Neo-slavery is a fact. Those most affected are African descendants  and other poor and marginalized people, especially in the United States.  The Black Church , that pillar of social and political advocacy is dead, according to Professor of Religion and Chair of the Center for African American Studies at Princeton University, Eddie Glaude, Jr., and if we survey the assorted congregations throughout the United States, it is extremely difficult to disagree with him. According to Professor Glaude one of the reasons is that many progressive middle class African Americans are members of the Joel Olsten and Rick Warren type "nondenominational" congregations. These types of Churches are not equipped to champion the issues that plague African American communities. As Professor Glaude writes, African American Pastors and other African American Church leaders must find their "prophetic voices in this momentous present". 

I was at a community advocacy event last year.  After the event I introduced myself to a well known Atlanta pastor. Discerning my passion he wrote down the title of a book that he suggested I should read. The title of the book is The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering The True Revolutionary Nature ... by Obery M. Hendricks, Jr.  Professor is teaching a course this semester at Emory University in Atlanta. 

I am certain that careful study of this scholarly work will empower our Church leaders to re-evaluate how they do Church.  The School-To-Prison Pipeline and The Prison Industrial Complex are the present Civil Rights battleground. Mainstream issues like gay rights  and economics like minimum wage issues are distractions. What do you think?

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