| By
Eleanor Boswell-Raine, Editor
OAKLAND
– Something new and different was introduced
by Black Expo producer Dr. C. Diane Howell on Sunday
afternoon at the culmination of the two-day event
designed to promote African American economic development
and to offer companies, large and small, the opportunity
to access a lucrative and often overlooked market.
Howell stated that when she looked at making Expo
better she looked at working with churches, because
of their significance in the community. She said that
she created the “Unity in the Community”
component “…because the spirit said we
need to do something now”…and that it
became clear to her that solutions and not the problems
should be addressed. Howell invited pastors from Christian
and Muslim religions, leaders in the community to
participate in a Ministers’roundtable.
The goal of the Ministers’ forum was to begin
to, “Develop strategies to reduce poverty and
increase wealth building, decrease crime and encourage
educational and occupational achievement, and improve
health and promote prosperity throughout our community.”
Seated on the stage of the Convention Center where
all week-end fashion shows, musicians, dancers and
choirs had entertained Black Expo attendees, the ministers
sat in a half circle prepared to tackle a visioning
session and to articulate the progress they wanted
to see in the African American community in five years.
|
Here
are some of their comments:
• In five years blacks would be investing their
money wisely, increasing home ownership, banking in
the same bank so that they would be in control of
how their money is used.
• In five years churches would own businesses
in their own communities and people would be spending
their money in their community.
• In five years pastors would come together
and they would drop their individual agendas.
• In five years we would build our house of
worship first, build our own education centers second
and build our businesses third so that our students
would exercise the skills they learned.
The panel participants for the most part agreed that
it is the pastors who must first unite as leaders.
“We must stop fighting and competing…
We all serve the same God, and that includes the Nation
of Islam…
We will never make progress unless we cross over the
threshold of one another’s church.” In
addressing problems of the youth a forum member suggested
that churches partner to convene a youth summit, and
to honor those who are doing well. They pointed to
a disconnect between the church from Monday through
Saturday, beyond Sunday. The forum concluded with
the suggestion that the churches unite to send 1,000
busses from California to the The Millions More March.
Beyond the march, there was a desire to see pastors
and deacons act within the community, and to come
together to say, “What is the state of the Black
Bay?” Additionally, Dr. Howell volunteered to
compile a listing of all the pastors and churches
and mosques as an enabling tool for pastors to reach
out to each other and to get to know each other.
More
photos of
Black Expo 2005 >> |
