Response to Landmark Decision on Affirmative Action:

The Supreme Court's landmark decision on Thursday to gut affirmative action has made it unlawful for colleges to take race into consideration as a specific factor in admissions. The Black Methodist for church renewal is concerned and disturbed by the supreme court judges who felt this was the right action to take. In our Purpose, we share to reclaim the black community and to liberate all people from racism and injustice everywhere. The recent activity displayed by the Supreme Court lets us know we must shift into high gear immediately. First and foremost, as people of Color, we already know something most Americans forget; We don't need a handout to succeed. Suppose you look at over 100 HBCU with an alum roster of who's who in the world. Our BMCR Leadership and Advocacy Committee have graduated from Universities such as North Carolina A&T, Jackson State, Spellman, Howard, Kentucky State, and, not to mention, the legacy of generations of family members. We stand firm and confident in our knowledge, experience, and skills to accomplish any assignment or task.

 Bishop William Barber, a North Carolina Central University graduate and Co-Chair of the Poor People's Campaign of Moral Monday, shares, "And finally, to the people of this nation, our struggles are inextricably linked. The extremists are winning by default and by shallow margins of victory. We must use all the tools available to us to fight voter suppression, and we must also commit to mobilizing the 20 million poor and low-wealth people who did not vote in the past election because they have been disabused of their importance to our democracy. History teaches us that where false hatred fueled by greed has caused government leaders to falter in favor of a few, moral, social justice movements have always stepped up to steer the nation back on course.”

 Rev. Dawan Buie shares a personal reflection: On the one hand, I'm thankful for the independence of the nation I grew up in and love so much. It has blessed me with so much.

 On the other hand, I'm not thankful that on our nation's Independence Day on July 4, 1776, Africans were enslaved in racialized chattel slavery. A dehumanizing death-dealing institution is unparalleled to that point in history. It was viewed by Pope Nicholas V, Christopher Columbus, King Alfonso, and Prince Henry, a man that developed and nurtured slavery's growth as God's will. They saw themselves as agents of God that were taming the savage masses of colored people and evangelizing us because we were enemies of God. As with many national holidays in America, I have wrestled with the historical contradictions that drip with injustice. It is part of being an intellectually aware person of Color in a nation that I love but that has a tremendously problematic racial history.

As we reflect on what is happening today, we must look within and not for others to handle our fight. This is nothing new for people kissed by the sun. So we are announcing now that we will launch a National Voter Registration Campaign. We will have information for each Jurisdiction Fall Meeting to share. Your Advocacy Representative will be your point of contact. We will also partner with our general agencies to ensure the information is transmitted through the United States. Many people have already counted us out; being the sons and daughters of Christ, we will take our rightful place and claim our victory. We come from ambitious ancestors, and we must stand on those shoulders to stake our claim in this country we help build from the ground up.