Category Archives: Politics

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Pastor Tom Buck Calls Vice President Kamala Harris ‘Jezebel’ on Twitter & Stands By Slur After Backlash…

Hello World,

Even though I’m hurt, I’m not surprised. Tom Buck, pastor of First Baptist Church of Lindale, Texas tweeted this about our country’s first female vice president, Kamala Harris, who is of black and Indian descent. See below:

As was noted in an article “SBC [Southern Baptist Convention] pastor calls Vice President Kamala Harris a ‘Jezebel’ two days after inauguration” written by Mark Wingfield of BaptistNews.com, “calling a black woman ‘Jezebel’ is a racist trope documented by the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University. It has roots in slavery and the perceived sexual promiscuity of black women compared to white women.”

Below is how Pastor Buck explained his statement because he likely was told that his comment seemed racist.

Obviously, many had lots to say in response to these tweets. Here is one  response from Wingfield’s article: “Some noted his hypocrisy for eagerly supporting Donald Trump; others castigated him for advancing a racist trope. One commenter wrote: ‘It’s funny how willing the SBC was to overlook Trump’s divorces, his affairs, his sexual assault allegations, the dishonesty, and the constant cruelty, but it is a woman whose politics they disagree with who draws their contempt.'”

You can read the entire article HERE for all of the details. But this is why I’m hurt. Everybody knows that black people have been marginalized and much more in these not so United States of America for generations. As black people have ascended, through the grace of God, to places and positions that would have been unthinkable to previous generations, black people feel a sense of pride that we are finally able demonstrate that we’ve had the potential all along although it wasn’t recognized on a wider scale before recent history.

And people of other races, ethnic backgrounds, etc. should be able to understand why although some don’t or maybe won’t, which I’m not surprised by. Sadly, it’s been that way for longer than I’ve been here. Even if you disagree with Vice President Harris’ politics and that is fair, name calling, particularly, in this example is insensitive. The more productive thing to do would be to work to change policies with which you disagree. The same grace that was extended to the former president despite how his choices didn’t always reflect Christian principles  is the same grace that needs to be extended to Vice President Harris. Actually, let me rephrase that as some supporters of the former president appeared to be in a cult or else the insurrection at the capitol wouldn’t have happened. A better way to say this is that many Christians were willing to work with the former president even if they didn’t agree with everything about him. That should be true for Vice President Harris.

Christians will be never be able convince the broader culture that we are different unless we are different. I try my hardest (well not always) to be different. Anywho, that’s all I have to say about that. Below are a few more of Pastor’s Buck’s tweets just for additional information…

Final thought:  I will stop being proud of “first black” or “first female” designations for that matter when we no longer need to denote “first black” or “first female.”

What say you?

Any thoughts?

 

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Tune Into the 2021 Inaugural Gospel Celebration: An Evening of Inspiration and Unity Tomorrow at 8 p.m.

Hello World,

The need for unity in this country is more necessary now than ever before. The National Baptist Convention has aligned with producers, Terk Entertainment Group and OCTET Productions, to produce “The 2021 Inaugural Gospel Celebration: An Evening of Inspiration and Unity.” The two-hour virtual event features performances from inspirational music artists to celebrate the January 2021 Inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, who are special invited guests of course. The celebration lends a voice of hope, unity and healing to the world.

Throughout the event, a number of the nation’s top gospel artists such as Shirley Caesar, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Dietrick Haddon, Jonathan McReynolds, Leandria Johnson, Tye Tribbett, Koryn Hawthorne, Bryan Popin, Jokia, JJ Hairston, Todd Dulaney, Titus Showers, and Spencer Taylor and the Highway QCs in addition to notable celebrities such as Anthony Anderson, Taraji P. Henson, Morris Chestnut and Lamman Rucker (formerly Jacob Greenleaf!) will join together for a cohesive, COVID-compliant celebration to give viewers a semblance of healing and optimism during this time of crisis.

This necessary celebration will be shown domestically and internationally. This event will also serve as a fundraising effort, benefiting The National Baptist Convention, “I’m In”, a strategic initiative aimed at narrowing the disparity in healthcare in the African American community that has been highlighted during the current pandemic. For more information about the organization, go to https://nbcimin.com. In this new season, we are clear that progress must be made. By standing united together, we’re stronger!

To buy tickets, click HERE.

Also, click HERE to learn more about the Rev. Dr. Silvester S. Beaman, pastor of Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Delaware, who will be delivering the the inauguration benediction.

Any thoughts?

 

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UNSUNG PRESENTS: Music & The Movement On TV One – Monday, January 18 at 8/7C

Hello World,

TV One has announced the premiere date of its two-part documentary special UNSUNG PRESENTS: MUSIC & THE MOVEMENT –remembering the artists and songs that have provided the soundtrack to the fight for justice and equality – airing part one on Monday, January 18, 2021, at 8 P.M. ET/7C immediately followed by part two at 9 P.M. ET/8C. On hand to provide commentary about the new musical genre that emerged during pivotal movements in Black Americans tumultuous past and troubling present are Erica Campbell, Big Gipp, Raheem DeVaughn, Rev. Al Sharpton, Isaac Hayes III, Ronda Racha Penrice, Headkrack, Shante Paige, DJ Kemit, Dyana Williams, Angie Ange, Colby Colb, Rickey Vincent, Steve Ivory, Delores Thompson, Dave Washington, Billy Johnson, Jr., Kenny Gamble, P. Frank Williams, Keith Murphy, DJ Yella, Battlecat, Soren Baker, and Felicia “Poetess” Morris.

“Music is the heart and soul of Black culture – giving life to our experiences, voice to our stories and growing power out of our pain,” said Cathy Hughes, Chairwoman, Urban One, Inc. “Every melody, lyric and rhythm artfully depicts the layers of Black diversity, scope of black creativity, and depths of the complexity of our people. TV One’s Music & the Movement special pays homage to the music and music makers whose talents created a soundtrack of Black music during moments of political and social unrest throughout our history. It is another opportunity for us to spotlight Black content.”

“Throughout history, Black music has been a clarion call to amplify the voice of our community and important social and political movements like the Civil Rights and Black Lives Matters Movements,” remarked Robyn Greene Arrington, Vice President of Programming and Production. “After an unprecedented year of social, economic, and political turmoil, we felt MLK Day was a great time to chronicle the ongoing struggles of Black Americans along with those who tirelessly lend their voices to protesting injustice and instigating positive changes for our community and social justice movements.”

Below is the trailer:

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day special incorporates first-hand accounts, interviews with artists and media, coupled with archival footage from memorable speeches, soul-stirring vocal performances, and more. Moments of Black auditory dissent featured in the special spans centuries and includes themes of Negro spirituals, like “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” which provided both a distraction from the harsh conditions of slavery and communication tools for the enslaved as they plotted their escape to freedom; to soul and funk anthems during the Black Power movement performed by Aretha Franklin (“Respect”) and Curtis Mayfield (“People Get Ready”) demanding an immediate change to the political landscape and that civil rights be upheld; to the heart-wrenching viral music videos by young, contemporary artists – like Keedron Bryant’s captivating single “I Just Want to Live” – creating rallying mixtapes for the current Black Lives Matter movement which, this past summer, saw a melting pot of cultures across the globe who marched in solidarity, to protest police brutality. The two one-hour specials serve as a re-examination of the power that music has had to transform a cultural moment into a movement.

Additionally, UNSUNG PRESENTS: MUSIC & THE MOVEMENT will feature the broadcast debut of the original track “KliKKK KlaKKK” by Sunny Dizzle and the group Steaksawse, recently announced as the winner of Reach Media’s “The Song” contest. Presented in partnership with Kevin Liles and 300 Entertainment, the contest was designed to provide an opportunity for an independent artist to create music that reflects the current climate, elevates the collective consciousness, and promotes hope and change. The single will have its global release on Friday, January 15, 2020 and will be featured across Reach Media radio stations.

UNSUNG PRESENTS: MUSIC & THE MOVEMENT is executive produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions’ Arthur Smith and Frank Sinton with Executive Producers Mark Rowland and Co-Executive Producer Kysha Mounia and Co-Executive Producer P. Frank Williams. For TV One, Jason Ryan is Executive Producer in Charge of Production, Donyell Kennedy-McCullough is Senior Director of Talent & Casting, and Robyn Greene Arrington is Vice President of Original Programming and Production.

For more information about TV One’s upcoming programming, including original movies, visit the network’s companion website at www.tvone.tv. TV One viewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the hashtags #MUSICANDTHEMOVEMENT and #REPRESENT.

Any thoughts?