Contract with Black America

[The Cushite]

Hi GC Fam
I have been watching the State of the Black Union -Contract with black America forum on C-Span and I find 2 things that stand out

1. The issue of how much economic empowerment can effect change in our collective condition

&

2. How relevant can the black church be if it feels a deeper connection with white evangelicals than it can with poor blacks.


The economic question always intrigues me because I wonder if becoming better capitalists can solve the problems caused by capitalism (read class exploitation) that demean our very humanity. Capitalism demonizes poverty (check The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Max Weber) and therefore I think links economics to the issue of the black church. I have been telling people in my community (and church specifically) that the gay marriage issue is just a smokescreen to take our resources and energies away from real issues of poverty and social justice, but they really ain't hearing it. They think poor folks are poor because they are just ignorant , undisciplined, unsaved folks (deameaning people because of their economics, sounds Calvinist to me). There really is no examination of the social structures that contribute to the conditions in the community.

At any rate, what is your take on rthe possibilities of economic empowerment and the black church in addressing the ills of the black community ?

Blackwatch!!!!!!