Faith in Action

Last week which began on Wednesday for me started with a visit to a local transitional organization I support called Caring Through The Spiritual Eye, Inc.  The organization was started by Shirell Tyner who by the grace of God overcame drug use and incarceration to start this organization - while in prison - to support women in recovery. 

From there I was supposed to go to Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) to hear Dr. Michael Eric Dyson speak about his book on the Hurricane Katrina tragedy called Come Hell or High Water, but I think that he - and Bill Cosby - may have lost their minds.  Dyson because he published one of the weakest arguments that I’ve read to date opposing Dr. Delman Coates and the Enough is Enough Campaign.  His position wreaks of personal allegiance to Debra Lee (you have noticed an increase of his appearances on BET haven’t you?) and attempts to distract readers from the central issue at stake - corporate responsibility in American media.  Cosby because his latest book Come on People bares his behind and exposes him for the well meaning, yet disconnected elitist that he has become - Come on Bill! - if you gotta problem with poor Blacks, challenge institutional racism, help to finance the creation of institutions in the ‘hood AND lovingly teach the least among us to do their share to resist their own oppressive conditions.  Don’t just beat people over the head with the negative stats, facts, and figures, that we’ve heard over and over again.  Well, as you may have guessed by now - I passed on the opportunity to hear the rhetorical revolutionary whoo the crowd with his loquacious oratorical presentation and verbose verbage devoid of any sincere and/or strategic solutions for systemic change. (Didn’t know I could speak Dyson did you?)

So that night - Wednesday night that is - I spoke at the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet after marching for 3 1/2 hours in the March for Jobs and Education organized by the Baltimore Algebra Project, as previously mentioned.  I didn’t have a chance to change so I walked into the banquet damp with the wet of hard-earned “justice sweat.”  I kept my stickers and pins on my jacket and put a “No Education No Life” t-shirt on over my clergy collar. I thought the ”banqueteers” would enjoy visual encouragement to do less meeting, greeting, and eating and do more bleeding, sweating, and serving.  I was right. 

While at the march I ran into so many people who I have come to know as comrades in the struggle. 

Freedom Writer was there in support of the students.  FW, pictured above with his son, is 1/2 of the dynamic duo, Precise Science, who spit conscious Hip Hop designed to educate Afrikan people.  It’s been a year since I blogged about them.  I’m glad to see they’re still doing their thing.

Another comrade that went hard for the full 3 1/2 hours was Rip The Ruler (left).  Rip chanted at the top of his lungs the whole time, urging passing motorists to honk in support of the students.

“WE DON’T WANT NO PITY, WE WANT FUNDING FOR OUR CITY!”

And that was just Wednesday my friends.

I was blessed to be selected by the Afro Newspaper’s Trends Magazine as one of the “25 Under 40 Emerging Black History Leaders” in the Baltimore/DC area.

I thank the Afro for considering me to be recognized.  Everyone likes positive acknowledgement.  My goal is to be “great” as redefined by Dr. Martin King, Jr. in his “Drum Major Instinct” sermon.  He says that it’s ok to want to be great/acknowledged/important, but encourages us to define greatness on the basis of level of service to others.  In that way, I want to be the greatest.  I want to serve my community, my people, and ultimately the human family in every way that I possibly can.

In reading the magazine, I was inspired by the other 24 young adults who are doing some really fascinating things in various areas of society.  I was motivated by their stories to live up to the high standards that they have set.  While - thanks be unto God - I have been blessed to accomplish some things of note - after reading the magazine I understood very quickly that there is so much more than I can do if I would but increase my focus and level of courage.

Please continue praying for me as I strive to make myself so much more available to God in all areas of my life. 

The Baltimore Examiner reported today that City Councilwoman, Paula Johnson Branch, is resigning from her seat effective March 3 - 10 months before her term is set to expire. 

This story is special to me because I used to live in the 13th district where Branch ”served”.  I was extremely disappointed in her lack of community outreach, her willingness to allow the community to be exploited by Johns Hopkins and other large developers, and her questionable character which was exposed during the trial of her former campaign treasurer, Momoh Abu Conteh.

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While riding to work last week I was listening to the Larry Young Morning Show on WOLB 1010AM and heard Senator Young share his concern about people of color being excluded from the major development and economic opportunities that reports indicate will unfold here by 2012.  When I got to a computer I immediately attempted to locate the report that he referenced and I found a write up about it at the Baltimore Sun.

I must say that I share Senator Young’s concern about people of color not being at the table and I also agree with his critique of those people of color holding political offices who have not ensured that Baltimore’s African [and I add Hispanic] community are in a position to benefit from all of the money and resources being thrown around.  In a majority African American city with a majority African American City Council, one would think that people of African descent would fair better economically, politically, and educationally.  However, this has not been the case.  Plan after plan is presented with people of color getting the short end of the stick if any piece of the stick at all. [Reference Baltimore's Downtown Partnership Report, Baltimore's Master Plan, and the EBDI Neighborhood Plan.]

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In a move that amounts to an act of political censorship, Governor Martin O’Malley flexed his muscles this past week and successfully pressured Morgan State University and its “public” radio station - WEAA 88.9FM to indefinitely suspend The Powers Report from its airwaves.  The host of the Powers Report, Dr. Tyrone Powers, is a fearless activist and has often been highly critical of Martin O’Malley’s policies toward people of color in Baltimore.  While Powers is venerated by many grassroots people, he is abhorred by those in power for his passion to bring awareness to bad legislation, publicly challenge politicians and community misleaders, and unearth long forgotten documents that shed light on the true causes for Baltimore’s dilapidating condition.

Apparently, O’Malley’s successful excise of Powers came with the assistance and support of Kweisi Mfume.  Mfume was selected to serve on O’Malley’s transition team shortly after the election.  In a move to endear himself to the new governor, Mfume is said to have contacted Morgan State University’s president, Dr. Earl Richardson, to express his desire to have Powers either “water down” his show or be removed from the air.  Richardson would not be inclined to refuse this being that Mfume serves on MSU’s Board of Regents and was a former program director at WEAA.  [The call letters ironically stand for: We Educate African Americans]

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Election time has become an exciting time for me.  I like the energy and the possibility for positive change for our city.  As soon as O’Malley won the governor’s race, discussions started becoming public about the race for mayor of Baltimore City.

So far, we have a number of people who have declared their candidacy.  I’ll list them (in no particular order) and give a pro & challenge that they’ll have to address if they are to be successful.  As we draw closer to the election, I hope to interview each of them on BrothaSpeak.  Feel free to leave any questions that you have for them here and I’ll put it to them when the cameras roll.

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I apologize for the silence for the past few days, but please believe that I’ve been quite active and have much to report.  I won’t share it all now, but there is one thing in particular that I think should be shared.

Some of you  know that I am a member one of the leading clergy-activist group here in Baltimore.  The group has a historic past as one that has been blessed by the leadership and activism of this city’s most revered prophets for justice. 

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WPffbw9Sk0]

As a follower of The Way and social justice activist; I’ve become accustomed to not seeing the ultimate fruit of my labor in any immediate period of time.  But over the weekend, I received the rare treat of seeing some tangible progress on an issue that I joined with others to bring attention to.

Back in July, young leaders from across Baltimore organized themselves to protest the alleged sexual assault of a 16 year old girl by a 40 year old police officer.  You can read my first post about this issue here.

I joined in the protest and wrote a letter to the The Afro which they printed in their Letters to the Editor section. Read More

I have always been a proponent of Faith leaders getting involved in political issues in such a way that holds elected officials accountable and encourages the wider community to get politically active. 

While there are those that disagree with pastors being politically involved, the reality is that in the African American community the Black Pastor still wields considerable influence and often times is one of the few community leaders that is “free to speak”.  African American elected officials have by and large been in too many people’s pockets and therefore have too many outside influences controlling their voices and votes. Read More