The Threat on Collective Bargaining: The Black Church cannot afford to be silent

[Omaha Steve]

http://kinetics.groupsite.com/discussion/topic/show/462647


Lic. Joi R. Orr, M.Div. is a free-lance writer, recent graduate of Howard University School of Divinity and soon to be ordained member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, First District.

This year, like many years before black churches all over the United States will be observing Good Friday with the traditional "Seven Last Words" service. The service features seven ministers who exegete Jesus' seven last words on the cross with an enthusiasm and eloquence on par with the holiness of the season. For many it will begin with the novice preacher and end with the seasoned elder who of course will "bring the house down" by fostering our trademark uninhibited praise and worship.

How ironic is it then that a tradition gearing up to mark Jesus' death and subsequent resurrection with celebratory shouting is positioned to be marked irrelevant by its own silence?

Traditionally marked by its collective ecstatic-ism while historically credited with changing America for the better, the Black Church - from abolitionists to advocates of the Civil Rights Movement - has been regarded as the conscious of American society. However, the critique today is that the Black Church is no longer allowed to wear the badge of prophetic champion because of our silence on many modern issues.

These many modern issues aside, today there lays a problem before us that may be the issue our lifetime: the systematic attack on the public sector unions' right of collective bargaining. While there have been responses from national figures such as Reverend Jessie Jackson and Reverend Al Sharpton and rumors of denominational responses being crafted, overall our response has not been minimal. If we do not quickly begin to mobilize against this attack on our democracy, we may forfeit our prophetic legacy for this will be the issue in which our silence will be remembered and irrelevancy chartered.

FULL story and replies at link.

[calimary]

1. Damn straight!

Minorities are especially threatened these days by the GOP's war on working people. We need to make sure that voting bloc is OURS, and STAYS OURS.

[OHdem10]

2. Right on!

[Meeker Morgan]

3. If we have to rely on a bunch of Jesus ventriloquists, we are screwed. n/t