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Name: Pastor Ray
Location: Merrillville, IN
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Black Uplift Discovered in Rich History

Posted by Pastor Ray on Thursday, September 04, 2008 9:00:00 AM
During the Democratic National Convention, set on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, my focus drifted to the rich history of black people in America. Black delegates were, as I was, extremely proud of this historical moment. Yet I began to wonder about the philosophical similarities or differences between black leaders like Senator Obama, Reverend Al Sharpton, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Each has stood for what they believed to be the authentically black position of their day. The question I will address in this three-part series, is whether the past leaders would agree with positions espoused by current black leadership. To examine this, one must juxtapose the historical record of quotes and books by past leaders against current ideas emanating from black leaders of today.

Frederick Douglass, a former slave, embodied early black leadership in America. Escaping in 1838, Douglass rose to prominence as an abolitionist in the 1850’s and continued until his death in 1895. In his 1865 speech before the Annual Anti-Slavery Society, Douglass describes his philosophy concerning the uplift of blacks in America when he states, “Everybody has asked the question. . ."What shall we do with the Negro?" I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us. Do nothing with us! If the apples will not remain on the tree of their own strength, if they are worm-eaten at the core, if they are early ripe and disposed to fall, let them fall! I am not for tying or fastening them on the tree in any way, except by nature's plan, and if they will not stay there, let them fall. And if the Negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall also. All I ask is, give him a chance to stand on his own legs! Let him alone! “

Douglass seems committed to black uplift as the result of individual responsibility, occurring in an atmosphere of unencumbered opportunity. This is fascinating when considering that Douglass lived in an America that provided miniscule opportunity for blacks to succeed. Opposing this position seems to be the mantra of current black leadership.

Senator Obama said while in Gary, IN, “I think it's time we had a president who doesn't deny our problems or blame the American people for them but takes responsibility and provides the leadership to solve them”.

This position by Senator Obama commits the resources of the Presidency to solving the problems of Americans. Should this be the task of the President of the United States? If so, then perhaps we should include this responsibility in the presidential oath of office. We could remove the part about upholding the Constitution and defending us from all enemies, both foreign and domestic; replacing those words with the promise to pay all my debt, educate my children and myself, abort children on demand, allow people to enter America illegally, and pay for it all by raising taxes on the most successful of us.

Americans would never stand for this, yet it is interesting to see ideas of success compared with one another. Douglass’ position not only works for black Americans, but for all Americans.

The Constitution does not guarantee equal success, but does guarantee equal protection and equal opportunity. To expect that we should all succeed applying various levels of personal industry is like saying every horse should win just because he is in the race.
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School Choice: Should Parents Determine Their Children's Educational Path?

Posted by Pastor Ray on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 12:00:00 AM
Not much seems to raise the ire of our current public school system more than the two simple words “school choice”. This is primarily because these words represent a shift in thinking, which public schools do not seem to want. As long as the approach is unchanged, public schools may continue to fail, spend our tax dollars as they please with little or no accountability. Evidence suggests that the status quo of urban education condemns many of our children to a life of poverty or incarceration.

When President Bush suggested the No Child Left Behind Act, which required that public schools produce positive results for the investment made, he was vilified. Met with tremendous resistance from the public education community, this legislation stated, in effect, that all children deserved a chance at a quality education. This legislation was not perfect by any means, but it was important because it brought a new challenge to public education, especially in economically challenged communities.

It is time for us to face two important realities. First, we must accept that quality education is one of the best weapons against entrenched poverty, and then we should agree that parents should have the authority over their own children’s educational path. The first assertion is something upon which most of us agree, liberal or conservative, black, brown or white. Yet it is the latter idea that seems to generate the most angst because it squarely places the responsibility of a child’s future upon the parent. Many who support public education suggest that children will fail because parents, especially those in economically challenged communities, may not be able to navigate successfully the educational system to the benefit of their children.

However, right here in Gary, IN the evidence would suggest different. A thriving charter school community is presenting a serious challenge to the theory that people in urban centers with high poverty and unemployment; are not concerned with their children’s education. In fact, while driving by one of the new charter schools, I saw parents happily pick up their children and children joyfully engaging their parents in conversation. This by no means is scientific data for the support of school choice and I am sure this occurs in public schools as well, but the recent achievement of these charter schools in standardized testing suggests they offer quality educational options.

Obviously, the success of educating our children involves more than the school. Truly, we must have parental involvement throughout the process. Nevertheless, the expression of the liberty for parents to choose where to educate their children is necessary, especially in communities with entrenched and cyclic poverty. The notion of school choice or vouchers is one that many local political leaders reject as unattainable and destructive to public schools. Based on the Democratic Party’s long standing resistance to school vouchers or school choice, one can conclude their belief is that parents should not decide the educational fate of their own children. Instead, they offer misguided solutions that often trap children in a lifetime of victimization, complete with ready-made excuses for failure.

If we are going to spend tax dollars on educating our young, then it requires us to receive the most return on such an investment. Each parent deserves the fundamental right to invest his or her own tax dollars in a public, charter or private educational institution for the benefit of his or her own child. Forcing economically challenged parents to send their children to failing schools is a sentence to poverty for children and the community.
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Confessions of a Sellout

Posted by Pastor Ray on Sunday, June 01, 2008 12:00:00 AM
The informal definition of sellout on http://www.dictionary.com/ is “a person who betrays a cause, organization, or the like; traitor”, and “a person who compromises his or her personal values, integrity, talent, or the like, for money or personal advancement.” I was shocked to learn that in certain circles among my own people and culture, because of my written opinion of the controversy surrounding Sen. Barack Obama’s former pastor, Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, I am a “sellout”. I must say that though I knew that any opinion that did not promote the victimization of black people, and actually put forth some logical thought as to a possible reason for Dr. Wright’s comments, would not be welcome among those who make their living off the hurt of those they claim to represent.

Since the time that my comments were printed, I have had opportunity to reason that perhaps shock should not have been my first response to the label of sellout. In fact, a more reasoned and logical response would be sadness. I have become sad by what inevitably continues to be the ruin of honest and perhaps logical debate in the black community, our emotion. All too often, we assume the emotional response without clearly seeing how that response affects our hopes in the end. It is true that emotion is one of the gems of being human, but it can also be an albatross when it interferes with clear thinking. Just ask any person who has followed their heart into a love relationship, while their head pointed out the obvious red flags. My concern is that many of my people have embraced the role of victim because it is an emotionally satisfying position. As a victim, one can always look for someone else to rescue or come to the aid of the cause, while we tend to expect little of the victims in uplifting themselves.

If I am to be a sellout, I should perhaps begin to share that to which I am sold out. As a Black man, I am unconditionally sold out to the uplift of all people, regardless of their skin color. That being said, I do see the lion’s share of my efforts being spent among my own community as I try to convince my brothers and sisters not to live as victims of this society, but as those who take advantage of the tremendous opportunities for advancement not available to our fore parents, and for which they shed their blood. It is to this end I am committed; the injection of reason into the argument of race relations in America. Apparently, this is offensive to those who seem to have no real desire to solve our problems and foster understanding between all people of goodwill. Instead, they find some twisted honor in attacking the character and legitimacy of those who fail to share their beliefs. As evidence, I offer the castigation of Bill Cosby by Professor Rev. Michael Eric Dyson, who lambasted Dr. Cosby for saying there were some problems we need to address in the black community before we start blaming whites for all of our problems. Again, this type of thinking by a professional intellectual as Dr. Dyson amazes me because it assumes the victim mantle proudly, which is his right, but it also refutes as illegitimate any who disagree.

Furthermore, I confess to selling out to the day when we as black people begin to use the power of our vote to advance an agenda that actually benefits us. This is a lesson that seems easy for some groups to embrace for other ethnic groups, but difficult for those of us who use our heart to determine what to do with our vote. This all too often is nothing at all. The election of the next president serves as example to this painful reality. Moved by the emotional appeal of Senator Barack Obama is where I find myself because of the tremendous sense of history and pride for all Black Americans. The opportunity for my children to connect to the President on a new level is not lost on me. Yet when I examine the policies of Senator Obama, the reality is that many of his proposals will not bring the uplift needed for black Americans, especially those in economically challenged areas. For example, Senator Obama is opposed to school choice for parents. This means that parents who are unable or cannot afford to move from communities with failing public schools have the unfortunate and often catastrophic choice of sending their children to chronically underperforming schools. In Gary, this means that there are very few options for parents, yet Senator Obama’s position page on education mentions nothing about opening up choice for parents like those in Gary. In fact, most of his proposals concerning education require additional government spending on education. In addition, to those who believe money is the problem with schools in economically challenged areas, the fact is that in 2005 Gary(Indiana) Community School Corporation spent $2000.00 more than the state average per student in operational costs. (Source: www.schooldatadirect.org)

In addition, I am sold out to using the pulpit for the express purpose of preaching a gospel that does not poke fun or ridicule those who may have different political or social ideas than me. The recent comments by St. Sabina Catholic Church pastor Father Michael Pfleger have cast a dark shadow over the role of religion in discussing social policy. If the best we can do with our preaching is mock candidates that we do not support, then perhaps it would be best to remain silent. The honest discussion of the positions candidates have publically declared is helpful and informative, but insensitive personal attacks belittle the high calling of the ministry. Rather than encourage people to take advantage of opportunity, Father Pfleger bought into the victim mantra and oiled the machine that maintains the pain of a people needing to embrace freedom.

Finally, I will proudly wear the label of sellout if it means that I am committed to introducing and maintaining critical thinking as an element of uplifting people. This not only applies to black people, but all of God’s children. If we are truly to explore issues of race in America, then fellowship of all humankind must be our ultimate goal. This is the goal to which Dr. King was committed and for which he gave his life. Those of us left to uphold this honored legacy must refrain from labels such as “sellout”, “Uncle Tom” and “oreo” in reference to those whose real desire is to see all advance to their full God-given potential.
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