Pull Pit Activism

Like many religious groups, the Baptists Ministers Union of Oakland held a New Years Service. However, this wasn’t the traditional religious message on salvation. The ministers here understood that there is “no liberation if it only pertains to my spirit. God didn’t just save my soul he restored my body.” In 2011 the union has restored the historical legacy of the church as a “place of refuge” and pivotal participant in social activism. As they paid homage to the emancipation proclamation signed over a hundred years ago, they have made it their mission to be involved in making improvements in the community by making their own proclamation. They have called for all Bay Area faith organizations to become involved in initiatives that serve the community and encourage personal development in the following three areas

1. Supporting economic development in the community through providing monthly workshops, trainings and business development classes. They understand that you cannot fulfill a vision if you have no funds.
2. Supporting education by calling more black educators and mentors in urban communities to validate the importance of education to youth and provide support to students and families. Many of our youth are “dropping out of school and dropping into a life of crime.” The school to prison pipeline must be stopped and this is one way to meet this goal.
3. Supporting health and wellness by providing annual healthcare screenings, seminars and information on the importance of diet and exercise. With some of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and obesity it is important to promote healthy living.

They hope that this mission will harness record number community support in the Bay Area and that it will organically grow into a nation wide phenomena one city at a time.

Regardless of religious affiliation or creed (or lack thereof) the proclamation laid out is universal. There is a need to harness resources for collective action to support community development. One of the biggest resources any initiative has is numbers. Join any group or organization that focuses on community development. You cannot sit back listlessly waiting for change to happen, because years will pass by and you will be sitting in the same position. Be a part of the change you wish see. You are the best person to know what you and what your community needs. If you won’t help yourself who else will?

New Year Know You

With the New Year having rolled in we have all made resolutions in some way to become a new person in 2011; loosing weight, saving money, eating healthy and the like. Many of us probably brought in the New Year at the club, with loud music and alcohol flowing as we celebrated this New Year and this supposed new us. But like many, our resolutions will eventually fade with the turning of every calendar month. However, there are some things that need to remain vibrant and strong throughout the New Year and beyond. Many issues tend to fade to the background and it is up to us to bring them to the forefront. This is the forum to uncover things that tend to be swept under the rug.

Make consciousness a part of the resolution that you bring with you all the way into 2012 and beyond. Knowledge is one thing that can never been taken away. It starts with knowing yourself.