This morning I am happy to read an e-mail that tells me that African-American Ministers in Action are teaming up with People for the American Way to empower the progressive political movement. Here's what's happening due to the efforts of a member of both the organizations who is uniting their efforts:
PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY November 15, 2007
Help me block the Right's Black Church power play.
Dear [Liberalchurchlady],
Right-wing political leaders think about building political power as a long-term process -- and one of their key strategies is to divide the progressive community where they can.
They've had their eyes on the Black Church for a long time -- believing that they can win elections and shift the long-term balance of power to the Right if they can just peel a percentage of black voters away from the progressive community.
As a PFAW supporter, you're probably well aware that my community is a favorite target of the Right for voter suppression because, let's face it, in addition to being vulnerable in many ways the African American vote is pretty solidly progressive. This progressivism comes from a rich tradition of commitment to moral issues like civil rights, public education and economic and social justice. That tradition is now under attack by the Right.
I'm writing to you today to tell you just how aggressively the Right is courting black pastors -- and why People For's African American Ministers In Action program is the best line of defense.
Right-wing attempts to forge alliances with black churches on wedge issues like gay marriage and private school vouchers have unfortunately been too successful. And don't think the Bush administration didn't play its part in the Right's wooing of black churches. Soon after creating the "Office of Faith-Based Initiatives" and funneling money to certain churches, it wasn't that surprising to see some pastors saying nice things about President Bush, and even his Supreme Court nominees.
The threat is real. That's why People For the American Way is pushing back hard. And that's why I'm helping.
We need your help too.
The Right's outreach to black pastors is built largely on lies. "Progressives are against religion and out to silence the Church." "Gay rights advocates have 'hijacked' and 'raped' the civil rights movement."
I'm deeply saddened that any of my colleagues would buy into this poisonous rhetoric. But as head of African American Ministers In Action, I'm fighting back. Our network already reaches 5,000 churches, but with your help we can:
Recruit more pastors into African American Ministers In Action
Give media training to more pastors willing to be strong advocates for progressive values and take on the false prophets of the far right
Create the toolkits and other materials that pastors and lay leaders can use to educate and mobilize their congregations and communities
Get more progressive African American voices into mainstream and Christian media
And much more...
Help us restore the historic prophetic role of the black church and the tradition of Martin Luther King, Jr. to educate black pastors and mobilize them in the cause of justice.
As a young pastor, I worked in Dr. King's former church. And it infuriates me to hear right-wing politicians and pastors citing King to advance their agenda. Dr. King didn't cozy up to power -- he challenged it. He didn't try to use religion as a divisive political force -- he drew on his faith, and his faith in America, to challenge people of all faiths to make the nation live up to its ideals.
At the recent "Values Voter Summit," Bishop Harry Jackson -- one of the Religious Right's African American superstars -- hosted a workshop in which one panelist predicted that stronger partnerships between conservative white evangelicals and black pastors and churches could decide the 2008 election.
Let's make sure that if anyone's outreach impacts the 2008 election, it's ours and not the Right's.
Thank you.
Rev. Timothy McDonald III
Chair of African American Ministers In Action
Board Member of People For the American Way
http://www.kintera.org/site/lookup.asp?c=hqKNKWNMF&b=3586719
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