MICHIGAN CI11ZEN °
OPINION
Ilin
e
•
•
in tile foo steps of
lchard Allen
, The tension between the gle waged by the faithful inside
In 1787 Richard Allen, an Deeds and requirements of in- of the Catholic Church for
African-American pr cher in stitutions within the majority respect for tbeir particular eth-
the pre-dominantly white Euro-centric white society in nicorDationalcultureandiden-
ethodist Church, moved to or- America and the needs and re- tity.
ganize Black parishio rs to es- qui rem ent S 0 f p e 0 pIe 0 f . Obviously we are not Irish,
t bli h their own church in African descent who have been Italian, Polish, Hungarian or
Philadclp· � The creation the victims of white r cism and Hispanic. ADd of course we are
of wha iDitialIy an Semi- Euro-centric cultural aggres- not Roman. We are African-
utODOmo Black church was sion have been a odds every Americans. Rev. Georg tall-
precipitated by racism in the since our forced arrival in The Catholic Church like all ing contention is that the
ethodist Church and an in-' America. The conflict between other predominently white in- African-American struggle in-
eDsitivity to the particular the demands or c6nditio hud stitutions in America is ines- side the Roman Catholic"
needs of e so and daughters down by the larger society for ' capably afflicted by r cism Church to overcome racism d
of Africa in America. The our "acceptance" and the given the history and culture of for fundemental appreci tio
larger church ted Africans demands of African people fo America. Ina ddition each and recognition of African-
to convert to the faith, but the equality, dignity, respect nd predomin tly white institution American culture and th Black
price which Blac were often self-determination been a ° in America cont i its own experience h been very slow
ed to pay was n uncqu I constant dimension of the peculiar Euro-centric cultual in yielding sufficient re ults.
d inferior statu within t African struggle for liber lion heritage. In the ca e of the Consequently Stallings ha
church and a J c of respect for i America. Rom n C tholic Church the moved like Richard Allen
t hi ory, culture nd tradi- In res to this conOict, rit u' Is,· .c stom nd before him to ere te, a ong with
. . of the African converts. Richard Allen w forced to ceremonies r erived prin- his follower a new church. the
Indeed in the climatic incident create Dew church, a parallel cipally from th Roman/Latin Imam Temple; a new church
hich occasioned the BI ck institution to the hite church, traditions of the early Catholic which could become a new
brea from the church,· white in order to meet the ds of Church in Italy. Hence even denomination -;- the African
orshipers ctually plied Afric n-Americ ns. The. converts to Roman Catholism Catholic Church in America!
L.Richard Allen and other Black 'African-American M sons, from other European nations It is m refreshing to see
rshiper from their knees as EI fraternities and rorities h ve sought their own par- Rev. StalJings articul te a chris-
th y prayed at the Iter at St. h ve had to do like because ticular accommodaiions within tian theology which is Afro-
Georges Methodist Church. of an unwillingness by their the Catholic Church based on centric and promotes human
Enough was enough. white-counter parts to accept their own culture and needs as liberation. The church, any Ron Daniels served as the
Richard Allen, joined by an mac people and/or to accept distinct nationalities. . church which purports to paster Director of the National Rain-
Epi copal P tor named Ab- Blac people on an equal and Here in America one fre- to African-Americans mu t bow Coalition and as the Deputy
salem Jonc organized th Free dignified footing devoid of quenlty finds Iri h C tholic meet the b ic ne ds of B Campaign Manager for the
Afric: n Society, whic was racism nd cultural insen- Churches, or Polish, Italian or people. Retaining the whole- Reverend Jesse Jackson's
dicated to buildi sitivity. In 198') more than 200 Hungarian Catholic Churchs. D and richness of our culture, Presidential Compoign '88. He
church. By 1794 Richard Allen years after Richard Allen and The Roman Catholic Church and eking to heal the wounds has served as President of the
and his African-American fol- his followers made their fateful h tended to tolerate the emer- resulting from slavery, racism, National Black Assembly and as
10 r were ble to dedicatcthc dcci ion, George St lIings a gence of these essentially ethic gregation and cultural ag- Chairperson of the National
Bethel African Method' tEpis- African-American Rom n congregations in America. In gre ion' ehsscndtiadltothle alva- Black Independent Political
copal Church. Mother Bethel Catholic Priest from Central and South America, lion, growt an eve opment Party. Currently, he serves as
A.M.E. Church became the Washington, D.C. i being com- and to a limited extent in Africa of African-Americans. In th t President of the Institute for
foundation for the first or- peUed to confront the same his- the Catholic Church has made regard not onl y the Community Organization and ,
g nized African-American torieal conflict nd dilemma concc sions to local and prcd0!'li�antIYb h whi.te Development in Youngstown,
denomination in America, the th t Richard Allen and so many regional culture nd customs. denominations, ut t e entire Ohio. He may be contacted at
African Methodist Episcop I other Africans in Am ica have Some of the e concessio have African-American Church. it- (216) 764-5747.
Church. had to face. re ulted from committed strug- self might well learn from who t °
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Rev. George Stallings is pre ch
ing and teaching, No 0 ows
where Rev. Stallings efforts will
eventually Ie d. What do
know is that Rev. George Stall
ings is treading in the foot teps
of Richard Allen. I for one ope
that he keeps te ing!
Detroit Police were out in force Sunday August 6, for the
N.W.A. and LL Cool J r p concert at Joe Louis Arena. The
authorities re intimid ted by the thought of thousands of
young Black rapper converging on downtown. e
- reports said extr police cordoned off the area so th�t. only
tho e with tickets cou d get clo e to the Arena. Additional
officers were assigned to walk the beat in front of stores in
the neighborh od near Joe Loui in anticipation of wild and
unruly 'crowds rioting after th concert.
Censorship of the concer ttempted when sponsors
asked .W.A, n t to perform t ei "F--- the Police." Though
the group h d agreed not to do the number, they did it
anyway.
The whole thing reminded us of pi e Lee's "Do the
Right Thing" that portrays the police an occupying force,
keeping the folks in c eck by any me ns necessary. Roc
concerts that attract I e suburban crowds get different
treatment. omething ong when a peope fears its own
young. As one rap gr p say, hey (the police) are here
to protect u , but who pr tects us from them?
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