Hurricane Katrina and Urban Poverty

Today marks the 5th anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast region and left over 1,800 persons dead in several states. Over 1,400 of those who died were from New Orelans with the majority being from the Lower 9th Ward. Among other things, Hurricane Katrina shed light on the dimensions of urban poverty. One of the poorest areas of New Orleans, persons in the lower 9th Ward were disproporionately affected by the Hurricane. Today, many remain dispplaced or continue to live in temporary trailors.

The Meaning of King's Dream

Yesterday, August 28, 2010, marked the 47th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's the now-famous "I Have a Dream" speech rendered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. On yesterday, two rallies were held in Washington, led by persons with very obvious competing interests and interpretations of King's message in 1963 and throughout his life. One of the rallies was organized and led by Glen Beck (conservative talk-show host) and Sarah Palin (former candidate for vice president and a leader of the "tea party" movement) - with the theme "Restoring Honor." The other, with theme, "Reclaiming the Dream", was organized and led by progressive activist, Rev. Al Sharpton. This beckons us to reflect upon the meaning of King's Dream for us today. One of the speakers at Sharpton's rally was Christian social ethicist, Dr. Robert Franklin, now the president of Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA where Dr. King completed his undergraduate studies. Dr. Franklin shared in his remarks that all of those who are interested in King's dream (including Mr. Beck, Ms. Palin and members of the "tea party") might do well to visit Morehouse College where many of the spiritual and intellectual foundations of King's dream were shaped and molded. At its very foundation, King's dream (and his life's work) was rooted in justice - which is both social and political. He stated on more than one occasion that the "arc of the universe is wide - and it always bends toward justice." For King, justice pertains to the moral order of the universe, and is God's divine intent for all humanity. Justice is intended to be pervasive, and involves economic justice (which addresses poverty, inequality and exploitation), racial justice, gender justice, justice for children, justice for those without health care, and just peacemaking (as an alternative to war). Forty-seven years after King heeded the encouragement of Ms. Mahalia Jackson and told us his dream, perhaps yesterday's gatherings should give each of us the impetus to pause and reflect upon the real meaning of King's dream for us - and how after reading his dream and studying his life, each of us might seek to live out justice in our midst.

Hate Crime in the City

Recently, there has been a rise in the incidence of violent crimes directed toward Hispanic men in Baltimore - including the murder of two men in East Baltimore. Police offcials have determined that one of the murders appears to have been a hate crime. We are reminded again that hatred and violence anywhere is a threat to love and peace everywhere.

Hate Crime in the City

Two days ago, numnerous swastikas were found painted on six vans in the Park Heights community of Baltimore. We are reminded that hatred anywhere is a threat to love everywhere. Let us remain prayerful that acts of hatred such as this will be eradicated in our midst.

Black Youth Violence

Homicide is the leading cause of death for African-Americans ages 10-24. In a 2007 nationwide survey, 36 percent of high school students reported being in a physical fight during the past 12 months, and 6 percent reported taking a gun, knife or club to school in the past 30 days. (Ebony Magazine, September 2010)

High School Dropout

President Barack Obama called the high school dropout rate a "crisis" that the nation cannot accept or ignore. Nationwide, three out of 10 students never graduate. In some inner-city schools, only three out of 10 do. What's disturbing about these numbers is that 12 percent of the schools produce 50 percent of America's dropout rates. (Ebony Magazine, September 2010)

Gangs

A recent report indicates that today there are over 28,000 identifiable gangs in America with over 770,000 gang members. These gangs operate in urban, suburban and rural communities across the country, and represent various ethnic groups - whites (and white supremicists), blacks, Hispanics and Asians.

The Church's Challenge

It is in order now at last to raise the question: Is the witness of the church in our society the unfolding of such an idea as we see manifested in the religious experience and the life of Jesus? Whatever may be the deliminitng character of the historical development of the church, the simple fact remains that at the present moment in our society, as an institution, the church is divisive and discriminating, even within its fellowship. It is divided into dozens of splinters. This would indicate that it is essentially sectarian in character. As an institution there is no such thing as the church. There has to be some kind of church...

Howard Thurman - "The Creative Encounter", 1954

Confronting Crime in Baltimore

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has posted infomation regarding city efforts to confront crime under the Rawlings-Blake Rewiew #26-Confronting Crime. For more infomation go to http://www.baltimorecity.gov/.

Broken Windows

I teach an Urban Ministry course in Baltimore, where one of the exercises that students are asked to complete is to walk the neighborhood around the their church and count the number of broken windows and boarded up buildings. It's always interesting to here of the students' findings as it pertains to the correlation between broken windows/boarded buildings and the quality of life in their communities. This brings to mind Wilson and Kelling's piece on the Broken Window's theory. To read more go to: (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/03/broken-windows/4465/).