The dictionary defines advocacy as "pleading the cause of another, siding with, vindicating, recommending publicly." Are you advocating for the African-American community?
Many in the African-American community already give generously to food pantries or share their meals with those who have none. But we need to go beyond giving a can of food—we need to call, write a letter, or even visit our members of Congress.
The reality is that all the food distributed by church pantries, food banks, and other charities amounts to just 6 cents for every dollar the government spends on national nutrition programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps).
African-Americans need to advocate, especially since hunger and poverty disproportionately affect our community. Thirty-three percent of African-American households with children struggle to put food on the table, compared to about 20 percent of all U.S. households with children. Of this number, a devastating 40 percent of all African-American children live in poverty, compared to 22 percent of U.S. children overall.
