‘What can I do?’ Fresno pastor challenges community to support black businesses in time of pain
A Fresno pastor has a challenge for the community: “Stand with us. Run with us. Pray with us. Walk with us. And put your MONEY where your mouth is.”
Rici Skei, copastor of On Ramps Covenant Church and adjunct faculty at Fresno Pacific University’s Biblical Seminary, asked the community to eat at black-owned restaurants and shop at black-owned businesses.
After a week of tragedy and protest following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, “A lot of people are asking ‘What can I do?’” Skei said in an interview with The Bee.
“Everybody likes to eat, so why don’t you intentionally go to a black restaurant,” she said. “It’s a small, bite-sized way to contribute to the well being of blacks in Fresno.”
Skei posted on Thursday a list of about 20 black-owned businesses in Fresno which she challenged her Facebook friends to support.
Since then, the post has been shared hundreds of times, and Facebook users have added to the list.
Skei said she sees the challenge as a way to create more equity in Fresno.
“We can redistribute our dollars from where they would typically go to specifically invest in black eateries as a sign of solidarity. We may not be able to change any laws right now, but we can say, ‘We’re with you,’” she said. “If your business flourishes, your family flourishes.
“Our values are where we put our money,” she said. “If you invest in a community that’s hurting right now, that’s when the rubber meets the road.”
Rici said her church members held a silent demonstration with their message “Devotion to the black community, solidarity with the black community, and advocacy for the black community.”
That’s the message she’s trying to send with her challenge.
Here are some of the businesses and restaurants on the list, which continues to grow.
This story was originally published May 31, 2020 at 4:12 PM.