Sunday, February 18, 2024
Visit to Eastern Correctional Facility
It’s been a good while since we last Traveling and Thinking out Loud with the People’s Pastor. But we have been on the move in my car, still traveling, teaching and thinking out loud. I’d like to think that God gave us this creative way of communicating with the people. It is an interesting, informative, educational, inspirational, and motivational initiative. We have been getting wide viewership averaging about a thousand on each trip or venture. I think people like motion, movement. A long time ago when I chaired the NBUF, we were on a march. News folk with their cameras tried to interview me while we were moving. I told them no, when we stop, I will come over to the side and do the interview. Later, the legendary newsman Gil Noble with whom we had a great friendship came to me and said, you should do the interviews while you are moving. Television attracts attention when there is movement. Therefore doing an interview while you are walking is more interesting, and getting more attention than just doing an interview standing still.
Obviously, I found Gil’s comments to be in fact a reality. We have noticed that when I am on the move, or walking I attract more viewers. But we do not want to forsake the written word, thus we are resuming our posts: Traveling, Teaching and Thinking out Loud with the People’s Pastor. We will start with the Eastern Correctional Facility.
I always enjoyed the drive, its beautiful country, mountains, hills, winding highways with trees and shrubbery along the way. As always, I received an overwhelming reception from the inmate population. I preached on the subject, Superstars perform hurt. I have used the theme often. I related my years as an unofficial chaplain of the New York Jets. And I asked the question, what makes a superstar? And came to the conclusion that superstars can play to their top level even while they're hurt. Hall of Famer, Winston Hill, offensive tackle for the New York Jets, was a great friend. Once he had a domestic crisis and his baby swallowed a penny. He was very distraught. But he went out and played a great game. And I asked myself, why do superstars play hurt? And I answered because we know people are depending on them, their teammates, the fans, and the family are all depending on them. And a sense of pride is also a driving factor.
I used Philippians 1:12-18 where Paul the Apostle, while he was incarcerated, wrote letters to churches he had founded and witnessed to those fellow inmates. In keeping with our theme, Superstars perform hurt. They also perform in the time of crisis or treated unjustly as in the case with the Apostle Paul. He was jailed for preaching the gospel which was no crime at all. But he didn’t waste his time trying to convince everyone of his innocence. But he went from writing to face-to-face witnessing. And so, he was a Superstar.
The point I made to the men was that they could be superstars right where they were. Dr. King used to say, we cannot all be famous, but we can all be great. Because greatness depends on service and he who renders service is great. I received a standing ovation with hand-claps.
Monday, February 19, 2024 - Preparation for travel to the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference February 20-22 in Chicago,IL.
Tuesday, February 20, 2024- I took an early morning flight. I was met at the airport and taken to the Palmer House Hotel, which appeared to be an old hotel refurbished with renovations that made more rooms and modern technology. There were three main events, or three what I call high points of the Proctor conference, two were sermons.
The first sermon was delivered by Reverend Courtney Clayton Jenkins – Scriptural background was in the book of Kings which records the story of Elijah. Elijah was well favored by God, and he was doing a lot of good things, but perhaps too much. He was raising people from the dead, feeding the people, teaching, making prophetic pronouncements and on one occasion he slew some of the prophets of the false god bail. These prophets whom he slew were the prophets associated with Queen Jezebel. When she heard what Elijah had done, she sent word to him that she was going to kill him as he had killed her prophets. Elijah started running away and came to a place where he sat down and wanted to die and the angel sent from God told him to rise and go to Mount Horeb, Mount of God. And God began to ask him what he was doing and he relayed that the people of God had rejected the God of Israel, that they had thrown down the altar and killed the prophets and he was the only one left. Several times, God asked him what he was doing in different places and finally. God said that he was to anoint different people in addition to Elisha to take his place. The point the preacher was making was that sometimes the ministers of God become overextended and have nervous breakdowns, she cautioned the ministers to build into their programs rest time.
The second sermon was delivered Reverend Nyle Fort, he was/is very active in Ferguson Michael Stewart. He talked about Jesus cursing the fig tree. There were leaves on it but no figs and Jesus cursed it and sentenced it to in a sense death that fruit should no longer come forth from this tree. The preacher pointed out that the reason the fig tree didn’t produce is because there was something wrong with the roots and it was the reason Jesus cursed it because the roots and the soil did not have the nutrients required for the fruit to be accomplished. He used that to save society, but if the root is bad, corrupt
then it’s going to corrupt the whole society.
The third and final high point for me was the book signing, sponsored by Joy Ann Reid, Anchor for MSNBC. She has written a book about Medgar Evers and the family. It was a crowded reception, speakers included, the Reverend Jesse Jackson. I was proud and glad to see my old mentor and traveling partner. I gave my book to him entitled, “When
Great Minds Meet, Great Things Happen”. In addition to Jesse, I spoke to Dr. Jeremiah Wright, one of the founders of the Proctor conference.
Rene Evers, the daughter of Medgar Evers and obviously speaking with Joy Reid. It was a crowded conference, it seemed that people were everywhere throughout the hotel. I am proud to say my daughter the Rev. Leah Daughtry is co-chairperson. Dr. Iva Carruthers is the Executive director of the conference.
I returned home on Thursday, February 22, 2024.
Friday, February 23rd, 2024: SEIU1199 celebrated Harry Belafonte.
It was the first of two celebrations for Harry Belafonte. This one was sponsored by 1199. The favorite union of all of the activists and freedom fighters. 1199 under the leadership of George Gresham has been very supportive of several human rights causes. Among the speakers was Clarence Jones, who was the lawyer for Dr. King and he told many interesting stories about his relationship with Dr. King. I was pleased that he gave me a sterling shoutout as did the Mayor that followed him. Other speakers were Mae Mallory and of course Dr. Grisham. One of the interesting stories that emerged from the celebration was Sam Cooke singing “A change is gonna come”, and after recording it he was killed and never got a chance to sing the song. And someone who was a part of the group sang the song, A change is gonna come. The song was written when Malcolm X approached Sam Cooke and said he should write songs related to freedom. The song It was a well attended affair.
Saturday, February 24th, 2024- Health Fair at the House of the Lord Church where various health organizations had tables promoting their various organizations on efforts to secure optimum health for quality health care for our people. I am proud to say that our church was in. I became vegan in 1984 and immediately organized a health committee and began to spread the word about our need for health services. In 2005, I walked from Brooklyn to Washington, D.C. to call attention to the health concerns and to challenge the government and corporations to do more to meet the health needs of the people. Also to challenge individuals to take responsibility for their health.
Positive Community Magazine Fifth Annual Great American Emancipation Day Awards held in the Grand Ballroom of the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, NJ. Positive Community has gained wide circulation among the churches, sponsoring an annual gala where they honor certain people in a program. The program moderator was Rev. Jack Degraff and Rev. Jennifer Jones, the keynote speaker was Rev. Al Sharpton. This program was also well attended across the spacious ballroom, people were jammed together. It was very well attended.The Mayor Ras Baraka was present. When I see him he always conjures up a lot of memories, his father, Amiri Baraka and I were great friends. He was a lecturer of the Timbuktu Learning Center and to be in the midst of our church, the House of the Lord Church in Brooklyn, as well as other programs at the church. He was a great supporter when I chaired NBUF, he was a prime organizer for one of the great conventions ever had in 1972 Gary, IN. Over 10,000 people are reported to have been present for convention as were the veterans of the Black liberation, Black Power Panther Party, Oba T’Shaka, Maulana Karenga. Rev. Sharpton was the keynote speaker and as always eloquent. The honorees were:
One other person I would like to single out was Bishop Cahoon, an old friend in the Church of God in Christ.
Thursday, February 29: Commission of Religious Leaders (CORL) Meeting
We, Commission of Religious Leaders had our periodic meeting. We met with Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban and his assistants. We discussed police issues ie., public safety, security, protection for houses of worship, etc. The chairpersons are Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Pastor A.R. Bernard, Rabbi Joseph Potasnik.
CORL was organized during the DeBlasio Administration. We addressed the issues of the world and the allocation of resources to the needy, both covered mental resources as well as the faith community. We meet at the residence of Cardinal Dolan (see my videos via Facebook)
-NAN Rally
I encouraged all who are interested in current events of historical issues and inspirational message to attend NAN's Saturday Rally.
- Alonzo Daughtry Memorial Daycare Center's Black History Month Program
I attended the Black History Month Program at the ADMDC. The day are is named after my father who was the founder of our church the HOLC. Dr Karen Daughtry, my wife is the executive director and has been for 50 years. My daughter Dr. Dawn Daughtry also works part time at the center. The program was well organized. The children marched, danced and recited important historical events and personalities. The teachers and administrative staff did a great job. See our videos via Facebook.
-Rev. Al Sharpton's Clergy Call
Then at night Rev. Sharpton organized A National ministers conference call. The theme of the conference was voter registration;
-Highlight voter rights rollback
-the urgency for voter education and participation
Sharpton recounted how the cutbacks or rollbacks are happening around the country with the Supreme Court playing a major role. He pointed out with Trump's declaration that he intends to weaponize the justice department and to roll back democratic rights. As never before, said Sharpton we must register and vote. We must encourage our people to register and vote.
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