TALENT ANNOUNCED FOR 52nd ANNUAL GMA DOVE AWARDS PRE-TELECAST: TASHA LAYTON, DOE, THE NELONS, MIKE MAINS AND MORE CONFIRMED GMA partnering with new faith-based network AWKNG TV to produce
The Gospel Music Association (GMA) has announced details for the Pre-Telecast event ahead of the 52nd Annual GMA Dove Awards. Pre-telecast streaming live on Friday, October 22 at 6:00 p.m. ET on DoveAwards.com and AWKNGTV.com. Hosts Tasha Layton and DOE will perform as well as The Nelons and Mike Mains.
“On behalf of AWKNG, we are so excited to partner with the Dove Awards. We both have a passion for seeing the message of the Gospel shared and expressed through music and media,” says President Stovall Weems.
This year’s Pre-Telecast presenters include Byron “Talkbox” Chambers,Jon Reddick, Jordan Sapp, Krissy Nordhoff, Leanna Crawford, Randall Goodgame, Rich Tolbert Jr., Steven Malcolm, The Sound, Trilogy, and Zauntee. For the complete list of nominees, visit doveawards.com.
About Gospel Music Association & Foundation: Founded in 1964, the Gospel Music Association serves as the face and voice for the Gospel/Christian music community and is dedicated to exposing, promoting, and celebrating the Gospel through music of all styles. The GMA produces the GMA Dove Awards, The GMA Hall of Fame Induction and Honors Ceremony, and the IMMERSE Conference. For more information on the GMA, visit www.gospelmusic.org and follow @gmadoveawards on Facebook, Twitter, and @gospelmusicassoc on Instagram.
About AWKNG TV: AWKNG TV is a new kind of faith-based TV network, home to compelling, entertaining and original content. We produce everything from reality shows, to documentaries, to kid’s shows, and more! Our heart is to encourage #healthybingewatching for the whole family. Subscribe today at awkngtv.com and get a year of AWKNG TV for free.
The NAACP Fort Worth Tarrant County will host it’s 44th Annual George D. Flemmings Freedom Fund Celebration virtually on Friday, October 22 at 7 p.m. CST. The virtual celebration is a ticketed event and tickets range from $15-$75. Individual tickets and sponsorship packages are on sale now at naapcfwtc.org.
The theme for this year’s event is “The Pursuit of Freedom and Equality” and will honor the life achievements of Fort Worth natives and successful movie and television actors as well as gospel recording artists, David and Tamela Mann. The celebration will also highlight accomplishments NAACP Fort Worth Tarrant County has made to promote equality and the steps needed to eliminate racial and social injustice in the community.
Due to COVID-19, the celebration will be held virtually for the second year in a row. “The prolonged COVID-19 health crisis has caused great stress to all; however, our branch continues to make an impact with our important work. We’re excited to bring the celebration to the homes of our community through an engaging, virtual format, and look forward to honoring the achievements of our members and special guests,” NAACP Fort Worth Tarrant County President Estella Williams said.
Individuals and organizations looking to attend or sponsor the event can purchase tickets at naacpfwtc.org or through Eventbrite.
About the Fort Worth/Tarrant County NAACP
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Dr. George D. Flemmings was a pivotal in leading the NAACP in its formative years and helped to solidify the organization’s imprint on the city and in the state of Texas. From the ballot box to the classroom, the thousands of dedicated workers, organizers, leaders and members who make up the NAACP continue to fight for social justice for all Americans. The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. To learn more about the NAACP Fort Worth Tarrant County visit naacpfwtc.org.
Earlier this week, Kirk Franklin officially announced his intention to boycott the Gospel Music Association and the Trinity Broadcast Network “until tangible plans are put in place to protect and champion diversity, especially where people of color have contributed their gifts, talents and finances to help build the viability of these institutions.“ This comes on the heels of a portion of his speech being edited out for the Dove Awards telecast. While support is pouring in for one of gospel music’s most decorated artists, there are many who oppose the boycott and wish to proceed without any interruption of fellowship.
Truthfully, we all want to
continue without disruption of fellowship, but we also cannot disregard the gift
of disruption when sent from God Himself. What is this disruption? It is the
shining of a light on one of the darkest segmentations of the body of Christ,
racists. Not every racial offense is bred from hatred. Sometimes the culprit is
cognitive dissonance, and other times it’s unconscious bias. However, when willful
acts are committed, immediate redress must be given. Many seeking to dismiss
Franklin’s boycott as an overreaction or misunderstanding of simple editing for
television don’t understand the depth of the issue Franklin and so many others take
issue with.
While the gospel and contemporary Christian music communities seek to find a resolution, First Baptist Church in Naples, Florida is grappling with its own lack of racial dexterity. In a letter to the congregation, the Pastoral Staff lamented that “through social media, texting, phone calls, and emails, racial prejudice was introduced into our voting process.” In the aftermath of this rancor caused by racism, the church must decide how to proceed, albeit without a new Pastor. The vote for Pastor Marcus Hayes’ appointment to the Naples church was all but a formality, until certain members initiated a campaign to block him. The percentage needed was 85%, but the vote fell short at 81%.
What this shows us is that racial disparity is still prevalent in our church. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that “it is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is 11 o’clock on Sunday morning” and that remains true. In its expanded form, 8 am, 9am, 9:30 am, 10 am, 10:30, and noon on Sundays also fit that narrative. These segregated Sundays and services become segregated radio station, television stations, political parties and even award shows. Though the church and bride of Christ are established, and the gates of hell won’t prevail against it, there is much to be said about a segregated bride. As Jesus said in response to those that called him the devil, a kingdom divided against itself won’t stand. There is no way to serve a segregated savior and to think that it pleases the Lord to have His people divided is falls way short of any scriptural interpretation.
The Southern Baptist Convention has long grappled with race issues and many of its stalwart leaders were stern segregationists, promulgating the curse of Ham and were the last to acquiesce to integration and civil rights for blacks in America. The residue remains though in a 1995 resolution the convention denounced racism, in all its forms, as deplorable sin.
This didn’t stop the practices from flowing in the undercurrent of American Baptists, and in 2017 when Pastor Dwight McKissic introduced a resolution to denounce white supremacy, it was met with consternation and shifted the meeting into utter chaos. The concession? A revised statement against the alt-right, seemingly bolstered by rhetoric from President Donald Trump.
Whether sitting at church or
at Lipscomb University at the Dove Awards, the tension is there, though it may
not be as pronounced as in other places. Racial tension is embedded in the
fabric of the identity of the United States of America. While the freedom
fighters fought for their freedom from British rule, they did so with the help of
their captive, enslaved laborers. The war of 1812 was won due to the force and
ingenuity of enslaved Africans. The constitutional right that guaranteed freedom
and liberty excluded the abductees, their families and for centuries, any semblance
of their heritage throughout the country they worked to build.
So, what now? We’ve enjoyed
freedoms and even unbridled fellowship with other races in America, what’s
keeping God’s children in America from achieving the level of fellowship
outlined in the bible? What are we to do when our brother needs to be corrected?
I take this example from the Apostle Paul that I want to share with you. In
Galatians Chapter 2, Paul recounts his face to face rebuke of the Apostle
Peter. Peter was not in fellowship with the grace that had been made available
to he, Paul and other believers and at that moment, Paul took immediate issue
with him.
In Galatians 2:18 Paul says
to Peter: “For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a
transgressor.”
For each step toward racial
reconciliation taken, there are multiple steps taken backward. We can’t
continue this vacillation and expect to achieve racial harmony. As we work toward
racial reconciliation, there must be and will be difficult conversations ahead.
The sin of slavery is not one Christians should shy away from. The Apostle Paul
begs the question in Romans 6:21 “what fruit had ye in those things whereof
ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.” Either white American
Christians are yet partaking in the fruit of slavery or they are not yet fully ashamed.
Either way, we are assured that “the wages of sin (even the sin of slavery
and racism) is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Whether achieved through a
boycott, disfellowship of members causing dissension or a miracle of biblical
proportion, the time is now to get serious about racial reconciliation. As I
close, I want to remind you that in the Kingdom of God, “There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for
ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
Last Sunday, the Dove Awards aired on TBN and at one of the most poignant moments of the broadcast, the gospel community realized that something was awry. When Kirk Franklin graced the stage to accept his award for Gospel Artist of the Year, a portion of his acceptance speech was edited out. Franklin called again for reconciliation and prayers for the family of Fort Worth resident Atatiana Jefferson and Aaron Dean, the former Fort Worth Police Officer who killed her, now facing charges in her death. The omission in the broadcast rankled many viewers, local supporters and the gospel community at large, namely Phil Thornton, SVP of RCA Inspiration, the label Franklin records on.
Franklin’s announcement of a boycott is right out of the playbook of the civil rights movement. Not until black dollars and participation were lost, did many of these companies championing the oppressive Jim Crow laws and lifestyle realize just how much they depended on the black community they regarded as second class customers and citizens. Using the full heft of his influence, Franklin is a hometown hero-calling into accountability the long-standing practices of unconscious bias in Christian institutions like the Gospel Music Association and the world’s largest Christian television network, the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
The Dove Awards added the speech in its entirety later last week on its YouTube channel. According the Gospel Music Association, all acceptance speeches were cut short and Franklin’s was no different. As Thornton said, the edit was not the issue, the content was. When artists at the zenith of the spectrum speak truth to power, it is then incumbent upon the hearers to respond. Whether the response is for or against action is never promised, however the onus remains. In the wake of this fallout, Franklin has decided to boycott both the Trinity Broadcasting Network and the Gospel Music Association until “tangible plans are put in place to protect and champion diversity, especially where people of color have contributed their gifts, talents and finances to help build the viability of these institutions.“
The Dove Awards has done a much better job to include the black gospel community with even a new gospel worship category, this year. The Dove Awards I hasn’t shunned political action because one of their sponsors is My Faith Votes. Why was Kirk Franklin’s speech edited? It couldn’t be that it was political. I think that the call for justice falls into the category of white noise (static), bolstered by cognitive dissonance. This problem persists because we have remained in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ who have not been touched with the feeling of our infirmities.
I am aware that the word “boycott” often has a negative connotation and finality to it, but my goal will forever be reconciliation as well as accountability. It is important for those in charge to be informed; not only did they edit my speech, they edited the African-American experience. I’m not asking those in the gospel community to follow my decision. No, this is my personal choice to take a stand and hold responsible those in a position of power to acknowledge the issues in our separate communities that have existed from colonialism to Jim Crow. To many of the issues facing us today I pray that there will be a significant change from this hurtful experience. I look with anticipation for that day of healing and I’m committed to contributing to that process. In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
You can watch it here. Additionally, all of our winners have received their full acceptance speeches to post and share on their platforms as desired. In recent years, we have worked hard to ensure that The Dove Awards stage is a platform that promotes unity and celebrates God’s diverse Kingdom.
The Golden Gate Funeral Home hearse rest outside Concord Church in Dallas, Texas
The funeral program, limited to family and rostrum clergy.
Yesterday in Dallas,Texas the families of Yolanda Carr and Marquis Jefferson flanked by friends, and the community converged upon Concord Church in Dallas to celebrate the life of a light gone extinguished by injustice. Since news of the shooting broke, the Fort Worth community has been embroiled in relentless demand for justice. Less than two weeks after Amber Guyger was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for killing Botham Jean, the Dallas Fort Worth community was faced with another officer involved tragedy.
This shooting was different. Officers were called to the Carr home because the door was open. Jefferson was playing video games with her nephew well into the early morning, but a call for a welfare check garnered an “open structure” (burglary) response, resulting in the tragic loss of life. Atatiana Jefferson was eulogized as a caring and compassionate young woman who moved home to help care for her mother. The outpouring of love is perhaps the best response to the way she lived her life, with high regard for others.
The family wished to honor and celebrate her life rather than bemoan the tragedy and that wish was carried out in a touching service lasting about an hour and a half. Following a final viewing, the service commenced with a stirring selection from her cousin who remarked that “she would be up before the music even started!”
A number of resolutions were read and acknowledged during the service, including one from congresswoman Maxine Waters. Congresswoman Waters intimated that she felt a deep sense of connection when she heard of the tragedy. Not only has she been a justice fighter for years and a steadfast presence fighting for her constituents, her maiden name is also Carr. Though familial certainty is unsure, she offered her condolences, assistance and echoed the demand for justice in the name of Atatiana Jefferson. Other resolutions included submissions from the office of John Wiley Price, The United Methodist Women, The St. Luke Community United Methodist Church and Nicole Collier, State Representative for Miss Jefferson’s district.
Atatiana was remembered by her mother for her “humble boldness” and for the way she always felt that she would change the world and still believes that even through this tragedy, that her legacy will.
“…you my dear have indeed changed the world by your sacrificial love, unrivaled work ethic and your legacy that is yet to unfold.”
Yolanda Carr, in a written statement to her daughter
Her father was strengthened by his daughter’s life and memory saying that because of his daughter, his purpose is “clearer now than ever before…it is my hope that your life be remembered, honored and loved through others through the Atatiana Jefferson Foundation.”
Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”
John Wesley
For a life whose light has gone out way too soon, senselessly and unjustly, what is a family and community to do? After the beautiful songs were rendered, it was time to tune our hearts to the prophetic moment. In messages replete with calls to action and demands for justice were reminders of God’s sovereignty and righteousness. The service was attended by several notables including: Fort Worth Police Chief, Ed Kraus and numerous FWPD officers, Fort Worth mayor, Betsy Price, Councilwoman Kelly Allen-Gray, noted journalist Bob Ray Sanders, State Senator Royce West, Attorney S. Lee Merritt, Former FWPD Chief Joel Fitzgerald and the Reverend Kyev Tatum and his wife.
Standing to deliver both a charge and words of encouragement were host pastor, Bryan Carter and Pastor Carl Ming, Southwest Region Conference SDA Youth and Young Adult Ministries. While Pastor Carter admonished attendees to trust God in trying times, Pastor Ming instructed attendees to ask hard questions!
We must stand up and begin to ask some serious questions like why is injustice sitting down on the throne while righteousness is cast in the dungeon? We have to begin to ask the question why is that we’re asking people to protect our people who are afraid of our people? Why is it that the pledge to protect and serve changes when they turn up and realize that the skin color is different?
Pastor Carl Ming
From his text found in Job 14:1-2,14, Pastor Ming expounded upon 1) the evidence of iniquity in our world, 2) the faith of God’s people and 3) the infinite wisdom of our God. and though he admonished the jubilant worshipers to steadfastly acknowledge God as the author and finisher of their faith, there is a dichotomous disturbance plaguing our humanity. This was illustrated in his introduction by the invocation of the poem “If We Die” by one of the first and foremost voices of the Harlem Renaissance, Claude McKay.
If we must die, let it not be like hogs Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot, While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, Making their mock at our accursèd lot. If we must die, O let us nobly die, So that our precious blood may not be shed In vain; then even the monsters we defy Shall be constrained to honor us though dead! O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe! Though far outnumbered let us show us brave, And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow! What though before us lies the open grave? Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!
Claude McKay
For tense moments like those expressed by Claude McKay, felt by the Carr/Jefferson families and the punctuated throughout the service, Pastor Carter shared that though we are tired, we can indeed trust God in trying times, knowing that as promised in Psalm 46:1-2, God is our shelter and strength and promises stability to his saints.
Many of us are tired. Tired of talking to our kids about the police. Tired of seeing tearful mothers on tv. Tired of having to protest to prove that black lives do matter. Tired of hoping that the jury will get a conviction. Tired of hoping that the bodycam will prove what we already know. Tired of gathering for funerals, tired of protesting, tired of praying, tired of incarceration, tired of underserved communities, tired of racial profiling, tired of checking the box on an application, many of us are tired!
Pastor Bryan L. Carter, Concord Church
The family of Atatiana Jefferson prepares to leave the sanctuary of Concord Church, in Dallas, Texas
Pastor Carter confirmed to the family that “God has been giving you strength. On days when you didn’t want to get out of the bed, God has been giving you strength.” For the family and surrounding community, strength is what will be needed as both a criminal and civil trial ensue in the wake of this unspeakable tragedy. Reverberating throughout the service was the pulse of the community whose citizens’ trust in law enforcement has been irreparably eroded. To that, Pastor Carter gave redress, saying, “we live in a broken, fallen, unjust world. But despite the world we live in, we can find strength in God who gives us help to deal with these struggles. And, at some point, He gives us the ability to move from why to what now?“
What now do you want me to do, God? How do I build my life back? How do I keep her legacy alive? What now God, how do I move forward and still honor the woman of God that she was?
Pastor Bryan L. Carter, Concord Church
These questions ring out from the sanctuary in Dallas to the 1200 block of East Allen in Fort Worth, to a waiting, watching world yet again looking for answers. Last night, citizens and city leadership again tried to sift through the rubble of the aftermath to find some semblance of answers but the meeting ended with much of the same frustration billowing through council chambers at city hall. Though the answer remains unclear, what is clear is the duress of the road to healing that lies ahead for both the family of Atatiana Jefferson and the city and residents of Fort Worth.
