A message from the Baltimore United for Peace & Justice Coalition
Dear Rev. Brown,
As a resident of the Govans Community, I would like to invite your participation and the members of Faith In Action to participate in a Spring 2009 event (Inter-Faith Service) concerning the Baltimore United For Peace and Justice Coalition of which I am a Executive Member/Organizer. For the past two years we have focused on the Obama Campaign in voter registration, campaigning in various states, contributing to Democratic Party Platform, Veterans For Peace issues,union organizing, and single payer health care. It is my expressed hope that the clergy and other concerned members of various congregations will become engaged for this is indeed the time.
There’s one thing we can all agree on: 2008 has been an extraordinary moment in our nation’s history. Thanks in large part to the rise of a “small d” democratic movement for change, we can look forward to allies taking the reins of the Executive branch, and a majority in Congress. But as we have seen in the past, it’s not enough to simply elect a leader who’s sympathetic to progressive causes. It won’t stop obstructionist conservatives or guarantee that Democrats will respond to those who worked so hard to elect them.
As the year draws to a close, we can’t rest on out laurels. The new year presents unprecedeented opportunities for the “black church” and the people of God. Will you consider inviting me to present a plan of action as to how we can move forward?
In His Service,
Rev. Pierre L. Williams
The Sanctuary of Hope
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I would like to thank Reverend Brown for an incredible year, not only in terms of his spiritiual and social activism, but also for the incredible articles that he writes. Earlier in the year he considered retiring the blog. I am so glad that he did not, even though I would have understood if he had done so. Where do you get all of the energy to do so much?
Thank you Reverend Brown and Merry Christmas to you and your family, as well as to all of the other incredible responders to the FaithInAction blog.
A new wave of conservativism is beginning to take root on the west coast, as well as in other regional pockets in America. This wave of fear is a consequence of the flames of fear that is being stoked by Rush Limbaugh and other fascist conservatives (in light of the success of the Obama campaign).
Picking up on what Rev. Williams wrote, with respect to an ongoing plan of action, I can still recall the mistake that was made at the original Million March by Minister Farrakhan and the Black Muslims. What a wasted opportunity!
With the assistance of religious and other organizations, the Million Man March was a success, at least for that one day. However, not enough effort was made to organize resources, and to mobilize a solid national base into action.
I would recommend the following action: 1. Organize caucuses all across the nation, similar to the ones that have been in place in places like Iowa…! 2. Use these national caucuses to engage in planning and strategy, as well as to engage in political action, all year round, against the conservative beast even for the day after the march concluded.
The objective of these ongoing political-religious caucuses ought to b,e to ensure that the venal sophist ‘conservative beast will never rise from ‘the sea’ again!