Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III argues that Juneteenth should be both a celebration of freedom and a call to action on food justice. Through the Black Church Food Security Network’s gardening and community programs, including Baltimore’s “Operation Higher Ground,” he encourages collective efforts toward food sovereignty, self-reliance and long-term community nourishment as a path to true liberation.
Tag: Black communities
Our response to the 47th president’s DEI budget cuts
An opinion piece argues that Black communities should respond to the 47th president’s cuts to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives by relying more on collective economic power and self-funded institutions rather than federal support. The author contends that showing up at the voting polls, strategic spending and community investment are key to preserving Black history, culture and opportunities.
For such a time as this: Black church gardens are evolving
The Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III, founder and executive director of the Black Church Food Security Network, argues that Black churches must move beyond small volunteer food programs and build long-term, collaborative systems to address food insecurity and “food apartheid” in Black communities.
EVENT: What’s on your plate? Food Access in Black America
By Shernay WilliamsWord in Black From food deserts to chronic, diet-related disease, Black communities face some of the nation’s most persistent food inequities. During this live virtual event, the first in a two-part series, Word In Black will examine how policies and corporate practices shape what foods Black Americans can access, afford, and eat. We […]
Levi Henry Jr., founder of the Westside Gazette, dies — a legacy rooted in truth, community, and unshakable purpose
Levi Henry Jr., founder of the Westside Gazette, has died, leaving behind a decades-long legacy of championing Black voices, advancing community empowerment and preserving local history through journalism rooted in truth and purpose.
Don’t like how our community is being portrayed? Turn it off. Cancel it. Stop giving it power.
This editorial calls on readers to challenge and disengage from media coverage that distorts or diminishes Black communities, emphasizing the power of audiences to shape narratives by withholding attention, support and resources from outlets that fail to provide fair, contextualized reporting.
Demystifying the end: Hospice care impact on the Black community
Hospice care offers comfort, dignity and emotional support at the end of life, but it remains underused in Black communities due to misconceptions, limited access and historical distrust of the healthcare system. Advocates say education, community outreach and culturally sensitive care are key to helping families better understand hospice and use its services earlier.
This is a sankofa moment: What are we learning?
LaDon Love is the executive director of SPACEs in Action. This week she reflects on the current moment in history and needs to happen next.
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation kicks off 50th anniversary year
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has launched a yearlong celebration of its 50th anniversary under the theme “Rooted. Ready. Rising,” highlighting five decades of work advancing equity, leadership development and policy solutions for Black communities. The milestone will feature signature events, service initiatives in 50 cities, mini legislative conferences, and recognition of the AVOICE digital archive, all culminating in the Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., in September.
Crypto firms: Wolves in banks’ clothing
n this commentary, attorney and educator Alice T. Crowe warns that major cryptocurrency firms are positioning themselves as banks without being subject to the same consumer protections, posing heightened risks for Black communities. She argues that crypto companies deliberately target Black consumers—through celebrity endorsements, Bitcoin ATMs in Black neighborhoods, and promises of liberation from racist banking systems—while offering little recourse against fraud, volatility, or loss, potentially deepening existing racial wealth gaps rather than closing them.
Group unity is worth a try—nothing else has worked
Alice T. Crowe, a lawyer, educator and entrepreneur that has practiced law for over 25 years in New York, argues that collective economic action—exemplified by the African Diaspora Federal Credit Union—offers a viable, overdue solution to systemic financial exclusion and predatory lending in Black communities.
A Christian call for justice: We must end the ‘War on Drugs’
The War on Drugs is a grave moral warning, as it threatens to reject mercy and execute judgment without due process, and has historically been unfair to Black communities, violating the Christian worldview of the sanctity of life and the perfect justice of God.

