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April 2008
Is Rev. Wright descriptive or divisive?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., is getting more attention after a speech during the NAACP’s 53rd annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner in Detroit.
Wright, the former pastor of Sen. Barack Obama said his critics were off base when they called him divisive and polarizing, according to an articleby the Associated Press.
He said he was descriptive, not divisive, as some critics have said.
Another article in The Detroit Free Press quoted Wright as he drew contrasts between the races and different ethnics groups to make a point that different does not mean deficient.
“One is not abnormal and one normal — it’s just different,” he said, explaining the difference between black and white church traditions, according to the Free Press article.
“I come from a tradition, where we give God the glory, and we give the devil the blues,” he said.
Wright and Obama received much criticism after circulation of videos of some of Wright’s old sermons in which he accused the U.S. government of racism and criticized the country’s foreign policy. He said the chickens were coming home to roost after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Has Rev. Wright been treated fairly by the media? Have his comments been taken out of context? What affect do you think his latest comments will have on the Obama campaign? Should a candidate be held accountable for what his minister or an associate says?
What do you think of the Sean Bell verdict?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Three New York detectives were acquitted of all charges in the death of an unarmed groom-to-be on his wedding day, a case that put the city’s police department at the center of allegations of excessive firepower.
Police officers surrounded the courthouse to guard against potential chaos, and as news of the verdict spread, many began weeping, according to an AP article. Others were enraged.
In 2006, Sean Bell, a 23-year-old black man, was killed in a hail of gunfire outside a seedy strip club in Queens as he was leaving his bachelor party with two friends. Police said earlier they believed the group was armed and dangerous. Demonstrators say police used excessive force. Bell was shot nearly 50 times.
Have you followed the case. What is your reaction to the verdict?
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Can Cosby clean up hip-hop?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Comedian Bill Cosby wants to put his own spin on hip-hop.
Cosby is set to release a hip-hop album in May that blends his stories with a hip-hop, jazz and pop-flavored soundtrack. Don’t expect rap.
The 70-year-old entertainer said the hiphop he hears is degrading and profane. His version is “the opposite of what I think is the profanity for no particular reason, the misogyny for no particular reason,” he said.
Do you agree with Cosby? Or, is Cosby riding a sugar high from eating too much chocolate pudding? Do you listen to hip-hop or have you tuned out? Would you buy this CD for yourself or your children?
Remember Freaknik: Fun or flash point?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you remember Freaknik — the college picnic that became a sprawling street party and a flash point for the city? What are your memories?
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Kesting taken to task for Black History speech
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Cobb County Commissioner Annette Kesting has stirred up controversy over comments she made during a Black History Month celebration at a Marietta church.
Kesting had been invited to Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church in February to speak about African American history and and the theme “Strength to Love,” which is the title of a book by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., according to an article by AJC reporter Jeremy Redmon.
Instead, Kesting veered off topic. “I love my enemies. I pray every day with my enemies because I have to go up on the third floor and work with white women,” she said in the speech, which was videotaped. She told the audience they would be amazed at the people she works with. “They are not Christian - Christian people,” she said.
She goes on to complain about the “evilness” surrounding her when she goes to the office.
In an AJC interview, Kesting, who is seeking re-election, softened some of her comments, saying that she does not count white women among her enemies and that she represents all people, regardless of religion or race. She said her comments were designed to motivate women in the church. She apologized if her remarks offended people.
Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens, who is Jewish, said he wasn’t offended by the remarks about non-Christians, according to the article. He said Kesting was talking about “loving God” and not criticizing other religions.
This is not the first time she’s faced controversy.
She has also been late paying county real estate taxes and faced code violations on rental property she owns with her husband in Powder Springs.
Do you think this incident will affect Kesting’s re-election bid? Are you satisfied with her explanation?
Do you remember the day Dr. King died?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On April 3, 1968, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “Mountaintop speech” at the Church of God in Christ headquarters in Memphis.
“I don’t know what will happen now,” he said that night. “We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. “…And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.”
The next day, King was assassinated. See more King coverage
Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of his death. His murder touched off anger and dismay in Atlanta and around the nation.
What are your thoughts and memories of that time 40 years ago? Do you have a special memory of King?
Was Arrington right to ask whites to leave courtroom?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Marvin Arrington said he meant no harm when he asked white to leave his courtroom while he lectured black defendants.
The incident happened last month when Arrington, a former Atlanta city council president and mayoral candidate, said he entered the courtroom and saw an overwhelming number of blacks. Arrington said urged them to get their lives together, go to school and work hard. read
Was Arrington right to ask white attorneys to leave his courtroom? Has attention over his method sidelined the message?
