In the Public Square

Be alert!

This debate with two classmates of Methuselah reminds us that the work of civic engagement is not an election year strategy. We need to work to hold "the Party," which ever one you usually identify with the most accountable to the people.
We need to build a bench of qualified and vital younger candidates;
We need to create a viable 3rd party so that we can have more than these binary constructs.
We need to engage in deep political education and participate in the process beginning with our school boards, at municipal and state levels on an ongoing basis not just in election years, because all elections are local.
For those of us who actually get paid to do civic engagement this year is going to require being innovate, deep listening and having a collective and collaborative plan to hold our party accountable beyond November. We need a power shift and it is up to us.
This cannot be the best that America has: two extremely old white men one of whom is a pathological, fascist, racist demagogue who promises to be an authoritarian and is courting people to engage in political violence, who is also a person who has been convicted of multiple felonies vs. a slightly older who at best is a recovering racist, who has blood on his hands from killing tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians, who is extremely out of touch and surrounds himself with others who are equally out of touch.
Yet this is what we have we can have one who promises a Blood bath in American streets, the banning of all things that don't meet white pseudo Christian hegemony or one who can't stop funding Blood in the streets of Gaza but will fight for women's rights, reduce debt and at least not directly kill Black people and other people of Color.
When given a binary construct you such as this, you have to choose in real time there is always another way but we have not created it. So here we are in 2024.

I wish I knew some active soldiers but I am pretty sure they wouldn't say what they hate Joe Biden and love , this is ridiculous.

Neither of them are great on immigration but only one of them will target immigrants, Black people, Asians, and other people of Color. Trump dehumanizes immigrants by characterizing them as dangerous. If nothing else in this election people of faith should vote for truth.

Biden feels his help coming on!

For later

Family Photographs Helped an Investigation of How a University Displaced a Black Community — ProPublica A longtime resident of the Shoe Lane area in Virginia chronicled the life of his community as it was demolished by Christopher Newport University. His photographs helped a reporter seek accountability.

I sold my training business in 2016;I knew all of my energy and time needed to be devoted to ministry and organizing in a faith context. I have not solicited a training client since 2015. I trained thousands of professionals in hundreds of cities on common sense issues that required specific skills such as leadership development, the art of negotiation and conflict resolution.
I used arrive to the ballrooms or meeting rooms early, walk the rows and pray that at some point my training would move to explicitly training people of faith on faith related issues.

I am blessed that in my professional role I get to train faith leaders and organizers across the globe. In December I officially organized In the Public Square as my reimagined training space. In February for my birthday I created a social media pages, barely active to date. In March a small group of faith leaders led by someone who heard me give a keynote in 2021 (one I almost turned down) reached out about what they need to do in light of Project 2025 and all that is at stake in the changing faith and political landscape. They are outside of the geographical footprint of Faith in Action. Out of these conversations, my analysis and their desires a cohort was birthed. I rarely work on Saturday but today is the launch of the inaugural Prophetic Witness Cohort. They were each assigned to bring a team, to do pre-work which was basically a Contextual Faith and Political Analysis of their current ministry context. Here we are. Stay tuned and please like and follow In the Public Square.

You can do this today, if you’re in the DMV area, or send someone you know who can, or invite others via your social media, or RSVP below, and Pray!

Stand in Solidarity with the People of Sudan

The crisis in Sudan has been ongoing for almost a year now, and it's time for the international community to take a stand and demand action. We must show solidarity with Sudan's people and urge immediate intervention. A coalition of human rights and peacebuilding organizations is hosting a rally on April 15 from noon to 4 pm at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC. The rally will culminate with a march to the White House to make our voices heard.


Remember to RSVP
via Eventbrite at
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/united-for-sudan-tickets-840185356017 (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/united-for-sudan-tickets-840185356017)

United for Sudan One year into the conflict in , the international community's response remains woefully inadequate. Join us on April 15th

For friends journeying through Ramadan or Holy Week I hope this blesses you. Please read this offering that my beloved and esteemed colleague and sister Rashida James-Saadiya and I co-authored. Rev. R Janae Pitts-Murdock, I have been sitting with those “month long observations” you spoke of in your sermon and it helped me to articulate the contrast.

Definitely not the pic we had in mine.
Even today in a season of chaos and division I had to lean on my faith.
https://religionnews.com/2024/03/26/fasting-as-a-sacred-practice-of-solidarity-and-social-change/

Fasting as a sacred practice of solidarity and social change (RNS) — As we witness the sacred observance of fasting in both Islam and Christianity, we are reminded there is wisdom in restraint and power in collective acts of devotion and protest.

If you are in DC and want to learn and act. Meet at Metropolitan A.M.E. Church tonight.

A Presidential candidate warns us “there wil be a bloodbath if he loses.” I have a lot to say about how this would have turned out for President Obama or anyone else but that’s a moot point. What we need to figure out is how we need to prepare for a civil war. Reality is we have not taught people to fight, literally or figuratively. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-bloodbath-loses-election-2024-rcna143746

Trump says there will be a ‘bloodbath’ if he loses the election Trump made the comments at a rally in Ohio, where he spoke about auto manufacturing. The Biden campaign responded by criticizing the former president’s “threats of political violence.”

Ramadan Kareem is a greeting that refers to a blessing of generosity. As our Muslim kindred observe their Holy Month I am praying for the generosity of justice, peace and protection. Ramadan Kareem kindred.

If you are listening to the address tonight what do you need to hear?

TOMORROW: Join NCNW for a State of the Union watch party! Register via the link below for the opportunity to interact with NCNW President and CEO Shavon Arline-Bradley, the NCNW Social Justice Committee, and special guests. Virtual doors will open at 8:45pm. See you there!

https://streamyard.com/watch/mND3s2qFwy6J

Black Women this is a great Watch Party to join with these powerful sisters who lead in the
Join NCNW for a State of the Union watch party! Register via the link below for the opportunity to interact with NCNW President and CEO Shavon Arline-Bradley, the NCNW Social Justice Committee, and special guests. Virtual doors will open at 8:45pm. See you there!
https://streamyard.com/watch/mND3s2qFwy6J

TOMORROW: Join NCNW for a State of the Union watch party! Register via the link below for the opportunity to interact with NCNW President and CEO Shavon Arline-Bradley, the NCNW Social Justice Committee, and special guests. Virtual doors will open at 8:45pm. See you there!

https://streamyard.com/watch/mND3s2qFwy6J

It’s Super Tuesday this means Primaries in 15 states and 1 territory. Check your poll times and participate in democracy.

"Bloody Sunday" is a great day to kick off and to officially invite you to like and follow this page.