Where do we go from here?

DR. E. FAYE WILLIAMS

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Where do we go from here is a question Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. raised when we Black people were desperately trying to be treated as human beings in this country. All of my life, as a woman and as a Black person, I’m still asking that question because equality has been beyond reach for me as a woman and as a Black person.
As I watched so many White women being arrested in Washington, D.C., in support of the rights and treatment of women, I couldn’t help but wonder if they could relate to how my ancestors have felt since they were brought to this country against their will and treated as less than human. I wondered if this concern for humanity would last after the Kavanaugh decision is finalized.
As I watched those five elderly White Republican men stand behind the microphone on Capitol Hill with angry and self-righteous words with a “How dare anyone question what we are doing?” attitude, I couldn’t help but wonder what this means for the country many of us have tried so hard to see as fair and concerned about all of her citizens.
I’ve heard the ACLU speak out against Judge Brett Kavanaugh. We have seen the American Bar Association withdraw its support after seeing a raging performance from the man who wants to be on the Supreme Court. We’ve seen the National Council of Churches call for the withdrawal of the nomination of Kavanaugh for a position on the Supreme Court. At one time, we would welcome something going to the Supreme Court, but Kavanaugh’s performance has made that thought a scary one for any of us who spend our days seeking justice. No matter what was said, there was never an honest or thorough effort to confirm or deny the allegations against the person seeking a position on the highest Court in the land. I believed Dr. Christine Ford as the judge denied everything. The performance we saw from Judge Kavanaugh would disqualify him from service on the Court that is the final authority on justice for those of us who are required to seek it on nearly everything that concerns us.
In a conversation with the Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts a short time ago, it was comforting to know that I’m just one of many with serious concern about what is going on and who we can depend upon to help us through this. Dr. Butts indicated that “the Progressive National Baptist Convention has been compelled to step forward amidst the worsening crisis at the heart of American life to reaffirm the commitment of the Church of Jesus Christ to Truth and Justice.”
Dr. Butts went on to say, “…it’s always been the African American Church that has led the way forward along the moral arc of American history. And so, we have called this press conference for the express purpose of explicitly and intentionally enjoining the conversation as the alternative yet the most authentic Christian voice in this critical hour…And so, we have called this press conference for the express purpose of explicitly and intentionally enjoining the conversation as the alternative yet the most authentic Christian voice in this critical hour.”
If you miss it live, I urge you to get a copy of the press conference to be held Wednesday, Oct. 10 at the Press Club in Washington, D.C. Progressive National Baptist Convention and many other Black churches, unlike the White and often racist Conservative Evangelical movement, have always led the way forward to justice for all. We need to hear from them to hear where we go from here.
(Dr. E. Faye Williams is National President of the National Congress of Black Women.)
 
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