The People’s Church of the Harvest Church of God in Christ
When Dr. King called for a boycott of Chicago’s public schools over 50 years ago, I answered. Even though I was still a child then, I could see that something was not right in our schools — that we were not getting what we needed out of them. In answering his call, my family, my friends, my community, stood up and took action to address a problem we saw in our society. In doing so, many of us found our voice and passion for working towards something bigger than ourselves and striving for a better and more just life for all.
As we reflect on the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination in Memphis, communities across the country and here in Chicago are taking stock of his life and what it means for our lives today. We look back on that long arc of history spanning the time between April 4, 1968 and today and see how Dr. King and those who answered his calls helped bend that arc towards justice.
What’s more, while this anniversary serves as a time to reflect, it is also a call for action to a new generation of community and faith leaders to come make their mark on history. Through initiatives like the I AM 2018 Campaign, the millions-strong Church of God in Christ, AFSCME and others are working to both commemorate this solemn occasion and harness the energy of the moment to help this new generation find their voice and passion to serve. We need this new generation to carry on the work that Dr. King inspired so many of us to do and to protect the gains we have made from the forces that would roll those gains back. And in April, at the site of Dr. King’s Mountaintop speech, we’ll kick off an aggressive voter education and civic engagement program to tackle issues plaguing working families and mobilizing turnout for the 2018 elections and beyond.
For the past 38 years I have been Pastor of the People’s Church of Harvest in East Garfield Park. I see every day the challenges our community faces. I see how much of what Dr. King sought to address—violence, inadequate schools, housing and opportunity—we are still working to address today. I see the progress we have made, and how easily it can be undone. And I also see the tireless efforts of faith leaders, churches, community organizations, and unions to address these problems head on. We are not running from them. We are not in denial. We know the challenges we face and that they are only going to be adequately addressed by the community finding solutions.
As Dr. King addressed the plight of sanitation workers, the Church of God in Christ here in Chicago is addressing the plight of ex-offenders with training impacting over 4,000 ex-offenders, many of which have obtained permanent employment.
Another one of the Church’s initiatives that we call “Choppin’ It Up” seeks to address the challenge of gun violence in our community by engaging directly in a dialog with gang members. When we ask them why they all feel like they need to be carrying a gun, we hear back that they do not want to be caught without one, or as they say, “we can’t be caught lacking.”
Our community can’t be caught lacking, either. It can’t be caught lacking a good education and economic opportunity. It can’t be caught lacking peace, security and safety. It can’t be caught lacking family and the stable homes our children need to thrive. Our community can’t be caught lacking the men and women of faith, the community leaders, the activists and ordinary citizens whose passion, time and toil help make all of this possible.
So, as you mark 50 years since the death of Dr. King, stand up and answer the call.
About Post Author
