An Open Letter to Black Lives Matter BIRMINGHAM As arguably - TopicsExpress

An Open Letter to Black Lives Matter BIRMINGHAM As arguably one of the most popular and controversial pastors in the City of Birmingham, I more than anyone understand the need to be radical when trying to get your message out. Placing a polemical and powerful billboard over a popular strip club really got the message of Jesus Christ out, but was also controversial at the same time. Although I commend your effort to get your message out I do not approve of your methods. As the grandson of a great civil rights activist, Bishop Calvin Wallace Woods, I know firsthand the power of protests. However our generation has missed a critical thing. We want their POWER without their PRINCIPLES. Meaning every protest they did was with in the rights and laws of the society. Simply put, they never broke laws. They received marching permits. They prayed in public places. Even when they weren’t granted marching permits they would march on the sidewalks because they understood to break the law makes them no better than the people they were protesting against. Shutting down Highway 280 is not the answer especially when we wont shut down the polls to vote. The Bible says, “Mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice.” The Bible did not say pray that you would have their same struggle. Like it or not Birmingham is not Ferguson, neither is it New York. We were privileged to have ancestors and foot soldiers who placed their lives on the line in the 60s. As a result, we now have the precious privilege of having a black mayor, a black Chief of Staff a black city Council a black chief of police black judges and a predominantly black police department. We should find different creative ways to help the country but not mimic a struggle, which is clearly not present Birmingham. While it is we wore black on Sunday in support of all lives and I believe that we must raise our boys so that there wont be another Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, or Mike Brown. It is paramount to the nation and the movement itself that we find creative ways to make our voices heard within the context of the City of Birmingham. Black Solidarity is a must! We must stand in support, but to pretend that we have an issue that we don’t is not helpful and is in fact disrespectful to the change we are trying to cause. Birmingham is known to be the seat of many great changes throughout this country, let’s not ruin a rich history of peaceful protest garnered by being law-abiding citizens to become hasty law breakers fighting without a cause. Let us be actual agents of change by supporting the movement legally and within our given context.