The Beloved Community Center is working for a world in which everyone's dignity is honored and voice is heard, particularly those who are regularly marginalized from public discourse. We invite you to join with us in creating a space that reflects our commitment to work for such a world.
Aug 6, 2008
On July 23, 2008, a rainy Wednesday night in Greensboro, members and associates of the organizations and “gangs” mentioned in the official document, sat down for over three hours to hammer out an initial agreement (you can read more about the process leading up to this agreement in the article BCC Statement Regarding “Gangs”. What thoughts, suggestions, encouragements do you have regarding the peacemaking efforts?
Jul 2, 2008
[Read more about the growing relationship between the BCC and the Latin Kings in the article "Sharing the table." You can also view pictures of the media conference.]
The lead editorial in yesterday’s News & Record, “A truce among gangs?” would appear at first reading supportive of an effort by Latino and African-American communities to find peaceful and cooperative paths together. The editorial is referring to the news conference held Monday at Faith Community Church, lauding Jorge Cornell for his efforts to reach out to gang members in this area. Those of us who met last week at the Beloved Community Center’s weekly community meeting met many of these members of the Latin Kings, labeled as a “gang” by the editorial.
The approach taken by the editorial leaves questions in its wake. While apparently giving praise to the peace-making efforts mentioned, the writer implies some darker motives are at work. Questioning the reasons for such an effort at this time, the writer then makes some strange associations with local news about recent gang activities. A reader finds more than one message here.
What is even more bothersome about the editorial, in fact, is the continued “demonizing” of the Rev. Nelson Johnson, associating him only to the November 3, 1979 shootings, leaping past the ongoing and amazing works of social ministries he has led his Faith Community Church and also the Beloved Community Center to achieve in the years since 1979. It is as if nothing has happened in the intervening years worthy of mention, so that only the November 3 moment has any relevancy to Johnson’s history. Additionally, the editorial seems to forget the fact that the Greensboro Police Department, not Nelson Johnson, were found jointly liable with the Klan and Nazis for wrongful death. This editorial, in connecting him to that historical moment through such a negative lens thus smears the significance of what is taking place today. For example, the writer notes that “Some of us may question the involvement of the Rev. Nelson Johnson in Monday’s announcement. After all, Johnson is no stranger to controversy, especially as it pertains to the Nov. 3, 1070 Klan-Nazi shootings . . . etc.”
At the close of the piece, the writer credits the newspaper with prior efforts, in calling “for the local faith community to be an active part of the gang solution.” And then notes that Johnson and the Rev. Gregory Headen “appear to be doing” just that, and “more power to them.” What a patronizing and discrediting comment that is!
Jun 3, 2008
Jean Rodenbough’s article “Vocabulary Lessons” explores how to employ African concepts of ubuntu and mato oput as we talk about the Truth and Reconciliation Process in Greensboro. Are there other words, concepts, phrases and images that we can borrow from sister movements? Are there words, concepts, phrases, and images that have given inspiration to your work of building beloved community?
May 7, 2008
Alexander Cockburn, in his article “Real Clear Numbers: 101,000 U.S. Casualties a Year,” summarizes the RAND Corporations 500-page study entitled “Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery” saying:
“The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have thus far produced 300,000 psychological casualties, 320,000 brain injury casualties, plus 35,000 (probably understated) officially reported “normal” casualties. This adds up to 655,000 US casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, an average of just under 101,000 Americans killed or wounded every year since the wars began.”
As we discussed this reality at our Wednesday meeting on May 7th, we were struck by how many of us had friends, relatives, students, and neighbors who had been are or will be going into military service. With several students from A&T around the table, we discussed the presence of the military on A&T’s campus and began to think about what actions we can take both to 1) make resources available to individuals who are considering going into the military as well as 2) confronting the social systems that push African American, Latino, and poor white youth to risk their lives in a war that has been justified by lies.
In the face of such statics, each of which has a real human story connected to it, what should we do? How should we dramatize our anger? How can we create real alternative options for young people?
Apr 23, 2008
What’s your sense of the state of truth, or lack thereof, in the Presidential Campaign? What do you discern as the importance of this campaign? How can we use the energy that this campaign is generating to promote the long haul work of building beloved community?
[You can read two opinions on the current campaign climate in our News & Views section. One by BCC intern Wesley Morris and fellow NCA&T student Sa'Toya Truss, the other by professor of political science at NCA&T and longtime friend Dr. Claude Barnes.]
Mar 28, 2008
We invite your response to the visit of Indian workers who are making their way from the Gulf Coast to Washington DC. How does the experience of these workers connect to the historic racism of our society? How should this impact the public conversation on immigration?
[Read an article regarding their visit to Greensboro here]
Feb 26, 2008
We invite your response to the statement (read the statement in full here). How is this situated historically? What does this reveal about the present state of the Greensboro Police Department? What are your suggestions? critiques?
Feb 13, 2008
What do you think about the North Carolin NAACP’s 14 point agenda (for more information visit www.hkonj.com)? How can we build on this HKonJ to spread the movement for beloved community across our state?
