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opinions
A CALL TO ACTION CONCERNING U.S.-ISRAELI GENOCIDE IN GAZA
by Wendell Griffen
August 8, 2025
Over 61,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli assaults in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
“The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that many people reportedly continue to be killed and injured, including people seeking food along the UN convoy routes and militarized distribution points. Some 1,500 people have been reportedly killed since May,” Farhan Haq, UN deputy spokesperson, told reporters. He added that a health care worker with the Palestine Red Crescent Society was killed Sunday in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunus, southern Gaza. https://scheerpost.com/2025/08/05/1500-killed-while-seeking-aid-in-gaza-since-may-un/
Countless other persons are buried under the rubble of demolished churches, mosques, residential dwellings, hospitals, schools, and other structures because of Israeli attacks against Gaza. Meanwhile, the United States has repeatedly vetoed resolutions in the UN Security Council calling for an immediate bilateral ceasefire and provision of humanitarian aid to besieged and defenseless Palestinians.
I am a liberation theologian in the religion of Jesus, an activist for peace and justice, and a faith leader who has painful knowledge about how politicians hijack the religions of Jesus and Judaism and fraudulently use religious identity to disguise white supremacy, Anglo-European paternalism, racist bigotry, discrimination, militarized authoritarianism, greed, and zionist lust for empire concerning Israel and Palestine. Now, as Allan Boesak of South Africa and I did in a jointly worded statement in February 2024 (https://fierceprohetichope.blogspot.com/2024/02/from-allan-boesak-in-south-africa-and.html), and as the world is aghast about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, I again implore prophetic people to take the following positions.
1. Deplore, denounce, and condemn United States diplomatic, economic, military, and other support to and funding for the apartheid State of Israel.
2. Call for the immediate end to all U.S. governmental aid to Israel.
3. Demand that the United States support a resolution in the United Nations Security Council calling for an immediate bilateral unconditional ceasefire by all parties to the ongoing Israeli war against Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and for the safe unconditional release and return of all hostages held by Hamas and Israel.
4. Demand that funding be immediately restored to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for humanitarian assistance and welfare relief for displaced Palestinians refugees from Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
5. Demand that the United States withdraw its opposition to the Petition of the Republic of South Africa which accuses the State of Israel with genocide against the Palestinian population of Gaza.
6. Demand that the United States formally recognize Palestine as an independent State, and support the admission of Palestine as a free and independent sovereign state before the United Nations.
7. Conditioned on acceptance by and cooperation from indigenous leaders from the State of Palestine, and as reparations for almost a century of Zionist-inspired and U.S. funded and outfitted white supremacist violence against Palestinians and other persons of African descent in Palestine and Gaza, demand that the United Nations establish and administer a temporary diplomatic, security, economic, and cultural presence in Palestine tasked with the following mission:
(i) Support the right of Palestinians to sovereignty, security, restoration, return to their homes, villages, and neighborhoods;
(ii) Coordinate the safe release, recovery, and return of all persons who are detained or otherwise held hostage by Hamas and Israel; and
(iii) Cooperate in demanding, procuring, and distributing reparations to the free and independent State of Palestine in an amount equal to the monetary value of all funding, weapons, munitions, other materiel support, and diplomatic support provided to Israel by the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and their allies during Israel’s more than 77-year scheme of settler colonialism, white supremacy, apartheid, mass murder, and land and mineral theft against Palestinians.
8. Demand that Israel immediately withdraw all civilian, military, and intelligence security personnel and forces from East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank, and Gaza, and that the United Nations supply a security force, with the advice and consent of the State of Palestine, to ensure the security of Palestine and protect Palestinians from settler and other Israeli-U.S. sponsored and subsidized violence.
9. Demand that the United States and Israel be prosecuted in the International Court of Justice for mass murder, starvation, land theft, depopulation, genocide, atrocities, unlawful detainment, and other war crimes committed against Palestinians in Gaza, the Occupied West Bank Territories, and East Jerusalem.
As Allan Boesak has written: The wrongs we see are not just happening; they are caused to happen, and they are happening to… God’s children who are vulnerable, targeted, and excluded from human consideration. They are not happening randomly, they are deeply systemic, deliberately built into systems of oppression, domination, and dehumanization. And we must not be afraid to say it. [Allan Aubrey Boesak, Pharaohs on Both Sides of the Blood-Red Waters, (Cascade Books, 2017), page 81, italics added]
My disgust grows minute by minute as the world views live footage of starving, dismembered, unhoused, sickened, and grief-torn men, women, and children being exterminated in Gaza. I will not betray my commitment to the gospel of love and justice and be silent while the U.S. and Israel murders, maims, loots, poisons, starves, torments, and commits genocide on our Palestinian siblings.
And I am not so foolish as to believe that continuing to finance, arm, cheer, and provide diplomatic cover for Israel will produce peace, justice, and end its genocide in Gaza. When people are murdering others, it makes no sense to give them more weapons, ammunition, and money and expect them to quit their killing spree, let alone confess to being murderers.
Wendell Griffen is the author of Parables, Politics, and Prophetic Faith published by (Nurturing Faith, (2023) and
The Fierce Urgency of Prophetic Hope (Judson Press, (2017). He is also an ordained minister and former elected judge.
www.fierceprophetichope.blogspot.com
www.wendellgriffen.blogspot.com
Pastor, New Millennium Church, Little Rock, Arkansas
pastorgriffen@newmillenniumchurch.us
CEO, Griffen Strategic Consulting, PLLC
www.griffenstrategicconsulting.com
griffenstrategicconsulting@gmail.com
Co-Chair, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference
opinions
I’m Getting Away from Using the Word Christian
by Rev. Dr. C.E. McAdoo
August 8, 2025
ALHAMDUILLIH - HAMDULLAM (Arabic) Haruchhasham n(Hebrew).
I’m getting away from the word Christian. I’ll get into more depth with this, but what has been going on in our Christian communities—at least in some Christian communities—has, from my perspective, bastardized the word, Christian.
Yes, I am a 44-year United Methodist pastor. Yes, I have seminary credentials and have been to a lot of schools. Yes, I have been preaching for a long time.
But I do not believe it is right for us, as Hakeem Jeffries said in his monumental speech, to pray on Sunday and then prey on Monday—and do both under the guise of being Christian. Instead, I believe we should start using the term Christ follower and being that in truth. They were first called Christians in Antioch, in Acts.
Other phrases and words have been bastardized too. Like saying "nip it in the butt" instead of the actual phrase, "nip it in the bud," or saying "on accident" instead of "by accident." Another popular one is "I could care less," when the proper version is "I couldn’t care less," or "beckon call" instead of "beck and call." The improper versions of these phrases have become ingrained in many of our lexicons, and I fear this is what is becoming of the word Christian.
Now many of the articles I write do not have a direct Christ-following component to them as they are more general, but the times in which we are living require me to make where I stand clear. I go back to the What Would Jesus Do (WWJD)movement and, in considering that and my calling as a Christ follower, I must ask myself: “What am I doing for others?” I have to consider what I’m doing for myself and what I’m doing on a daily basis. Are these things Christ would do?
I do know I am a sinner saved by grace, so I am not doing 100% of everything Christ would do. But I can, and do, just think about it. What does it mean to call myself a Christian or a Christ follower? For us as United Methodists and as United Methodist churches, it is all the aspects of grace. We believe in prevenient grace, the grace that goes before, the grace that is there before we get to it. God has already come and is already working on us and our decisions. So, we are not surprised to receive a bounty of grace, forgiveness, and affirmation.
I know this article and writing about the bastardization of the word Christian will upset some folks. But I think, with what is going on in the world today, we need to be upset about something. And some of that upset should be focused around the question: “Am I doing all that I can do to really be a Christ follower?”
This article isn’t particularly long, but I hope someone finds power in it and that it changes someone’s life.
Rev. Dr. C.E. McAdoo is a retired District Superintendent with the United Methodist Church
opinions
Freedom versus Independence
by Deborah Springer Suttlar
June 27, 2025
Juneteenth was celebrated on June 19, 2025. This was the day of celebration for the formerly enslaved to celebrate their freedom from bondage. On July 4, 2025, there will be a celebration for the enslaver’s Independence from Britain. As with the enslaved, the enslavers fought a war, but it was to become financially independent from Britain. I should also mention that the enslaved helped their enslavers fight for their independence in the Revolutionary War. As we know, with the Civil War, the Southern States were fighting against the Northern States to keep slavery for profit. While both holidays celebrate people being released, there is a difference in freedom from enslavement and Independence from “taxation without representation.” What a familiar position.
Although celebrating the 4th of July has been tradition for Black Americans, I have spoken out in recent years in respect to why we celebrate this holiday with such fervor when we had no association with it? However, I must reflect on the former reasoning that we did so because at one time we “had too.” We were following the habits and customs of our enslavers. The other reason is, it has become tradition for us as Black Americans to go along with societal traditions and celebrations because we just like to have fun.
Today, I have a different opinion on the celebration of the 4th of July. I cannot truly celebrate their independence when I know that my ancestors were suffering from brutal enslavement. In fact, it was 89 years later that our ancestors were freed from enslavement while years earlier the enslavers fought over being taxed unfairly. How hypocritical. What is even more hypocritical is that the first person to die in the fight for the enslavers Independence was Crispus Attucks, a Black man of African and Indigenous descent. It is reported that he died in the Boston Massacre as a casualty of the Revolutionary War. Ironically, he is remembered as a symbol of resistance against British rule. Ain’t that something! A Black man becomes the martyr for the enslavers/colonizers.
I would never tell any Black American not to celebrate the 4th of July. I do want us to be aware of what and why we are celebrating. It is good to celebrate any holiday in your country. However, I must remind all Americans that Juneteenth, like Independence Day, is a significant event in American history and deserves equal reverence, recognition and respect. We are God’s children too.
In 1852 Frederick Douglas delivered his famous speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? It was written 13 years prior to the Emancipation Proclamation while people of color were enslaved. He urged them to reflect on the continuous oppression of the enslaved people during the celebration of a holiday, acknowledging their freedom/independence. Today, it seems highly hypocritical that in this country, Black people along with Indigenous, Hispanics and Immigrants are being treated with such disrespect and inhumanity while once again White Americans celebrate freedom and independence. Then, at the same time removing all the previous laws and policies to correct past evils. Make America Great Again? Or is it, “Make Segregation Great Again?”
Celebrate the 4th of July if you think it is appropriate for you. Remember this country continues to revere the dead losers of the Civil War. As for me and my house, I’m still celebrating Juneteenth.
Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred. African Proverb
Deborah Springer Suttlar is a community activist and longtime supporter of public schools.
opinions
We Will Regret....................
From Wendell Griffen
August 2, 2025
We Will Regret Not Standing Up to This Venomous Cruelty
August 1, 2025
By Linda Greenhouse
Ms. Greenhouse, the recipient of a 1998 Pulitzer Prize, reported on the Supreme Court for The Times from 1978 to 2008.
“Fifteen years ago, when Arizona enacted a notorious anti-immigrant “show me your papers” law, I wrote an essay in The Times that began: “I’m glad I’ve already seen the Grand Canyon. Because I’m not going back to Arizona as long as it remains a police state, which is what the appalling anti-immigrant bill that Governor Jan Brewer signed into law last week has turned it into.”
The essay provoked a variety of reactions, most supportive but some vituperatively negative. One angry reader, noting that the newspaper identified me as teaching at Yale Law School, wrote to the school’s dean to demand that he fire me. The dean and I had a good laugh over that letter. But rather than dismiss it as the product of an eccentric crank, I realize now that I should have understood the letter as a window on the toxic brew of anti-immigrant sentiment that led a state to pass such a law.
The Obama administration challenged Arizona’s law, and after the Supreme Court invalidated most of it in 2012, the harsh anti-immigrant wave subsided. But now my letter writer and like-minded people have a friend in the White House — or friends, actually — among them, Stephen Miller. The deputy chief of staff appears to be giving President Trump his marching orders for the arrests and deportations now shredding the civic fabric of communities across the country.
I have a home in the Los Angeles area, and my recent weeks there encompassed the deployment of the Marines and the federalization of California’s National Guard. I steeled myself every morning to read the granular reporting in The Los Angeles Times of scenes that I could never have imagined just months ago: people snatched upwhile waiting at a bus stop in peaceful Pasadena; the undocumented father of three Marines taken at his landscaping job, pinned down and punched by masked federal agents before being thrown into detention. People whose quiet presence among us was tolerated for decades as they paid their taxes and raised their American children are now hunted down like animals, so fearful of even going grocery shopping that Los Angeles nonprofits have mobilized to deliver food to their doors.
I was taking an early morning walk in my neighborhood when a black S.U.V. with tinted windows slowed to a stop a half block ahead. I considered: If this is ICE coming to take someone, should I intervene? Start filming? Make sure the victims know their rights? Or just keep walking, secure in the knowledge that no one was coming for me? The car turned out to be an airport limo picking up a passenger, and I was left to ponder how bizarre it was to feel obliged to run through such a mental triage on a summer morning on an American city street.
Something beyond the raw politics of immigration lies behind the venomous cruelty on display, and I think it is this: To everyone involved, from the policymakers in Washington to the masked agents on the street, undocumented individuals are “the other” — people who not only lack legal rights as a formal matter but who stand outside the web of connection that defines human society. Tom Homan, the Trump administration’s border czar, refers to undocumented immigrants as “the gotaways,” the ones we didn’t catch.
In a lecture at Loyola University Chicago in April, Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso observed that the current immigration crisis “is driven by the deeper crisis of public and social life.” He continued: “On a fundamental level, these are signs that we are losing the story of who we are as a country. This is a crisis of narrative. Are we no longer a country of immigrants? Are we no longer a country that values the dignity of the human person, individual liberties and with a healthy regard for checks and balances?”
An adaptation of Bishop Seitz’s powerful lecture was published by the Catholic magazine Commonweal, which is where I read it. Another bishop, Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino, Calif., 60 miles east of Los Angeles, took the rare step last week of informing the 1.6 million worshipers in the diocese by letter that they were excused from attending Mass if they were afraid of immigration enforcement if they came to church. The Catholic Church has distinguished itself by the moral clarity of its critique of the president’s deportation obsession.
I wish I saw the same powerful advocacy from major Jewish organizations, which I’d argue have a particular responsibility and interest in addressing this issue. Aren’t antisemitism and anti-immigrant cruelty two sides of the same coin? Both spring from viewing members of a group as “the other.” The focus of these organizations, naturally enough, is antisemitism, and the Trump administration’s exploitation of the real problem of antisemitism for its own purposes seems to have thrown some of them off-kilter.
I’ve been wondering when the moment will come when ICE will go far enough to persuade more people outside Los Angeles that it must be reined in. Maybe it will look something like the military invasion of the city’s MacArthur Park the other day, when soldiers and federal agents on horseback and in armored vehicles swept in for no obvious purpose other than to sow terror. “It’s the way a city looks before a coup,” Mayor Karen Bass, who rushed to the park, said later.
Can New Yorkers envision such a scene in Central Park? Is anywhere safe now for someone who can’t show the right papers?
People of a certain age might remember the songwriter Jimmy Webb’s weirdly compelling “MacArthur Park,” with its refrain that begins: “MacArthur’s Park is melting in the dark.” Growing up in the East, I had never heard of MacArthur Park when the song hit the charts in 1968, and I wasn’t sure it was a real place. All these years later, something real is melting for sure. It is the glue that holds civil society together.”
For my part ..................................................................................................
Did you notice that Greenhouse refused to use the F word - fascism? She is not an outlier among journalists. How many times have you used that word to describe the political ideology that now dominates U.S. society?
When did you last use it?
Why do you refrain from using it? I've been trying for years to convince you to write and warn your readers about it.
Call It Fascism, Please
Surely you know that fascism is the authoritarian and nationalistic right wing political ideology and form of government characterized by intolerant or oppressive policies and practices. What more evidence do you need to know that fascism is actively working the levers of power in this country?
All three branches of the U.S. government now are driven by a fascist mindset. President Donald Trump’s vicious sociopathic behavior is typical of how fascist autocrats act. Speaker Mike Johnson's pseudo-Christian political rhetoric typifies the idea of a religious agenda that sacralizes fascist authoritarian elites.
Chief Justice John Roberts heads a right wing super-majority on the Supreme Court that officially validated fascist authoritarianism by its July 1, 2024, decision in Donald Trump v. United States. Incidentally, fascism was not mentioned even by Justice Ketanji Jackson's stirring dissenting opinion.
Instead of calling fascism out, journalists (including religious journalists) are focused on antisemitism, anti-immigration sentiment, Christian nationalism, and opposition to "wokeness," DEI, and critical studies. Although those are real problems, they do not (singly nor collectively) accurately describe the real and present threat posed by fascism. None of those issues approaches the militant political danger that fascism always poses.
As observers of human behavior and systems, we share responsibility for identifying and naming threats to love, justice, and peace. Please recognize that fascism is threatening immigrants, public health, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to combat and remedy historical oppression based on bigotry focused on racial, sexual, gender, religious, and ability differences.
Please see that fascism is what the Project 2025 agenda envisioned. Please see that fascism and its tyranny are the evils about which we must speak, write, and help people resist.
We have a moral obligation to call the cruel, greedy, ruthless, behavior and policies that are enacted and carried out by the Trump administration at the behest of its Project 2025 Heritage Foundation funders and operatives what they are - fascism.
The fact that Trump and members of Congress were elected does not prevent their policies and practices from being fascist.
Congress never created a “Department” of Governmental Efficiency” (DOGE). Trump did so by executive fiat.
Trump did not receive Congressional authorization to engage in war against Iran by bombing Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump did it unilaterally.
Neither the War Powers Act nor the U.S. Constitution grants authority to the U.S. President to unilaterally wage war against another sovereign entity, whether the entity be Iran, California, or any other state.
Trump has no constitutional power to have Homeland Security operatives to search, seize, detain, and deport anyone without due process of law.
Trump has no constitutional power to shut down congressionally established and appropriated federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education.
Yet, Congress, led by Trump sycophant House Speaker Mike Johnson, recently enacted a law that treats Trump’s presidential office as if the United States is a dictatorship, not a democratic republic.
The Supreme Court, led by the feckless Chief Justice John Roberts, has issued rulings that treat presidential power as absolute.
As I write these words, the largest city in California, Los Angeles, is terrorized by Homeland Security agents and U.S. Marines. Undocumented immigrants are unable to live without fear. At various locations across the United States, Trump administration operatives have seized permanent residents and naturalized citizens, including parents of U.S. military personnel.
These actions are the products of fascism, not democracy. We must boldly say so.
Then we must organize and do the hard work of resisting MAGA fascism. Our resistance will require civil disobedience. That resistance will be violently mischaracterized and mistreated viewed by MAGA fascist leaders and sycophants. We must develop strategies and tactics for protecting one another from and responding to that violence.
And we must recognize and accept two other unpleasant lessons from history. No fascist regime takes and holds political power over people who love liberty and justice without resorting to violence. No fascist regime leaves power without resorting to violence to hold onto it. The January 6, 2021 insurrection demonstrated that Trump’s MAGA brand of fascism bears out these unpleasant lessons.
It is past time for people in the United States to admit that this nation is not exceptional. The U.S. is not “fascism proof.” Instead, our nation has become the latest and biggest fascist-led society in the world. We will not become better unless we admit this reality and treat it as a clear and present danger to liberty, justice, and peace.
The rest of the world recognizes, despises, and is pondering how to overcome U.S. fascism. They are also wondering when we will do so.
It’s time for us to act like we aren’t afraid to face fascism, fight it, and overcome it. Our future depends on whether we have the courage and will to do so.
Wendell Griffen is the author of Parables, Politics, and Prophetic Faith published by (Nurturing Faith, (2023) and
The Fierce Urgency of Prophetic Hope (Judson Press, (2017). He is also an ordained minister and former elected judge.
www.fierceprophetichope.blogspot.com
www.wendellgriffen.blogspot.com
Pastor, New Millennium Church, Little Rock, Arkansas
pastorgriffen@newmillenniumchurch.us
CEO, Griffen Strategic Consulting, PLLC
www.griffenstrategicconsulting.com
griffenstrategicconsulting@gmail.com
Co-Chair, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference
opinions
Is Our Measurement Within Us?
by Rev. Dr. C.E. McAdoo
August 2, 2025
ALHAMDUILLIH - HAMDULLAM (Arabic) Haruchhasham n(Hebrew).
Thank you, God! All Praise and thanks to God for all others!
Walt Disney said, “Whatever you do, do it well.” My sister, the president of the Wilson County Black History Committee, said do it well in less than an hour, and I agree with them both. I hope this article will set the stage for the expansion of our thoughts, our hope, our development, and our prosperity.
Let me ask you what I asked my kinfolk and people back home: “Have you ever wondered how to unlock your full potential?” Repeat that as you read it: “Have you ever wondered how to unlock your full potential?” As I thought about this, the key to unlocking it for me was a motivational speaker’s TOOT. The unlocking key I want to give to you in this article is 4 blips, 3 grips, 2 rips, and 3 pips. This might be new to you, so let’s go through these blips, grips, rips, and pips.
Our first blip is this: you can measure how tall a person is, but you cannot measure how high they can jump. For example, there was a ten-foot fence near my brother’s house. My friends and I went over there and sneaked in, but couldn’t get out the same way we came in. So, we all had to deal with this ten-foot fence. We were all different heights, but when he started shooting, we were all able to get over that fence!
Our second blip is: you can measure a person’s foot size, but you can’t measure how fast they can run. No matter your foot size, let the right thing or the right somebody get after you and you will be saying, “Feet, don’t fail me now!”
Our third blip: you can measure someone’s degrees, diplomas, certificates, and papers, but you cannot measure how much education a person has. Our measurement is within us.
Our fourth blip: you can measure the length of a baseball or softball bat, but you cannot measure how far you may be able to hit the ball or how many times you might strike out.
Now for grips. The first grip is: you can measure a person’s fingers, but you can’t measure how tightly they will hold on to something. The second grip: you can measure the grip of a bobby pin in a woman’s hair, but you can’t measure how good she will look unless she puts the bobby pins in the right place. The third grip: you can measure the grip and size of a suitcase, but only TSA knows what we are traveling with. (And please don’t travel with the wrong things these days.)
As for rips: you can measure the speed with which someone is ripping up and down the street, but you can’t measure how many tickets it will take before they quit ripping and running. You can rip into someone and measure that in decibels, but you cannot measure how badly that might come back to haunt you.
With pips, we start with French: tout de suite meaning immediately. Wherever you are when you read this article, I would ask you to stand up, do a full circle—maybe do the full circle twice—and repeat these words to yourself: I cannot be measured. I cannot be measured. My measurement is within me.
The other two pips: there is nothing as good as a chocolate chip, and what about Gladys Knight and the Pips?
Love,
I Am
Charlie Edward McAdoo
Dr. C.E. McAdoo is a retired district Superintendent in the United Methodist Church.
opinions
Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?
n Memory of Frederick Douglass
The fact is, ladies and gentlemen, the distance between this platform and the slave plantation, from which I escaped, is considerable—and the difficulties to be overcome in getting from the latter to the former, are by no means slight. That I am here to---day is, to me, a matter of astonishment as well as of gratitude. You will not, therefore, be surprised, if in what I have to say, I evince no elaborate preparation, nor grace my speech with any high sounding exordium. With little experience and with less learning, I have been able to throw my thoughts hastily and imperfectly together; and trusting to your patient and generous indulgence, I will proceed to lay them before you. This, for the purpose of this celebration, is the 4th of July. It is the birthday of your National Independence, and of your political freedom . . . There is consolation in the thought, that America is young. —Great streams are not easily turned from channels, worn deep in the course of ages.
They may sometimes rise in quiet and stately majesty, and inundate the land, refreshing and fertilizing the earth with their mysterious properties. They may also rise in wrath and fury, and bear away, on their angry waves, the accumulated wealth of years of toil and hardship. They, however, gradually flow back to the same old channel, and flow on as serenely as ever. But, while the river may not be turned aside, it may dry up, and leave nothing behind but the withered branch, and the unsightly rock, to howl in the abyss---sweeping wind, the sad tale of departed glory. As with rivers so with nations. . . . The simple story of it is, that, 76 years ago, the people of this country were British subjects . . . You were under the British Crown . . . But, your fathers . . . They went so far in their excitement as to pronounce the measures of government unjust, unreasonable, and oppressive, and altogether such as ought not to be quietly submitted to . . . To say now that America was right, and England wrong, is exceedingly easy . . . but there was a time when to pronounce against England, and in favor of the cause of the colonies, tried men’s souls . . . On the 2d of July, 1776, the old Continental Congress, to the dismay of the lovers of ease, and the worshippers of property . . . in the form of a resolution . . . it may refresh your minds and help my story if I read it. “Resolved, That these united colonies are, and of right, ought to be free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown; and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, dissolved.” Citizens, your fathers made good that resolution.
They succeeded; and to---day you reap the fruits of their success. The freedom gained is yours; and you, therefore, may properly celebrate this anniversary. The 4th of July is the first great fact in your nation’s history—the very ring---bolt in the chain of your yet undeveloped destiny . . . What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.
There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour. Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the old world, travel through South America, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the every day practices of this nation, and you will say with me, that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival . . . Behold the practical operation of this internal slave---trade, the American slave---trade, sustained by American politics and American religion . . . Fellow---citizens, this murderous traffic is, to---day, in active operation in this boasted republic . . . I see the bleeding footsteps . . . on the way to the slave---markets, where the victims are to be sold like horses, sheep, and swine . . . My soul sickens at the sight . . . But a still more inhuman, disgraceful, and scandalous state of things remains to be presented. By an act of the American Congress . . . slavery has been nationalized in its most horrible and revolting form . . . The Fugitive Slave Law makes MERCY TO THEM, A CRIME; and bribes the judge who tries them.
An American JUDGE GETS TEN DOLLARS FOR EVERY VICTIM HE CONSIGNS to slavery, and five, when he fails to do so . . . Let this damning fact be perpetually told . . . that, in tyrant---killing, king---hating, people---loving, democratic, Christian America, the seats of justice are filled with judges, who hold their offices under an open and palpable bribe . . . I take this law to be one of the grossest infringements of Christian Liberty, and, if the churches and ministers of our country were not stupidly blind, or most wickedly indifferent, they, too, would so regard it . . . they are utterly silent in respect to a law which robs religion of its chief significance, and makes it utterly worthless to a world lying in wickedness . . . Allow me to say, in conclusion . . . I do not despair of this country. There are forces in operation, which must inevitably, work the downfall of slavery. “The arm of the Lord is not shortened,” and the doom of slavery is certain. I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope.
www.fierceprophetichope.blogspot.com
www.wendellgriffen.blogspot.com
Pastor, New Millennium Church, Little Rock, Arkansas
pastorgriffen@newmillenniumchurch.us
CEO, Griffen Strategic Consulting, PLLC
www.griffenstrategicconsulting.com
griffenstrategicconsulting@gmail.com
Co-Chair, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference
Hope fiercely. Love boldly.
Love one another. Jesus of Galilee, Palestine
We will find a way or make one. Hannibal of Carthage
Writing is how I fight. James H. Cone.
The time for pious words is over. Allan Aubrey Boesak
Justice is a verb!
https://fierceprohetichope.blogspot.com/2024/01/this-is-why-donald-trump-is-barred-from.html
opinions
Juneteenth
by Deborah Suttlar
June 13, 2025
It was originally called, A Day of Jubilee, also known as Freedom Day, Black Independence Day and more popular name, Juneteenth. It is a celebration which marked the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. According to Wikipedia, the words “June” and “nineteenth,” is referring to June 19, 1865, the day when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the Civil War. However, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. In the United States, Slavery ended at various times in different states, and the state of Texas was the last state in which the slaves were notified of their freedom. It was in January 1865; Congress proposed the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery in the United States.
The Juneteenth National Independence Day was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, when the 117th Congress enacted, and President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 7, 2021. This action brought about the validation by the government for this holiday to be celebrated by all Americans. This celebration now includes numerous events across the United States in which African Americans celebrate their culture and freedom. As they say,” Ain’t nobody free until all are free.”
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture has the theme this year, “Power in the Past, Strength in the Future.” There are many opportunities for African Americans to celebrate by attending church services, local events in which we support Black owned business, opportunities to gain information about the holiday, our history, and participate in community service by volunteering.
Our Emancipation was fought for, and a heavy price was paid for the enslaved to obtain their freedom. A Civil War was fought for four years. This war officially began on April 12, 1861, and ended on April 9, 1865. Although some like to say, it was for “states’ rights,” it was the issue of slave ownership and greed. According to an article in American Battlefield entitled Civil War Casualties. The Civil War was America’s bloodies conflict in American History. It is estimated that 620,000 men lost their lives in the line of duty and more from disease.
In honor of this holiday, in 1997 Activist Ben Haith, the founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF) collaborated with Verlene Hines, Azim, and Eliot Des and created the Juneteenth flag. According to the article in Good Housekeeping on June 18, 2024, the flag is an undying symbol of liberty and freedom for African Americans. The flag colors are red, white, and blue, signifying that throughout enslavement African Americans were always American. It was noted the red represents the blood shed on the journey to freedom. The curved surface represents the horizon and the possibility for African Americans. The flag is emblazoned with a star, a callback to the U.S. flag and demonstrating that Black people are free in all 50 states and a nod to the “Lone Star State.” The star is surrounded by a burst which represents new opportunities for African Americans. It is also stated that it is common to see the red, black, and green Pan-African flag at Juneteenth celebrations. This flag represents the blood, soil and prosperity of Africa and its people.
On June 21, 2025, The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, a Museum within the Division of the Arkansas Heritage, will host the 16thannual Juneteenth in Da Rock festival to commemorate freedom and community in the heart of Arkansas. This celebration will begin with the fourth annual event on Juneteenth in Da Rock 5K walk/run. It will be held from 7:00a.m. until 9:00a.m., participants will run through historic sites such as: Arkansas Baptist College, Philander Smith College, and Central High School. A street festival will take place all day on historic West 9th Street in Downtown Little Rock. This festival will feature live music from grammy winners Elle Varner and October London. Local musical artists include Akeem Kemp, Afrodesia, Big John Miller Band Bijoux, G-Pace, King Honey, Malik Oliver, and Nicky Parrish.
There will also be local vendors, food trucks, and activities designed to highlight the rich history and culture off African Americans. There will also be a Kid Zone which will feature fun-filled activities for children of all ages, including bounce and play inflatables, arts and crafts face painting and magical photo opportunities. The Mosaic Templar Cultural Center has included a Health and Wellness Village in the museum ballroom featuring local health and wellness vendors, mental health professionals, and other organizations offering health resources who will provide information about nutrition, preventative care, and overall wellness. This event has been planned to correspond with the celebration of Black Freedom but also to connect with the community and offer culture activities and address the needs of all the community.
Dr. Barbara Krauthamer Dean of College of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, explains, “Juneteenth gives people an opportunity to reflect on what it means to live in a country and in communities that say we value individual rights, we value freedom, we value freedom of the press and freedom of speech. And if we value that, we need to value that for everybody.”
Let us celebrate Juneteenth, Freedom Day, Black Independence Day, or A Day of Jubilee in a way that reflects the celebration of being freed. Happy Juneteenth Everybody, and God is the great Emancipator!
Deborah Springer Suttlar is a community activist and longtime supporter of public schools.
opinions
The Golden Rule
by Deborah Springer Suttlar
May 30, 2025
This current social atmosphere has set the tone in which we do not express or respond with unity and love toward one another. This lack of unity made me realize that we no longer practice the “Golden Rule.” A command which Jesus taught during his earthly ministry.
The Golden rule as stated in Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do unto others what you would have them do to you. For this sums up the Law and the Prophets. This scripture reflects the foundation of our faith in being good and merciful toward one another. Jesus was teaching us how to treat one another with care and concern. He stated that this scripture sums up everything.
In contemplating the meaning of that scripture, it made me think about how I no longer hear anyone mention this scripture as I did as a child. It does require that we make a concerted effort to treat others as we would want them to treat us. The truth is, we do not have a choice, this is a command. We must remember that commands given by Jesus are not suggestions, and commandments are followed because of our obedience to our faith.
My second revelation, we have become focused on our own way of dealing with others and the result is that none of us are being guided by the “Golden Rule.” For example, not responding with kindness because others do not treat us with kindness. However, the truth is, we do want people to be kind and merciful to us and it hurts us and offends us when they are not. As a result, we respond negatively because of hurt feelings.
This Golden Rule issue made me reflect on the hate and disrespect we are experiencing today and how we should respond if we are to follow the Golden Rule. Does it mean that we cannot call them out for how we are being treated? As you will remember, Jesus did correct injustice with words and by example. He demonstrated how to treat those who were disrespectful and cruel by telling them how to treat others. We know that some people resort to violence and use hateful words which do hurt and harm our well-being. I am really meditating on how to respond in those situations.
The truth is, we have managed hate and disrespect for so long that sometimes we do feel that a harsh response is the answer. I thought about my own obedience to the Golden Rule because sometimes I have a very harsh tongue. I am working on it. When the hate and disrespect evolve into genocide, immoral behavior, and the politics of death, how should we respond to reflect the Golden Rule? It is a real test.
I often reflect on a quote from Zora Neale Hurston, “If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.” This is the reason I address issues of injustice in my writing. I am neither a violent nor a mean-spirited woman, but I cannot allow my people or anyone to be mistreated and not respond or do nothing. I do look to the Word of God to guide my tongue, my words, and my steps.
It was years ago I was directed to the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10. Therefore, I prayed asking God to bless me, increase opportunities for me, for his hand on me, and that I do nothing to harm others. We know this is not a perfect world, but it could be much better if we followed the Golden Rule. Let us put it into our minds and remember it is the very foundation of our faith to help us be a positive influence in our society. We will all be better for it. These words were a common saying among Black families, “Do right and right will come to you.”
James Baldwin “We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.”
Rodney King “Can’t we all just get along?”
Deborah Springer Suttlar is a social and community advocate, and a long-time supporter of public schools.
opinions
MENTAL MAINTAINING
by Dr. C.E. McAdoo
May 25, 2025
I’ve been in ministry some forty-four years, and I always jokingly tell people that when I was in the military, I was a Psychiatric Technician. I have a diploma in psychiatric procedures, and I’ve been able to experience mental disorders and understand the dynamics even as I deal with my own life. The first night I was in my unit, a young man jumped up on the roof and said he was going to kill himself. I was the new person on the block so, they gave me a hypodermic needle and told me to go up and give him a shot. OH WOW! The rest is history, he didn’t jump off the roof and I did not fall either, though I was afraid of heights.
That’s one thing about mental maintaining, no matter where we think we are in life, we can do some things we may or may not think we can do. Some of it is out of fear, anxiety, and some of it’s out of just plain old “if I don’t do this, I’m going to get killed.” I remember when we were little boys, we were at the wrong place at the wrong time and were in this man’s back yard he came out there and I think he shot up in the air the first time. I don’t know how high that fence was, and don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we did anything supernatural, but every one of us got over that fence!
I’ve got three areas I want to point to for this article, and the first one is:
I. Mental Maintaining - Knowing that you are a diamond in the rough, already a perfect fit to me and to you - a precious stone! Part of your mental maintaining is realizing as a perfect stone, that means no one can come in and tell you that you are imperfect! Realize that when you think about living your life as a perfect stone, you are a diamond in the rough, what a beautiful thought!
Part of this I grew up with, as did many of you, people would look at you and say, “I can see something great in you, and “you are going to be somebody!” As you grew up, even in your married life, your working life or your community life people saw in you special ‘something,’ that told them you were that diamond, as you continued trying to get the perfect fit!
Theology in the United Methodist Church, we talk about the different kinds of grace. We talk about “Perfecting Grace,” not “Justifying Grace, or “Sustaining Grace” but Perfecting Grace! We are always trying to perfect ourselves; we have not gotten there yet, and if I’m not mistaken, we won’t get there in this life. We are working our way toward that perfecting place. That’s where we are, a “diamond in the rough.” Always being smoothed out to get that perfect fit! The good part about that, it’s a two-way street. The street you live on, that’s you, you know you’re a diamond in the rough. You don’t have to wear a sign on you stating that fact. You live in such a way that people know you are not simply a rock – you are a diamond in the rough!! Life is not always easy, and a diamond is not just some rock that is used for throwing, diamonds are created through pressure! You know who you are – you are a diamond and other folks can look at how you live and know without being told - you are a diamond in the rough, on your way to perfection! Other people see how you stand out and how your life means something!
I preached a sermon recently about “The Unnamed They.” They are those we don’t know, that have complimented us, and have said good things about us in private conversations that we will never know about. That’s the other part of the two-way street, you know who you are and other people see how you carry yourself. To summarize, Number 1 is to know you are a diamond in the rough.
II. Keep a ‘Green Mindset,’ what is a ‘Green Mindset’? That is living a life like a beautiful lawn that is in need of care. That means it needs fertilizer, and what that means for our mental maintenance is, we need those things in our life that will help us to grow!
I prayerfully hope that I learn something new every day. Some days I don’t, but I want to fertilize my mind to help it be maintained more. I think I have talked about this before, how my exercise instructor has us doing different things each day, so our minds will be switching back and forth and she also wants us to push ourselves. Those things help to fertilize our brains.
Like that beautiful lawn, we also need some weed killer, otherwise there are some destructive weeds that can creep in without our noticing, such as Crabgrass, Nut grass, Poison Ivy, and Bitter-weeds. The same thing that happens to your lawn, can happen to your brain!
Some of those weeds that can get into your brain are just bad thoughts. I use to tell my kids and myself, when I get somebody on TV that’s talking bad, I just change to another channel. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a big TV-changer. I remember once we were talking to someone, and at that time we had HBO on our tv, and they said, “don’t you have young children?” I said yes, and they said, “don’t you know they have some X-rated pictures on HBO?” And I said yes. They responded, well aren’t you afraid your children will be watching?” And I said no, I told them not to.
See what I’m saying, I’m telling my brain not to, I won’t look at them, I’m making that choice and it’s the same thing with our brain. Then, like that lawn, we have to make sure we don’t let those weeds get up there, we just have to say, I’m not going to fool with them.
Then, the other thing about mental maintaining is the whole idea of good maintenance. I know younger people who read this article won’t appreciate this (and I’m not trying to debate my Virtual Assistant) but, the old lawnmower had those curved blades, and the curved blades cut the grass to grow! The lawn mowers we have now are circular and they cut the grass flat. Even though the lawn mowers today allow the grass to grow, the old push mower cut the grass in such a direction that it grew better than it grows now!
You’ve got to maintain that mower, you’ve got to cut the grass timely, you’ve got to cut it precisely. Timely and precisely means you can cut it at the wrong time, and you can cut it too low. You can also cut it so high that it’s already up so much, that it won’t get much more growth to it. The Lord has blessed me in the last four or five years, that I have been able to have my neighbor cut our grass. I ask him to cut our grass so that is stays beautiful all of Holy Week. My Brother-in-law’s lawn stays beautiful all year long, he just knows how to do that.
Lastly, what I want to say about the whole idea of maintaining our lawn, is that we have to trim our grass! Even the best maintained mental stability can have some little places that need to be trimmed…..no matter how good we think we are. I’ll go back once again to some articles I used at St. Paul’s School of Theology that helped me believe that the human condition starts at 0% up to 100% and not from 100% down to 0 %.
We do have some people, …..God bless you, but I’m just not one of those who say, “O My! Mr. so & so, or Mrs. so & so, I just could not believe they did this or that.” ALL of us have the capacity to do something that is wrong! When I look at life from a 0% up, that means we all start as a “Sinner saved from Grace!” So, if I understand that dynamic, we are all subject to do something wrong at sometimes in our lives so, that means we need some trimming! Just like a beautiful lawn, it can be green and it can be cut well, however, if it’s not trimmed, if we do not use the weed-eater properly, it still will not be where it needs to be. Our lives are the same way, if we have all this going for us, but leave some stuff that needs to be trimmed, then we are not where we need to be.
So, when we think about “Mental Maintaining,” remember: Number I. You need to know you are a Diamond in the rough, Number II. You need to have a Green Mind-set to grow, and now I want to talk about:
Number III. Have Open Ears, Open Eyes and, an Open Heart! AMEN!! Open your ears to hear, open your eyes to see and open your heart to take in. One thing that helps me, and I would say theologically, the illustration that comes to mind is of the closed fist. Remember with the closed fist, you’ve got the thumb pointing at someone, but there are four fingers pointing right back at you! So, always remember that openness goes both ways when it comes to mental maintaining.
In my forty-four years of ministry and the ten years I dealt with the government, I’ve dealt with some people in which we have had some “knock-down, drag-out conversations.” I’ve appreciated those, because I wanted to be open enough to hear where they came from, and I wanted to also have the heart to know I was not going to change them on the spot and may not change them even in a lifetime.
I’ve had church members who, when I went in, I may not have been who they thought they wanted to be their pastor, and when I left, I may not have been who they thought they wanted to be their pastor.
All I’m trying to say as I end my article is, there is a certain mental maintenance that can only be cultivated by openness. I say that in two typical words, we’ve got to cultivate openness. I’m not ready for some stuff people throw at me, I just have to say, hey, I don’t know if I’m in for that! We’ve got so many issues out here, I don’t want to get too political, but some folks say, “I don’t want to deal with that.” Well, try to cultivate yourself to get some openness to it. Even at the end of the openness, you don’t have to agree, you just have to be able to say, I’ve let you say your thoughts and you’ve let me say my thoughts.
Once again, let me repeat, to have “Mental Maintenance” is, to know you are a diamond in the rough, keep a green mind-set and have openness.
Love,
I Am
Charlie Edward McAdoo
Rev. Dr. C.E. McAdoo is a retired District Superintendent with the United Methodist Church.
opinions
A CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY MISNOMER “OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE”
By Rev. Dr. C.E. McAdoo
May 17, 2025
The above statement is part of and will be a giant set-back for the vitality of the life of our country. We say it and don’t realize what we are saying when we say, “Our children are our future.” Mentally, we don’t know what we are saying when we say that. Let me break this down theologically. When Jesus came into the world as a child, he came as a present to us; that’s what we celebrate at Christmas!
When we think about every child being born into the world, that’s a present to the world. I don’t want this to be an article that has a lot of strong theological emphasis on it, but when you think about it, the whole growth pattern and theologically what the Bible says, that when a child is born, we need to cry. When we pass, we need to celebrate, because when the children are born, they will come into a world where they need to be prepared, even as young folks, for all they will have to deal with. I don’t try to correct folks, but when people say the children are our future, I say, “O, but I believe that’s a mis-statement, they are our present.” What that means to me is that the word children can be interchanged with the word youth or young people.
This old adage is focusing our children and young folks in a negative way, because we forget how much they have to offer us now. When I thought about that, I have about five or six things I want to talk about: how our young people, how our children, and how our young couples can add to the life of who we are!
I worked with a Bishop once who said she always tried not to put older adults and younger adults together in a discussion group. The younger adults would always defer to the older folks. Maybe the older people were not thinking in the way the younger folks felt was correct, but the young folks would not correct them at all. Unfortunately, that cut off some vitality the young people may have had to offer! What do our Young Folks offer us? Our young people are our community builders. Praise the Lord, in many of our communities, we may or may not think our young people are doing this or that.
Even the colleges now are looking at the students who are coming in to become college students. They are asking them, “How much community service have you done?” I was blessed to be at a church when I pastored St. Andrew United Methodist Church, where we had young people that would come out to serve food to people for the evening meal. Then, they would receive a letter from us telling them how many community hours they had served. That builds community! In the church where we went, not only did the young people serve, but we also encouraged them to also eat with the community. I want to insert a part of the story here: There was a large church here in Little Rock that wanted to feed the homeless. They had everything set up and had all this food ready, and--nobody came! So, they partnered with our church to have an evening meal for the community. It was a whole different concept, we not only encouraged the young people to serve the people who came to the meal, we also encouraged them to eat with those being served. We asked them to sit at different tables, at one table they may have been sitting with someone that was homeless. Then, at another table they may be sitting with a working family that was dealing with a lot of heavy stuff. I’m just saying, our young people can be community builders. As they are serving in this environment, that gives them an understanding of what community is all about! So, to build our community we really need our young people to get involved and be in touch with what goes on in our communities.
The second way our young people can be involved is in a “clean air concept.” A lot of our young people understand and want our grounds to be clean, they believe in green spaces! The third thing I briefly touched on that has to do with community building is, our young people are able to volunteer for community issues, such as homelessness, and literacy. Some of our young people have volunteered one-on-one to teach folks how to read. Those of us who can read may not appreciate the value of knowing how to read. I always tell the story of my daddy, who could not read. I mention to my wife even now that my father would not be able to function in our society today. He would have to have a lot of help, because you have to be able to read to do almost anything. I used to say, how could my daddy go anywhere, because you have to be able to read the road signs. You wouldn’t know the difference between north, west, east or south. Think of something that simple. For someone who could not read it’s almost like being isolated on an island with all the water around you and not knowing which way to go! They would not know the difference between north, south, east or west. However, they would know on what side the sun came up and on what side the sun went down.
Once again, as the young folks in communities volunteer to teach the illiterate how to read, they would now know what the words, north, south, east and west mean, as well as other words that would give them dignity and a more independent and productive life! Even as bad as people say our communities are, our young people are trying to make an impact on the gangs and those kinds of things that are going on. The other thing I believe our young people can help us with is early investment models. I am blessed to work with the students at Southwest High School here in Little Rock. At one time it was McClellan High School, and they partnered with a bank and had their young people open their own bank accounts and learn about the stock market. I’m not sure of the proper word, but I think it is the “Historical Stock Chart” that has charted the stock market since 1926. It shows how your money grows. You put your money in the stock market with all its ups and downs, but it does grow. These young people find out early how all of that works. Financial literacy and financial pass on; so if you find out how it works, you ‘pass it on.’ You pass it on to your friends, or your family and that’s another way the young people can help us!
Lastly, the young people can pass on to us their international understanding. I will lift up, I believe, the primary school in the state of Arkansas that has this international understanding. There may be other schools, specifically in the north west that have something similar. I was blessed to have a “Civil Rights Pilgrimage Group” in Little Rock. Part of their pilgrimage was to visit Central High School. (I am very familiar with Central High. Two of my children graduated from there, and I consider the principal, Nancy Rousseau to be a friend.) There are 42 different languages being spoken at Central High School, but English is the principal language of instruction. Just think on that for a moment: 42 different languages.
These are young folks, high school students, all living together and working with one another. Isn’t that beautiful? Then this whole age of trying to get rid of “DEI”, and realizing that diversity is going to be everywhere. And the earlier that diversity starts, the more people will understand. Once again, I say theologically, Genesis 1:27, we all are made in the image of God, and so that’s the other piece of why I bring in the international piece, to say, because of Genesis 1:27, and because we are all made in the image of God, that means we are headed toward a reality where we will all know one another better.
I will conclude this article with that - who can do that better than the young people in our different communities?
Love,
I Am
Charlie Edward McAdoo
Dr. McAdoo is a retired district superintendent in the United Methodist Church
opinions
EDUCATIONAL EMERGENCY: 13th Week- 95th General Assembly
by Joy C. Springer
April 11, 2025
EDUCATIONAL EMERGENCY CONTINUES …… April 11, 2025
Today marks the end of Week 13 of the 2025 Regular Session of the Arkansas House of
Representatives. A group of us remain focused on passing legislation that will have a lasting impact on the lives of Arkansans. It is anticipated that the session will adjourn on April 16, 2025.
This week, the Arkansas House of Representatives passed FB1685, a bill designed to
eliminate the state’s 0.125% sales tax on groceries, effective January 1, 2026. This
effort continues our work to reduce the tax burden on Arkansas families. In addition,
HB1312, amending public school funding to provide an increase of 5% in per pupil
funding, raising the per pupil amount being paid to $8162.00 for the 2025-26 school
year. This amount includes the cost of health insurance. For the 2026-27 school
year, the per pupil amount is set at $8,037, with the $333.00 for insurance costs
being paid directly for the Employee Benefits Division. The House also adopted
House Joint Resolution 1018 (HJR 1018), a proposed constitutional amendment entitled “The Citizens Only Voting Amendment.” This proposed amendment, if adopted by the Senate, will appear on the November 2026 ballot. It proposes that
only United States citizens who meet voter qualifications may vote in state and local elections. I have repeatedly asked the question why do we need to pass such a Resolution when it is already a part of the state’s law, i.e., the Arkansas Constitution. The Arkansas Constitution states the following:
Qualifications for electors:
(a) except as otherwise provided by this Constitution, any
person may vote in an election in the state who is
1) a citizen of the United States
2) a resident of the state of Arkansas
3) at least eighteen (18) years of age; and
4) lawfully registered to vote in the election.
(b) Valid identification
No data presented that there were citizens in the state of Arkansas who did not meet these qualifications.
A number of additional bills also passed the House including House Bill 1732
(HB1732) that increases the income tax deduction for teachers purchasing
classroom supplies from $500 to $1000. House Bill 1485 creates a new sales
and use tax exemption for organizations supporting veterans’ facilities. House
Bill 1922(HB1922) establishes an income tax credit for companies that relocate
their corporate headquarters to Arkansas, a further step to enhance our state’s
economic competitiveness. Finally, the proposed Revenue Stabilization Act (RSA)
for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year was distributed to members on Friday. This document
outlines our state’s spending priorities. You may view the document using the link below:
https://arkansashouse.org/assets/uploads/2025/04/20250411093155-fy2026-rsa-sb637-hb2003pdf.pdf
Public School Funding remains at the top of the list as it should be with an allocation of approximately 2.5 billion dollars (2,484,597,398). In addition, the General Education Fund is approximately 76 million dollars (75,752,342). Further review indicates that
the Division of Corrections, including the medical contract and the Division of Community Corrections funding totals approximately $562,000,000. I now ask you to contrast these figures. Our budget Chair communicated that the average annual pay for an inmate in Arkansas is $44,659 per year while we only propose to pay $8162 per year for each public-school student. You tell me!!
The Educational Emergency continues…
State Representative Joy C. Springer represents District 76 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Representative Springer previously served on the Little Rock School Board and is a long-time civil rights activist and supporter of equity in public education. She currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee and House Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs committees. Additionally, she serves on the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) and the JBC Employee Benefits Division Oversight committee and as a 1st Alternate on the Legislative Joint Auditing committee.
opinions
EDUCATIONAL EMERGENCY: 10th Week- 95thGeneral Assembly
By Joy C. Springer
March 22, 2025
As the 2025 Regular Session of the Arkansas General Assembly ends its 10th week, the House has been advancing legislation designed to address infrastructure, election processes, and public health. One of the bills to pass this week was HB1681, which establishes the Water and Sewer Treatment Facilities Grant Program. This initiative creates a $50 million matching grant system aimed at improving water and sewer infrastructure across the state. With 80% of the funding allocated to "shovel-ready" projects, and the remaining 20% directed towards small towns and rural systems serving fewer than 1,200 customers, the program seeks to ensure that communities have the resources needed to address critical water and sewer needs.
The grants will be funded by interest earnings from state funds. Another piece of legislation approved was SB307. It is entitled as an Act to amend the law concerning public utilities designed to generate jobs for Arkansans thus increasing economic development. In my opinion, it is needed to replace the loss of power supply in Arkansas as two major power plants are closing in Pine Bluff and Newark, Arkansas. We learned during committee meetings that several companies have opted not to relocate in Arkansas due to the lack of power supply. Passing this bill will not cause your utility rates to go up, they were going to go up anyway due to the closing of the plants previously mentioned.
This bill allows utility companies to implement incremental rate adjustments as they begin construction on investments aimed at increasing the state’s generation capacity. The House also passed several bills regarding the state's election processes. Among them was HB1574, which requires paid canvassers for statewide initiative or referendum petitions to be residents of Arkansas.
Another bill, in my opinion, designed to limit voting in our communities. In addition, HB1693 directs the State Board of Election Commissioners to establish rules for duplicating damaged or defective ballots. Additionally, SB304 passed, allowing voters to cast a ballot after changing their county of residence—provided their updated registration is received by the county clerk before polls close on election day. SB304, on its face, appears to be a reasonable piece of legislation.
HB1713 mandates that the Attorney General cannot certify a proposed ballot title if its reading level exceeds eighth grade, according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formula.
What is the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formula? This method determines the readability of the ballot title text. Once again, another measure designed to limit voting in our communities. In response to growing concerns about the impact of social media on minors, HB1726 created the Arkansas Kids Online Safety Act. This bill requires technology platforms to take reasonable measures to protect minors from harmful content that could contribute to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse. I did agree to sign on as a co-sponsor of this bill. Finally, Senate Bill 246 (SB246), the companion bill to House Bill 1512 (ARKANSAS ACESS) was heard on the floor of the House this past Monday (March 17th). As previously stated, it is legislation, in my opinion, designed to afford more opportunities for those students who already have, thus limiting those students who do not have as much separate educational opportunities between students that in Arkansas.
The Educational Emergency continues
State Representative Joy C. Springer represents District 76 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Representative Springer previously served on the Little Rock School Board and is a long-time civil rights activist and supporter of equity in public education. She currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee and House Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs committees. Additionally, she serves on the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) and the JBC Employee Benefits Division Oversight committee and as a 1st Alternate on the Legislative Joint Auditing committee.
opinions
EDUCATIONAL EMERGENCY: 9th Week- 95th General Assembly
By Joy C. Springer
March 16, 2025
As the Arkansas House of Representatives entered the 9th week of the 2025 Regular Session, we once again ended the week with not so good news….
House Bill 1512 (HB1512)! Another bill designed, in my opinion, to separate the “haves” from the “have nots.” Two years ago, Arkansas Learns started this trend at the elementary and secondary levels of Arkansas’educational system and now we have Arkansas ACCESS for the state’s higher education levels. ACCESS, claiming to reform Arkansas' higher education system, the House once again overwhelmingly passed HB1512. For the record, I voted NO on HB 1512!
As a reminder, Arkansas ranks 38th in education, 37th in literacy, 41st in high school completion and 39th in college enrollment rates compared to states across the country. Yet, “the powers that be” have ignored our status by the introduction of new legislation that now attempts to censor student voices and eliminate every ounce of representation from our local communities and school districts.
HB1512 is allegedly designed to address critical issues surrounding access to education, affordability, and student success across the state, with its principles summarized in the acronym ACCESS: Acceleration, Common Sense, Cost, Eligibility, Scholarships, and Standardization as the core principles of the alleged higher education reform legislation. A summary of ACCESS as presented by its progenitors follows:
The Acceleration component of the ACCESS focuses on enhancing the readiness of high school students for higher education and future careers.
It aims to broaden accelerated coursework options in Arkansas high schools.
The Common-Sense provisions of the bill seek to foster unbiased learning environments in higher education. The bill also introduces the "Purple Star Campus" designation, recognizing institutions that support service members and military families.
Addressing Cost concerns, the ACCESS proposes reforming the funding model to encourage diverse educational pathways, including non-degree credentials. The bill introduces a new productivity-based funding model that factors in the return on investment for students.
The Eligibility section of the bill works toward creating uniformity and efficiency in college admissions. It expands the types of exams that can be used for college admissions. In terms of Scholarships, the ACCESS Act expands the Workforce Challenge Scholarship and increases the Arkansas Academic Challenge first-year award from $1,000 to $2,000.
However, in my opinion, ACCESS infringes upon students’ First Amendment Rights. It prohibits students from getting excused absences for advocating by appearing at the Legislature, protesting, or conducting walkouts. Students will be penalized for exercising their right to protest harmful bills such as ACCESS. In addition, college students could have
their degrees put on hold if they choose to speak out. Some amendments were made to this provision of the ACCESS; however, they were still met with much opposition, particularly from students, themselves. ACCESS jeopardizes equity programs for ALL students.
ACCESS prohibits nearly all DEI programs. A provision in the legislation that could potentially adversely impact student organizations, scholarships, and support centers for marginalized Arkansans including women, minority students and
international students.
ACCESS is gambling with our students' futures. Based upon the way that the legislation is written, schools would no longer be required to offer Advanced Placement classes—that help students get a head start on college material—most heavily impacting access to opportunity and mobility for our rural communities.
Finally, ACESS eliminates the seventeen member School Leadership Council that previously had representation from stakeholders across the state. ACCESS now proposed a five-member board that includes the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Commissioner of the Division of Higher Education, Commissioner of the Division of Career and Technical Education and finally the Chairmen of the House and Senate Education committees.
The Educational Emergency continues….
Rep. Joy C. Springer represents District 76 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Mrs. Springer previously served on the Little Rock School Board and is a long-time civil rights activist and supporter of equality in public education. She currently serves on the House Public Transportation and House Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs committees. Additionally, she serves on the Performance Review committee, and Joint Budget committee as a 1st alternate including Personnel and Special Language, and as a 2nd alternative on the Legislative Auditing committee.
About Us
Why we must create our own narratives
Perception is reality. How we are viewed and what is said about us matters. It is abundantly clear that here in Arkansas, we as African-Americans don't control many, if any, statewide media groups. On any given day, COUNT the number of positive stories reported by print and television stations KATV, KARK/KLRT-FOX-TV, and KTHV, about African Americans in Arkansas.
In Arkansas, with the exception of KTHV, the media groups and their ownerships are conservative and often often distort people of color and specifically, BLACK families. As black consumers of the news, "that's the part we miss." How on the "regular" we are portrayed by white media groups and their local news stations and print media.
A study from the University of Illinois concluded that at best media outlets (a) promoted racially biased portrayals and myths that pathologize black families and idealize white families with respect to poverty and crime (b) play a dangerous role in spreading debunked stereotypes about black families and (c) at worst, amplify those inaccurate depictions for political and financial gain. We've all seen that type of behavior before.
When media outlets examined in the study reported stories about poor families, they chose to feature black families in their coverage 59 percent of the time, even though only 27 percent of families living below the poverty line are black.
Similarly, in coverage of welfare, 60 percent of families portrayed were black, even though only 42 percent of families receiving welfare are black.
Finally, the article addresses the real-life consequences of the continued distortion of black life by the media. "When the news media constantly associates black people with crime, it increases racial stereotypes among viewers, leading the public including liberal and conservative Arkansan's to disproportionately favor punitive criminal justice policies." As a collateral damage piece, when the poor are depicted as overwhelmingly black, it leads the public to support heavier restrictions on welfare because of a perception that undeserving black people benefit from it. Backers of corporate and right-wing policies gain when the news media blames black families for social conditions, while their own role in destabilizing society remains invisible.
This online publication exists to counter the narrative that constantly depicts African Americans as "less than." It exists to balance the negative view of African American life that is constantly depicted in the local news and information outlets in this state. We are so much more than the lip-service paid to us by those that control the news cycle. It's not about the reporting of the news, it's about the process of manufacturing the news. There is a saying that goes something like this. "If you control the messenger, then you control the message." Let's take some of that control back. As African Americans in Arkansas, let us create our own narratives. Most importantly, let us report and talk about the real issues.................. with our own voices,.... and our own opinions.
meet our contributors
opinion
opinion
opinion
Deborah Suttlar
Deborah is a longtime Community and Civil Rights Activist. Her column appears in the Opinion Section.
Click the link below to read read Deborah Suttlar's column.
https://talkblackarkansas.com/opinion
opinion
opinion
opinion
The Honorable Wendell Griffen
Judge Griffen will comment on the law and its impact on Black Arkansans. He will also discuss and legal and social issues on a state and national level impacting Black Arkansans and Black Americans.
Click the link below to read Judge Griffens column.
Finance
opinion
Religion
Gaining generational wealth is the key to Black economic family wealth and security. We will share strategies from the Association of African American Financial Advisors to help you and your family get there. We will inform you about managing your finances so that you can start your path to financial freedom.
Religion
Religion
Rev. C.E. McAdoo
Rev. McAdoo is a retired District Superintendent with the United Methodist Church. He will provide a weekly column on Religion and Black Arkansas.
Click the link below to read Rev. McAdoo's column.
https://talkblackarkansas.com/opinion .
At the State Capitol
State Representative Joy C. Springer
State Representative Joy Springer is a veteran school an civil rights advocate for African-American children and their families. She will provide a weekly column on state legislative and educational concerns affecting African -Americans .
Click the link below to read Representative Springer's column.
Medicine and health
This weekly column features a listing of top African-American doctors in Arkansas, and their areas of expertise. We will try to connect you with physicians who understand your physical, cultural and mental health needs. One study suggests that African American male patients who meet with black physicians often ask to receive more preventive services than patients who met with nonblack physicians. This study also suggested that black doctors are more likely to provide a comfortable settings to black patients, perhaps because of shared experiences or backgrounds. The study concluded that increasing the amount of black physicians could lead to a 19 percent reduction in the black-white male cardiovascular mortality gap and an 8 percent decline in the black-white male life expectancy gap.
Education
Who to call
Who to call
This weekly column will focus on educational happenings in the state including news from local school districts and the Arkansas Department of Education.
Who to call
Who to call
Who to call
People always have "who to contact questions." Whether it is a local city government office or a state government office, we will try to steer you in the right direction.