The final vote tally in Tarrant County’s May 1st yielded about a 14.5% voter turnout. This is the voter turnout for a new mayor and practically re-built city council in Fort Worth. Turnout was so abysmal in the fifth largest city in the state (14th largest in the country) that we have to do it all over again in multiple races including the mayor and even the school board.
Fort Worth, what are we doing here? Non-voters have again made the greatest impact in a local election. Non-voters are jaded by their own apathy and don’t care about the city, themselves or their neighbors enough to vote. This is the expectation each local cycle but so disappointing. How can you want change, but not care to be apart of it?
Even after record voter turnout in the 2020 Presidential election, it seems that voters have since settled into their pattern of complacency that secedes their privilege of choosing city, county and state leaders. This has come at dire circumstances as states are now passing laws limiting critical conversations and legalizing voter suppression. Why complain about a problem and not offer a solution? We have decided to get involved by sharing conversations with a few candidates in hotly contested races in the city. We will share them on Facebook LIVE, right from our page and will begin with Councilwoman Kelly Allen Gray, tonight.
Excitement surrounding the presidential election has since waned, yielding abysmal returns which led to a string of citywide runoffs.
This Thursday, Roxanne Martinez, candidate for the FWISD school board will join us. We hope to hear from a few other candidates before early voting ends Tuesday, June 1st. Remember, your vote is your voice and you can’t be mad at city leaders who omit the consideration of your voice because you have muted yourself! Get involved and go vote!
In the 2020 election, Elizabeth Beck unsuccessfully challenged for a seat in the Texas house, but she didn’t stop there. Instead, she turned her sights to the Fort Worth City Council and is now vying for a seat on the council serving District 9. In our election day interview, Beck laid out her ambition for change in Texas. She now seeks to become an agent of change here in her hometown as one of the newest faces at City Hall.
A familiar face to Fort Worth politics is Chris Nettles. The pastor and entrepreneur has challenged Kelly Allen Gray and even won majority of the May 1st vote, though falling short of the needed 50% to win the seat. Nettles and Gray has become a hot ticket akin to the Ali/Frazier feud which was settled in a final bout, the “Thrilla in Minila”. Nettles challenged Mayor Betsy Price in 2017 and while many may have ‘laughed him to scorn’, the preacher and aspiring politician, ‘strengthened his hands’ to challenge Gray, a challenge which by the end of the May 1st election seemingly had the Gray campaign on the ropes. Nettles emerged as a worthy challenger last year, leading many of the daily protests in the wake of the George Floyd murder.
From L to R: Pastor Sharon Turner (L) Rod Smith (C) Pastor Chris Nettles (L)
Citizens took notice and rallied behind his efforts to challenge the long serving councilwoman and formidable foe, Kelly Allen Gray. Nettles has pulled out all stops and has made talking points of they Gray campaigns endorsements and donations. The results of the June 5th election will show whether or not the attacks were effective. For what he has done, Nettles is to be taken seriously and with a little guidance could emerge as a community leader, even without a seat on the council.
Newcomer Dr. Jared Williams is seeking to unseat longtime councilman and businessman, Jungus Jordan. The runoff between Jordan and Williams was brought about by a third challenger, Tiesa Leggett who took a meager percentage of the overall vote, but just enough to eliminate the possibility of an outright winner in District 6. Though there are a number of runoffs at city hall, none are more hotly contested than those of District 8 and the office of Mayor. Outgoing Democratic Chairwoman Deborah Peoples has made quite an impact on voters and seems poised to take the reins of one of the largest cities in America on day one.
It should be noted that regardless of the outcome of the mayoral race, Fort Worth will continue its trend of women in leadership. Outgoing mayor Betsy Price will be succeeded by either Mattie Parker or Deborah Peoples, an achievement worthy of note. Peoples and Parker made their cases at a recent debate which drew clear legislative lines, though the two women at the time openly professed their mutual admiration for each other and their professional achievements. Fort Worth is on the precipice of change. Whether it’s a changing of the guard or mere seasons, remains to be seen. This is why your voice is necessary.
Please stay tuned here and on Facebook as we update our conversations with candidates ahead of the election. Each conversation is an opportunity for candidates to speak with us and directly with their constituents LIVE on Facebook. No candidate has been paid to appear and neither conversation serves as our endorsement of said candidate.
We keep our ears the ground and our feet to the beat of the streets to bring you news you can use. Every now and then a story comes across our desk that demands our input and whatever you’ve been reading about Ice Cube this week, needs some clarifying. In this article, we’re sharing the actual press release sent out by Ice Cube highlighting his activity with BOTH Presidential campaigns. We urge you to read it and read up on the Contract With Black America before you tweet or post. We do break rank with his previous statements and want to encourage EVERYONE to vote. One term of the Trump administration has been too long, already! The late Congressman John Lewis told us to get into good trouble, necessary trouble and we plan to, each chance we get!
With each election cycle, celebrities morph into influencers and even thought leaders in favor of candidates. Celebrities can increase their net worth or fame index based on successful stumping for or against a candidate or policy. With this reality, many voters look to those outside the world of politics so gain insight on issues of interest to them. Ice Cube’s recent calls to action have been rebuffed in large part because he has not committed to casting a ballot for President in 2020 amid demanding changes in favor of Black Americans on each governmental level. Voting is the democratic practice of impacting and affecting change, so it’s easy to understand why so many feel like his ideas lack logic.
Early voting has begun and many have already cast their vote but many others are still holding out to be swayed by last minute developments. Negativity surrounding the #CWBA, ties to the Trump campaign and fallout among Cube’s longtime fans is the type of misnomer can thrust a political campaigns to victory. So, we wanted to interject ourselves into the conversation and give readers a chance to see what progress looks like. In short, Ice Cube is no longer depending on the “system” to do right by Black Americans and is demanding the attention of our elected officials, starting with the President. The idea isn’t bad, the timing of it is off. Both the Trump and Biden campaigns have proffered their version of striving to meet the demands (you can read it on the website), but I’m sure you’ve only seen the Trump response.
Cube has never been one to bite his tongue so be real careful about what you “heard” him say. Even if he’s made a mistake in allowing the Trump campaign to use his name and ideas (we strongly doubt this administration will follow through on any promise to black people), the real damage will come if he has dissuaded undecided voters, people mistakenly vote for Trump believing he has endorsed him or people follow suit and don’t vote at all as he has expressed. Ice Cube has interjected himself in political conversations in California, and got a shout out when Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill creating a task force to make way for California to make slavery reparations.
What Is the Contract with Black America? Get ALL the details, here
As citizens and lawmakers both, we are joining to demand the Contract with Black America be addressed immediately to finally create the “more perfect union” all Americans deserve. As such, it is time for a complete paradigm shift in how we run our institutions and operate our country. The problems facing America are too deep and wide to simply reform one area or another. Long-lasting solutions demand a comprehensive thorough “rethink” of America so that each new approach in each area supports the success of the others. This Contract with Black America will provide conceptual approaches in several areas.
Darrick Hamilton, in the Preface to the Contract, says “This Contract with Black America strikes at the heart of racism and presents a blueprint to achieve racial economic justice. It was written in the backdrop of the killing of George Floyd, which set off a wave of protests not seen since the Civil Rights Era of the 1950’s and ’60’s, and a global pandemic in which the Black mortality rate is more than double the White rate and in which 45% (nearly half) of Black-owned businesses closed.
That the impact of something presumably random, such as a pandemic, however catastrophic, can be so linked to one’s racial identity is highly problematic – and further evidence that, as a nation, we are failing miserably.
This links to a larger political and economic vulnerability, whether we’re in a pandemic or not: the immoral devaluation of Black lives has been ingrained in America’s political economy and is long overdue for a reckoning. This Contract with Black America is a patriotic pathway to promote our shared prosperity and achieve racial economic justice.”
 Ambassador Andrew Young is equally supportive. “The Pandemic has revealed to us the importance of the essential worker of which many are minorities. We can grow no stronger without improving the sustainability of those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. The Contract for Black America is a comprehensive step toward an action plan that addresses the future stability of minorities and essential workers across the nation.”
To address racial inequality, after reading the Contract with Black America, we the undersigned agree to support and demand an open debate and a clear and fair vote within the first 100 days of the 117th Congress in 2021 on the following proposals to be codified into specific bills:
Bill to Guarantee Black Opportunity and Representation. Adopt a plan of “Neo-Reconstruction” to redress past wrongs systematically imposed on Black Americans economically throughout many generations that has resulted in a “wealth gap” where the average White family has 10x the wealth of a Black Family. In addition to some of the economic initiatives listed below, also formally apologize to Black Americans for past discrimination and slavery. Additionally Black opportunity and representation will include: Affirmative Action in schools public and private; per student funding in states on an equal basis instead of paid by local property taxes; Black representation on all government civil rights bodies; civil rights classes mandatory in elementary schools; Gerrymandering reform; additional polling places in Black and minority neighborhoods; Juneteenth to become a Federal holiday.
Bank Lending Reform. Bank lending will be regulated to require banks to lend a percentage of all loan and credit categories on an equal basis to the Black population each Bank serves. However, the minimum threshold must yearly meet the percentage equal to the national Black population (currently approximately 13.4%). Rates on Black loans federally and from banks to be same average rates as Whites.
Federal Funding of “Baby Bonds”.  Pass federal program providing every child with a government funded trust account at birth starting with a $1,000 contribution. As proposed by Senator Booker and Representative Pressley, accounts to be managed by the Treasury and only those born into lower-wealth families would receive more contributions each year up to $46,500 total. At age 18 access to the funds allowed but use restricted to asset enhancing actions such as buying homes, starting businesses and funding education.
Federal Reserve and Government Pensions. For qualified Black Americans, Federal Reserve to allow a one-time interest free loan for home ownership. The Fed to ensure Banks and institutions it oversees comply with Bank Lending Reform. Fed to adopt Modern Monetary Theory with goal of Full Employment and avoidance of Actual Inflation. Federal and State pension funds control over a trillion dollars. They must allocate 13.4% of their investments into Black owned enterprises and businesses. Venture Capital and Private Equity funds that take money public entities must invest 13.4% of their total funds in Black owned businesses.Â
Finance Oversight. A Banking Commission (or even a Cabinet or Sub-Cabinet post) will be set up to overlook and report on Black and minority lending, housing ownership and mortgages, and enforcement of items 2 and 3 above. Such authority will also oversee and audit federal programs such as Economic Opportunity Zones and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to determine who is benefiting from disbursement of such funds. Will provide for a transparent reporting mechanism for abuses to economic programs designed to benefit communities in need.
Personal Data and Credit. Most states publicly release bulk data about arrestees unchecked. Like the 1970 Fair Credit Reporting Act regarding credit data, there must be guidelines regarding arrest records that allow similar privacy and accuracy protections and the right to dispute and correct inaccurate data. Â Credit services will be reformed to mandate consideration of individual consumer data on rent, utility, cellphone, and other like bill payments.
Prison Reform. Privately run prisons will be abolished, prison labor disallowed without consent, and nonviolent offenders incarcerated for 10 years or longer will be freed if good behavior standards met. All prisoners for marijuana possession freed.  First offense for illegal drug use or possession to require government payment for entry into an approved drug rehabilitation program rather than imprisonment. Once any prisoner completes sentence, voting rights are restored.
Judicial Reforms. Eliminate mandatory minimums and three strike laws.  The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice reformed through stricter guidelines and greater oversight over police departments. DOJ can be sued for non-compliance. Lynching to become a federal hate crime and the Ku Klux Klan declared a terrorist organization.
Police Reform Act. Police reforms will be implemented in an expansive act that will at minimum include: Elimination of Qualified Immunity; requirement of mandatory malpractice insurance for police officers; make municipalities liable for unconstitutional actions by police; mandatory use of dashboard and body cams; elimination of chokeholds and “no-knock” warrants; establishment of residency requirements, de-escalation training, and requirement to update training; severe penalties for evidence tampering including withholding DNA. A federal database of police and disciplinary records established and made public and once fired for cause cannot be rehired. Creation of Office of Independent Prosecutors to solely focus on prosecuting police accused of wrongdoing. Other reforms as listed in greater detail in the Contract with Black America.
FCC Licensing of public airwaves. Broadcast networks will be required to air Black produced content equal to 20% of the total content on the network as measured by time.
Confederate Monuments and Institutions. Elimination of all Confederate statues and uses or displays of Confederate flags on government grounds or property with public access. Rename all streets, schools, public structures, etc. named after Confederate soldiers or leaders. A memorial will be built in Washington D.C. to victims of police excessive force.
AJP Program for Education and Jobs. Adoption of AJP, A Public/Private program that provides access to jobs and education and/or training for people willing to put in the work and commitment.Â
Black Responsibility. Chronic poverty creates an atmosphere full of negativity, frustration, hopelessness, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, crime, and violence. These are some of conditions that plague the Black Community which is dealing with extreme generational poverty. As we begin to gain social and economic equality it is our duty to clean up ourselves and our community. This contract is a 2-way street. As we gain social and economic equality, we must begin to dissolve any bitterness in our hearts for past wrongs. We must become better citizens who are more productive on all levels of American society. We really must step up after we pass the Contract with Black America with no more excuses left in the kiddie. Our entertainers should be persuaded to deliver more positive content that leads our youth to make better choices in life. A new pride must develop with these new opportunities and we must fight against negativity, frustration, hopelessness, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, crime, and violence.
FATHERS INCORPORATED PARTNERS WITH THE U.S. CENSUS FOR ‘BLACK DADS COUNT’
Black Dads Count is an effort galvanizing Black fathers to ensure they are counted and valued in the 2020 U.S. Census
Fathers Incorporated has officially launched Black Dads Count, an awareness campaign to advance a conversation and civic engagement among Black Dads and the 2020 U.S. Census on MLK Day, January 20, 2020. The campaign launch includes events and informational sessions taking place between MLK Day and the official launch of the Census in April. Black Dads Count (BDC) has partnered locally with Fair Count and will participate in their Black Men Speak series in January as well as other BDC-specific forums. For information about events, partners, partnerships and Census facts, please visit www.BlackDadsCount.com.
Because of its emphasis on inclusion, particularly for Black dads, the campaign has attracted the support of national partners; Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color, The Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA), K.I.N.G., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., National Cares Mentoring Movement (CARES), The National Healthy Start Association (NHSA), The Black Man Can (TBMC), United Way of Metro Atlanta and the Census Bureau.
2020 marks the 55th Anniversary of the 1965 Moynihan Report. The controversial report argued that combating poverty required strengthening families in the United States – particularly through positively impacting Black men. Five decades after the release of the Moynihan Report, national databases indicated that little progress has been made on the key issues Moynihan identified. Moreover, many of the issues for Black families highlighted by the report are now worse and are prevalent among other families.
“The 2020 U.S. Census affords us the opportunity to engage Black Dads in an extremely meaningful way,” states Kenneth Braswell, CEO of Fathers Incorporated. “As mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the census is a once every-decade count of everyone living in the country. When we know how many people live in your community, organizations and businesses are better equipped to evaluate the services and programs needed, such as clinics, schools, and roads. It also determines how seats in Congress are distributed among the 50 states.”
Fathers Incorporated has invested 15 years of service in building the capacity of fathers (particularly Black fathers) to be available, equipped and positively present in the lives of their children and family. At the most fundamental level of being a father is the need to be present and civic-minded. These responsibilities are crucial to the overall success and well-being of themselves and families.
Fathers Incorporated has been invited by the U.S. Census to be a national partner to specifically focus attention primarily on Black Dads and their families in Hard To Count (HTC) communities. While the campaign will have a national focus, there is a more intentional focus around efforts on the ground in Metro Atlanta. These efforts can be duplicated and scaled to be implemented in other hard to count communities around the country. To learn more, visit www.BlackDadsCount.com.
Eric Holder will bring the keynote address at the Annual Dr. George D. Flemmings Freedom Fund Banquet which will be held on Friday, October 25 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center. This is the 42nd year of the annual event which is presented by the Fort Worth Tarrant County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The event will also celebrate the branch’s 85th Anniversary of serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County. This year’s theme is JUSTICE – THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUALITY FOR ALL
Mr. Holder served as Attorney General from February 2009 to April 2015. As the third longest serving Attorney General in U.S. history and the first African American to hold that office, Mr. Holder is an internationally recognized leader across a broad range of regulatory enforcement, criminal justice, and national security issues. In 2014, Time magazine named Mr. Holder to its list of 100 Most Influential People, noting that he had “worked tirelessly to ensure equal justice.”
Estella Williams, President of Fort Worth Tarrant County Branch NAACP, stated “It’s both a privilege and honor to have Mr. Holder as our keynote speaker. He is a true champion of Justice for ALL.”
Before his service as Attorney General, Mr. Holder maintained a wide-ranging investigations and litigation practice at Covington & Burling LLP. Among numerous significant engagements, he led the firm’s representation of a major multi-national agricultural company in related civil, criminal, and investigative matters; acted as counsel to a special investigative committee of the board of directors of a Fortune 50 technology company and represented several life sciences companies in litigation. Including his tenure as Attorney General, Mr. Holder has served in government for more than thirty years, having been appointed to various positions requiring U.S. Senate confirmation by Presidents Obama, Clinton and Reagan.
Start time for the banquet is 6:45 at the Round-Up Inn in the Will Rogers Memorial Center located at 3400 Burnett Dr. 76107. Sponsorship packages are currently available. Additional information can be obtained by emailing ftw.naacp.info@gmail.com or calling 817-338-8919. Individual tickets will be available Thursday, August 15 th via Eventbrite, Facebook.com/NAACPFWTC/ or the branch website: https://naacpfwtc.org.
For 110 years, the NAACP has worked to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. The Fort Worth Tarrant County Branch was chartered on July 9, 1934. The Freedom Fund Banquet is the branch’s annual fundraiser.
NABJ appalled by President Trump’s continued disrespect of African-American women journalists and journalists in general
President Donald Trump rejected National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) member and CNN White House reporter Abby Phillip’s question today as “stupid” on national television. Phillip asked the president if he wanted acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to “rein in Mueller,” referring to Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating possible Russian influence in the 2016 election. Whitaker has been critical of the Mueller investigation.
NABJ members and other journalists have taken to social media expressing their frustration with the president’s continuous attacks.
“The most powerful man in the free world is verbally abusing journalists,” said NABJ President Sarah Glover. “The past two years have been filled with assaults on the media and Donald Trump’s comments this week have reached an all-time low with attacks on three black female journalists. His dismissive comments toward journalists April Ryan, Abby Phillip and Yamiche Alcindor are appalling, irresponsible, and should be denounced.” Trump responded to Phillip, a former Washington Post reporter and Harvard graduate, “What a stupid question. What a stupid question that is. But I watch you a lot. You ask a lot of stupid questions.”
The president also used demeaning and insulting language about American Urban Radio Network’s April Ryan, calling her “nasty” and a “loser.” He further scolded her, telling her to “sit down” several times during Wednesday’s news conference at the White House.
During that same news conference, Trump was also dismissive of Yamiche Alcindor of PBS Newshour. She asked if the president’s rhetoric was encouraging white nationalists. The president responded, “That is such a racist question.”
The NABJ is calling on the president to stop his verbal assault on black women journalists and all journalists, and to provide truthful answers instead of insults.
Read NABJ’s statement calling for Jim Acosta’s White House press credentials to be restored here.
It’s not enough to be in the King’s presence, you must understand your assignment in the King’s presence. Some of us are in such a rush to be in the presence of the King without fully processing the responsibility that we fall short and concede the assignment for a seat. As we see with Esther, Daniel and the three Hebrew boys, God sets His people in high places to bring His agenda with them. -Fred Willis, “The Weight of the Wait” 2017
Credit: Screenshot of Washington Post video on YouTube
I’ve spent the better part of the day trying to wrap my mind around the paradoxical gathering in the cabinet room of the white house on yesterday. President Donald Trump gathered with Black and Hispanic Pastors to discuss prison reform. What actually happened was nothing short of another notch in President Trump’s belt of untruth. As is customary with this administration, the attendees fell victim to Trump’s trademark bait and switch. In short, these Pastors got played-they walked right into a bear trap only paralleled in hilarity by a Tom & Jerry cartoon. Perhaps the meeting ran longer than the published 31 minute video and text transcript, but that seems to be the entirety of the meeting. Instead of broaching the topic of prison reform in depth, its need and how these Pastors would better serve the initiative, the men kowtowed to the President, lauding his “action” on the issue, economics and employment.
The black Pastors were in the white house to talk about prison reform but this contrast was too stark for me to ignore. When the white Pastors were in the white house. they prayed for…prayed over the President and crowded him but this meeting on yesterday evoked a different attitude. One that put each of those powerful preachers seated, under the influence of Donald J. Trump. Per usual, Pastor Darrell Scott found a way to dominate the news cycle with an ostentatiously vulgar love of untruth in favor of President Trump.
You must understand, this meeting was limited to the rolodex of Pastor Paula White. This explains both, the scope and intent of the meeting. Can you imagine if Bishop T.D. Jakes were in the room? He should have been in the room and I’m pretty sure I know why he couldn’t or didn’t
make the meeting. Last year at the Pastors and Leaders Conference in Dallas, Texas, Bishop Jakes took issue with Pastor White and Bishop Harry Jackson during the “Polemics of Politics and the Pulpit” panel. Joined by Joshua Dubois, Father Michael Pfleger and moderated by April Ryan, the exchanges simmered to a boiling point and all but severed previously held personal ties. The panel remained cordial afterward and even posed for pictures together, but something changed that day in Dallas.
President Trump traffics in misinformation and misdirection, and used the silence of the Pastors to his advantage. Not once was there a rebuttal or request for the fact (mis)represented during the conversation. The assertion that Trump and his administration are the cause for prisoner hires and increase in their quality of life is easily refutable. It is reported that the Pastors were told that the President wouldn’t take questions, yet none of them offered up a retort in the face of outright untruth. Pastoring is just that, beyond the exposing of malice, but the resolution of malice and these men did the members and communities they serve a severe disservice in the presence of President Trump on yesterday.
In the number were Trump team members Bishop Harry Jackson, Pastor Darrell Scott, Dr. Alveda King and Pastor Paula White. Earlier this summer, President Trump hosted Kim Kardashian-West for a meeting on the matter which resulted in the release of Alice Johnson. You could surmise that this meeting with clergy is the follow-up to the meeting with West. What is problematic about the meeting is the stench of inaction. When Kardashian-West went home, there was already something in the works pursuant to Ms. Johnson’s impending clemency. The news day has come to a close and all we have about yesterday’s meeting is…well, nothing! I’ll opine here and say that this yet another reason why people are dismissive of the spiritual and natural power the church claims to possess. How could a room full of Pastors not eek out a release, call for air conditioning in prisons, or a decrease in private for-profit prisons?
The severity of this level of inaction has grieved me to a point I have not been grieved before. In fact, the only occurrence that comes to mind is the night George Zimmerman was acquitted. I cried from a deep place in my soul I never want to re-visit again. If Pastors like these have their way, I may need more Kleenex. Pastor Jamal Bryant used his absence from the meeting to challenge those in attendance and seek out answers for himself and those us also perplexed by their silence at the table.
I like these Pastors. Many of them are dynamic in the pulpit and magnanimous in their communities. Why they were silent yesterday puzzles me. As stated earlier in the article, one glaring omission from the meeting was Bishop T. D. Jakes. Why he wasn’t at the meeting is unknown to me and not worthy of conjecture. What I will speak on is T.O.R.I. (Texas Offender Re-Entry Initiative) at The Potter’s House in Dallas. This program is one of the largest anti-recidivism programs I know of and successfully re-integrates its program graduates into society as successful contributors and rehabilitated persons.
I attended a T.O.R.I. graduation a few years ago at the church and Judge Greg Mathis was on hand to speak to the graduates. In the few minutes I was able to speak with graduates, Bishop Jakes and Judge Mathis, my mind was blown at the level on which this program operates. Also in the room were politicians, local business owners and government officials who all work together on the multi-tiered effort to ultimately eradicate recidivism. The graduation is held each year and this year, the speaker was political commentator Angela Rye. It’s worth noting that 2014Â Valedictorian LaHeather Wilson spent this past Tuesday evening addressing graduates of the Dallas County DIVERT program. Graduates of this program are able to have their records expunged.
Another glaring omission from the table was the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. In effect, Dr. Barber has picked up where Dr. King left off at his untimely death. Dr. Barber’s reiteration of the poor people’s campaign is impacting Americans much like the original iteration. No doubt, prison reform is an extension of civil and human rights, so to have this generation’s drum major absent from the meeting is a severe character flaw. Dr. Freddy Haynes of the Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas would have also been a great addition to the conversation, had there been one. Just this week, Dr. Haynes address Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in an open letter from his pulpit.
Bishop Darrell Hines was a part of the meeting, but why not Bishop Charles E. Blake? Bishop Blake is currently the Presiding Prelate and Chief Apostle of the Church of God In Christ, International and has been a staunch advocate for ending the incessant subjugation of underrepresented people and offering a hand of fellowship and aid. Through their COGIC Urban Initiatives Department, the RITES Program works to make re-entry possible through entrepreneurship. Certainly Bishop Blake or Bishop Bass (President, CUI) would have been more suitable for the meeting.
Father Michael Pfleger would have also been better suited for the meeting, given his 50 years of work in the greater Chicagoland area and working directly with and for the people of his parish. Undoubtedly, he knows the strain violence, crime and even the threat of recidivism put on his community. Pastor, Rudolph McKissic, Dr. E. Dewey Smith, Bishop Joseph Walker or Bishop Paul Morton would have also been worthy additions to the conversation. I can almost assure you that the roundtable was filled with these men not because of their voices, but their complicit silence! These are only a few suggestions and don’t cover all the possible seats at this proverbial ‘table’. Surely there are countless others who are worthy of note and it is my hope that in the wake of this fallout, we become better acclimated to the good work they do in regard to activism and prison reform.
‘Optics’…Pastor John Gray Addresses His Presence At the Table
The Conclusion of the Matter
My issue with this meeting is simple, it yielded no results, or even a plan for the future. Will there be a future meeting? Ask the HBCU heads who now feel jilted after their meeting with the President. While many of the Pastors are thankful for the invitation to the table, this meeting is nothing like Daniel in Babylon working under Nebuchadnezzar. In that instance, the nation was under his wicked rule and God used Daniel’s gift to not only make room for him, but for his friends as they were made heads over provinces in the Kingdom. Like Daniel and his friends, it would have been advantageous for at least one to decline the “meal” of furthering the Trump agenda in the form of the dubious photo opp. President Trump has done some good for the country, but majority of what he does is to the detriment of the greater good of all citizens.
For trusted Pastors to use their opportunity to compliment a man that sows discord, deceive his base and discredit this democracy is stomach churning. These men didn’t show grace, they showed cowardice! I’m reminded of Mordecai’s words to Esther when he reported Haman’s plot:
Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:13-14
What happens when you have the opportunity to speak truth to power and affect change and instead choose to praise oppression? Haman laid it out for his cousin: “they’re will kill you, too!” Such is the case, for these Pastors as they return home to their congregations and their incarcerated family members who are no better today than they were yesterday! Pastor Edwrin Sutton of Smith Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Poughkeepsi, New York eloquently voiced the frustration most of us feel, today (read Pastor Sutton’s statement in full, here):
 l also firmly believe that when you are not invited to the TABLE it’s because you are on the MENU. However, how humiliating it is when you are at the TABLE but still ON THE MENU! If you are going to sit at the table, AT LEAST place your order! Moses met with the Pharaoh, but he placed his order! He said LET GOD’S PEOPLE GO! When did one preacher at least one time PLACE THEIR ORDER while they were at the table?!? Furthermore, when I read the official minutes of the meeting l was deeply disturbed! If you are going to be a TRUE PROPHETIC WITNESS, there must be at least two components; You must HEAR FROM GOD and you must SPEAK FOR GOD! No one spoke for God FULLY!!!Whenever we become “starstruck” with those who are influenced by the powers of darkness, we stop being PROPHETS and start being PUPPETS, controlled by our mesmerization of PEOPLE, PLATFORMS and POWER! To those who might have went to the meeting out of pure motives, my question for you is where was the wisdom? Surely, if you didn’t go for a Photo Op, wisdom would tell you that the President invited you for a Photo Op! If you don’t support the President, surely wisdom would tell you He was going to have his team market it as such!!!! If you were conflicted about going, surely wisdom would have told you to seek council from credible black Pastors who fight for the liberation of minorities. You’ve been TRUMPed!
