"When I dare to be powerful, when I use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid" - Audre Lorde
Atlanta - Rapists abound in COGIC!!! This story is so disgusting and this man's wife needs her wig readjusted. I have a sincere hatred for child molesters and I hope the good Bishop gets his ass raped WITHOUT VASELINE during his long prison sentence. Once again, COGIC drops the ball when it comes to protecting its sheep. This story was lifted from the AJC.com website.
Pastor convicted of molesting foster child
By STEVE VISSER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 02/24/08
A Decatur pastor faces at least 25 years in prison after being convicted of aggravated sexual battery and child molestation of his 15-year-old foster child, authorities said.
DeKalb County prosecutors contend Bishop Frederick Kelley, who headed Greater New Macedonia Church of God in Christ, had a history of child molestation and rape involving family members going back 35 years.
Kelley has vehemently proclaimed his innocence.
He was in the DeKalb jail Sunday awaiting a sentencing date after a jury found him guilty Friday of two counts of sexual battery and four counts of child molestation.
The minimum sentence is 25 years. The jury acquitted him of rape.
Kelley was arrested in January 2007 on charges of rape and molestation involving a 15-year-old foster girl in his house.
The pastor proclaimed his innocence in a TV news broadcast.
The newscast prompted three of his relatives to tell police that he molested or raped them years before, said Peter Boehm, the DeKalb prosecutor who handled the case.
"They had thought he stopped — or 'hoped,' I guess, is the better way to say it," Boehm said.
Attempts to reach the Kelley family for comment were unsuccessful Sunday.
Boehm introduced four other child molestation cases, involving Kelley's family members and another foster child, during the eight-day trial in Superior Court that ended Friday.
The first case involved a family member who was 12 years old when the incident allegedly occurred in 1972, Boehm said.
The woman testified at the trial that she awoke one night and found Kelley on top of her. She shoved him off, and Kelley "pretended to be sleepwalking," Boehm said.
Another family member testified that the pastor impregnated her in 1979, when she was 15.
DeKalb prosecutor Boehm alleges that in 1993, Kelley molested the daughter of the first victim.
Kelley eventually targeted foster children he and his wife supported, Boehm said.
Besides the 15-year-old who filed the charges for which Kelley was prosecuted, another foster daughter, age 14, testified the defendant inappropriately touched her when he came into her bedroom one night in 2006 but claimed to be "praying over her."
Kelley's wife testified that her husband was guilty only of an adulterous affair with the girl who became pregnant in 1979.
The Kelleys raised the baby he fathered as their own child, Boehm said.
That affair was the only sexual misconduct Kelley and his wife acknowledged, Boehm said.
"They denied all the others," he said.
Find this article at: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2008/02/24/bishop_0225.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
File this one under the "What the F@CK were they Thinking?" category. I mean, the loss of human life is tragic, but forgive me for being a little cynical if STUPIDITY was to blame. The victims ranged in ages from 20 - 60 and the eldest victim was a 61 year old grandfather whose body was torn apart while he was trying to get a glimpse of the race.
This is just too damn sad. People have complained about the police not responding to calls from neighbors about all of the noise and commotion (the races started at 12:30am and the accident occurred at 3:30am). Again, instead of black people holding themselves accountable for their actions, we have community groups and the victims' family members blaming everyone else EXCEPT themselves.
To the families and survivors: I will not apologize nor offer my condolences for your pain because your family members were STUPID! Be grateful that you're still living and hopefully you'll take this opportunity to act like you have some damn sense next time.
I absolutely LOVE this song and it took me 4ever to find it. If only I had gone to youtube FIRST!! The lyrics will follow. ENJOY and forward this video to as many children (and clueless adults) as well.
The Crown (with Gary Byrd) Stevie Wonder / Gary Byrd
People of the world wherever you be Welcome to Cosmic YOUniversity Where life is the journey and love is the trip And the study of them will make you hip
I'm professor of the rap and when I speak I guarantee that my lines will not be weak They say a mind is a terrible thing to waste That's why I'm here and on the case
Rapping up every mind with a special degree In socio-psycholo G.B.E. The Gary Byrd Experience is my course When you take my class you will feel the force 'Cause I know the roots that the rap is from When I speak to you I am not dumb Hear my rap and begin to dance And I promise you this you will advance
You may have seen the Raiders of the Lost Ark But you still left the theatre in the dark So clap your hands to the beat as the Wonder sound And the G.B.E. shine on the Crown
Chorus (Background)
You wear the Crown I wear the Crown So proud to say that we all wear the Crown, the Crown
I said a once upon a time in Alkebu Lived the kings and queens who looked like you It was a land of sun with a golden shine A place that once was yours and mine
Home of many great dynasties Who created science and astronomy Where the Romans came to study math And the Greeks found out about the path
In case you wonder what else they did The Alkebu-lans created the pyramids And before Napoleon could even blink In Alkebu there stood a giant Sphinx
Some say they came from outer space But they are a part of the human race If you know the place where they can be found You may be the one who can wear the Crown
Chorus (Background)
You wear the Crown I wear the Crown So proud to say that we all wear the Crown, the Crown
I wear the Crown You wear the Crown So proud to say that we all wear the Crown, get down
We wear the Crown (Crystal Blake) We wear the Crown (Stevie Wonder)
Not the greatest dancer with the baddest shoe Not the slickest rapper that you ever knew Have worn the Crown though they wanted to But they'll want to until they die
Not a man of science with a Ph.D. Not a lady of law Masters' Degree Will wear the Crown unless they can see A unique reality
You see when you say you wear the Crown Make sure you know it is profound In case it sounds like a mystery I'm talking about our story It can make Akhnaton nod to you It can make Nefertiti beckon you With the Crown you will begin to glow When its secret you begin to know
Next time you feel like you're in a rut Go see the mighty kingdom of King Tut It will blow your mind no doubt it's true 'Cause guess what King Tut looks just like you
You were Cleopatra Queen of the Nile The sun would wink when it saw you smile You were the Hannibal of the history book And the earth would tremble at your very look
You were the builders of the pyramids You were the face upon the Sphynx You rode on the Nile in grace and style Look at yourself today and think
See the hieroglyphics upon the wall Like the dancers on the floor they will not fall If you take one look it will astound And then you will see who wears the Crown
Chorus (Background)
You wear the Crown I wear the Crown So proud to say that we all wear the Crown, the Crown
I wear the Crown You wear the Crown So proud to say that we all wear the Crown, get down
(repeat chorus 2 more times)
Stevie Wonder- I do recall so very well When I was just a little boy I used to hurry home from school I used to always feel so blue Because there was no mention in the books we read about my heritage So therefore any information that I got was education Bums, hobos at depot stations I would listen with much patience Or to relatives who told the tales that they were told to pass ahead And then one day from someone old I heard a story never told Of all the kingdoms of my people And then how we fought for our freedom All about the many things we have unto the world contributed You wear the Crown
We wear the Crown (Crystal Blake) We wear the Crown (Stevie Wonder)
It's not Star Wars, it's not Superman It's not the story of the Ku Klux Klan The Crown will appear in the G.B.E. But it's never seen on your T.V.
It's in black and white in your gold mine A picture so old it defies time Alex Haley drew it in his book It's what Kunta kept in his other foot
Ghana Songhay and old Mali They are the roots of your own family tree Kingdoms so vast and knowledge wise They removed cataracts from human eyes And yet today some refuse to see And live in fear of their discovery Now in fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean...true
But years before in Alkebu A ship set sail with a chocolate crew 2,000 years before Columbo came The Olmecs paid tribute to their fame
Stone heads with faces eight feet high That the Hulk could not lift to his thigh Though the facts historians avoid First to arrive was the Africoid
It may shock the House and Shockley, too And if you're not prepared it may shock you While some had doubts that the world was round In America guess who wore the Crown
Chorus (Background)
You wear the Crown I wear the Crown So proud to say that we all wear the Crown, the Crown
I wear the Crown You wear the Crown So proud to say that we all wear the Crown, get down
When you wear the Crown you will not need To smoke, to coke, to dust or speed With the Crown you can become the high And you will make it if you try
But don't you ever forget what it will take To wear the Crown you cannot fake If you gonna lead you got to be a king And give the world your everything
Or be a man like Malcolm X And demand for all the very best Or conduct a railroad like Harriet We all owe her a lifetime debt
If you gonna fight don't do it free Make 'em pay to see just like Ali Or sing like Ella and make them guess Is it you or is it Memorex
If you play a sport become number one Like Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson Make Doctor "J" your shining star Shoot like Magic, dunk with Jabbar
Or if you can write then write some books Like Langston Hughes or Our Miss Brooks And if you think you're smart Don't deceive us be an Imhotep, be a genuis
And don't let anybody confuse the fact You don't wear the crown just because you're black Everybody in the world has a Crown and place That becomes their culture and their face
And so it is, we will not deny Our history or buy the lie We have no claim to be renowned When we were first to wear the Crown
Chorus (Background)
You wear the Crown I wear the Crown So proud to say that we all wear the Crown, the Crown I wear the Crown You wear the Crown So proud to say that we all wear the Crown, get down
I am a 32 year old Black American male currently residing in Washington, DC. I write you today to express my bewilderment at our complete lack of respect for each other particularly, our black women.
Today, after reading a post on the blog, “What About Our Daughters?” (www.whataboutourdaughters.com) , I discovered that comedian, D.L. Hughely will be hosting the NAACP Image Awards. While I respect the Civil Rights and Social Justice principles the NAACP strives to maintain, I must publicly express my extreme disappointment with the selection of Mr. Hughley as the host.
For those of you who are unaware, Mr. Hughley is the black Don Imus. Hughley’s disparaging remarks about Black women have been broadcast around the globe and immortalized in print media. He specifically addresses Black women as “hoes” and during an appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, referred to black women as “some of the UGLIEST women [he’s] ever seen”. When will we draw a line in the sand? How is this acceptable behavior for a man who is hosting one of the most important events in the NAACP’s history?
DL Hughley’s selection as show host makes him a quasi-spokesperson for the NAACP, if only for just one night. It is insulting, abhorrent, and hypocritical that the NAACP would choose a man who espouses such misogynistic and racially insensitive garbage. What’s even worse is that companies with which we do business are sponsoring this event and thus, they are providing the financial support for Hughley to continue his tirade. He now has an even wider audience to market his misogyny and hatred of black women- and WE as consumers have paid for him to have such a luxury!
These are the companies that have chosen to support the double standard of misogyny in the black community by sponsoring the NAACP Image Awards Show on February 14th, 2008 on FOX.
Federal Express (www.fedex.com) *Sponsors of the Nominees’ Luncheon and Golf Tournament AllState Insurance Company (www.allstate.com) BestBuy (www.bestbuy.com) American Airlines (www.aa.com) Chevy Motors (www.chevymotors.com) Ford Motor Company (www.ford.com) Sprint PCS (www.sprint.com) Wachovia Bank, N.A. (www.wachovia.com) Ciroc Vodka (www.ciroc.com) Crown Royal (www.crownroyal.com) Johnnie Walker (www.johnniewalker.com) Bank Of America (www.bankofamerica.com) Blockbuster Video (www.blockbuster.com) CBS (www.cbs.com) Safeway (www.safeway.com) Television Week (www.tvweek.com) Walt Disney (www.disney.com)
Please contact the Corporate Communications and Social Responsibility Departments for these companies and ask them why they support insulting black women and intra-racial misogyny. I know I will.
Obama claims delegate lead By: Mike Allen February 6, 2008 11:09 AM EST
In a surprise twist after a chaotic Super Tuesday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) passed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in network tallies of the number of delegates the candidates racked up last night.
The Obama camp now projects topping Clinton by 13 delegates, 847 to 834.
NBC News, which is projecting delegates based on the Democratic Party's complex formula, figures Obama will wind up with 840 to 849 delegates, versus 829 to 838 for Clinton.
Clinton was portrayed in many news accounts as the night’s big winner, but Obama’s campaign says he wound up with a higher total where it really counts — the delegates who will choose the party’s nominee at this summer’s Democratic convention.
With the delegate count still under way, NBC News said Obama appears to have won around 840 delegates in yesterday’s contests, while Clinton earned about 830 — “give or take a few,” Tim Russert, the network’s Washington bureau chief, said on the “Today” show.
The running totals for the two, which includes previous contests and the party officials known as “superdelegates,” are only about 70 delegates apart, Russert said.
The bottom line is that the two are virtually tied.
Obama won 13 states, some of them smaller, and Clinton won eight.
On Wednesday morning, the battle was on to shape public perceptions about Tuesday.
The Clinton campaign said it was crunching its delegate numbers but was not sure it was correct that Obama got more.
The Obama campaign sent an e-mailed statement titled: “Obama wins Super Tuesday by winning more states and more delegates.”
Campaign Manager David Plouffe said: “By winning a majority of delegates and a majority of the states, Barack Obama won an important Super Tuesday victory over Sen. Clinton in the closest thing we have to a national primary.”
“From Colorado and Utah in the West to Georgia and Alabama in the South to Sen. Clinton’s backyard in Connecticut, Obama showed that he can win the support of Americans of every race, gender and political party in every region of the country,” Plouffe said. “That’s why he’s on track to win Democratic nomination, and that’s why he’s the best candidate to defeat John McCain in November.”
The Obama campaign attached an Excel spreadsheet containing “state-by-state estimates of the pledged delegates we won last night, which total 845 for Obama and 836 for Clinton — bringing the to-date total of delegates to 908 for Obama, 884 for Clinton.”
This is just too much. What happened to the days when grandmothers baked pies or cobblers or made delicious homemade meals to supplement their retirement income? My grandmother worked and had a career well past her retirement. When her income changed and she started drawing from her pension fund and retirement savings, she adjusted her spending habits.
It seems that Henrietta Daise (doesn't that just sound all grandmothery, like Gertrude, Hortense, Lilly, or Wilma?) found a new way to supplement her income and augment her 401K and Annuities. Like so many others who came before her Ms. Daise decided that entrepreneurship was in her blood and chose to be a CRACK DEALER!
I am both laughing and crying at the same time. Not only was she a CRACK DEALER, when her house was raided, she figured she would hide her merchandise in the same places most grandmothers (at least mine did) kept cash... her bra!! Could you imagine asking your grandmother for "Ice Cream Truck" money and crack rocks falling out with MOUNDS of cash? What a mess. Henrietta, I just can't give you the "You Need To Be Slapped Unconscious" Award because I refuse to advocate slapping a woman, but Ma'am you are a DAMN FOOL!!! Thank God you were able to raise your 7500.00 bail! Although you're a CRACK DEALER, I don't think jail is a good place for a 62 year old GRANDMOTHER no matter how HORRIBLE you are.
For that I will give you an Honorable Mention for the YNTBSU.
I am not terribly proud of or sympathetic to Pastor Donnie McClurkin these days. When he isn't spouting homophobic rhetoric and then retracting or filtering his statements, he's engaged in a new hobby. Yes, it seems that the top-selling Gospel Artist and self-proclaimed poster child for surviving sexual abuse is busy supporting accused serial rapists, sexual abusers, and molesters. For this alone, he gets my first ever "You need to be Slapped Unconscious" Award!
Now many of you may ask, "Shane, why are you so harsh? What could Donnie have done to deserve an award such as this?" It's simple; Donnie is a hypocrite and an opportunist. If anyone should be opposing Sherman Allen it should be him. I'm getting ahead of myself so I'll offer up some more background on why Christians, particularly those members of the COGIC, Inc. should be outraged. About a week ago I wrote a post about the sorry state of Black Leadership and posed the question about why we continue to support them. In the article I did a small feature on the Rev, Sherman Allen of the Shiloh Church Ministries. For those of you who are unaware or simply refuse to acknowledge the truth, Rev. Allen has been accused of abusing, raping, and beating 35 women during his tenure as pastor of the Shiloh Institutional COGIC. In fact, evidence exists that COGIC had KNOWLEDGE of these allegations as early as 1996, but the earliest incident occurred as early as the late 1980's. COGIC did nothing to rebuke or punish Rev. until AFTER the death of Bishop G.E. Patterson. Bishop Charles E. Blake, current presiding Bishop issued this statement through his spokeswoman, Alayna Adams,
"The Church of God in Christ does not condone any inappropriate behavior from any of its representatives, and does not comment on pending litigation against the Church or its representatives until a case has been brought to trial and an official ruling has been made. Until then, Pastor Sherman Allen has been suspended from all national and local pastoral roles and activities within the Church of God in Christ. This is Church policy and we will honor this policy for the case against Allen."
Pastor Allen's response was to resign and resume his role as chief apostle of his church, renaming it the Shiloh Church Ministries. To this date, he is continuing to preach, teach, and pastor the Shiloh church even after being besieged by bankruptcy and this sexual scandal. So what's happened to the victims? I wish I could tell you, but reporting on this case has been intermittent and sketchy at best.
How is any of this related to Donnie McClurkin? Funny one should ask! I contacted the Shiloh Church Ministries this morning and Donnie McClurkin is one of their CONFIRMED speakers for their Prophetic Conference 2008 in addition to 7 other speakers. So, now I think it's befitting of anyone with a conscience to ask, Donnie, why? COGIC, why? Rapist Allen, why?
For now, we'll focus on Donnie McClurkin. Many of you already know that Donnie McClurkin professes that God delivered him from homosexuality or as he states on the Perfecting Faith Church website, "sexual ambiguity". Donnie asserts that he was never given an opportunity to explore or discover his own sexual identity because he was violently raped and molested as a child. As painful as those memories were for him, Donnie maintains that it was the power of God the freed him from bondage. How then, is it possible for him to attend a conference sponsored by Rev. Allen? Please view the police report against Allen that describes his sadism and demonstrates his level of depravity. This police report should probably not be viewed by anyone under the age of 18 and in some jurisdictions, 21.
When I contacted the Perfecting Faith Church office, I spoke with a young lady who refused to answer my inquiry regarding Donnie's involvement with Sherman Allen. She suggested that I contact McClurkin's Administrative Assistant, which I did, but he was unavailable and I left a voice mail message. Undaunted, I sent an email to McClurkin's personal email address listed on his website www.donniemcclurkin.com. I have not received a response from either person.
THE CHARGE
To my fellow bloggers it has become clear to me that WE ARE THE VOICES for those that are marginalized by anyone. We stand at the proverbial gate as guardians for those who have been exploited and abused by others. I urge each and every one of you reading this post to show it to others and even more, those who would dispute the truth of its contents. When people are unable to be vulnerable at Church, something is terribly wrong! Our silence implies that we condone and approve of this type of behavior. Where is the outrage? Why are we not filled with righteous indignation collectively?
You wanna make a difference? Stop agreeing to foolishness! Stop supporting these people who don't support you! Stop deifying these pastors, preachers, and other religious leaders in an effort to EXCUSE their behavior. Reverend Allen is a sociopath and Donnie McClurkin, as well as the other featured speakers are opportunists and purveyors of false doctrine. How else would one explain their willingness to be affiliated with an accused Sexual predator? Did Jesus die for this?
Shiloh Church Ministries, Inc. 1270 Woodhaven Blvd. Ft. Worth, Texas 76112 817.451.1270 Info@shermancgallen.org http://www.shermancgallen.org/assets/html/contact.htm
Perfecting Faith Church Pastor Donnie McClurkin 311 North Main Street Freeport, NY 11520 (516) 223-8300 www.perfectingfaith.org
Make your displeasure known to all of those people and institutions listed.
