livelihoods of the most vulnerable human communities.

In Joseph’s story, people are receptive to the unprecedented revelation, and they organize themselves without delay to lessen the impact on everyone—not just the rulers. The passage does not explain to us why these changes in the environment will occur. Facing a situation that the God of the Hebrews cannot avoid, Joseph inspires his people to prepare the way so they—collectively—do not suffer unnecessarily.

The time of famine arrives as announced, but the well-being of all is preserved, thanks to a faithful God, and to the community effort of rulers, workers, religious leaders, peasants, and grain storekeepers. Each one of them, inspired by a common good that includes other people, does their part to avoid a major crisis.

When justice reigns on earth, God’s kindness is latent, even in the midst of crisis.

Reflection: What steps can you take to prepare and organize to change federal policy to better care for God’s creation?

View full devotional entry

Additional Resources

Finding Hope, Ending Hunger on Both Sides of the Border: A Bilingual Devotional

Blog: Hispanic Heritage Month invites solidarity and hope

Fact Sheet: Global Hunger in the Time of COVID-19

U.S. Hunger and Poverty State Fact Sheets

Ending U.S. Hunger by Focusing on Communities Most Affected

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In 1974, Ella Baker, the African American Civil Rights leader and a board member of the Puerto Rican Solidarity Committee, gave a major speech for their assembly in New York City. She was a behind-the-scenes strategist who fought to end inequities for those who disproportionately experience hunger and poverty—as well as racial, gender, and class bias. Her leadership approach was to empower grassroots communities and build solidarity for sustainable change.

As an Episcopal lay leader, Baker’s faith informed her approach to organizing and mobilizing communities affected by hunger and poverty. Baker mentored and supported the leadership of people like John Lewis, Martin Luther King Jr., Julian Bond, and Diana Nash. She understood that solidarity with her latino/a brothers and sisters and various other groups was important to ending structural inequities. She also knew that such recognition and solidarity was not new.

Consider the following. Did you know that enslaved people of African descent in the United States found refuge in Mexico? Did you know that for many years Brazil has had the largest population of people of African descent outside of Africa? Did you know Afro-Latinos comprise some 150 million of Latin America’s 540 million total population? Did you know that Pew Research shows that one-quarter of all U.S. Latinos/as identify as having African descent?

Recently, people like Ella Baker were remembered for promoting solidarity. As a founder of the 1963 March on Washington, she has helped to ground the renewed focus on solidarity in light of the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement also empowers and brings solidarity to grassroots communities for sustainable change. This was demonstrated at the featuring of families directly affected by police brutality at the recent Commitment March to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington. These movements to end racial inequities, hunger, and poverty point to a critical season of renewed solidarity with our Latino/a brothers and sisters.

In a recent article by Salud America! it was pointed out that Latinos/as are experiencing a rising burden of hate crimes, discrimination, and anti-immigrant sentiment and have joined in the Black Lives Matter cause to advocate for change—not just in African American neighborhoods, but in all communities of color.

“It’s not just Black people being murdered by police. Hispanics are dying, too,” said Fernando Garcia, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR). “It’s not only one bad apple. The whole system of criminalization and violence against people of color is the pattern. This system criminalizes all people of color who are poor. That is why it’s important to connect.”

Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity for all of us, including all Pan African communities, to recommit to solidarity with our Latino/a and Indigenous communities.

Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

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This story is part of the July 2020 issue of Institute Insights

The slaying of Black bodies is not new. The recent lynchings of Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many more holds up a mirror to our nation’s original sin. But it also reinforces the reality that much has not changed—rather the forms they take on have only mildly shifted.

I have many words to say—more than what my lifetime’s worth or 400 years of racial oppression can fit onto a page. But nonetheless, I will attempt to start.

As a Black woman, I know firsthand that the racism I experience is different than the racism faced by other people of color. Unfortunately, this truth is no longer surprising to me. Looking at the history allows me to make sense of why this is the case and how this is still full-strength reality, functioning more than 600 years after Europeans first set foot on the continent of Africa to profit from the exclusive chattel slavery of Black bodies.

What I find surprising is that many white people and other people of color have not yet understood that this is the reality. That as a result of my Blackness, the racism I experience will also be different, and in many ways worse, than the racism that other communities of color encounter.

The reason for this is anti-Black racism.

Anti-Black racism is the name of the specific kind of racial prejudice directed towards Black people. Anti-Blackness devalues Blackness, while systematically marginalizing Black people, the issues that affect us, and the institutions created to support us. The first form of anti-Blackness is overt racism, which is upheld by covert structural and systemic racism that categorically predetermines the socioeconomic status of Blacks in this country. The second form of anti-Blackness is unethical disregard for Black people, as seen in the cases of police, or civilian, brutality against Black bodies.

Back in the 1400s when the Portuguese enslaved only Africans, they coined the term “Negro.” This word was translated as “Black” and used to describe the people living in Africa. At that time, people did not see themselves as belonging to the same race as all others in the sub-Saharan region. Of course, they also did not see themselves as belonging to an inferior social group. The Portuguese, however, described the people living on the continent as “uncivilized” and attempted to map this lie to the physical attributes of their Blackness. And while the term “white” was not formally named at that time, the Portuguese and other European colonizers later became identified under the umbrella of “white” and “civilized” by virtue of not being labeled “Black” and “uncivilized.” This justified the transatlantic slave trade of Black people, a history that is still with us today.

In short, Blackness is the antithesis of whiteness. The definition of “white” during the period of U.S. chattel slavery went so far as to specify that a white person did not have a drop of Black blood. So, it would make sense then that the direct opposite of whiteness is Blackness, and the policies designed to uphold white supremacy have also been the very policies that sought, and in many ways still seek, to harm Blackness. The suppression of Black people directly maintains the privilege, “purity,” and power of white people. This is one of the reasons that, on a spectrum of white to Black, people generally experience more power and privilege the closer in proximity to whiteness they are, and less power and privilege the closer in proximity to Blackness they are.

This is also seen in the construction of systemic racism, whereby policies were deliberately designed to oppress Black people while centering and upholding whiteness. This was the case with U.S. chattel slavery, sharecropping, Jim Crow policies, New Deal legislation, redlining, the separate but equal doctrine, over-policing and mass incarceration, employment discrimination, voter disenfranchisement, and many others. These policies were anti-Black, meaning that they were designed to target the Black community and center whiteness. And while they certainly negatively impacted all communities of color, it makes sense that the people hurt most by these policies are Black—at their core, these policies were anti-Black.

More than 400 years of unresolved anti-Black policies is the reason we see the Black community experiencing the highest levels of police brutality. Perhaps the most brutal form of anti-Black racism is the historical lynching. Lynching is defined as someone being put to death without court or legal sanction. As I sit here writing this, I acknowledge that my own body, a product of Blackness, is all too susceptible to this very same violence in this country today. According to the Equal Justice Initiative, lynchings were violent and public acts of torture that traumatized Black people throughout the country. Lynching took place in the United States well before the Emancipation Proclamation, but it increased sharply during the period 1880 to 1940 as African Americans sought freedom. It was largely tolerated by state and federal officials. Historically, police were complicit with lynching, whether by participating themselves or by allowing the violence to take place. In fact, as many as 75 percent of lynchings have had the direct or indirect assistance of law enforcement. And we see police involvement and complicity in killings today.

Perhaps the main difference today is that a fraction of these injustices has been filmed and posted on social media for millions to see. Per the definition of lynching, none of the killings were connected with a judicial proceeding or court order. They were examples of public acts of torture of Black bodies. This shows that anti-Blackness is not simply the racist actions of a white person, nor is it systemic racism alone. As scholar Nicholas Brady explains, it is also “the paradigm that binds Blackness and death” where “one cannot think of one without the other.”

What should be next…

What the recent protests and conversations have taught me is that many people and institutions don’t yet understand these realities. Many people, even those with good intentions, are perpetuating the same non-acknowledgement of anti-Blackness, which only reinforces the denial of my lived truth and my community’s historic reality.

1. We must center Blackness and Anti-Black Racism. Everyone must lift up anti-Blackness, because it is a specific type of racism that must be centered if racism is ever to be defeated.
2. Once we center Black people and the anti-Black racism they experience in our analysis and our decisions, then our goal for every policy and program will, by definition, require us to dismantle white supremacy and the policies, practices, and cultures that uphold it.
3. We can no longer afford to say only “racism.” Instead, we must specify “anti-Back racism,” to acknowledge the difference that holds Black people in oppression. We must say it, we must name it, and we must walk in boldness to address it.
4. We can no longer afford to say only “people of color,” which is too general and doesn’t center anti-Blackness. We must name Black people. One phrase that does this is “Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color.” This is the only way our orientation to racial justice can change.
5. Lastly, this commitment to Black lives and Black bodies cannot be just another fad. There has been a concerted effort to oppress Black people in this country for more than 400 years. There needs to be an equally concerted effort to redress this oppression of Black bodies—for the next 400 years if necessary. This will require a genuine commitment from everyone in every sector and at every level, if we are serious about Black lives and reversing the anti-Back racism that is experienced by those of us who proudly wear Black skin.

Marlysa D. Gamblin is senior policy advisor, racial and gender divides, with Bread for the World Institute.

The post A reflection on anti-Black racism appeared first on Bread for the World.

This story is part of the July 2020 issue of Institute Insights

At Bread for the World, we continue to advocate for lasting solutions to hunger and food insecurity, including jobs that pay enough to support a family. Of course, Bread is also calling for prompt and sufficient assistance for families struggling to meet their essential needs, whose numbers have exploded in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of structural racism, both parents who are low-wage workers and those who have lost their jobs are disproportionately people of color, particularly Black women. Black children are at far higher risk of living in food-insecure families than white children.

The economic and health inequities that Black families continue to suffer are compounded by institutionalized forms of direct violence, including police brutality and mass incarceration. The injustices seem so intractable that I wonder whether I am impossibly naïve to think that there could be meaningful change. Naïve or not, I have been on the lookout for genuine signs of hope, partly in the knowledge that becoming too discouraged to be an effective advocate won’t help anyone.

Perhaps one hopeful sign is the greater inclusiveness of the more recent public protests and national conversations about racism, particularly anti-Black racism, and what will be needed to end it.

This may reflect a more holistic understanding of the problem. For example, along with #sayhisname, activists are promoting the hashtag #sayhername to draw attention to the fact that, as social justice scholar Monique W. Morris put it, “Protests are often in the name of men and boys, and we forget that so many girls and young women …  are disproportionately impacted by the same state-sanctioned violence.”

People who are transgender are often marginalized within both the LGBTQ community and the Black community. That is why the Black Trans Lives Matter rally, held June 14 in New York and attracting at least 15,000 participants, was such a departure from the past. The demonstration was a first both because it was so large and because of the participation of many people who are neither LGBTQ nor Black. Systemic racism certainly plays a role in the fact that a disproportionate number of anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, particularly murder, are against transgender women of color, particularly Black women.

The Black Lives Matter movement and its allies are also identifying more specifically what racism may look like among different groups of people. For example, the racist and sexist idea that any type of violence against Black men can be justified by “defending the honor of white women” has led to white women, sometimes deliberately and sometimes through willful ignorance, playing the role of “damsel in distress.” Internalized racism in Black communities can carry real consequences as well—for example, the potential for Black police officers to feel that using violence will “prove” that they are different from the “criminals” who are also Black.

In a thoughtful piece entitled “Why Be a Model Minority When You Could Dismantle White Supremacy?” Dae Shik Kim Jr., whose heritage is both Korean and Black, looked at some of the many factors that may make it difficult for Asian Americans to overcome anti-Black racism. These range from the ideal in some Asian cultures that individuals should not speak out in disagreement with the larger group, to the fact that Asian immigrants may believe the popular American adage that anyone can succeed if they work hard. This may be, in part, because they have heard little about the historical, political, and other barriers that make it difficult for Black Americans to move forward. After all, these things are far less often mentioned than the American Dream version of U.S. history.

Michele Learner is managing editor with Bread for the World Institute.

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This is a renewed season of Pan African agency and global solidarity. Recently, 54 African nations called the United Nations to an urgent meeting on racism and asked for an investigation into the killings of people of African descent at the hands of police. The meeting was not only a response to the killing of George Floyd, but to the many lives in the United States and throughout the world extinguished or harmed by racism. The global meeting at the UN was one of many signs of a renewed Pan African spirit—calling for global solidarity to stop racism and the killing of people of the African diaspora.

Other signs of this growing coalition of Pan African agency include on-the-street uprisings to change racist systems, policies, and practices; rejection of symbols that serve as a reminder of a draconian past of racial violence and hatred; and focus of health disparities that negatively impact people of African descent—revealed again in this COVID-19 season.

The roots of Pan African agency go back to the days of the transatlantic slave trade, when the struggle for liberation of enslaved African peoples sparked cross-continental activism. Bread’s Pan African devotional “Lament and Hope” highlights this with a focus on their faith. Activists hope for a future devoid of the public policies and practices that have systematically contributed to the inhumane treatment and discrimination of people of African descent. These policies and practices have contributed to the colonization of the lands of African peoples and have left many African peoples landless and hungry.

In the last century, strategic movements channeled the work and agency of the African diaspora. For example, women leaders participated in Pan African conferences and congresses—including the Manchester Pan African conferences. In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, African nations attained independence from colonial rule. And a collaborative Pan African spirit supported the civil rights movement in the U.S. and elsewhere. These movements served as catalysts unifying the African world in collaborating against apartheid, neo-colonialism, and exploitation of land and resources. This has pushed the international community and international institutions to maximize focus on the issues of peace, justice, and dignity for the Pan African world. This legacy has helped usher in the renewed Black Lives Matter moment.

As the renewed rising of African peoples takes place throughout the world, we need renewed justice-centered relationships and policies to propel us to overcome racism in all its manifestations: poverty, hunger, disease, injustice, and climate change. At Bread for the World, we are working towards a strong and prosperous Africa and its diaspora—to protect dignity and prosperity within and outside Africa.

In a spirit of oneness and ubuntu, we seek a shared understanding of the different contexts in which African peoples reside as we join together to create a public policy agenda for the good of all.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World.

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By Lacey Johnson

Seventy-five Pan African women of faith gathered in Washington, D.C., in November to advocate for global nutrition on Capitol Hill and empower one another to “re-right” the narrative of Pan-African people around the world.

The three-day summit, themed “African at Heart,” also observed the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved African peoples to Jamestown, Virginia.

“It was timely to bring Pan African Women of Faith together to advocate for global nutrition and to remember the transatlantic slave trade in 1619 during out spiritual pilgrimage,” said Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith, senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World.

She added: “They are disproportionately affected by global nutrition concerns and related intersectional issues linked to historic root causes. They are the children or kindred of the ancestors of the transatlantic slave trade in some way.”

The gathering kicked off with a spiritual pilgrimage beginning at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, followed by a visit to the home of Fredrick Douglass, who escaped slavery in 1838 to become a national leader of the abolitionist movement. The trip closed with prayers at the foot of the Martin Luther King Jr. monument.

“The pilgrimage was an eye-opener. It was really revealing and inspiring for me,” said Princess Sekyere, who founded a nonprofit that works to empower women and girls in her home country of Ghana. “I’m so excited to be in D.C. This city is very symbolic of the American story.”

Sekyere was among the numerous women who traveled internationally to be at the summit, which welcomed attendees from Angola, Congo, Brazil, Bahamas, Nigeria, Ghana, and cities all over the United States.

Paying homage to Pan-African women changemakers

The first day of the summit concluded with dinner, prayers, and presentations at Ebenezer United Methodist Church—an historic Washington landmark that has hosted African American icons like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and W.E.B. Du Bois. The evening included a presentation paying homage to Pan African women changemakers from around the world, as well as prayers honoring ancestors that came before.

“Africans should take pride in their heritage and take charge of their lives,” said Ann Kioi, the programmes development and fundraising officer at All Africa Conference of Churches in Kenya, speaking from the pulpit. “This is what makes me feel that I am an African at heart. I share the same destiny, and I celebrate my diversity as an African.”

The summit was hosted by the Pan African Women of Faith of Bread for the World, Pan African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network (PAWEEN) of the World Council of Churches, and the African Union in partnership with the All Africa Conference of Churches.

Women broke into groups to visit the offices of nearly a dozen House and Senate members on the second day of the summit. They urged lawmakers to support H.Res.189 and S.Res.260, which recognize the importance of continued United States leadership to accelerate global progress against maternal and child malnutrition.

They also chose to wear black as part of a “Thursdays in Black” campaign launched by the World Council of Churches to draw attention to the problem of gender-based violence.

“This issue is so important,” said Tiauna Webb, a first-time summit attendee from Chicago. “Not only are we trying to push for equitable treatment of women around the world, but we’re also embodying it here.”

A reception that evening featured a powerful speech by Rep. Jahanna Hayes (D-CT), as well as a surprise visit from Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC).

“At the point where I couldn’t stand on my own, I relied on WIC. I relied on food stamps. I relied on lunch for my kids,” said Hayes, who, in January, became the first African American woman from Connecticut to serve in Congress. “And I know, as a Christian, that now I have a responsibility to do the same thing for somebody else.”

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'Wanting a better world'

On the last day of the summit, attendees gathered at Bread’s headquarters for a special visit with Ertharin Cousin, a former United Nations ambassador who served as executive director of the World Food Programme from 2012 to 2017.

Cousin urged the women to use their collective voices to ensure people have access to nutritious food, whether it is in Sub-Saharan Africa or South Carolina.

“Embracing your theme, African at Heart, demands a shared vision of what is possible on both sides of the pond,” she said. “There is nothing shameful, unrealistic, or naïve about wanting a better world.”

Before departing, the women broke into groups to exchange ideas and formulate plans of action going forward. A range of recommendations inclusive of a faith-based advocacy agenda related to ending hunger and poverty emerged.

“We are one, no matter our differences,” said Kari Cooke, a deaf summit attendee and longtime advocate for disability rights. “Just sharing that with black women all over the world is very powerful and reminds us that we are not alone, and we will never be alone. We will continue to do this work.”

Lacey Johnson is a freelance writer and photographer in Washington, D.C.

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Seventy-five Pan African women of faith gathered in Washington, D.C. to advocate for global nutrition and empower one another to “re-right” the narrative of Pan-African people. The three-day summit, themed “African at Heart,” also observed the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved African peoples to Jamestown, Virginia. Photo: Howard Wilson for Bread for the World.

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The post African at Heart appeared first on Bread for the World.

For many, the back-to-school season is a source of pride. It serves as a reminder of our historic national commitment to education for all. This commitment has contributed to the vision of a civil democracy that advances moral leadership and civility.

The great African American educator and faith leader Nannie Helen Burroughs said, “Education and justice are democracy’s only life insurance.” It was with this in mind that Burroughs, with support of the National Baptist Convention USA Inc., began creating a trade school for black high school- and junior college-aged girls.

While African Americans leaders like Burroughs were advancing education for all, they were also directly affected by a contradictory policy of “separate but equal,” which was, in reality, an inequitable system that prevented African Americans from an education. This policy limited job choices and the ability of African Americans to put food on the table.

This month’s Pan African devotional by Heather L. Taylor reminds us of this policy. She writes that the policy was a part of the disenfranchisement that was done through a discriminatory legal system. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Jim Crow laws of the south mandated racial segregation thereby laying the foundation for institutionalizing separate and drastically unequal public-school facilities and other resources for black Americans.

This was true even after the 1896 U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Plessy vs. Ferguson that public facilities and services may remain separate but equal. The advocacy of our ancestors finally ended racial segregation in public schools in the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education.

The long-term effect of this court case has been mixed. Today, many students find themselves in schools that are re-segregated and unequal despite the hard-fought battles to not only integrate schools but to appropriate equitable resources to insure an education.

In a recent Atlantic article Will Stancil pointed out that “racially divided schools are a major and intensifying problem for American education—maybe even a crisis.” The article cites the National Center on Education Statistics, which discovered that the number of segregated schools approximately doubled between 1996 and 2016. During the same time, the number of children of color attending such a school rose from 59 to 66 percent. For black students, it rose even higher: 59 to 71 percent.

The past and present failure to end “separate but equal” in practice, rather than only in law, has led to today’s cycle of underinvestment in many students of color. The devotional points out that higher school spending is associated with a significantly lower risk of students facing hunger and poverty when they become adults.

In a rapidly changing information-based economy, education is more important than ever to students’ ability to compete for jobs that will support a family.

Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan-African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

The post Still separate, still unequal appeared first on Bread for the World.

Mass incarceration hurts a person’s ability to get, and keep, a good-paying job.

Jobs are critically important to earn an income and provide for a family. Unfortunately, 70 percent of people returning from jail or prison report having a difficult, or impossible, time securing employment.

Employers can still legally discriminate against people with a record, making it harder to get a job paying above poverty-level wages and put food on the table.

But this harsh reality need not continue. To learn more about the impact of mass incarceration on jobs and hunger and what you can do to help, read Mass Incarceration: A Major Cause of Hunger.

91% of people returning from jail and prison face hunger

The post Mass Incarceration's Impact on Jobs and Hunger appeared first on Bread for the World.

Younger generations have the most to lose if today’s leaders in government do not act more assertively to slow climate change.

This is the basis for an inspired climate advocacy campaign that is currently in progress, centered on a lawsuit filed against the U.S. government in federal court. The plaintiffs, 21 children and young people ranging in age from 10 to 22, allege that the government has knowingly violated their rights by failing to respond to climate change more forcefully and effectively.

Bill McKibben, pioneering climate activist and founder of the international environmental organization 350.org, describes the plaintiffs’ day in court as “the most important lawsuit on the planet right now.”

The case began on October 29, 2018, in the U.S. District Court in Eugene, Oregon. The plaintiffs want the federal government to implement a national Climate Recovery Plan consistent with the best available scientific analysis. The plan would prioritize reducing greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2). Bill McKibben’s organization is named after the number considered the maximum safe level of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere, 350 parts per million. The level today is 408 parts per million.

Nobel Laureate and economist Joseph Stiglitz will appear as an expert witness. He has been providing pro bono analytical support, which includes a 50-page expert’s report that argues that the U.S. government, through “insufficient action on climate change, [is] imposing and will continue to impose enormous costs on youth plaintiffs.”

The United Church of Christ (UCC) Council for Climate Justice is calling on the faith community to publicly support the children and youth who are bringing the case to court. Kiran Oommen, one of the plaintiffs, is the son of ordained UCC minister Melanie Oommen, and UCC was the first denomination to call for financial divestment from fossil fuels.  In addition to providing financial support for the legal team, the UCC is encouraging young leaders to show their solidarity with the 21 children and youth by delivering sermons on climate justice.

Our Children’s Trust, an environmental organization, is providing legal support to the plaintiffs. It has been supporting cases brought by youth in state courts since 2011 and describes its mission as “elevat[ing] the voice of youth—to secure the legal right to a healthy atmosphere and stable climate on behalf of all present and future generations.”

The federal lawsuit, Juliana v. United States, was filed in 2015, but the federal government has fought at every stage to block the case from coming to trial, and it continues to petition for it to be dismissed. The case has drawn national media attention, which has given several of the plaintiffs a platform to speak out. “You don’t have to call yourself an activist to act,” said lead plaintiff Kelsey Juliana in an interview with Bill Moyers on Moyers & Company. “I think that’s so important that people my age really get [that] into their heads. As a younger person, I have everything to gain from taking action and everything to lose from not … It’s important that youth are the ones who are standing up because of the fact that we do have so much to lose.”

Julia Olson, chief legal counsel for the plaintiffs, believes that whatever decision is reached by the District Court is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court. The U.S. government is virtually certain to file an appeal if it loses the case or key elements of it. You can follow the latest news about the case at Our Children’s Trust.

The post Millennials and Generation Z Seek Climate Justice in Court appeared first on Bread for the World.

When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 19: 33-34).

These welcoming words from the Old Testament and later in the New Testament in Hebrews 13:1-2, Matthew 25:35, Romans 15:7, and 1 Peter 4:9 remind us that hospitality to strangers is an important way we live out our faith. These Old and New Testament proposals were considered radical in the days Jesus exercised the holy gift of hospitality. The same was true of the Hebrew people in the Old Testament.

The United States has also created policies that have mirrored these biblical principles of hospitality. In the Bread for the World Pan African devotional guide Lament and Hope, this month’s devotional focuses on how immigrants were welcomed in the U.S. The devotional writer, Mr. Derick Dailey, quotes Drs. Charles Hirschman and Elizabeth Hogsford from the abstract of their paper Immigration and the American Industrial Revolution From 1880 to 1920:

 “The size and selectivity of the immigrant community, as well as their disproportionate residence in large cities, meant they were the mainstay of the American industrial workforce. Immigrants and their children comprised over half of manufacturing workers in 1920, and if the third generation (the grandchildren of immigrants) are included, then more than two-thirds of workers in the manufacturing sector were of recent immigrant stock.”

Mr. Daily goes on to note, “It is in this context that Congress passed, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed, the Social Security Act of 1935. The legislation codified many government initiatives that protected immigrants and others who were already in the United States.”

At the same time, such welcome was not equitably implemented with people of African descent. Although 1935 was after the enslavement period, the vestiges of this period and Jim Crow laws that followed showed hospitality towards people of African descent was not equitably applied by this new law. The devotional points out many of them were farmworkers or domestic workers and therefore were excluded from being eligible for social security. Many were also unemployed or paid less than white workers.

Today we are witnessing an increased level of inhospitality towards those who have sought to find welcome in the U.S. For example, CNN reported that President Trump has introduced an immigration proposal that addresses border security and moves toward a merit-based immigration system, which gives preference to highly skilled and educated individuals. Prioritizing those who are skilled and educated leaves people who are impoverished and marginalized to fend for themselves – counter to the biblical principle of hospitality.  

This also contradicts a counter history of the U.S. that has welcomed certain newcomers to the U.S. Isn’t it time to do this again? Many of those who were immigrants in 1935 became leaders in our country. Being hospitable is a good exercise of faith and builds communities and nations. May we advocate for all to be welcomed and fed.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World.

The post Don’t All Deserve to be Welcomed and Fed? appeared first on Bread for the World.

Bread for the World Institute

Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation

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