Baptist clergy call for immigration reform in Winston-Salem

Upwards of a dozen Baptist pastors gathered in Winston-Salem today to call for comprehensive immigration reform in Washington.

"We're asking Sens. Kay Hagan and Richard Burr and Congresspersons Virginia Foxx and Mel Watt, as well as the other congresspersons in North Carolina to act now on comprehensive, fair immigration reform that respects the God-given dignity of every person, protects the unity of every immediate family, respects the rule of law, guarantees secure national borders, ensures fairness to taxpayers and establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and wish to become permanent residents," the Rev. Brandon Hudson, pastor of Northwest Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, said on behalf of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina.

The Rev. Ryan Eller said the fellowship represents Baptists with a broad range of political and theological orientations, including people who consider themselves evangelical, moderate and progressive. Almost 400 congregations belong to the fellowship. A full-time organizer with Change.org, Eller is also a pastor with the Via Faith Community, an emergent congregation that meets at Community Arts Cafe on West 4th Street in Winston-Salem.

A handful of pastors read the statement on behalf of the fellowship, including Scott Orr, pastor of Lindley Park Church in Greensboro, and Latino, black and white clergy from congregations in Goldsboro and Siler City. The press conference took place in front of First Baptist Church on Highland Avenue.

"Our Scriptures constantly tell us: Care for the immigrants and strangers among us," said Ka'thy Gore Chappell, leadership development coordinator for the fellowship. "And in the Scriptures, we know that Jesus told us in Mark 12 and Matthew 22 that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our passion, prayer and intelligence and then to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves."

Campaign manager for 12th congressional challenger resigns

Statement by Chad Nance, via Facebook:

With much regret I must announce that I, Chad Nance, will no longer be acting campaign manager for the Matt Newton for Congress campaign. Today, May 1st, it came to my attention that a member of the North Carolina Senate’s spouse has been at the polls telling voters that her husband pushed Amendment 1 in order to ensure what she described as a “Caucasian majority.” When I told Mr. Newton that I had given my information to local press he became irate and screamed that it would ruin his campaign if the African-American vote were to be galvanized and increased because of this incident. This was personally disappointing to me. While I have been a paid employee of the Newton campaign I am not a mercenary who would even consider suppressing this information in an attempt to ensure a low African-American turnout at the polls. If this means I am not fit to play in the political game then so be it. I will not work for just another politician... which sadly... Mr. Newton is.

Newton is challenging Rep. Mel Watt for the 12th Congressional District seat.

Hip Hop Caucus pushes green agenda at A&T

Bennett College senior Sierra Morton stops to chat with Hip Hop Caucus President and CEO Lennox Yearwood (left) and Rep. Mel Watt.

The official launch date of the Hip Hop Caucus’ “One Planet One Voice” campaign is March 4 in Charlotte, but students at NC A&T University got a sneak preview today around noon and an invitation to help shape its formation.

Led by the Rev. Lennox Yearwood, the national grassroots organization’s purpose is twofold: To hold hip hop artists accountable for using their immense public reach to speak to the needs of their constituency, and to hold elected officials accountable at a policy level to that constituency.

“Hip hop has so much power that Rev. Yearwood understands that our hip hop artists have a duty and obligation to be responsible to our communities,” said Terance Muhammad, a Greensboro resident who serves as the historically black colleges and universities coordinator for the Hip Hop Caucus.

The organization has corralled the celebrity of hip-hop artists such as Kanye West and Common to raise the consciousness of fans and engage them in social change politics. And fitting for an outfit that bills itself as a “national grassroots organization for the 21st century,” the Hip Hop Caucus makes ample use of social media.

The Greensboro event was tweeted, with the feed projected onto a large, onstage screen. YES! Weekly intern Christian Bryant was also working his Twitter account.

In 2008, the Hip Hop Caucus claims to have registered 32,000 new voters in 16 cities. Over the past three years the organization has been working to build a bridge between the green movement and its constituency.

Yearwood told the roughly 40 students in the room that that they were “the most important generation we have ever seen,” and contrasted their challenge with those of the civil rights generation, who struggled against segregated water fountains.

“The different is our movement is not about equality; it’s about existence,” Yearwood said. “If we don’t transition from fossil fuels, future generations will face catastrophic consequences.

Later, Rep. Mel Watt, a Democrat from Charlotte, riffed on the water fountain concept, chiding Yearwood that the water fountains during Jim Crow times were unequal, with black water more likely to be unfiltered, but ultimately concurred on the point.

“This is about whether we can drink any water,” Watt said. “It’s terribly important.”

The Hip Hop Caucus holds ambitious goals for the next two years. Yearwood said the organization would like to organize chapters on every HBCU campus across the nation, and hold a national convention in June 2012. And while the Hip Hop Caucus is a nonpartisan organization, it’s not hard to see that the mobilization arc and dovetailing of agendas could result in a windfall of votes in President Obama’s reelection campaign.

Incidentally, both the Hip Hop Caucus’ “One Planet One Voice” campaign launch next month and the Democratic National Convention next year are planned to take place in Charlotte.

“Charlotte is pushing to become the energy capital of this country,” Yearwood said. “Lots of energy companies are pushing an moving into Charlotte. It’s the banking hub. Now, it’s becoming the energy hub.”

During the program, Oakland, Calif. spoken word artist Ise Lyfe made a brief, two-minute appearance. He’ll be giving a talk at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Bryan Auditorium on the campus of Guilford College entitled, “Is Everybody Stupid?”

After the A&T event, Ise Lyfe said he’s been courted by the Hip Hop Caucus since its inception and admires the way the organization challenges politicians to be cognizant of the issues affecting the hip-hop community, which he defines as “a disenfranchised community.”

He said he sees the connection between hip hop and the green movement as a natural one.

“Hip hop in its essence is a reaction to poverty,” Ise Lyfe said. “People break-danced on cardboard because they didn’t have anything else…. Talking about green — how do you make an issue that’s unseen, seen? What better than hip hop? Hip hop has taken to a global level. All over the world everybody knows about crack in the hood.”

Web-only scuttlebutt

Retired US marshal runs for sheriff
Democrat Harlon Costner, a retired US marshal, has announced he will challenge incumbent Republican BJ Barnes for the position of Guilford County sheriff. “I think it’s time to get some new leadership,” Costner said Monday. “I have some ideas about how the office should be run to save on the budget, and implement a training program for crisis intervention.” Costner indicated his approach to immigration enforcement will not markedly differ from that pursued by Barnes. “Once an inmate has been arrested and incarcerated, 287(g) would be a tool to identify whether that inmate is or is not an illegal alien,” he said. “I will not be assigning deputies to go out in the field and look for illegal aliens.” On his website, Costner says he will put more emphasis on inter-agency cooperation and community policing. The candidate appeared at a campaign event for Greensboro mayoral candidate Yvonne Johnson in September and said he will actively campaign between now and the primary next spring.

Triad representatives vote along party lines on healthcare legislation
Votes among the Triad delegation for the healthcare reform bill that passed the US House of Representatives, 220-215, on Nov. 7 broke down along party lines, with Democratic Reps. Brad Miller and Mel Watt voting for the legislation and Republican Reps. Howard Coble and Virginia Foxx casting votes against it. Watt said in a press release that final passage of the legislation would benefit 129,000 uninsured individuals in his district, which stretches from Greensboro to Charlotte. Speaking against the bill on the House floor, Coble said, “The majority of my constituents believe the United States has the best delivery of healthcare services. I concur. These same constituents are not averse to reform, but they fear the Pelosi healthcare plan will leave the gate wide open for introduction for overwhelming government involvement. I believe that fear is well founded.”