Churches Form Alliance for “Black Lives Matter”

by UrbanFaith.com | Dec 12, 2014 | Feature, Headline News |

It has been almost two weeks since the grand jury’s decision not to indict Daniel Pantaleo in the killing of Eric Garner was announced and nearly three weeks since the same announcement was made not to indict Darren Wilson in the killing of Mike Brown. For almost three weeks many in the nation have expressed their disagreement with the verdicts via protests, die-ins, and economic boycotts. The people who have gathered in protest are ethnically and racially diverse, young and old, and from a variety of religious traditions. But this Sunday, a large religious group will gather in their own space and way to draw attention to the tragedies that have beset the nation recently.

The African Methodist Episocopal church, in conjunction with the Church of God in Christ, will participate in “Black Lives Matter” via “National Black Solidarity Sunday.”  Bishop John Bryant, bishop of the fourth district of the AME church, is encouraging all members to dress in all black on Sunday morning in order to affirm the value of black lives. Bryant and other clergy are tasked with speaking to their congregations about the events of the last few weeks and reminding them that “right will win.” Finally, during worship service it is asked that those who will, approach the altar to pray that “God will intervene to end the demonic pattern of killing unarmed Blacks, and that God will give us faith and courage ‘for the facing of these days.'”

Like many organized demonstrations of this nature, this campaign is picking up viral steam with individual AME members and clergy forwarding it on social media, It is picking up so much steam that other denominations are joining the movement, most recently the Assemblies of God. Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, George O. Wood, is also encouraging AG churches to join with the Church of God in Christ for “Black Lives Matter.” In much the same way that Bishop Bryant has encouraged AME churches, Wood is encouraging AG churches. But Wood is not in denial about how the church may be split on the issues of the non-indictment of Darren Wilson and Daniel Panteleo. Demographically speaking, the Assemblies of God church is 59.2% White, 21.7% Hispanic, 9.8% Black, 4.3% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1.4% Native American. Given that, a split of opinions seems inevitable, but Wood was diligent to state that differing opinions should not stop people from affirming the value of black lives. Of this he said,

“I recognize that some of you may find my request to observe Black Lives Matter Sunday controversial because of deep disagreement over the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases. I do not wish to be controversial or to bring further division within the Church or within America. We have enough of that already.

Rather, I wish for us to find points of unity and cooperation across racial lines. We can take steps together in that direction by affirming the value of black lives and by praying for unity in our churches and our society this Sunday, December 14.”

And so on Sunday, the day known as the most segregated day of the week, an alliance will form between several historically black denominations and a predominantly white one to spread the message that “Black Lives Matter.” Their joining together will be a reminder that “Black Lives Matters” can’t just be the concern of the black community, but of the world. And if the church is not at the forefront of this movement, it is unclear what hope we have for change.

Is Updated Band Aid Charity Song Demeaning to Africans?

by UrbanFaith Staff | Dec 8, 2014 | Feature, Headline News |

c. 2014 Religion News Service

NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) Some church leaders are criticizing a British musicians’ charity group raising funds for the West African Ebola crisis, saying its new single reinforces negative stereotypes of Africa.

Band Aid, which was started 30 years ago by Bob Geldof, has re-recorded the charity title, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

The song was first recorded in 1984 to raise money to help victims of of the Ethiopia famine.

Where the original lyrics said: “Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears,” the reworked lyrics have it: “Where a kiss of love can kill you and there’s death in every tear.”

Critics say the lyrics are patronizing and demeaning to Muslims in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea who do not celebrate Christmas.

“I feel a whole new song is required,” Emeli Sande, a British singer-songwriter said in a tweet.

The general feeling here is that 30 years after the Ethiopian famine, Africa has surged forward. In fact, Nigeria was able to stem the Ebola crisis without much external help.

“Seeking help for some of the bigger challenges in Africa has often sparked off all types of stereotypes,” said Dr. Daniel Gobgab, the head of the Christian Health Association of Nigeria. “This tends to overshadow the good that happen here.”

Not everyone agreed with the critique. The Rev. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, general secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, said the continent still needs people who can help mobilize resources to help fight Ebola and the willingness to help is appreciated.

“They do that not because Africans are a bunch of helpless, hopeless people, but to remind the world of our common humanity and our common responsibility,” said Opuni-Frimpong.

In Sierra Leone, one of the countries bearing the brunt of the crisis, Ebun James–Dekam, general secretary of the Council of Churches, said Band Aid was raising funds for people who are suffering.

“I bet when the monies are sent to us we will not say we do not want it,” she said.

She blames some problems facing the continent on Africa itself.

West Africa’s most famous musicians recently released their own Ebola appeal song, which urges the people to trust doctors.

Listen to the song:

Copyright 2014 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be reproduced without written permission.

Documentary Honors the Unsung Heroes of Veterans Day

by UrbanFaith.com | Nov 11, 2014 | Feature, Headline News |

Today many Americans salute the courage and bravery of those who have served in the US Armed Forces. But, if we were to be honest, the images and stories we see and hear most prominently are those of white soldiers. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) in conjunction with the Veteran’s Project hopes to change that.

Filmmaker Mark Parry with Veterans of Color participants

The Veteran’s Project was established in 2000 by the United States Congress to preserve and make accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans. The ASALH partnered with the Veteran’s Project to ensure that the voices of African-American veterans were represented as well. In 2008, the Manasota, Florida branch of the ASALH appointed a committee to launch a Veteran’s History Project in the area which resulted in a partnership with the Ringling College of Art and Design. Individual veterans of color were filmed and then filmmaker Mark Parry was brought in to direct the team. Out of this thirty-one interviews of male and female veterans of color were conducted, the completed versions sent to the Library of Congress, and DVDs were distributed to each of the veterans. But, before too long, it was realized that the interviews contained major themes that could help a broader audience understand the adversity that people of color faced not only in general but in the particularity of military service. Theirs is a narrative of a disparate nature compared to those of their white counterparts. The documentary contains firsthand accounts of African-Americans who served on the frontline for their country but were often relegated to the back of the military’s concern and, therefore, the rear of the American consciousness. With this in mind the “Veterans of Color” documentary was born, funding was approved in 2010, and the film was completed in 2012. The documentary has garnered film festival awards, been shown in select theaters, and had its premiere on TVOne last year.

For more information on the documentary and for information on where you can purchase it, click here.

Orphans Abandoned, Shunned in Africa’s Ebola Crisis

by UrbanFaith Staff | Oct 17, 2014 | Feature, Headline News |

MONROVIA, Liberia (RNS)  Ever since Frank Mulbah’s mother died of Ebola in August, no one will go near him.

“I went to my relatives after my mother died, but they chased me away, even after I told them that I didn’t have Ebola,” said Frank, 12, who tested negative for Ebola at the hospital where his mother died.

As Ebola continues its rampage across Liberia and elsewhere in West Africa, thousands of children are taking a double hit: losing parents to the fatal virus and then being shunned by relatives who fear they will catch the disease.

The United Nations estimates the virus has orphaned nearly 4,000 children across the region, and that number could double in coming weeks. Aid groups, such as Doctors Without Borders, fear the orphans are at risk of starvation and disease.

The children also could pose a risk to others by spreading the disease if they are allowed to roam free without being tested for the virus.

Most children orphaned by Ebola are tested and found to be free of the virus, said Laurence Sailly, a coordinator of an Ebola Treatment Center here run by Doctors Without Borders. But some are not tested.

“These children are supposed to be quarantined for 21 days before they are declared Ebola-free,” she said. “But this does not take place because there’s not enough facilities to cater to these children.”

In Liberia, the hardest hit country, with nearly 1,000 deaths from Ebola as of last week, about half of all mothers in the country are raising their children alone because thousands of men died in a 1999-2003 civil war. So when these mothers catch Ebola and die, their children have nowhere to turn.

Frank, whose father died in the civil war, said he found no one to care for him — neither in northwest Liberia, where he lived before dropping out of school, nor here in the capital, where he traveled in a desperate search for food and shelter from relatives who refused to take him in.

So he scavenges for food. “A day can pass without eating anything,” Frank said. “A few people will listen to you and give you food to eat, but the majority will chase you away.”

Some residents said they are sympathetic to the plight of orphans like Frank, but they have to first look out for the safety of their own families.

Faith Teta, 33, a mother of four, watched as two neighbors died a few months ago from Ebola, leaving behind five children. Their youngest child died a short time later, because everyone in the neighborhood was too scared of being infected to care for the 1-year-old, she said.

The remaining four children now wander Monrovia’s streets, dependent on the kindness of strangers, which is in short supply, Teta said. More often, the children encounter fear, horror and even death threats.

“As parents, we all want to help them,” Teta said, “but people are endangering their own lives when they take in these children, and the lives of our family members.”

Teta blamed the government for being slow to respond to the disease and implement preventive measures to stem it. “The public didn’t have any information about Ebola,” she said. “The government should take responsibility for its failure to stop this and help these kids.”

Sailly said the majority of people dying from the Ebola outbreak are ages 25 to 45, and have children 12 or younger.

“These children are now forced to drop out of school and work (to survive),” Sailly said. “It’s very painful to see them roaming in streets in search for food as their sole caregivers have already died.”

ChildFund, an international charity, started taking care of Ebola orphans this month by keeping them isolated for 21 days.

“The government should support such centers so that they can be able to provide a protective environment for these children,” said Sailly.

Frank hopes his relatives will change their minds, but he isn’t hopeful. He tries not to think about getting home-cooked meals or an education.

“I don’t know when I’ll go back to school,” he said. “Right now I’m just looking for food and a place to live.”

(Sheilia Passewe writes for USA Today.)

Copyright 2014 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be reproduced without written permission.