RF23 - Fighting For...
Today I had the privilege of attending the 30th Anniversary of the Rialto Black History Association's MLK Luncheon in San Bernardino, CA. I have to admit, I've never attended these types of events and although Dr. King represented all races and backgrounds, these groups tend to not represent all.
I am a black man, with a majority of Black Americans in a room, honoring the memory Dr. King. However, I knew deep down, I was the minority, in a room of like skinned folks who wouldn't see my point of view if I drew it up and had it executed by the Oakland Raiders. Although my point of view is reasonable and easily discussable to those willing to listen, just listen to a different point of view, maybe at one point we as blacks could stop the log jam of overwhelmingly giving their vote away to a politician who only says and never does the right thing in interest of its constituents.
I'm not going to down the event, because like all MLK day events they're well meaning and it's only appropriate to honor a man, who gave all and then with his life gave more.
What I'm going to talk about is the willingness to accept one's interpretation of history and advocate it as truth. The movie "Selma" fits that queue, I think it's important for our young people to know and even see a movie that tells just a part of a story of their now great great grandparents and great grandparents lived. Let me retype it..lived it. They put up with in your face racism, open discrimination and a stupid test that even the most reason white person would fail just to vote.
The event's keynote speaker was articulate and had a very thought of speech, which asked, "Are You A Fighter?" meaning are you willing to fight for not just civil rights, but for hell, what's right? Our world is changing and it's to a point that we're told that right is wrong and wrong is right.
Who is willing to fight for that? If you were to tell me twenty, thirty years ago, that in my lifetime that Christianity would be under fire as if it were the Roman days, when the Romans had Christians executed for rejecting their secular Gods. Today, in our country, a Christian cannot stand up for his or her beliefs and rejecting what the world says we need to accept. Outside the United States, Christians are once again being executed for rejecting Islamic beliefs and the world telling us, we ought to stand by and see the terrorism a few radical islamists bring.
Who is willing to fight for that?
One of my biggest critiques of "church" and specifically the black church is that the once beating drum of the community is now silent and stagnant. Today, or all weekend we were supposed to reflect with our parents and grandparents, if they're still with us on the great struggle to cash a check that was written by our forefathers that each time, we came to liberty's window, the check was deemed insufficient funds and each time we as blacks came back to liberty's window until slowly but surely funds in the form of civil rights were coming in. The black church fought for that and paid for it with interest each visit to liberty's window. Today, the problem is not the insufficient funds that justice and equal rights that evaded blacks for so long. Today, we as blacks know what the problem is, but refuse address it. The problem.
Truth.
And it's the black church that is withholding that truth and allowing the moral decay of the black community. During the time of Dr. King, the black home consisted of two parents, a father (man) and mother (woman). Today, the mother is wearing both hats or if you want to agree with society, the new two parent home may consist of same sex parents. But lets talk about before parenthood, during Dr. King's time on this earth, the word abortion was not spoken of in most black homes, nor was it an option. Today, Blacks, make up 12.4% of the United States population, but are responsible for 32% of all abortions. The black church, the beating drum of the community. Is silent.
So if the black church won't fight for that, maybe they'll take a stand against crime. Again, blacks make up 12.4% of U.S. population and some how make a good percentage of crimes committed in this country. The black church, the beating drum of the community. Beats silent.
So what would the black church fight for?
Good question.
I am a black man, with a majority of Black Americans in a room, honoring the memory Dr. King. However, I knew deep down, I was the minority, in a room of like skinned folks who wouldn't see my point of view if I drew it up and had it executed by the Oakland Raiders. Although my point of view is reasonable and easily discussable to those willing to listen, just listen to a different point of view, maybe at one point we as blacks could stop the log jam of overwhelmingly giving their vote away to a politician who only says and never does the right thing in interest of its constituents.
I'm not going to down the event, because like all MLK day events they're well meaning and it's only appropriate to honor a man, who gave all and then with his life gave more.
What I'm going to talk about is the willingness to accept one's interpretation of history and advocate it as truth. The movie "Selma" fits that queue, I think it's important for our young people to know and even see a movie that tells just a part of a story of their now great great grandparents and great grandparents lived. Let me retype it..lived it. They put up with in your face racism, open discrimination and a stupid test that even the most reason white person would fail just to vote.
The event's keynote speaker was articulate and had a very thought of speech, which asked, "Are You A Fighter?" meaning are you willing to fight for not just civil rights, but for hell, what's right? Our world is changing and it's to a point that we're told that right is wrong and wrong is right.
Who is willing to fight for that? If you were to tell me twenty, thirty years ago, that in my lifetime that Christianity would be under fire as if it were the Roman days, when the Romans had Christians executed for rejecting their secular Gods. Today, in our country, a Christian cannot stand up for his or her beliefs and rejecting what the world says we need to accept. Outside the United States, Christians are once again being executed for rejecting Islamic beliefs and the world telling us, we ought to stand by and see the terrorism a few radical islamists bring.
Who is willing to fight for that?
One of my biggest critiques of "church" and specifically the black church is that the once beating drum of the community is now silent and stagnant. Today, or all weekend we were supposed to reflect with our parents and grandparents, if they're still with us on the great struggle to cash a check that was written by our forefathers that each time, we came to liberty's window, the check was deemed insufficient funds and each time we as blacks came back to liberty's window until slowly but surely funds in the form of civil rights were coming in. The black church fought for that and paid for it with interest each visit to liberty's window. Today, the problem is not the insufficient funds that justice and equal rights that evaded blacks for so long. Today, we as blacks know what the problem is, but refuse address it. The problem.
Truth.
And it's the black church that is withholding that truth and allowing the moral decay of the black community. During the time of Dr. King, the black home consisted of two parents, a father (man) and mother (woman). Today, the mother is wearing both hats or if you want to agree with society, the new two parent home may consist of same sex parents. But lets talk about before parenthood, during Dr. King's time on this earth, the word abortion was not spoken of in most black homes, nor was it an option. Today, Blacks, make up 12.4% of the United States population, but are responsible for 32% of all abortions. The black church, the beating drum of the community. Is silent.
So if the black church won't fight for that, maybe they'll take a stand against crime. Again, blacks make up 12.4% of U.S. population and some how make a good percentage of crimes committed in this country. The black church, the beating drum of the community. Beats silent.
So what would the black church fight for?
Good question.
posted by J.C. "Fanz23" Lewis, Jr | 6:49 PM
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