Donald Trump's omnipotence complex tied to white male supremacy ideology

Do Trump's supporters think he is Superman? (Photo by Tomi Johnson)

I am of the opinion that Donald Trump has a Superman, omnipotence complex, better known as ubermensch. I'm not talking about DC Comics "Superman" who was a member of the Justice League made up of good characters. I'm referring to a concept of aristocracy and superiority developed by Nietzsche, Gobineau, and Hitler.

From his remarks and actions, Trump says he possesses a super intellect that allows him to be exempt from paying federal taxes, objectify women, kill anybody on the street with impunity, run for the highest political office without any prior government leadership experience, make foreign governments pay for our infrastructures, deny people's constitutional rights to freedom of religion, and claim present leaders are not citizens.

As a GOP Superman and defender of white male supremacy, Trump has elevated himself above moral principles and laws which bind unimportant, average people. Trump believes and his followers attest that he is exempt from ordinary rules that govern ordinary folks like you and me. Additionally,  he deals with the entertaining and sensational to garner attention. 

Trump's kingly manner denigrates blacks - saying they have no jobs, no schools, no choices, and no purpose - and, therefore, are not civilized. He deems Mexicans unqualified murders and drug addicts, and he claims women as pawns in his sexual fantasies.

Trump claims that, "We speak English here," meaning it's not proper to be a polyglot and be able to communicate with people other than yourself.

Is Donald a genius, a king, a God, a socialist, or a fraud?

Is he set up to set out the GOP? Is this all a charade to fool us at the ballot box?

Trump epitomizes the artistic tyrant whose last name, Drumpf (German) changed to Trump in 17th century, could have been a slight of hand trick to make his family appear better than, more powerful than others. Trump tends to think he is omnipotent, all powerful with no faults that can't be apologized away.

Even God limited Himself not to send a flood to destroy the world after Noah's Ark. If Trump becomes President, he'll be aboard a sinking ship while he watches us drown, even if we can swim. Enough said!

To understand what motivates alpha males and their relationships with women, go to: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast/201211/can-we-expect-powerful-men-not-have-affairs

Thought for today...

Thought for today...

"The system of coercion and punishment is intimately connected with the unequal distribution of wealth, and provides the legitimation under the perverted notion that 'ours is a government of laws' even to kill in order to maintain social priorities based upon property rights. This is the meaning of police killings in American society."

                                                    ---Dr. Paul Takagi 
                                         (Died in 2015 of natural causes at age 92)

Black Panther Party's 50th Anniversary to highlight Bobby Hutton, education, economics

The BPP symbol is a black panther, but a raised, clenched fist was also used to denote Black Power. 

"Where do we go from here?" is the theme of the 50th Anniversary Commemoration and Celebration of the Black Panther Party (BPP) to be held at multiple venues in Oakland, Calif., October 20-23, 2016. 

"The Black Panther Party is well-known and admired in Oakland and around the world for its stand against police brutality, for its Survival Programs— which included free breakfast for school children and free health clinics—its coalitions with other people of color, and its effort to bring about revolutionary change in America," said Clark Bailey, coordinator of the Anniversary Host Committee. "
 

http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com/BPP_Newspapers/bpp_newspapers_index.html

"The anniversary events will explore and celebrate the history and legacy of the Black Panther Party," Bailey said and will be an international summit.

One event will be the renaming of a park on Sunday for fallen member Bobby Hutton, 18, who was killed by police on April 6, 1968 in Oakland, two days after the murder of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tenn.

"There will be people coming from all over the world, starting with  Africa and Australia, to take part in the gala, workshops, concerts, and naming ceremonies," said Saturu Ned, public relations director of the event. "We will be looking at the dynamics and ideologies of today and galvanizing ourselves for action," Ned said. 

To learn more about this event, go to http://www.bpp50th.com/. Wingcom Watchdog will be covering the event.   

Miss USA 2016, Deshauna Barber, represents Chinese Laundry at ATL Von Maur

Fifty lucky people, including me, stood in line to meet Miss USA Deshauna Barber on the second floor of the Von Maur Department Store in Perimeter Mall today. Each received a Chinese Laundry gift bag filled with perfume and novelties.

"She doesn't look anything like her picture," said a grandmother waiting to meet her, saying her promotional photograph made her look a few shades lighter. Barber is a beautiful, M&M chocolate brown.

Photo by Tomi Johnson

A poised and talkative Barber will represent the United States at the Miss Universe Pageant later this year. Barber says she is happy with the new organization she represents which was formerly run by Donald Trump. 

"Confidently Beautiful" is the motto of the pageant, and Barber, 26, does represent. Born in Columbus, Ga., Barber represented the District of Columbia in the 2016 pageant. According to the Miss USA homepage, Barber has a BS degree in Business Management from Virginia State University and a MS degree in Computer Information Systems from the University of Maryland.
 

Chinese Laundry is the official footwear of the Miss USA Pageant.

Before becoming Miss USA, Barber worked as an IT Analyst for the U.S. Department of Commerce. In 2011, Deshauna commissioned as a Quartermaster Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and is currently a Logistics Commander for the 988th Quartermaster Detachment Unit at Rockville, Maryland. 

"We will be watching you at the Miss Universe Pageant," I told her.  Stay tuned.

Killed by Police compares to lynchings in United States

Photo by Tomi Johnson

As I heard the news this morning that another unarmed black citizen has been killed by police in the United States, I wondered how the old way of lynching compares.

According to Wikipedia, "Lynching was the practice of killing, usually by a hanging resulting from extrajudicial mob action."

Since 1882 through 1964, a period of 82 years, 1,297 whites and 3,445 blacks were lynched for a total of 4,742. (http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/shipp/lynchingyear.html)

Photo by Tomi Johnson

According to KilledByPolice, 855 people have been killed by police between January 1, 2016 and September 2016, over nine months, the time it takes to bring a baby into the world. In nine months, the police have killed as many citizens as it took to lynch folks over a 15 year period. (http://www.killedbypolice.net/)  

According to KilledByPolice's Facebook page, "At least 3,957 people have been killed by U.S. police since May 1, 2013, the day this page was created." (https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1135107156554809&id=956901834375343) 

Today, cops can shoot to kill anyone if they fear their lives or the lives of others are in danger. And most of the time, they get away with it and serve no time for their actions.

As one of my brothers in Christ told me today, "Why do our city officials hire cowards, give them guns, and try to protect them when they murder and brutalize our people? How can they take bombing suspects who are shooting at officers alive in New York, but kill unarmed black men in Cleveland?"

The victims of police MOB violence are the ones in danger from brigades of cops wielding Tasers, firearms, body armor, tanks, and robot bombs. Skittles, toy guns, fists, plastic swords, and vape cigarettes present weak forms of defense against massive arsenals and protective orders to kill.

This is the new lynching which is condoned by our government. And its sights have been set on black men who they deem problematic, insane or drugged threats who cannot be negotiated with or arrested. 

Are we under martial law? It's probably not a coincidence that the head of the U.S. Justice Department is a black woman named Attorney General Lynch. 

Odd, but true. 

Twenty years ago, John J. Dilulio, Jr. wrote an article entitled, "My Black Crime Problem, and Ours."  Please read and understand where some people are coming from...
http://www.city-journal.org/html/my-black-crime-problem-and-ours-11773.html

Nicholas Thomas organization to file “civil rights action” against City of Smyrna

Photo by Tomi Johnson taken at one Justice for Nicholas Thomas rally in Smyrna, Ga.

The Labor of Love Campaign, a group seeking justice surrounding the shooting of unarmed Nicholas Thomas by police on March 24, 2015 in metro Atlanta, is seeking donations to pay legal fees.

Nicholas Thomas, 23, was shot in the back at his job at Bob McDonald's Goodyear while police were serving a warrant for his arrest for a $175 violation. According to a police statement, Smyrna Police Sgt. Kenneth Owens fired three times into a customer's Maserati being serviced by Thomas because he was placed "at risk to receive serious bodily injury or death." 

Thomas had an infant daughter when he died.

According to an email from Rich Pellegrino, members of their group were distributing leaflets about the "ongoing cover-up associated with the killing of Nicholas Thomas" at the Jonquil Festival in October last year near the Smyrna City Hall when they were stopped by city policemen. 

"Peaceful leafleting is a constitutionally-protected form of free speech, and, in order to protect our rights to continue to do this in the future, we are proceeding to file a 'civil rights action' against the City of Smyrna, demanding that they pay us damages, including legal fees for their interference, and a court order to prevent such future acts," Pellegrino's email stated.

"Before any government can be sued in Georgia, they must be given notice of the intent to sue, so that the matter can be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties at minimum costs to all concerned."

Pellegrino estimates the group needs $1,500 to cover fees for the preparation, filing, and service of the lawsuit. "Recovering these costs of the litigation will certainly be a part of our demand for damages and we’ll maintain careful records to repay all our contributors, when, as we expect, a favorable decision is reached," Pellegrino said. 

Donations will be deposited into a Chase bank account. For more information on how to make donations, contact Pellegrino at 404-573-1199 or pilgrim1@mindspring.com.

"Up All Night for Justice" to be held in Atlanta

 

 

COMMUNITY & MEDIA ADVISORY

Diverse Coalition of Organizations Hold "Up All Night for Justice" 24 Hour Peaceful Demonstration Calling for Indictment of Former Officer

Tuesday, August 30, 2016 - Atlanta, Ga.- On today, Tuesday, August 30, 2016, at 7:30p.m., community and legal organizations will be launching the peaceful demonstration "Up All Night for Justice: 24 hours of Unity, Education, and Protest for Legal & Social Justice" at the Fulton County Courthouse located at 185 Central Avenue, Atlanta, Ga. Community. The organizations will be demanding the indictment of former Atlanta Police Department officer James Burns for the killing of DeRavis "Caine" Rogers and to remember other families who have lost loved ones during police encounters in Georgia. DeRavis "Caine" Rogers was shot in the head on June 22nd by Officer Burns while he was driving away. Burns was fired and later arrested for murder after an internal affairs investigation concluded there was no evidence Caine Rogers had done anything wrong, except possibly parallel parking in the wrong direction. A Fulton County Grand Jury will convene on August 31st at 9:00 a.m. to determine whether to indict Burns for Caine's murder. 

The 24 hour community gathering will begin Tuesday, August 30th at 7:30 p.m. and conclude Wednesday, August 31st at 7:30 p.m. at the Fulton County Courthouse, 185 Central Avenue Atlanta. Organizers will feed the homeless while rallying with organizations.

Families affected by police violence will be speaking. Demonstration and rally attendees will participate in the "Morning March for Justice" which will occur around the courthouse in the morning before the Grand Jury convenes.

Educational and cultural presentations will be conducted throughout the peaceful demonstration INCLUDING A Midnight Concert for Justice featuring Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective, DJ Kemit and The Ear Dr. The organizers are encouraging the community to come and fellowship.

"Up All Night for Justice: 24 hours of Unity, Education, and Protest for Legal & Social Justice" Activity Schedule

4:00 pm- 7:00pm: WAOK 1380 Derrick Boazman "Too Much Truth" Broadcast Live from Fulton County Courthouse, 185 Central Ave., Atlanta, Ga.

7:30 pm - 2:00 am FEED THE PEOPLE: Food distribution to the homeless | Educational & Cultural Presentations including: King Downing of the National Lawyers Guild, West African Drumming, Senator Vincent Fort, the families of victims of police use of force and more.

12:00 am

Midnight Concert for Justice Featuring Mausiki Scales and The Common Ground Collective, DJ Kemit & The Ear Dr.

2:00 am - 5:30 am Community and Organization Fellowship | Educational Presentations

7:30 am - 9:15 am Morning March for Justice: a peaceful demonstration march around the courthouse.

9:15 am -12:00 pm: Community & Fellowship and Building | Educational Presentations

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch Time Community Rally for Justice hosted by Derrick Boazman with Reverend Timothy McDonald

1:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Community & Organization Fellowship and Building | Educational Presentations

6:00 pm - 730 pm: Community Rally for Victory

Supporting organizations include the following:

NAACP Georgia, Atlanta and Decatur Chapters, Black Lives Matter Atlanta, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, National Lawyers Guild, The Revolutionary Moms Club, GSU Black Law Students Association, Black Lives Matter Atlanta, RiseUP Georgia, #ATLisReady, #AUCShutitDown, Let Us Make Man, Georgia State University Black Law Students Association(GSU BLSA), DeKalb Lawyers Association, Sankofa United Church of Christ, SisterCARE Alliance, Lawyers United for a New Atlanta (LUNA), SCLC Cobb County Chapter, NAACP Young Adult Council, National Action Network, National Coalition to Combat Police Terrorism(NCCPT), Street Groomers, The Smith Group, Lawyers United for New Atlanta(LUNA), Sankofa United Church of Christ, NCOBRA Atlanta, Create Community For Decatur: Black Lives Matter, The Community of Atlanta, STP Movement Save OurSelves (SOS), The Silent Majority, Simply United Together(SUT), FTP Movement, Street Groomers, MOVEment NOWledge, New Order National Human Rights Organization, Nation of Islam, and the Beloved Community Church.

NAACP Houston office brunt of protest

Across the country, groups are protesting in response to Black Lives Matter movement.

This message was received from the NAACP:

On Sunday, a small group of white supremacists brandished war weapons and waved confederate battle flags outside our Houston Branch offices. Their so-called "protest" turned a quiet, tree-lined street into a platform for hatred and violence.

But in the face of flagrant bigotry and ignorance, the protestors in Houston were met by a larger crowd dedicated to peace and prayer. As activists, that's what we have to do every day: Show the strength of our numbers, and our commitment to justice.

We can't allow the evil of the few dictate the fate of the many. Help strengthen our movement by becoming an NAACP member today.

Unfortunately, for many of the NAACP's 2,200 local chapters and branches, this kind of harassment is a regular occurrence, simply because we stand up for the civil rights of all people.

These protestors in Houston are a distressing reminder of the hate that persists in our country and of the work we have ahead to eradicate it.

For more than a century, the NAACP has built a multiracial, multigenerational force to nonviolently combat racism. We stand against violence, segregation, hate. We stand for voting rights, economic opportunity, professional and accountable law enforcement, and quality education. We always have, and we always will.

You can judge what we stand for by who stands against us.

If you stand with us, join us. Become a member of the NAACP today.

In solidarity,

Cornell William Brooks
President and CEO
NAACP

FEMA responds to Louisiana floods

President Obama visits Baton Rouge and discusses relief efforts

Last week Louisiana was struck by an intense, slow-moving storm that produced record rainfall, up to 30 inches in some places, that flooded an expansive area across the lower half of the state -- robbing so many Louisianans of their businesses, homes, and sense of security.

Since before the flooding began, FEMA has been working hand-in-hand with Louisiana officials to respond and help in the recovery efforts -- from providing shelter and housing and warm meals, to helping support home repairs and meet other serious disaster-related needs. As of this week, we've approved more than $127 million to help survivors with home repairs, rental assistance and other needs, and to advance payments to flood insurance policyholders who sustained damages, providing expedited relief. 

That's exactly what the President directed us to do: Support and assist the people of Louisiana, no matter what it takes.

Today, President Obama traveled to Baton Rouge to see the federal response effort firsthand.
FEMA with our federal, state, private sector, and nonprofit partners are working around the clock to help make sure Louisianans have what they need to recover and rebuild their lives. Recovery is a long-term process, it's important that Louisianans know: You're not in this alone and we're with you for the long haul.
 
You can get the latest information on what's happening on the ground here.
And if you or anyone you know has been impacted by this flooding, here are a few key resources that you can use and share:
To find the nearest Disaster Recovery Center visit www.fema.gov/DRC, use the FEMA Mobile Application, or text DRC and your zip code to 43362 (4FEMA). 

If you are a resident or business owner who has sustained losses in the designated parishes, you can apply for assistance from FEMA by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.
 
And if you want to do what you can to help the people of Louisiana get back on their feet, you can visit www.VolunteerLouisiana.gov to see how you can contribute to the response and recovery efforts.
Long after these floods recede and fall away from the headlines, FEMA and our colleagues in the federal response effort will be here alongside state officials as long as we are needed. It's our job to help make sure every community can recover and rebuild.
 
And that's what we plan to do.
Thanks,
Craig Fugate, Administrator
Federal Emergency Management Agency

Fund black businesses, defund police: message to "law and order" candidates

How can African Americans feel safe after reading Justice Department reports? How is the U.S. economy affected by discrimination? (Photo by Tomi Johnson)

"BPD’s law enforcement practices at times exacerbate the longstanding structural inequalities in the City by encouraging officers to have unnecessary, adversarial interactions with community members that increase exposure to the criminal justice system and fail to improve public safety." --- U.S. Dept. of Justice Report

The U.S. government is ruining the economy by condoning inappropriate police behavior.

The U.S. Justice Department has investigated racial discrimination in several community police departments. Why does the government continue to fund entities which are working outside the law in violation of the U.S. Constitution?

The rights of all citizens are supposed to be protected. How can individual citizens, especially the poor, disabled, sick, uneducated, indebted and homeless, feel secure or protected when they confront police who are shielded by laws, courts, body armor, helmets, guns, assault rifles, tasers, robot bombs, tanks, and social media suppression?

I am continuing to read the 160+ page, scathing, U.S. Department of Justice report stating that the Baltimore Police Department has harmed the African American community for decades. This type of behavior, however, is being condoned by the federal government which has not cut off funding to BPD which recently killed a mother and wounded her child in a home evasion gun battle.

While trying to serve an arrest warrant, BPD killed Korryn Gaines, 23-year-old mother of two, and wounded her 5-year old son.

America, this is where our tax dollars should stop!

If we do not protest and demand that our governments stop funding police departments who killed Korryn Gaines and others over the last two years, then we are complicit with what is going on... I, for one, am against it!

One more suggestion: I recommended defunding body cameras for police and using money to quip every citizen with a webphone with information and data to be placed on an evidence channel. Funding black radio, video channels, and blogs is also a good option. Fund Wingcom Watchdog while you're at it!

Community policing, citizen involvement keys to change

THE MAGIC PILL THAT WILL IMMEDIATELY BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN COMMUNITY & POLICE

Upon reading the scathing report the U.S. Justice Department published this week focused on sustained commitment, transformative reform, and change needed in Baltimore's police department, I reached out to community leaders in Cobb County, Ga. for answers.

Here are suggestions on what needs to be done at a local level submitted by Labor Of Love Campaign, organized by Rich Pellegrino as a non-profit group which does take donations but has no advertising budget.

IN ORDER TO REPURPOSE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENTS INTO PEACE DEPARTMENTS, AND INITIATE AN IMMEDIATE CEASE FIRE IN THE WAR ON OUR COMMUNITIES:

 STOP all STOPS for minor traffic and pedestrian violations, including but not limited to: loitering, license plate light, brake light, turn signal, lane change, seatbelt, etc.—and most importantly---DWB (driving while Black or Brown).

 STOP all ARRESTS for minor traffic and pedestrian violations, including but not limited to: loitering, driver’s license expiration or suspension, insurance lapse, marijuana possession and possession of other controlled substances in small amounts, obstruction, and all other offenses which can be treated with “non-custodial arrest”, which means issuance of a citation. 

  STOP all CRIMINAL PROFILING and street level crime detection tactics---that is not “protecting and serving” but is harassment & privacy invasion… leave the crime solving up to the Detectives---and STOP saying “I stopped you because you fit the description” ----ESPECIALLY if you are a white officer saying that to a Black man. (This all adds up to “racial profiling” however you dress it up.)

NOTE: ALL OF THE ABOVE CAN BE INITIATED RIGHT NOW UNDER EXISTING LAW!!! And though it may be a difficult pill to swallow for some, everything listed has already been tried with great success in other cities!!!

Some more aspects of the “repurposing” of our police departments into peace departments:

·         DEsist from all of the above.

·         DEescalate all situations at all times.

·         DEfend the dignity of all; bring PEACE rather than wreaking havoc.

·         DEcry the unjust actions of fellow officers.

·         DEny the prison industrial system and municipal government’s it’s extortion dollars.

·         DEliver Peace & Well being as PEACE OFFICERS.

IF YOU ARE A CITIZEN OR A POLICE OFFICER AND WANT TO TAKE PART IN IMPLEMENTING THIS SOLUTION IN YOUR COMMUNITY, CONTACT US.

Hope beyond illusion needed in educational systems

Dr. Carstarphen, Ed.D. (ctr), in middle of continuing education controversy in America.
(Photo by Tomi Johnson)

Hope can lead to educational success, according to Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Superintendent Meria Joel Carstarphen in an address given yesterday at the 21st Annual Prayer Breakfast sponsored by the Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary, Our Lady of Lourdes Court 300.

Carstarphen with Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary
(Photo courtesy of Joy Jordan)

What is needed in APS since cheating on state-administered standardized tests was uncovered in 2009 under Former Superintendent Beverly Hall, Carstarphen said, is trust, collaboration, child-centered agendas, and instilling in children the belief their God-given gifts will be developed. 

"Victims should not be treated as criminals," Carstarphen told participants gathered in the Loudermilk Center. She said parents and community organizers should support school district leaders.  "We need prayers...and voices," she said.

Photo by Tomi Johnson

Born and raised in Selma, Alabama, Dr. Carstarphen leads 50,000 students and 6,300 employees at 98 learning sites. She oversees a $1 billion budget and receives about $400k in salary and expenses annually. She is a Tulane, Auburn, and Harvard graduate, but her remarks on moving the "agenda" for kids failed to reflect the problems public education faces nationwide.

Instead of talking about her credentials, family, and her own professional success, maybe she could have addressed solutions to systemic problems in education: unqualified teachers who struggle with new technology, antiquated learning systems, the need for whole child learning management, and public education's inability to compete financially with private schools.

Scholarship recipients (left to right) are Syndney Honore, Alana Bufford, Gabrielle Johnson, and Anthony Jones. (Photo courtesy of Joy Jordan)

One blessing: Carstarphen donated her honorarium back to the Catholic organization sponsoring the scholarship event which in turn gave it away to deserving scholarship recipients. Unfortunately, that will only pay for two or three college textbooks, but that's a start!

Town Hall meeting planned for Cobb County cops and community

Dear Fellow Community Leader,

I trust and pray your day is going well. In light of the recent murders of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and the five Dallas police officers whose names are Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Michael Smith & Lorne Ahrens. I think it is past time for the Faith Community to stand up and foster communication. People in the confines of churches are hurting, mad and frustrated. 

We need to have real dialogue to address the root of the tragedies of this past week. As a community, we should be concerned when persons of color are being killed with nothing in their hands as well as when officers are gunned down in retaliation. Violence is not the answer to violence, we must be willing to dailogue and find opportunities to improve.

On Saturday, July 16th, we are organizing a town hall meeting to discuss Cobb, Cops & Community. The event will be held at “THE LIFE” Church, 1839 Powder Springs Road, Marietta, GA start time is 6:00pm. I would like to personally invite you to join the conversation and hopefully we could serve as a catalyst for change as well as serve as a model of how to address injustices in the community.

I firmly believe we are the answer to the world's problem.

Esther 4:14 Amplified Bible (AMP)

14 For if you remain silent at this time, liberation and rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish [since you did not help when you had the chance]. And who knows whether you have attained royalty for such a time as this [and for this very purpose]?”

It's time now, for us to speak and more importantly ACT! 

For more information, call 770-792-3535.

Prayer vigil scheduled in metro Atlanta

The Cobb County Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) will hold a Prayer Vigil at noon at the Marietta Square on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) and ask that you please come.  

The Prayer Vigil is being held in response to the recent killings of Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota; Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and the killing of five police officers in Dallas, Texas by Micah Johnson. 

We know that these are turbulent times and that violence is not the answer.  We know that prayer is a powerful force, that prayer changes things, and that prayer is necessary to help us move forward. Please attend.

Rev. Dr. Cheryl Graves, Board Chair, Cobb SCLC

Photo of the day...

Protesters in downtown Atlanta by C.J. Jones:

Solutions to end racism already given; must act on it!

Kurk and Tomi Johnson with Fr. Jerome and Deacon Turbo (Photo by Michael Gavalas)

"...teach us to love one another, even if love is not initially returned."

Sts. Cosmas & Damian Bookstore, Anniston, Ala.

Repentance, forgiveness, and education on the contributions blacks have made to Christianity are major tools to be used to end racism and reach racial reconciliation, according to religious leaders at a conference held in Atlanta Saturday on Cherokee Avenue.

Convening at St. John the Wonderworker Orthodox Church, the "One Heart, One Mind" event was sponsored by the Brotherhood of Saint Moses the Black and included celebration of the divine liturgy followed by a free blueberry pancake breakfast with all the trimmings. About 40 people attended.

The parish priest, Fr. Tom Alessandroni, initiated the proceedings by recounting what Billy Graham said when he retired from the ministry 15 years ago. Fr. Tom said Graham was concerned in his heart that racism was the number one problem facing Christians in America - that there was still no peace and reconciliation among the races. At the time, reconciliation was not a polarizing issue which led to continuing programs addressing the problem, Fr. Tom said.

"People who have nothing more to depend on, who are impoverished, downtrodden, etc, cling to God more," he said, and history is a testament of the spirituality of blacks even though their ministry is often unpublished.

"Christians were living in Africa long before Mohammad was born," he said. "Suffering made slaves Christian martyrs who were triumphant and victorious over their despair," he said, and he encouraged attendees to read the book Slave Religion: The Invisible Institution in the Antebellum South by Dr. Albert Raboteau.  

Basil Moses says visuals are important when explaining sainthood. There are over 1,000 African saints.

Subdeacon Basil Moses, who formerly worked for the Department of Corrections, said, "I'm at the right place with God," when describing his position in the orthodox church. "I am serving and have found the ultimate spiritual solution," he said. 

Fr. Deacon Turbo Qualls, a former rock band member who has been to Iraq and has six children, facilitates and manifests reconciliation services at his parish, St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Christian Church in Kansas City, Mo.  Fr. Turbo said when they baptize people at his church, they sing an old negro spiritual, "Wade in the Water."

Fr. Turbo has tattoos of Jesus revealed.

Wearing tattoos under his robe, Fr. Turbo said our society suffers from hyper-segregation which can be overcome. He recounted being jumped by neo-nazis and discovering years later that his roommate had been one of the racists who had attacked him. "We must have courage in the midst of adversity and allow ourselves to forgive others," he said of those who truly desire to reconcile with neighbors.

"We must be Christ's disciples," he said, and must "unpack" messages given in the bible.

Icon of Moses the Black

"God knows," he said of the hurdles we face in society. "He is not ignorant to these things...but we must pray without ceasing." Fr. Turbo recounted family racism Moses and his Cushite wife, Ziporrah, faced early in biblical history. "Don't speak against my prophet," was the answer given.  "We are called to be more than conquerors," he said.

"The cowardly will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven," he reminded attendees, and he encouraged them to dig deep into contemporary elder writings and understand how they overcame despair.

Fr. Jerome said Satan is behind racial conflicts, but we must follow the example of Jesus in dealing with hatred.

Recognizing your own sins is the first step involved in healing the spirit, said Fr. Jerome Sanderson, orthodox priest and pastor of St. John the Barefoot Parish in Nashville, Indiana. Fr. Jerome is also a skilled iconographer who painted the Saints of Africa. He began his artistic career carving carrots.

"We must stop the blame game," Fr. Jerome stated which was recorded in one of the first biblical stories. "Adam blamed Eve for giving him the apple, and Eve blamed the serpent...We must reconcile with God first," he said and remember that Lucifer is behind many efforts to divide and conquer us. "Racial turmoil has been instigated by Satan," he said.

Fr. Jerome said we must forgive our enemies and our friends. "A selfish man isolates himself," he said. We must be about forgiveness, prayer, taking the scriptures seriously, obedience to God, self-knowledge, confession, and knowledge of barriers to win the war against racism and truly reconcile with others.

St. John the Wonderworker Orthodox Church

The full video of the conference will be posted on the church's website. (http://www.saintjohnwonderworker.org/) 

Q&A
Q. Tomi Johnson: Even Jesus got angry. I don't see the outrage from the church. MLK was outraged about what was happening. It's like we're being lulled to sleep and being told just to pray and believe in God to save us. What weapons can we use, since we can't use robot bombs and long rifles, in this technological age to fight racism? You're saying all we need to do is pray and believe in God?

A. Deacon Turbo: You have to understand what praying and believing in God really is. It says in James that even the devil will tremble... When you see someone who has passed away come back again, when you see that the saints are real, that with the promise of God, that there is life in Him after the blood has passed... that's a powerful weapon. It takes away all the fears of this life. You then say, you know what, you can tear my body, take my home, this and that... the outrage is there but it's not outrage like the world has, where it's the gnashing of the teeth and the things that look like hell. 

Outrage comes when people like you and me are taking part in what you have been given - we can only deal with love. But here's the thing: people really haven't been taught what love is. They have been taught how to feel sentiment. It's not about sentiment.

I choose everyday to love my wife. It's not an emotion. It's a choice. It's an act of my will. Something I do with my mind, my body, and my heart. That's love. That's what the saints modeled for us. That's what Christ modeled for us. It is the complete opposite of hate.

The other weapon that we have in regard to the technological aspect of it, remember Jesus was a carpenter, and people forget that. My Lord knew how to make some stuff in this world...I don't demonize tools. If you can use that to disseminate love, then do it. 

Q. Kurk Johnson: Explain the importance of icons and orthodoxy.

A. Fr. Jerome: In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was an icon. It was created by man, right, but it was used by the church. It was a window; it's how God's presence would come. 

Remember the serpent in the wilderness, totally bronze, the bronze serpent? That was an icon. God told them to craft a bronze serpent, just like somebody painted an icon, but when they looked at it, that's all the instruction they had, when they looked at it, they were healed. What happened when they were healed? Grace moved through the image and healed people. So you see two examples when God demanded that they be made.

What's the difference in that and painting a picture icon?  Yes, we sometimes kiss those icons out of reverence, but there's a big difference. We don't worship a board. There's a big difference between worship and honoring, like kissing your Uncle Bill, you know? That's not worship, is it? 

Everyone has icons. You can consider your TV as an icon.  You don't have a problem with that, do you?

A. Tomi Johnson: But I don't kiss the TV.

A. Fr. Jerome: But you give it the time,  don't you? 

A. Tomi Johnson: You're right about that!

A. Fr. Jerome: Your TV is more of an idol than all those boards you see in church. It's something that captivates you. A true icon is a window from heaven. 
 

More info. on St. Moses the Black: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47XeTXJIlxg