In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. Today handicapped parking, Braille menus, and ramps at churches are commonplace as a result. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was signed. Today segregated lunch counters have been relegated to history, but 400 years of history has been hard to overcome and direct progress toward equity is less clear. Of late we’ve seen that Black-owned businesses have been especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic [1] which exacerbated challenges they have faced historically.
So how does one make a difference in tackling systemic disequity?
Matthew 25:34-40 may be of help. Notice that the actions spoken of by Jesus are modest. Building cathedrals or establishing offshore ministries don’t make the list. What is on the list? “I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me”. These things might require a little time or a few dollars. What’s more important is to do something. Start with something small - but start something!
One choice we can make is to be attentive to how we spend our dollars (and time). We can choose to patronize black-owned businesses. Admittedly, in the South Hills they can be a little challenging to find, but here are some resources and ideas that may help:
As a challenge, see if you can find a way to patronize one black-owned business in the month ahead. It is a simple, pragmatic way to work toward more equity.
Bob Dilly
