The Black Pandemic: Five Years of Faith and Fortitude on the Frontlines in Fort Worth (2020–2025).

 

The Black Pandemic: Five Years of Faith and Fortitude on the Frontlines in Fort Worth (2020–2025).

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – March 16, 2020, was a moment of reckoning. As the world confronted an unprecedented crisis, Fort Worth’s African-American community found itself at the epicenter of both a public health catastrophe and a deeper, more insidious pandemic—one of systemic neglect and racial disparity.

In the face of uncertainty and fear, a coalition of Black pastors, led by New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Kyev Tatum, stepped into the breach. They did not wait for government directives or bureaucratic solutions. Instead, they did what the Black church has always done in times of crisis: they took action. They fed the hungry, comforted the grieving, stood on the frontlines of healthcare inequities, and fought for the dignity of their people.

Five years later, we reflect on what became known as The Black Pandemic—not merely the battle against COVID-19, but the broader fight for survival, justice, and the right to be seen, heard, and cared for. This was not just a test of endurance; it was a testament to the power of faith, community, and righteous resistance.

Feeding the Community in a Time of Crisis

When Fort Worth ISD abruptly closed its doors, 82,000 children who depended on school meals were suddenly left vulnerable to hunger. The systemic cracks that had long plagued Black and low-income families became gaping chasms overnight. While officials scrambled to devise a response, Black pastors and their congregations did what they had always done—stepped up to meet the need.

Churches became emergency food distribution centers. Congregants became frontline volunteers. Pastor Tatum and the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas and the Faith and Community Leaders United (FCLU) network worked tirelessly, ensuring no child went to bed hungry and no elder was forgotten.

“People don’t live in the long run—they live in the day-to-day,” Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks reminded us.

The Black church understood this truth intimately. With a mission rooted in faith and service, these leaders filled the void where institutions failed.

A Technological Awakening for the Black Church

The pandemic not only tested the church’s ability to provide for the body but also its capacity to sustain the soul. With in-person worship suspended, many congregations faced the reality of the digital divide—a barrier that disproportionately impacted inner-city churches with limited access to technology.

But where barriers existed, the Black church innovated.

Pastor William T. Glynn spoke to the urgency of adaptation:

“Thank God for this technology.”

Pastor Tatum transformed a simple conference call line into a digital sanctuary. Worship, prayer, and community connection continued—not in pews, but over phone lines and livestreams. And these virtual gatherings became more than just places of worship; they became lifelines, disseminating critical health information, advocating for resources, and providing hope in a time of deep despair.

Fighting for Health Equity

As COVID-19 ravaged Black communities, the disproportionate death toll was not a mystery—it was the direct result of generations of medical racism, discriminatory healthcare policies, and economic disenfranchisement. Black workers, overrepresented in frontline jobs, faced greater exposure to the virus, while pre-existing health conditions—rooted in decades of unequal access to care—made them more vulnerable to severe illness.

Yet, when vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatments became available, access remained inequitable. Mistrust in the medical system, logistical barriers, and lack of outreach left Black communities behind once again.

The Black church refused to let history repeat itself.

Pastor Tatum and New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church became a trusted vaccination and treatment site in the heart of the Morningside neighborhood—offering free COVID-19 testing, vaccines, and monoclonal antibody treatments to those who needed it most.

“We’re hopefully helping to save some people’s lives,” Pastor Tatum said.

“They trust us to give them the right stuff, so they’ll come through these doors before they go to JPS or one of those clinics.”

This effort was more than just healthcare—it was a restoration of trust in an institution that had too often failed Black lives. The church, once again, stood in the gap where the system had fallen short.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

Five years later, The Black Pandemic remains more than a chapter in history—it is a continuing call to action.

It reinforced what Black communities have always known: in times of crisis, we cannot wait for justice—we must demand it, build it, and embody it. It was the church that fed the hungry, comforted the grieving, and healed the sick. It was faith that fortified a people who had already endured generations of struggle.

The fight for health equity, economic justice, and social resilience is not over. The scars of the past five years remain, but so do the lessons. The call that rang out in 2020 still echoes today:

Do not panic—plan.

And plan, we shall.

New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church

Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas

2864 Mississippi Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76104

📞 817-966-7625 | ✉️ kptatum1@gmail.com

🔗 Website: www.newmountrose.com