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Black America is under siege. Black faith institutions, particularly
Black churches, are being undermined on a number of fronts – culturally,
via disunity, via fear, paternalism and misogyny, and plain old
bribes. Though there is a historic precedent to undermine the
lives of African-Americans, African-Americans are weathering new
and continuing assaults on a number of fronts:
- Lies about Iraq (Weapons of Mass Destruction), which have cost
over 1,500 American lives and has unnecessarily placed African-Americans
and other over-represented groups in the military in harm’s way;
Propping up a new black “leadership” (consider Armstrong Williams,
Janice Brown, Condoleeza Rice and other “pet negroes”) by white
conservatives, and;
-
The movement of white “Christian” fundamentalists,
some conservatives, and those who voted for President Bush based
on “moral values” to not only create a theocracy (with the overt
and covert action of Bush and his cronies) but to shape God
in their own image. These are the same type of people that
have historically told black people to be obedient to their
masters during slavery, accept their poor lots in life, and
to wait for the “sweet by and by.”
Perhaps the most insidious and evil affront to African-Americans
has been to its children. During the years of our first “Black”
president, Bill Clinton, examine the following excerpt from the
Monday, May 9 edition of the DiversityInc.com
newsletter:
To gain access to hundreds of HIV-infected
foster children, federally funded researchers promised in writing
to provide an independent advocate to safeguard the kids' well-being
as they tested potent AIDS drugs. But most of the time, that
special protection never materialized, an Associated Press review
has found.
(…) The practice ensured that foster children, mostly poor
or minority, received care from world-class researchers at government
expense, slowing their rate of death and extending their lives.
But it also exposed a vulnerable population to the risks of
medical research and drugs that were known to have serious side
effects in adults and for which the safety for children was
unknown.
This modern-day Tuskegee Experiment has been coupled with several
other affronts to African-Americans:
1. The Undermining of Hip-Hop
– as one of the originators (along with Latinos) of this movement
or culture, control of the artistic side, rap music, is mainly
controlled by white executives who have no problem promoting the
most ignorant, most misogynist, and most materialist of performers
in order to make money. Granted, they do not hold a gun to these
artists’ heads, but those artists will dance to the piper’s tune
to create the music that sells. Moreover, there is a more sinister
(if inadvertent) result of promoting negative black artists: as
Hip-Hop is promoted around the world, white promoters are creating
a new cadre of “white” people in terms of attitudes towards African-Americans
– the grinning, dancing, lazy, unaware, and violent African-Americans.
How can foreign visitors or immigrants think any differently
of black people as Hip-Hop along with the other negative images
of African-Americans via other forms of media are thrust upon
them?
A quick example of how people from other countries perceive black
people can be found via the May 19 edition of the DiversityInc.com
newsletter:
[Mexico] President Vicente Fox tried to smooth
relations with the U.S. black community yesterday after saying
Mexican immigrants take jobs that "not even" blacks
want, promising to work with the Rev. Jesse Jackson to improve
labor rights for people of color in the United States.
President Fox’s comment reveals what he thinks of African-Americans
– we are the lowest of the low. What helped Fox’s perspective?
It is not necessarily Hip-Hop but, it is the same type of corporations
that fuel American media.
2. The Bush Administration’s Approach to Gangs: explore the following commentary by Earl Ofari Hutchinson
from the May 12 BlackPR.com/BlackNews.com e-mail
newsletter:
“The Congressional panic over gangs makes even less sense considering
that juvenile crime, according to FBI crime figures, has dropped,
and more states faced with ballooning deficits have scrapped
their lock em up and toss the key measures. That approach has
dumped more than 2 million prisoners in America's jails. That
gives America the dubious distinction of running the world's
largest prison warehouse system. States now opt for job training,
drug treatment, and counseling programs as more cost effective
ways to deal with crime. The bill also flies in the face of
the much-touted anti-gang initiative that Bush unveiled in his
State of the Union Address in January. Bush said that he'd shell
out $150 million to youth education and violence prevention
programs that target at-risk youth. Bush promptly dispatched
wife, Laura, to several inner city neighborhoods to meet with
community leaders, educators, and gang intervention specialists
to get a White House handle on the problem.”
Laura Bush, a de facto “Anti-gang Czar?” This scenario should
cause The Black Church to pray and “just say no!”
3. Insults to and the Leasing of the Black Church: One of the biggest insults to The Black Church was committed
by the athletic shoe giant Nike. A commercial featuring basketball
superstar LeBron James and comedian Bernie Mac has Mac as the
“preacher” in a basketball court which is set up like a church
made up of famous basketball players such as Jerry West and Julius
“Dr. J” Erving as “congregants.” Bernie Mac proclaims the coming
of a “savior” and initiates the “call and response” style found
in some black churches by asking the congregation “Can I get a
lay-up?” which mocks black preachers asking the congregation “Can
I get an amen?” James portrayed as a “savior” appears handling
a basketball as the congregation “worships” (although exaggerated
for a supposed comic effect) in awe with the type of music and
dancing found in some black churches. Nike felt it could get
away with mocking elements of black worship given that the National
Basketball Association is primarily black in terms of players
and since Nike is an extremely popular brand with black youth.
Nevertheless, Nike would not do a series of commercials in a synagogue
or mosque-type setting. Nike seems to have this penchant for
using or pandering to nonwhite people with its refusal to pay
living wages to those (primarily Asian) making its shoes and taking
for granted sales of its shoes to black people.
Speaking of taking things for granted; politically, the Democratic
Party has taken black votes for granted for decades with little
in return for black communities. Progressive and black voices
within the party are being pushed aside in order to make the Party
a light version of the Republican Party by directing its energies
to win the votes of those in the “Red States,” “Soccer Moms,”
and “NASCAR Dads,” which are code words for white lower- or middle-class
voters. The Democratic Party has so much disrespect for black
communities they believe if they make some cursory or last-minute
visit to churches, the NAACP, Urban League, or black neighborhoods,
blacks will come out in large numbers and vote for their candidates.
Historically, African-Americans have responded to these weak overtures;
but according to the May
25 edition of the Diversity.com newsletter, Democratic National
Committee (DNC) chairman, Howard Dean feels a rising tide of black
resentment:
Black voters are upset with the Democratic Party
for coming around just weeks before elections seeking their votes,
party chairman Howard Dean said Tuesday in an interview with The
Associated Press.
Taking black voters for granted is a long-standing problem for
the party that dates to the 1960s, said Dean, who promised changes
in strategy even as he cited diversity at the top of the Democratic
National Committee.
"Blacks are annoyed with the Democratic
Party because we ask them for their votes four weeks before the
election instead of being in the community now and that's a mistake
I'm trying to fix," he said. "There's a new generation
of African-American leaders and a new generation of African Americans.
We can't go out and say could you vote for us because we were
so helpful during the civil-rights era."
In terms of politics, some black churches
are being rented via faith-based grants to help them develop or
maintain programs. On the surface, this looks like normal, everyday
resource development for nonprofit corporations (many churches
have the Internal Revenue Service [IRS] designation 501 (c) 3).
However, when the Bush administration uses these ministers as
“photo-ops” and these ministers sing Bush’s praises because they
got grant money or because he resonates their concerns regarding
gay rights issues or abortion, it creates a number of illusions:
that significant numbers of black people support him and that
George Bush cares about nonwhite and/or poor people. Conversely,
these illusions are far from the truth, especially since he does
not support any raises in the minimum wage and believes in a new
type of “voodoo economics” (a term used by Ronald Reagan criticizing
George Herbert Walker Bush’s [“Dubya’s” father] approach to address
the nation’s economy during the 1980 campaign for the Republican
presidential nomination) to craft a budget with deep cuts to social
programs while making the budget to fund the occupation of Iraq
a separate document.
My own commitment
As a faith-based organization advocate and consultant for over
eleven years, all I wanted to do is to make sure the community
development corporations (CDCs) associated with or developed by
faith institutions (not the faith institution itself) to have
more opportunities to secure grants. For the faith institution
itself, I wanted it to have representation on more corporate and
nonprofit boards and be involved or have access to any community
economic development projects initiated by the public and private
sectors. In short, I wanted it to serve as a community watchdog
and address equity and justice issues while speaking for the powerless
or the ignored.
President Bush, white conservatives, and their black flunkies
have bastardized the faith-based (which is not just Christian)
movement to control particularly black churches and create a white-controlled,
fundamentalist Christian “New World Order.” Essentially, Bush,
et al have become self-appointed, Koran-desecrating, Christian
prophets and begun a religious/social/cultural Armageddon with
the premise that “our (Christian, conservative, white) God is
better than your God (insert your choice here).” Some black ministers
are pawns in this war and are allowing a new sort of blasphemy
to surface. Nevertheless, this does not mean that black faith-based
organizations should not seek government grant money because it
is our tax money; it is just that this money should be sought
and accepted with extreme caution. Any mistakes in the use of
this money make have serious consequences for our black religious
leaders, especially if they are unafraid to challenge the president’s
policies. And for those black conservative leaders that, in addition
to getting government grant money, believe that they also have
access and influence with the president remember this: just because
you can walk through the front door of the White House does not
mean you are IN the White House!
For better or worse, America, unwittingly, has made Black America
its conscience; America speaks of freedom, yet African-Americans
have known Massa’s lash and Jim Crow, America speaks of justice,
yet is committed to making black people the overwhelming population
in its justice system, America speaks of opportunity, yet undermines
black children by not properly investing in its public education
system (which could be a major influence on low black and Latino
high school graduation rates). In short, as in the movie, The
Matrix, black people are the “glitch in the system” and points
out when the system changes things unfairly or without warning
towards its citizens. The Black Church, as Black America’s most
stable and prominent institution, bears the brunt of speaking
out against the daily indignities leveled at African-Americans.
However, as one of the main defenders and advocates of Black
America, it stands to “clean its own house” to solidify its stature
as a leader and advocate in black communities. First, it must
remain prophetic. But the main challenge to one of its greatest
functions is government money; receiving grant money is fine to
support programs, however, it should not purchase silence to administrations
that are counterproductive to Black America. The Black Church
must remain vigilant in telling America when it is right and when
it is wrong. It cannot mimic much of the news media and cower
to Bush. Consider the following quote
by Reverend Grayland Hagler, national president of
Ministers for Racial, Social and Economic Justice and is pastor
at the Plymouth Congregational Church UCC in Washington, D.C.:
”Bush
is able to portray himself as 'pro-life' while his policies have
killed people. He has sent folks into harm's way in Iraq and his
waging war has killed we don't know how many Iraqis. When Bush
was governor of Texas he signed more death warrants than any other
governor. If you have principles and moral standards that are
real then they apply in all cases. If you don't, then it is simple
hypocrisy."
This quote raises a number of important questions:
In relation to the third question, we should all be cognizant
of President Bush’s uncanny ability to distance people or institutions
that do not agree or follow his ideology (or the ideology given
to him by Republican strategist, Karl Rove) without sanction.
Mull over his association with former Secretary of State Colin
Powell. Whenever Powell used his own ideas or failed to follow
the company line, the administration seemed to “keep him out of
the loop,” so to speak. Notice that Mr. Powell has become more
critical of the administration since he has resigned. (Now, if
only the Church can intellectually “lay hands” on new Secretary
of State Rice but then, I guess there are some things even The
Black Church cannot do. We can always pray for her enlightenment.)
Moreover, within its ability to be prophetic The Black Church
must be able to decipher and challenge American myth. America
likes to sell dreams and illusions. To its citizens it promotes
the “self-made” man or woman, where an individual rises above
all odds to individual success. It is an extension “if one works
hard, one will succeed” illusion. In reality, there is no such
thing as the “self-made” person; “successful” people are supported
by the people around them whether it is moral support, financial
support, or informational support. Many people get jobs because
they “know somebody” or part of some informal network comprising
of friends, neighbors and relatives. In essence, many people
succeed because of communal relationships. Churches create community;
churches are communities. Churches, especially black churches,
must remind America that many people work hard and do not “succeed”
as they work without health insurance, low wages, and the like.
It must also be wary of the African-Americans it likes to promote.
For example, America loves Oprah Winfrey – she is safe because
she refuses to challenge systems or speak out on anything that
truly harms Black America. However, there is something Oprah
“preaches” that could be viewed as the antithesis of The Black
Church. To highlight this observation Nelson (2002) notes the
following:
At the center of Oprah's mission, of course, is her daily TV
talk show, which entered its 17th season this fall. Amid its
hodgepodge of topics - female war correspondents, the decorating
challenged, moms who are mean to their kids, crime victims who
forgive their assailants, and, oh yes, the quest to lose weight
– Oprah stresses a message: Make yourself happy.
Oprah's work is about maximizing happiness for oneself and
thereby for others. Make yourself happier, make your family
happier, make your community happy, and better, by "using"
your life. Far from being distinct, "happier" and
"better" are pretty much synonymous in Oprah's world.
From a biblical standpoint, her teaching is idiosyncratic, like
her name – a misspelling of Orpah, Naomi's other daughter-in-law
in the Book of Ruth.
From a Black Church perspective, Oprah’s ideas could be viewed
as “out of sync” with African-Americans because, the strength
of the black community lies in its connectedness—and seeking personal
satisfaction first goes against beliefs that we can also gain
redemption and happiness by helping others. If we follow Oprah
Winfrey’s perspective, we would never help other people
because we would be so consumed with our own personal happiness.
This is the ultimate hubris of what has been called “The ‘Me’
Generation.” But then, perhaps she is only reflecting the desires
or mores of white America – most of Oprah’s viewers are white
women. Similarly, The Black Church must remain ever-vigilant
in defining and re-defining what it is to be successful and remind
America there are only four things in life in which we will be
remembered: our faith, our family, our friends, and our works,
NOT our bank accounts, houses, cars, or jobs.
The Black Church must go beyond reactionary politics and using
conflict models to address indignities leveled at Black America.
At times, it seems like the only time that black church leaders
get together is when some insanely egregious act or slight has
been leveled within black communities such as senseless murders
and other acts of overt racism. Using conflict models of change
such as protest marches, boycotts, and making statements of righteous
anger will continue to be needed and are effective but, we in
the church must create systems and partnerships that examine inequalities
and affronts to Black life on a daily basis. Perhaps
that way we, in the church, may be able to head off or predict
when a major affront will happen.
Next, the Black Church must do a better job in “tooting its own
horn.” In Black churches across America, there are tens of thousands
of wonderful programs such as tutorial programs, job training,
health clinics, housing developments, and businesses being operated
with tremendous results. It must highlight these achievements,
especially ecumenical or interfaith activities, through videos,
books, submitting articles to the press, and the like. The Black
Church must reaffirm and validate itself. Moreover, The Black
Church must reaffirm itself through writing. Pastors must write
more books and articles, especially academic journals and Christian
magazines. Black pastors must explain and continue to define
black theology. Theology is the study of faith seeking understanding.
The way Black pastors interpret the Word, define our faith, and
live our faith is our gift to the world. Theology has, for too
long, been defined by white males; their work is considered “valid”
and “scholarly.” Black theology is special because it has been
forged and developed via hope, oppression, anger, and vision.
It is a special perspective that must be shared. God gave us
many gifts including the gifts of intellect, passion, and prophecy;
we must share this perspective with the world because black theology
is a freeing and revolutionary theology.
Black Church validation has to also take place via its structures,
particularly when it comes to the role of women. In many Black
churches, there are men in the pulpit and women in the pews.
Black churches must nurture and develop female ministers in order
to survive for if women left black churches en masse there
would be no Black Church! Sisters have the word of God and
light of Christ in them so, we in the church, must encourage them
to proclaim their faith via leadership positions within the church,
especially as pastor. The Black Church can revolutionize Christianity
if more women took their rightful place in the pulpit.
The Black Church must address a number of issues to remain relevant,
including:
Sex: Sex is not “the nasty” or any other derogatory
name. Granted, people do things to defile sex instead of it
being part of a committed, loving relationship. Humans are
sexual beings, however, it is up to the church to create and
facilitate open dialogues about sex, particularly when it comes
to young people. Sex goes way beyond the physical; there are
also mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial aspects to
it in which the church must highlight and make cognizant within
black communities. This will not be an easy task but, black
churches must address it because if it does not, society will
continue to define sex and sexual mores which could be to the
detriment to any community, especially black communities. Nevertheless,
as black churches engage in facilitating discussion and addressing
sexual issues, it must do so in a loving, non-punitive environment.
Failure to do so may get in the way of arriving at truth, making
corrections to negative behaviors, and passing out needed information.
Drugs: Drug abuse of legal and illegal substances
is tearing at the American social fabric in terms of crime,
the destruction of relationships, disease, mental health, and
lost productivity. The Black Church must continue and/or develop
partnerships with the medical and mental health communities
to address drug abuse and misuse. The Church must particularly
explore the issue of drugs as it relates to prescription drugs
and children. Drugs could be inadvertently prescribed to children
to quiet them when, in reality, they may need more structure
and attention from their parents, their communities, and their
schools.
Education: Black churches since their inception
have been leading advocates for education in terms of providing
scholarships, training, defining policy, supplying cultural
development, and advocacy. However, it should strengthen its
efforts in terms of advocacy regarding student labeling. Racism
within the American educational system has led to steering black
students away from college prep courses and into special education,
vocational education, and learning disabled programs when, at
times, it is unnecessary. These actions can be viewed as one
of the greatest threats to black communities because it will
determine our future leadership.
Health: Black people overall,
have poorer health and less access to quality health care than
our white counterparts. Black churches have been in the forefront
in addressing black community health needs via health clinics,
health screenings, food/nutrition programs and the like. Nevertheless,
greater emphases can be placed on mental health and addressing
HIV/AIDS. The Church must help to remove the stigma associated
with these diseases and must remove the stigma or fear in our
community in terms of seeking mental health counseling. Seeking
mental health counseling does not suggest one is “crazy.” In
fact, black churches would do well in being part of an effort
to help people with their issues; it will not only open the door
to healing but allow people to be more productive. For example,
my church, Tried Stone Baptist Church in Detroit, has developed
a concept called “Social Renurturing.” We believe in holistic
community development and redemption, where the individual, despite
his or her past, or the institutions that have failed him or her,
will rise above it all to be spiritually empowered, psychologically
whole, and professionally able to function in the community.
In turn, the community is healed and revitalized. Nonetheless,
this community revitalization cannot begin until the individual
confronts his or her past.
Ultimately, The Black Church must take the lead in addressing
black America’s issues; the times demand that it use its vast
financial, social, organizational, and political resources to
ward off the national and even international indignities leveled
at Black communities. With that responsibility, it must nurture
and retool itself to maintain its vibrancy and legitimacy. Of
course, there are numerous other issues The Black Church is and
should be addressing and will be explored in future articles.
Reverend Reynard Blake, Jr. is a Baptist minister from East
Lansing, Michigan and president of Community Development Associates,
a firm committed to faith-based and nonprofit training and research.
He serves as minister of community development at Tried Stone
Baptist Church in Detroit. He is also a graduate student in Pastoral
Ministry at Marygrove College in Detroit. He can be reached at
[email protected] .
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