Faith in Action

Read this insightful article by Heather Dillon entitled, “Multicultural Churches”. I’d be interested to read what you think. I’ll reserve my comment until others have had a chance to give their 2 cents.

In America, 92 percent of churches are made up almost entirely of a single race. Religious institutions have become places of segregation rather than unity. Is your church part of that 92 percent?

Yet despite widespread segregation, some congregations are trying something different. Multiracial church congregations have begun surfacing across America. Advocates of these diverse religious communities base their ideal on Biblical examples. The first church, described in the book of Acts, was multicultural and multilingual from the very beginning. Other early churches were multicultural as well.

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For the past couple of months I’ve been undergoing a change….not really sure how best to label it besides calling it “purging.” I’ve become increasingly aware of the value of my time and that I don’t have much of it. My response to this very persistent perception is to be very careful with how I spend my time and how I find nourishment.

I’ve been actively organizing for more than a year now and I’ve come across many people who like talking about ideas. Ideas are great, but they are only great if they are pursued for the purpose of making them reality. While initially I would get excited to hear people talking about new ideas to bring righteousness to our problem laden society, now I grow impatient by them. It’s gotten to the point now where I try not to keep company with these linguistical do-gooders. Pardon the frustration in my words. Rest assured, I’m not talking about everyone who comes to me with an idea. I’m talking about a very small, yet very specific group of people who I now perceive as wasting my time with their babbling.

I’ve also realized a few things about some of the elders that have gone before me in community organizing and advocacy work. Last year, I was putting in time to establish the foundation for working relationships with the elders. Doors were opened and relationships were forged, but I stumbled upon a very depressing characteristic that comes with trying to align with the elders. They don’t like to let young lions run. I’m not coming to meetings just to sit around and talk about the “good ol’ days” or practice the “art” of performing in the pomp and circumstance routines. I’m a fighter. I’ve developed such a distaste for elders saying that they want young, fresh prophets and then pulling the reigns - fighting change. So, I still love and respect them, but I can’t wait for Moses to realize that Joshua needs to take it from here.

I’m also being very mindful as to what I put in my body - meaning what I eat and what I watch/listen to/and read. A co-worker of mine is a vegan - not the preachy type who grosses everybody out by informing us about what we’re eating, but the silent type who influences by example. So through watching her and engaging in some preliminary discussions, I’ve decided to cut back on eating meat and to divorce processed foods. I started eating salad this year and I love fruit so I’m getting many servings a day. I started playing basketball with my cousins and Godbrothers 2 months ago so I’m getting a little work out on the weekends.

Finally, I’m strategizing on how to influence mainstream media to broadcast more socially responsible and healthy programming. I’m fairly new to this fight so I’m starting with trying to influence the local #1 Hip Hop/R&B station in Baltimore. I’m tired of the sex, drugs, violence, and stereotypes. I’m also tired of adults who tisk tisk what they hear on the radio and see on TV and don’t do a doggone thing about it. Stop selling wolf tickets and get in the fight! See my sidebar for information from Industry Ears that can help you change the game and combat corporate-backed payola rap. These days I’m reading books from my Revolution Reading List, watching CNN and C-Span, and listening to underground and old school rap artists like Immortal Technique, Perceptionists, Public Enemy, and KRS-ONE. Amy Goodman and Democracy Now get mad love on my IPOD as well. I approach this aspect of my purging by the motto: Garbage in - Garbage out / Knowledge in - Power out.

So that’s me these days. Purging. Cleaning up on the inside and outside so that I can become a better warrior for liberation.

No, Marwa. We won’t stop terrorizing your country. We’ll just fix your nose after one of our coalition bombs blows it off. Too bad your mother isn’t here to see this. Oh yea - that same bomb that blew off your nose also killed your Mom. Sorry about that. We killed your Mom, but fixed your nose - no harm done right?

Iraqi girl shows off her restored face - Yahoo! News

At least that’s what our very unpopular president would have you to believe. In an attempt to rally his base and garner support, he’s going back to the old “Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve” political pandering. I’m not a registered Republican nor would I be considered a traditional conservative by no stretch of the imagination, but Bush is hoping that this wedge issue will inspire his base and entice sympathizers to jump back on his bandwagon.

Unfortunately some of my brothers and sisters of the clergy are doing just that.

Agape news quoted Rev. Richard Richardson of the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston as saying the following in response to Bush’s renewed call for a marriage amendment:

“They never told us that the road would be easy, but we’ve come this far; with God on our side, we know we’re going to make it. So I’m pleased to stand with Americans of every race, color, and creed in the Alliance for Marriage.”

On the Black Ministerial Alliance’s website, of which Rev. Richardson is a member, they state that they “are committed to providing spiritual nurture for clergy, advocacy, and program services for the larger Black community. ”

I’d like to know what their definition of the “larger Black community” is. In my opinion, gay marriage and this amendment proposal by the president is not an issue that demands top priority among the Black community. What about the families affected by Hurricane Katrina? Do they have to wait until gay marriage is banned to get our collective and sustained attention? What about genocide in Darfur, Sudan, EAST AFRICA? Will our brothers and sisters back HOME understand that Africans in American were too tied up with the gay marriage issue to help out? What about the crumbling school systems in every major urban city? What about the rate at which prisons are built compared to schools in Black neighborhoods? What about gentrification and “redevelopment plans” negatively impacting Black families in DC, Harlem, Baltimore, Detroit, and Chicago? What about the occupation and daily casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan? (BRING OUR SOLDIERS HOME!!!)

Do not be fooled America. Do not be fooled Black America. Bush is like a desperate mouse caught in a mouse trap right now. He’d bite his own leg off to free himself from the eternal weight of knowing that history will label him a deceptive war monger who ran our country in the ground with debt and made us the bully of the world.

Lou Dobbs wrote a good piece on this issue. Click the link below to read.

CNN.com - Dobbs:�Gay marriage amendment sheer nonsense - Jun 7, 2006

Ok - come on sisters. Please do all you can to stay healthy. Here’s another health issue that a medical report says you should be concerned about.

This blog won’t become some type of healthcare resource, but I’m definitely becoming more sensitive to the importance of eating healthy and taking care of my body. Ok so I’m no senior citizen, but I am getting older. I want to take care of my body now so that it will take care of me later. I have a co-worker who’s like Super Health Woman. She’s vegan and grows food in her garden and doesn’t eat fast food and all that stuff. She’s definitely having an effect on me. Check out her blog at http://veganmomma.com/blog/ . But I warn you - she is no joke.

Sisters click the link below to read about the breast cancer study.

Young Black Women Prone to Deadly Cancer - New York Times

On my birthday I received the coveted America during the King Years trilogy by Taylor Branch. Each book has eight to nine hundred pages in it so ,needless to say, my reading schedule isn’t going to be changing as rapidly as it usually does. I’m reading Parting the Waters right now and I’m on page 570. So far, I think Branch has done an amazing job of giving the details - the nuts and bolts of the Civil Rights Movement and also providing info on the context of the world during that time. It’s not just about King. It’s about the world that developed King and the contextual factors that helped evolve him into a religious and social justice leader.

The book also exposes the flaws of the movement and the flaws of the people within it. This I find as most valuable because I believe that as I continue on my path I can learn from the movements and people of the past. I want to know about the illicit affairs, the challenging group dynamics, the egos that can disband a coalition, etc. I’m studying the Movement so that I won’t be surprised by most of the situations that are prone to come my way. The potholes come with the path that I’ve chosen. I just want to be aware of their possible location. If I repeat the failures of my elders then I’ll have only myself to blame. Yes, I will have shortcomings, but they shouldn’t be the same ones that King, Abernathy, Nash, Baker, and the rest experienced.

So, of course, I highly recommend this book. For those who have already read it, I would be interested in hearing your comments as well.

Hey Family,

It’s been a minute since my last post and I know that as this blog has evolved it’s become far less personal and more issue focused, but I just want to reflect on a few things this time around.

May 2006 was a very productive month for me. First, May is my birthday month so on May 6th I celebrated another year of life with my family and friends.

During my birthday weekend, my father also celebrated 20 years of pastoring at our church. Now that’s an accomplishment. When I was a child I used to always say, “When I grow up I’m going to be a preacher just like my Daddy.” That eventually came true, but one thing that I have never said is that I will be a pastor. Uh uh. Aint happenin…well, if I have anything to do with it I won’t. Being a pastor is not easy. It’s selfless, thankless, sacrificing work. You’re scrutinized by some, criticized by some more, betrayed by others, and rarely do you see the fruits of your labor. And I haven’t even mentioned the incalculable time spent away from home and the impact that that has on the family. That’s not something that I’m running towards. So props to Pops for sticking in there that long. My grandfather, Bishop Heber Brown, Sr. preached and pastored all the way to his grave. A marvelous show of commitment, but I pray that my Dad doesn’t follow that model. My Dad is gifted in other areas as well. I pray that he explores other avenues and experiences other arenas whereby he can allow God to use him.

On May 11, Young Clergy for Social Change along with Save Darfur Coalition and Payne Memorial AME Church had the Baltimore for Darfur event at Payne Memorial AME Church. It was wonderful. We had a good crowd and a wonderful presentation by Dr. Gloria White-Hammond (www.savedarfur.org). I’m really thankful for my brother Kamal and his pastor, Bishop Bryan Claxton of the New Creation Christian Community Church. They brought a van full of youth over to the presentation. I am forever loyal to that pastor, that church, and my brother Kamal.

I’m also appreciate of the support received by Pastor A. Qismat Alim of Payne Memorial. She is a wonderful African who truly embodies what it means to be a truly African Christian. Which reminds me. I’ve been doing some thinking about social change (surprised?) and I’m becoming more and more convinced that it will be intelligent and courageous women who make the greater gains in the area of social justice movements and community empowerment. I’ll do some more thinking on this, but I’m beginning to see men as being prone to self aggrandizement and grandstanding. The women that I have met in the struggle are hard-working and selfless. I’ll try to remember to expound upon this a bit more later.

From May 18-21st I was in Portland, Oregon attending an Economic Justice Conference organized by Jubilee USA (www.jubileeusa.org) The conference was informational and motivating. I am more inspired now to be an advocate for economic justice in the world particularly as it pertains to freeing African nations from the bondage of erroneous and/or illegitimate debt. On top of that, the flight in and out of Portland was phenomenal. I realized on the plane that I am a real “city boy” because what I was looking at out of my window was bringing me close to tears. It was the most majestic view of mountains, valleys, and lakes that I have EVER seen. You’ll see pictures soon.

Last week, I was in Ocean City, MD for the kickoff of the Advocacy Leaders Program. I was selected along with about 19 others to participate in this program to instruct, connect, and empower advocacy leaders in the nonprofit arena. The kickoff was definitely a confidence booster. I’m more convinced now than ever that I was created for this stuff - social justice advocacy.

Finally, (for now) yesterday we had our annual Memorial Day cookout at Aunt Mary’s. As it is our custom we had the Family Circle and updated the family on recent accomplishments and upcoming events. After the food we gathered in Aunt Mary’s parlor which has an organ in it. As we do every year, the family - young and old - gathered to sing. I started it off with my grandfather’s song, I Know He’s Mine, and the songs kept on coming from there. After about 45 minutes, Aunt Mary ended our session with a nice down home foot-stomping, North Carolina, hot Black Baptist Church hand-clapping song called “So Much To Live For“. It got so good that Anthony stopped playing the organ and everyone kept the rhythm going by our clapping and house shaking stomping. Every time we tried to stop - we couldn’t. We paused during the song and Aunt Betty shouted, “Wait a minute! I have a testimony!” Aunt Betty gave her testimony about how God had been good to her and that took us right about to the edge. If Anthony would’ve touched one key on that organ we would still be in there huckabucking right now.

It truly was an AMAZING May and I am so thankful that I have SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR!

What:
Baltimore for Darfur: A Christian Forum

When:
Wednesday, May 17, 2006 7PM

Where:
Payne Memorial AME Church
1714 Madison Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21217

Who:
Rev. Gloria White-Hammond (Save Darfur Coalition)
Pastor Qismat Alim (Payne Memorial AME Church)
Young Clergy for Social Change
Del. Salima Siler Marriott (D-40)
Anthony Brown (A.B. and Answered Prayers) - invited

This episode of the Faith In Action Podcast follows members of the Young Clergy for Social Change community as we embarked upon a “Saturday of Service” to donate time, energy, and resources to the Bea Gaddy Family Center in East Baltimore.

Enjoy the pictures and this edition of Faith In Action. (Click the title of this post to listen.)

Bush Praises Darfur Accord, Pledges Aid - Yahoo! News