Open Letter to Black Pastors Who Met with Trump

    A group of black pastors wrote a letter to the pastors who attended a meeting with Donald Trump. The pastors pointed out the hypocrisy of attending the meeting

    It was errantly exclaimed that “this is probably going to be the most pro-Black president that we’ve had in our lifetime…” Were the fumes from the intoxicating toxins that strong? Was he being pro-Black while building his political platform as the number one purveyor of birtherism, which was fueled by racism? Is it pro-Black to label Black NFL players protesting racial injustice in the criminal justice system you were there to reform, “SOBs?” That’s what your pro-Black president did. Was he at his pro-Black finest and most eloquent when he referred to countries of color as “s-hole countries?”

    Was he being pro-Black when he equivocated during the white supremacist rally and violence in Charlottesville, that left one person dead and more than a dozen injured, declaring there were “very fine people on both sides?” Was he pro-Black when he appointed a white supremacist, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions (who was deemed too racist to be a judge by a bipartisan panel and Coretta Scott King) to serve as Attorney General? Did your cheerleading blind you to the fact that the policies of Sessions contradict and overrule the prison reform you were cheering for? Attorney General Sessions wants to stall a federal review of police departments where racial profiling, excessive use of force and racially discriminatory police practices have been exposed.

    During the Obama Administration (who was disparaged during the meeting to the delight of 46-1), the Justice Department began 25 investigations into police departments and sheriff’s offices and resolved civil rights lawsuits filed against police departments in more than 15 cities. Sessions is stopping and reversing these investigations and consent decrees. Were you cheering for Trump and this Justice Department to continue to ignore the broken body of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, the last gasps of Eric Garner in New York, the slain body of Michael Brown in Ferguson, the aborted life of Tamir Rice in Ohio and so many others? Are you cheering for his “law and order” dog whistle calls that encourage over policing and underserving of our communities? You do know his attorney general also has plans to restart the “War on Drugs,” which was really a war on Black and Brown communities!

    We are sure you recognize the importance of judicial appointments in criminal justice and prison reform. The president you cheered for contradicts real reform with his appointments of judges. While purporting to be concerned about prison reform and the negative effects of mass incarceration on communities of color, Trump’s actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for the welfare of people of color by pushing judicial nominees with disturbing records on racial equity issues into lifetime positions as judges, which will have ramifications in the lives of people of color long after he has left the White House. Of the 87 judicial nominations Trump has made, 80 are whites who have made careers in undermining civil rights, while only one is African-American.

     

    https://thegrio.com/2018/08/04/cheerleaders-with-a-collar-an-open-letter-to-the-black-preachers-stunting-for-donald-trump/

    A few days after the meeting, Trump began a Twitter war with LeBron James. Trump questioned the intelligence of James just as he done with President Obama, Maxine Waters, Don Lemon, and black NFL players. There has been no comment from the pastors at Trump’s table when it comes to Trump attacking black people

    Comments

    Obsequious toadies to the powerful come in all ethnicities, sex and colors.

    Hopefully, the pastors will wise up that they are being used.


    Many are certain that they are listening to the voice of God. As Don Lemon points out, they take positions that lead people to say religion keeps black people in chains.

    https://www.rawstory.com/2018/08/cnns-don-lemon-gets-emotional-grilling-black-pastor-met-trump-believe-religion-keeps-people-chains/


    Who are the pastors that met with him and what are their backgrounds?  I read the links (and embedded ones) trying to find out, but with the exception of two I didn't find the answer.


    Found this descriptive reporting of the meeting @ "The Christian Post" along with post-meeting comments by attendees:

    Black Pastors Pray with Trump in White House; John Gray and Harry Jackson Respond to Critics

    John Gray Says His Presence Doesn't Signify Support of Trump

    and note it says

    The full list of participants can be found here.


    Roland Martin interviewed Darrell Scott today on the TOM Joyner radio show. Scott had to be corrected on several statements made about LBJ and Democrats.

    https://blackamericaweb.com/2018/08/06/roland-martin-asks-why-would-a-black-pastor-side-with-trump/

    One common technique used by the Right is say that Democrats did not support the Civil Rights bill. The actual vote was a North South vote. There was overwhelming support for the bill from Northern Democrats  and Northern Republicans. There was little support for the bill from Southern Democrats and Southern Republicans. Five Southern Democrats voted for the bill. No Southern Republican voted for the bill.

    Northern Democrats had almost unanimous support for the bill compared to 85% support among Northern Republicans.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/28/republicans-party-of-civil-rights


    Latest Comments