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Kamala Harris’ Baptist faith is rooted in Martin Luther King and Gandhi

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Black clergy who know Vice President Kamala Harris, now the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, are thrilled by the mix of traditions and teachings which have shaped her religious faith and social justice values.

She is a Baptist, married to a Jew. She is inspired by the work of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., in addition to the religious traditions of her native India, where her mother comes from, and the Black Church.

“She had the best of both worlds,” says her longtime pastor, the Rev. Amos Brown, who leads Third Baptist Church in San Francisco.

In interviews, religious leaders and theologians told The Associated Press that Harris’ candidacy carries special symbolic significance after President Joe Biden’s exit from the campaign trail. Not only because she could be the country’s first female president, but she is a Black American with South Asian roots, and her two cultures are inextricably linked.

Clerics and scholars have noted that the concept of nonviolent resistance, a key strategy in the American civil rights movement, gained influence under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi in India, who inspired American black preachers and civil rights leaders for a long time. Gandhi was a Hindu who preached Hindu-Muslim unity.

“Perhaps through the Negroes the unadulterated message of pacifism will be conveyed to the world,” Gandhi told a delegation led by the eminent black theologian from the United States, Howard Thurman, in 1935.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks at Triumph Church, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in Southfield, Mich. Black clergy members rave in regards to the intersection of traditions and teachings which have shaped Kamala Harris’ religious faith and social justice values. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

These shared cultural connections can be found in Harris’ family history. Her maternal grandmother was a community organizer, and her grandfather, PV Gopalan, was a civil servant who joined the resistance to India’s independence from Britain.

Harris’ mother, Shyamala Gopalan, met King while she was a student on the University of California, Berkeley, where she participated in civil rights demonstrations.

“She was aware of history, aware of struggle, aware of inequality. She was born with a sense of justice etched into her soul,” Harris wrote of her mother in her 2019 book “The Truths We Hold.”

Harris was also influenced by the Black Church tradition.

“The vice president has a strong Christian faith, which she’s talked about a lot,” said Jamal Simmons, a pastor’s son and Harris’ former communications director, who has helped candidates construct influence in faith communities as a Democratic strategist.

“She was raised in a Christian church and attended Christian churches all her life. I think that still has an influence on her, her worldview and her ethical commitments,” he said.

Dallas pastor Freddie D. Haynes III met Harris at Third Baptist Church in San Francisco, starting a friendship that has lasted greater than 30 years.

Haynes — whose family has close ties to Third Baptist — was a guest preacher visiting his mother on the time. Harris, then the Alameda County district attorney, had just joined the congregation.

“She always understood that Jesus and justice go hand in hand. So it’s not hard to see why she chose a church that had that DNA of justice,” said Haynes, whose grandfather shaped Third Baptist’s social justice identity as pastor, a practice his father continued during his temporary time in the pulpit.

Over the years, Haynes and Harris bonded over their shared faith. Haynes said she admired his ability to mix black Christian theology in the pulpit with the rhythm and cadence of hip-hop. It was Harris’ commitment to serving essentially the most vulnerable that impressed him.

“Her spirituality is based on a sense of justice for those who are different, disadvantaged and treated as second-class citizens,” said Haynes, who leads Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas.

As a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Harris was immersed in a cultural environment influenced by her deep faith. The friendships and service she learned at her alma mater are key to understanding the spirituality that fuels her sense of purpose, said Matthew Watley, pastor of nearby Kingdom Fellowship AME, one among the fastest-growing churches in America.

Watley said Howard’s commitment to service through religious passion and academic achievement never leaves his students. Several of Harris’ friends, including a line sister in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., worship at Kingdom Fellowship, where Harris has attended twice in recent years.

Joshua DuBois, former head of the White House Office of Religious and Neighborhood Partnerships, said Harris, influenced by cultural and religious traditions from each the East and the West, exudes a form of ecumenism that makes her candidacy appealing to a broad range of spiritual voters.

“I think presidents are grounded in their faith and inspired by their faith in many ways. It’s a wellspring from which they draw,” said DuBois, who served under former President Barack Obama. “When you know the world has gone crazy, how do you connect to something bigger than yourself?”

“I also think faith can help you set priorities,” he added. “Often as a president, you can focus on just one thing, and you’re faced with the question: Who needs you the most? I think that’s what Jesus did. That’s what Gandhi did.”

Pastor Amos Brown speaks during a rally in support of reparations for African Americans as Supervisor Shamann Walton, left, listens in front of City Hall in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. Black clergymen marvel on the melding of traditions and teachings which have shaped Kamala Harris’ religious faith and social justice values. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

Black women, including clergy and activists who haven’t stopped organizing and praying because the COVID-19 pandemic, are quick to endorse Harris.

Pastor Traci Blackmon, who recently joined 4,000 black clergy on a conference call supporting Harris, said the outpouring of support for her comes amid the anticipated ugliness and backlash she is going to face in a fight with former President Donald Trump.

“She should be president because she is equipped, she is prepared and she is the best candidate for the job,” said Blackmon, a pastor of the United Church of Christ in St. Louis who spoke to the AP as Harris was rallying delegates.

The conversation was organized by Black Church PAC, co-founded by the Rev. Michael McBride, a longtime Harris supporter and pastor of The Way Christian Center in Berkeley. McBride told the AP that he was still speaking from the pulpit Sunday when Biden withdrew his candidacy. After the blessing, McBride said, one among the church moms stood up, shared the news and asked, in essence, “What do we do now?”

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McBride and many other black pastors who’ve called for an end to Israel’s war with Hamas will look to Harris for leadership that can bring peace. Brown, her own pastor, was amongst black clergy who’ve visited the White House in recent months to appeal to the Biden administration.

“For me, it’s an issue of peace and justice,” Brown said.

On Sunday, after Biden endorsed Harris, she called Brown in the evening, about an hour before the AP reached him at his San Francisco home.

“I’m calling my pastor,” Harris said in her typical greeting, referring to the person her office staff is required to satisfy during their first week on the job.

She wanted her pastor to hope — and Brown prayed, too — that Harris “would be the perfect instrument to bring healing, hope and wholeness” to the United States of America.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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What is GiveTuesday? The annual day of giving is approaching

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Giving Tuesday, GivingTuesday, What is GivingTuesday, What is Giving Tuesday, #GivingTuesday, philanthropy, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, seasonal giving, seasonal donations, charitable donations, theGrio.com

Since it began as a hashtag in 2012, Giving on Tuesdaythe Tuesday after Thanksgiving, became one of the largest collection days yr for non-profit organizations within the USA

GivingTuesday estimates that the GivingTuesday initiative will raise $3.1 billion for charities in 2022 and 2023.

This yr, GivingTuesday falls on December 3.

How did GivingTuesday start?

The hashtag #GivingTuesday began as a project of the 92nd Street Y in New York City in 2012 and have become an independent organization in 2020. It has grown right into a worldwide network of local organizations that promote giving of their communities, often on various dates which have local significance. like a vacation.

Today, the nonprofit organization GivingTuesday also brings together researchers working on topics related to on a regular basis giving. This too collects data from a big selection of sources comparable to payment processors, crowdfunding sites, worker transfer software and offering institutions donor really helpful fundstype of charity account.

What is the aim of GivingTuesday?

The hashtag has been began promote generosity and this nonprofit organization continues to advertise giving within the fullest sense of the word.

For nonprofits, the goal of GivingTuesday is to boost money and have interaction supporters. Many individuals are aware of the flood of email and mail appeals that coincide on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Essentially all major U.S. nonprofits will host fundraising campaigns, and plenty of smaller, local groups will participate as well.

Nonprofit organizations don’t have to be affiliated with GivingTuesday in any method to run a fundraising campaign. They can just do it, although GivingTuesday provides graphics and advice. In this manner, it stays a grassroots endeavor during which groups and donors participate as they please.

Keke Palmer Recalls the Key Advice Will Smith Gave Her as a Child:

Was GivingTuesday a hit?

It will depend on the way you measure success, but it surely has definitely gone far beyond initial efforts to advertise giving on social media. The day has change into an everlasting and well-known event that focuses on charitable giving, volunteerism and civic participation within the U.S. and all over the world.

For years, GivingTuesday has been a serious fundraising goal for nonprofits, with many looking for to arrange pooled donations from major donors and leverage their network of supporters to contribute. This is the start year-end fundraising peakas nonprofits strive to fulfill their budget goals for next yr.

GivingTuesday giving in 2022 and 2023 totaled $3.1 billion, up from $2.7 billion in 2021. While that is loads to boost in a single day, the trend last yr was flat and with fewer donorswhich, in accordance with the organization, is a disturbing signal.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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BlaQue Community Cares is organizing a cash crowd for serious food

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QNS reports that Queens, New York-based nonprofit BlaQue Community Cares is making an effort to assist raise awareness of Earnest Foods, an organic food market with the Cash Mob initiative.

The BlaQue Cash Mob program is a community-led event that goals to support local businesses, reminiscent of grocery stores in Jamaica, by encouraging shoppers to go to the shop and spend a certain quantity of cash, roughly $20. BlaQue founder Aleeia Abraham says cash drives are happening across New York City to extend support for local businesses. “I think it’s important to really encourage local shopping habits and strengthen the connections between residents and businesses and Black businesses, especially in Queens,” she said after hosting six events since 2021.

“We’ve been doing this for a while and we’ve found that it really helps the community discover new businesses that they may not have known existed.”

As a result, crowds increase sales and strengthen social bonds for independent businesses.

Earnest Foods opened in 2021 after recognizing the necessity for fresh produce in the world. As residents struggled to seek out fresh food, Abraham defines the shop as “an invaluable part of the southeast Queens community.” “There’s really nowhere to go in Queens, especially Black-owned businesses in Queens, to find something healthier to eat. We need to keep these businesses open,” she said.

“So someone just needs to make everyone aware that these companies exist and how to keep the dollars in our community. Organizing this cash crowd not only encourages people to buy, but also shows where our collective dollars stand, how it helps sustain businesses and directly serves and uplifts our community.”

The event will happen on November 24 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 123-01 Merrick Blvd in St. Albans. According to the shop’s co-owner, Earnest Flowers, he has partnered with several other Black-owned brands in the world to sell his products at the shop. Flowers is comfortable that his neighbors can come to his supermarket to purchase organic food and goods from local vendors like Celeste Sassine, owner of Sassy Sweet Vegan Treats.

At the grand opening three years ago which was visited by over 350 viewersSassine stated that the collaboration was “super, super, super exciting” to the purpose that the majority of the products were off the shelves inside hours.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Keke Palmer Recalls the Key Advice Will Smith Gave Her as a Child: “It’s Hard to Be First”

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Keke Palmer, Keke Palmer Will Smith, Keke Palmer emancipation, keke palmer parents, Is Keke Palmer emancipated? theGrio.com

Like many young people, actress Keke Palmer went through a phase wherein she clashed along with her parents. Recently in a performance at “Toast” podcast.Palmer revealed that fellow actor Will Smith helped her take care of the situation along with her family.

As a child star who has appeared on Nickelodeon and Disney productions, the “Akeelah and the Bee” actress explained how juggling fame has affected her and her family relationships — a lot in order that she admits she once considered emancipating herself from her parents.

Although her lawyer tried to get her into counseling, Palmer said it was Smith’s words that ultimately modified her mind.

“A couple of weeks go by, I’m on the set of ‘True Jackson, Vice President’ and I get a call from a very, very unknown number. And I said, “What? If it was strange, I would not answer,” she said, mentioning that she simply went back to work. Later, while retrieving her phone, Palmer received a voicemail from the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star.

“Hey Keke. This is Will. We’re here filming ‘The Karate Kid’ with (my son) Jaden and I just want to let you understand that I’ve talked (to your lawyer),’ Palmer continued, impersonating Smith. “He let me know every little thing you are going through and I need you to know that sometimes it’s hard to be the first, but you may do it. Just stay focused, love your loved ones and every little thing shall be high-quality.

Palmer remembers struggling as a child with the attention and fame that got here with climbing the ladder in the entertainment industry. While trying to adjust to the demands of her burgeoning profession, the actress recalls feeling that fame meant she would have to “throw (her) family away.”

“It’s something that happens when you leave and you can become a child artist, you can be the first person in your family to go to college, or you can be the first person in your family to get married,” Palmer said: explaining her feelings at that moment. “There are so many firsts that can happen as the generations of your family grow and evolve.”

Keke Palmer is reclaiming the “narrative” surrounding his relationship with ex Darius Jackson

Ultimately deciding not to undergo the emancipation process, Palmer emphasized the importance of getting a healthy community when navigating the entertainment industry.

“I think I’ve always felt like a lot of people, whether they’re big names or whether they’re my lawyers, have been a good community,” she added. “Also, my parents made sure I was around (people) who would encourage community rather than discord and separation.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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