From National Independence Day to 3 nights of National Trauma...I'm different!

Monday night, I'm at a park with over 2,500 attendees at a 4th of July festival listening to music, playing kid games with my two younger children, enjoying the evening air... residents, families and the local police force; smiling, laughing and enjoying one another. The evening ended with a lovely fireworks show and the Police department making a kind and inviting invitation for all to join them on the 9th for another event, to be hosted by the police department. People clapped and cheered; apparently this was an event the local residents have been looking forward to for some time.

NO ONE COULD HAVE TOLD ME THAT 72 HOURS LATER.... that scene, that narrative, that atmosphere which was so peaceful, would shift so drastically and traumatically.

My first reaction, when I saw the videos of #AltonSterling being killed, was I slowly picked up my phone... texted my oldest son (6' 3", beautifully dark chocolate, solid frame, with a lil urban swag) and simply wrote "Please Call Me".

Even though, I knew my son was physically OK, I still felt that ambient threat over his life, as a young black man in our nation. In that moment, I needed to hear his voice, and be reassured he knew, I love him.

But worse then the above tension... Friday morning, I text him again, "Call me!" This time my tone was different. Tuesday, I just needed to say "hello. You good? Love you!"  But Friday... I needed to say "Son, have you been watching the news? Are you paying attention to the News? BE CAREFUL! Seriously, Daniel... BE CAREFUL!"

I believe without a shadow of a doubt in GOD as my provider and protector. I know GOD is real; but so is evil, hatred, racism, radical extreme behavior... and that any of the men killed could have been my son executed like a dog in the street, falsely accused and on someone's hit list because he is beautifully black.

Yet, more worse was the thought, if his life ended like that of  #trayvonmartin or #PhilandoCastille the first thing they would do, is pull up that fact that my son was arrested several years ago, and use that to justify his execution, and deem it a "justifiable" shoot... even though they had no 'precog' knowing of his name, record, upbringing or background before shots were let off.

And even worse was, after three days of national trauma, #BlackLivesMatter (an organization that fundamentally advocates for Dignity, Justice, and Respect for all black lives.) gets blamed, for how it is we got here - the morning after the #Dallasshooting; as if years of historical, recorded, tracked, researched and video-taped accounts of hatred, racism, systematic oppression and radical extreme behavior were just a few bad grapes in the bunch. I'm scratching my head.

The #Dallasshooting is deplorable and disgusting by all accounts. 

That third night, my faith drove me into deep prayer. The kind of prayer where every thing you do is a prayer. Even while I type this I'm praying. I have been in deep prayer for the families and community in Dallas, #AltonSterling family, #PhilandoCastille family and others because incidents like these become triggers for families who have been through eerily similar traumatic experiences. I've been in deep prayer for my family, community, and country; pleading Lord have Mercy. I've been in deep prayer to hear God on what the Sermon will be on Sunday. I've been in deep prayer because my faith tells me, that Prayer is the way to maintain hope, peace, love and a righteous tongue in times like these. I've been in deep prayer, to know what I will do and be next? Because, it can't be business as usual. After 3 nights of National Trauma...

I'm different.

In a very focused and clear way, type of different. The kind a different that concretizes on a new level ones call, life mission and purpose.

If poetry was my gift - I would write something like "I've been baptized in the waters of America's senseless blood shed, and I can see clearly now..." that kind of different. (but i'm not a poet and that's all I got for this haiku).

- N -

Live Interview with KimB on Set - Celebrity Stylist to #Prince for over 25 years!

On Set and Ready to Rock!

Happy Monday Pray Tell! Readers,

In case you missed our Living on Assignment Radio show, now airing Sunday evenings live on AcceleratedRadio.net from 9:00pm to 10:00pm, you can still catch the #replay #podcast.

Listen to my full interview with Kim Berry (#KimBOnSet) - Celebrity Stylist to #Prince for over 25 years - share her journey to Success! Take notes... this interview will bless your life, as she opens up about stepping out the comfort zone to Live on Assignment. When we make bold moves, there are no limits to Where God can take you!!!

My Top 5 Take-Aways:

1. Say Yes to Opportunity (even if you've never done this before) 
2. Be Bold, take the risk (the worst anyone can tell you is no)
3. There is no substitute for Preparation (study your CRAFT)
4. Character Matters (can you be Trusted to be in certain circles)
5. Humility is still the way UP! (Remember God made the way, we're the vessel)

Catch the podcast here: LOA Radio Show 5/15/2016

 

Your Girl,

Rev. Dr. Juju! 
Twitter/Revjuju
Instagram/Revjuju
Facebook/Revjuju

 

#Lemonade - Im Just Sayin, Take Aways!

#‎Lemonade‬ - Yeah so I watched it, did a few rewinds, literally laughed out loud at some of those great lyrics... Tell 'em girl! Genius work. She is a boss chick at what she do... But here are my take-aways:

1) Don't none of sistah friends go out busting no mans window out with a bat, you ain't Bey... U goin to jail! Act CRAZY over some dude, if you want to... And u'll be at 77th street precinct! Lol lol

 2) We ain't alllll been that F'd up over being cheated on. Pissed yeah, Angry, YUP! But Destructive, Naaw! Always felt like it was his loss!!! I might take criticism on this but I'm not totally sold on the #AngryBlackWoman deal... It plays into a stereotype, that I'm not ok with... it suggest that white women, Latina women, Asian women, Irish women, African women, Indonesian women (you get my point) don't get angry when they are disrespected. We all want ‪#‎Respeck‬ lol lol

3) FYI Men, all black women are not SAD because he/you cheated! Some women are actually quite happy, joyful and even grateful to GOD that he/you did cheat and moved on with "Becky"... Tell the truth Sistahs, don't act like some of y'all ain't glad that, that One DID leave. Every time u see him, you break out in a happy dance!!! Some cheats were a life-saver!! "Bye Boy!" A'int no body mad but the devil.

4) And for all the speculation...heck naw #Bey a'int releasing no marriage blues about Jay-Z. She aint angry and Jay aint in no trouble wit Bey... They probably sippin on #Lemonade all the way to the bank. She don't live in the world of the average black woman, its all script, artistry and creative genius at its best!! Cheers for masterful work!! Her very last lyric is the most revealing "Always stay gracious... The best revenge is yo paper!" How you go from angry to gracious...in one hour???? Cause its all about that paper!!

Love u bey, you keep'em Sayin Yo Name!!!

 p.s. Bey, next time include some Black Preachin women in ur video! Lol lol im just sayin if you gone include, mothers, tennis players, dancers, models, etc... Round it off with a sis behind that Pulpit preaching a redemptive word!!! Between you and Tyler Perry, y'all always leave out Preachin Sistahs!!

The struggle is real, but so is Jesus!
- Rev Juju

The Black Church must Empowers VOICES to Speak UP!

Why the Black Church should speak out against Sexual Predators and Assault.

Even though, to date, there has been a judicial ruling to suspend litigation proceedings regarding the Sexual Assault case against, famed Bill Cosby; there stands good reason for the faith community, especially the black church to continue to advocate, support and confront the issue.

With the staggering numbers of women and men, boys and girls being sexually assaulted, the black church community of which I am a part as a Pastor and Community Leader must continue to confront this matter regardless of what happens to Bill Cosby. We cannot afford to allow our voices to go silent, as it appears is the case with his legal matters. I am not interested in taking a side on the Bill Cosby case. His case is simply the backdrop, that gives us reason to speak to the larger more systemic issue of sexual assault in our communities.

For the Black Church, the Bill Cosby case offers a challenge and an opportunity. So many African Americans watched his shows faithfully, and even viewed his TV family as a model to uphold. He is intimately a part of black culture and his influence runs deep.

Now, 55 women have come forward accusing him of rape.

It would be easy to for pastors to ignore the story—too controversial, fear of rebuke, or loss of membership and giving. Whether or not you agree he is a rapist, whether you feel we should stand with Bill Cosby or be a part of the deconstruction of the icon, the case provides a great opportunity for churches to tackle the larger discussion around sexual violence and rape.

Like many, I have had to struggle to separate my thoughts about Cosby, the persona and Cosby, the real person. As survivor of sexual violence and pastor, though, I definitely know that silence is not a just response.

I'm not alone as being a victim of sexual violence. Nationally, one in three women and one in six men have been sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Translation: if a church has 50 women, 16 to 20 of them have experienced similar acts of sexual assault or rape as have been described by the 55 women who have come forward about Bill Cosby. If a church has 50 men, eight to 10 of them have been victims of sexual assault.

And don't miss out on doing the math on the perpetrators that are also in our congregations. If you have 100 people in your church, that means, you could possibly have in your congregation 10-20 persons who have committed a crime of sexual assault.

To be silent on Bill Cosby is to miss an opportunity to speak to the real people in our pews. As clergy, we claim that we want to be "relevant" and to speak to the present culture. But quoting rappers doesn't equate to relevance. Sexual violence is relevant.

I will never forget one of the responses to a guest sermon I preached on sexual violence. As I exited the sanctuary a man about 6'2", approached me and said, "Pastor Juju, thank you for what you said about men and women being victims. I was molested when I was a boy, but I never told anyone because I was afraid of what people might say."

The Cosby case also allows us to deconstruct stereotypes about both victims and sexual predators. Based on our stereotypes of predators, no one would have ever believed Bill Cosby could do these things. Not the Coogi sweater man!

But rapist, molesters, pedophiles don't all wear black mask and lurk in dark places. Many perpetrators of these crimes are someone known to the victim, from within their family and social circle.

Meanwhile, the tone of the Bill Cosby debate is that somehow the women could not be real victims, because many of them are to some degree successful white women. When the incidents allegedly happened, some were young aspiring actresses, used recreational drugs and were looking for an easy way up the entertainment ladder. The implication is that their tears aren't real and their stories are untrue.

The same holds true, sadly, for most of the 13 victims (that we know of) in the Daniel Holtzclaw case. A serial cop rapist, Holtzclaw bet the house that no one would believe the stories of his victims because they were black women with tainted records, drug offenses and questionable lifestyles.

The criticism these women and others faced—the sense that they will not be believed—is the leading cause for victims not reporting the crime.

A pastor cannot look out into the congregation and guess who is a survivor—or who's a perpetrator.  Perpetrators can be well dressed, educated, art collectors, well traveled, do a lot of social good and be connoisseur of the finer things of life. They can be the good ole church folks (male & female). Victims and perpetrators alike sit in the pews, serve on the board, sing in the choirs, shout in the aisle and tithe faithfully. 

We can't know who they are, but we can speak to their pain, create the space for healing and hope; and remind survivors God sees you, knows and cares! And by lifting the issue, we can make sure perpetrators know that the opportunity is made available to repent and seek help.

Otherwise, to be silent on Bill Cosby is to be complicit with a prevailing rape culture.

I especially urge my dear brother pastors to be intentional to raise your voices against sexual violence. There has always been a loud cadre of women, lifting up "women's issues." But it wasn't until a male comedian, Hannibal Buress, made his joke about Bill Cosby raping women, that the real fire storm happened: a journalist got on the case, dozens of woman started coming forward, court documents were unsealed and now an official charge has been brought.

Crimes of this nature thrive in secret and silence. To be silent about Bill Cosby makes it easier for the "Cosby" in our pews to sit comfortable and unaccountable.

Accountability is one of the failings in our system, when it comes to sexual violence. Victims often stay silent due to the failure of the justice system to be on their side. And when a case does make it to court, victims face being re-victimized due to line of questions, verbiage used and lack of belief in his or her story. When we see predators not be held accountable by their organizations, denominations, colleagues, and/or groups, this too is a miscarriage of justice.

We all agree that a thief should be held accountable for stealing; molesters, rapists and pedophiles have stolen lives, innocence, trust, security, hope and a person's self worth.

Our complicit silence also becomes a culprit. We can't be prophetic and silent.

To be silent on Bill Cosby but rage about Same Sex Marriage becoming legal is an imbalanced stand of righteousness. We do our congregations and community a disservice when our theology is imbalanced; meaning we pick and chooses what we will and won't take a loud vocal stand against or for based on comfort and conformity, not justice. For the overwhelming majority of victims, another leading reason people (male and female) rarely report these kinds of crimes, is often due to there being no voice for justice outside of and even within the justice system.

To be sure, rape is an uncomfortable topic to talk about. Pastors run the risk of upsetting those leaders in our congregations who are major contributors, facing their rebuke on a subject they are not ready to handle or simply leaving the church because the message is too controversial. These are real concerns for clergy.

But this case is bigger and broader then William 'Bill' Cosby, this is not just about a person, but a culture, systems of oppression and injustice; its about the need for restoration and healing. Today we have an opportunity to use our various platforms to speak out against sexual assault, because it is the relevant issue and the moment is today.

Originally Submitted by: Damali N. Smith, 3/7/2016

#BlackLivesMatter is a Black Church Matter

“The big deal is we think the power is in us individually…the power is in us collectively. It is in the church.”

-John M. Perkins

Enthusiastic about being in the room with many powerful men and women pastors and leaders, I eagerly attended the Black Church Matters Summit.  February 29 and March 1, 2016 in Washington, D.C. 300 Pastors from across these United States joined Pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant Pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church for this dynamic gathering.

Over the past several years, two big questions have been posed about the black church: Is the Black Church Dead? And Is the Black Church still Relevant? The convening in D.C. helped to affirm and confirm, what I always felt in my soul... an unequivocal YES!

Pastor Jamal, and his team outlined a clear objective. Pastor Jamal proclaimed "we are not here for a preaching bowl", but we were there to listen, learn and leave with strategies to build the communities where we worship, work, live and lead as Pastors.

To be sure, the #BlackLivesMatter movement was key to this convening. The movement is a Black Church matter and we were there to get clear focus and direction on how to fulfill our apostolic and prophetic role as leaders of the church and in the community.

Over the two days, the four matters discussed in length were: #BlackLivesMatter, #BlackDollarsMatter, #BlackMindsMatter, #BlackVoteMatter. I was honored to moderate the Black Minds Matter panel and discussion. At the conclusion of the matter (pun intended), we listed three strategies from each discussion that  we would collectively begin to implement and/or support, depending on our respective church's structure. For future meetings, we are expected to offer a report on what we accomplished and the impact of the strategy on our community.

A few of those strategies included:

• Establishing Social Justice Ministries within the local church
• Activating our Youth Departments to be conduits of Activism
• Local school advocacy
• Sharing the new narrative about Historically Black Colleges
• Engage collective banking and bargaining
• and of course revise Voter Registration!!

We closed the summit on that #SuperTuesday with an expectation of the super-natual. At the steps of the Superior Court of The Unites States, where we lifted up signs hand-made by children who desire to see justice in the land. Some lifted their hand, while those of us who are Pastors laid prostrate; and in collective we cried out to God on behalf of the nation.

Our prayer was simple: Lord let your will be done. Nothing More. Nothing Less. Nothing Else.



 

D. Najuma Smith-Pollard