The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #88

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #88 with Daniel Whyte III

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #88 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is Ephesians 2:19-20 which reads: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “To realize its full potential, the church must be ministry-centered and teaching-oriented, emphasizing development and disciplining of men and women, focusing on its own survival as well as helping others. In an attempt to meet the broad range of needs in the congregation, they must be welcoming and open to utilizing the skills of everyone, including “professionals.” Furthermore, the church would be wise to offer a variety of workshops, institutes, etc., to promote training and advancement on an ongoing basis. The harvest truly remains ripe. Will those who claim membership in the “church” be workers/”ministers”? That is the question.”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “That All May Be Free, Part 6: Blacks Fighting for American Independence, Part 1” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

From the beginning of hostilities in 1775, the question of arming blacks, slave and free, consistently plagued the patriots who most of the time had trouble enough without this aggravating situation. The fear of slave insurrections had caused the colonists to exclude blacks from militia service even in Massachusetts in 1656, and in Connecticut in 1660. Despite this exclusion, blacks frequently participated in wars against the French and the Indians, thus developing a tradition of military service that was alive at the time of the War for Independence. As early as the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, blacks took up arms against the British, and their presence at subsequent battles in the spring and summer of that eventful year is an important part of the military history of the struggle.

In May 1775, the Committee on Safety–commonly known as the Hancock and Warren Committee–took up the matter of the use of blacks in the armed forces and came to the significant conclusion that only freemen should be used since the use of slaves would be “inconsistent with the principles that are to be supported.” It is doubtful that this policy was adhered to, for evidently slaves, as well as free blacks, fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Furthermore, many slaves were manumitted in order to serve in the army. Indeed, one of the outstanding heroes of the battle, Peter Salem, had shortly before the battle been a slave in Framingham, Massachusetts. One story, not thoroughly substantiated, says that Salem won the admiration of his comrades in arms by shooting the British Major Pitcairn. Mounting the redoubt and shouting, “The day is ours,” Pitcairn, who displayed more valor than judgment, received the full force of Peter Salem’s musket. The death of Pitcairn was a part of the moral victory won by the patriots on June 17, 1775.

Peter Salem was not the only black who succeeded in distinguishing himself at Bunker Hill. Another, Salem Poor, a soldier in a company and regiment made up largely of white men, won the praise of his superiors, who said that in the battle he “behaved like an experienced officer as well as an excellent soldier.” In an official commendation presented to the general court of Massachusetts these military leaders said, “We would only beg leave to say, in the person of this said negro centres a brave and gallant soldier. The reward due to so great and distinguished a character, we submit to the Congress.” While Peter Salem and Salem Poor stand out for their extraordinary feats of heroism, other blacks were integrated into the companies of whites and performed services for which they were later commended. Among these were Caesar Brown of Westford, Massachusetts, who was killed in action; Barzillai Lew, a fifer and drummer; Titus Colburn and Alexander Ames of Andover; Prince Hall, later an abolitionist and Masonic leader; and many other Massachusetts blacks: Cuff Hayes, Caesar Dickerson, Cato Tufts, Grant Cooper, and Sampson Talbert. While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, it is indicative of the early use of blacks in the War for Independence.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.
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Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church and Assimilation, Part 9: The Gospel Singers, Part 3” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

Then there is another aspect of this movement which needs to be considered in relation to the changes in the religion of the Negro. Because of the improvement in their economic conditions, an increasing number of Negro students are able to attend the colleges for Negroes in the South. They are being drawn from those strata in the Negro population closest to the rural background and who, therefore, are closest to the folk heritage of the Negro. Education, or more specially the opportunity to attend college, is the most important factor enabling Negroes to achieve middle-class status. Moreover, the leaders of this movement have seen something of the world because of their army or other experiences, or their parents have had similar experiences. In their revolt against the racial discrimination they must fall back upon the only vital social heritage that has meaning for them and that social heritage is the religious heritage represented by the Spirituals which are becoming secularized.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Our third topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 30 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

Malcolm left the movement in March 1964, and for five months toured Africa and the Middle East. He attacked Mr. Muhammad as a phony and a racist. The organization splintered badly, many men left it altogether. From a peak of perhaps 100,000, the organization dwindled to perhaps less than 25,000. It is doubtful if many of the defectors reevaluated their attitude toward Christianity or the White man. Malcolm’s feelings toward Whites changed and consequently he sought to establish a “true” Muslim organization with the blessings, he said, of the Muslims of Africa and the Middle East. From Jedda, Saudi Arabia, on April 20, 1964, he wrote:

You may be shocked by these words coming from me, but I have always been a man who tries to face facts, and to accept the reality of life as new experiences and knowledge unfold it. The experiences of this pilgrimage have taught me much, and each hour here in the Holy Land opens my eyes even more.

When he returned to Chicago he said:

In the past, I have permitted myself to be used to make sweeping indictments of all white people, and these generalizations have caused injuries to some white people who did not deserve them. Because of the spiritual rebirth which I was blessed to undergo as a result of my pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca, I no longer subscribe to sweeping indictments of one race.

My pilgrimage to Mecca…served to convince me that perhaps American whites can be cured of the rampant racism which is consuming them and about to destroy this country. In the future, I intend to be careful not to sentence anyone who has not been proven guilty. I am not a racist and do not subscribe to any of the tenets of racism. In all honesty and sincerity it can be stated that I wish nothing but freedom, justice and equality: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness–for all people. My first concern is with the group of people to which I belong, the Afro-Americans, for we, more than other people, are deprived of these inalienable rights.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Let’s have a word of prayer.

In closing, allow me to say that like many of you, I grew up in a very religious and church-going family, and during that time, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now, much of what the church people whom I grew up around said “being saved” was I now know is wrong according to the Bible. For example, joining the church, being baptized, doing good things, or being a good person does not mean you are saved. I wrote an article about this matter titled “On ‘Being Saved’ in Black America” which is available for you to read free of charge on our website, gospellightsociety.com. Right now, I want to share with you very briefly what the Bible says “being saved” really is.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, understand that a horrible punishment eternal Hell awaits those who are not saved. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ said that God will say to those who are not saved, “depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Third, realize that God loves you very much and wants to save you from Hell. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

If you want to be saved from Hell and be guaranteed a home in Heaven, simply believe in Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead for your sins, and then call upon the Lord in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #82

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #82

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #82 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is 1 John 5:5 which reads: “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “Pitfall Three: Ministers without Ministries. Another pitfall to avoid is becoming a “minister without a ministry.” How can that be, you ask? I would suggest that it could happen because of organizational or individual factors. On the organizational side, there are “ministers” without ministry when the church structure is such that the spiritual gifts of individuals are not identified and are not allowed to operate. As indicated in a prior chapter, my belief is that all Christians are ministers in a biblical sense and thus have a role to carry out in the corporate body. However, because of a misunderstanding of certain Scriptures, a narrow definition of ministry, misguided views of authority, personal insecurities and/or perceived threats, spiritual gifts are not allowed to be exercised and the individual with a particular gift is frustrated and not allowed to do what would help the Body of Christ to grow. In other instances, the organizational problems or structure may be such that the individual’s spiritual gift is recognized and the individual attempts to exercise the gift(s) but is not given the freedom to express it to the full glorification and edification of the Body.”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “Colonial Slavery, Part 15: Blacks in Colonial New England, Part 3” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

Despite some restrictions, blacks in New England seemed to have been free to associate with each other and with peaceful Indians. The houses of some free blacks became a rendezvous where they danced, played games, and told stories. Slaves like Lucy Terry of Deerfield, Massachusetts, and Senegambia of Narragansett, Rhode Island, had a seemingly limitless store of tales about Africa and other faraway places that filled many an hour with excitement and pleasure. There was, moreover, ample opportunity for blacks to associate with whites, for hardly a house or church raising, an apple paring, or a corn husking took place without the presence of at least a portion of the slave population. On Guy Fawkes Day, Lorenzo Greene says, “Negroes joined in the boisterous crowds that surged through the streets of Boston, much to the annoyance of pedestrians.”

Blacks in New England were in a unique position in colonial America. They were not subjected to the harsh codes or the severe treatment that their fellows received in the colonies of the South. Nevertheless, it is possible to exaggerate the humanitarian aspects of their treatment. Masters in New England held a firm hand on the institution and gave little consideration to the small minority that argued for the freedom of slaves. Although New Englanders took their religion seriously, they did not permit it to interfere with their appreciation of the profits of slavery and the slave trade. At the same time, they did not glut their home market with slaves and increase the number to the point where they would be fearful for their safety. There seemed to be the characteristic Yankee shrewdness in the New Englander’s assessment of the importance of slavery to economic and social life.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church and Assimilation, Part 3: The Walls Came Tumbling Down, Part 3” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

The second factor and a factor of equal importance, which determines the nature and extent of the participation of Negroes in the wider American community, is their own institutional life. The system of racial segregation in the United States has resulted in an almost complete duplication of the institutions of the American community within the Negro community. We shall begin by considering those institutions which embody the secular interests of Negroes. As Negroes have moved from the world of the folk, they have established insurance companies and banks which have a purely secular end. These institutions are becoming a part of the different associations of insurance companies and banks and they are subject to state supervision. Then there are many other kinds of business enterprises, many of which cater especially to the personal and other needs of Negroes, and thus supply services often refused by white establishments. Negroes are expected to patronize these various so-called ‘Negro’ businesses because of ‘racial loyalty’. There is a National Negro Business League and numerous Negro chambers of commerce. Among the more successful Negro businesses should be included the Negro weekly newspapers which have circulations running into the hundreds of thousands.

Then there are certain cultural institutions among which are included the various secret fraternal organizations such as the Masons, Odd Fellows, and the Elks. In this group we would also include the various college Greek letter societies for men and women. Although they would not qualify as institutions, there are numerous social clubs which may be considered along with the cultural institutions. The most important cultural institution is, of course, the Negro church. It embodies, as we have seen, the cultural traditions of Negroes to a far greater extent than any other institution.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 24 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

The Moorish Science Temple: The Black Muslim cult is not the first group to make such a radical departure from the traditional Black religion. Timothy Drew, a Black born in North Carolina in 1886, founded the Moorish Science Temple of America. Obsessed with the idea that the salvation of the Black man was to be found in the discovery of his national origin, he taught that we should no longer be called Negroes, black folk, colored people, or Ethiopians. Drew said that the words Negro or Black symbolize death. “Colored” means painted. Since we are neither dead nor painted, the term that suits us best is Moorish-American.

Coupled with a certain personal magnetism, his apparent sincere desire to help his people escape race prejudice and discrimination proved valuable in his efforts to establish temples. He started in Newark, N.J., in 1913 and became known as Noble Drew Ali. The cult professed to honor all divine prophets: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius, Zoroaster, and others. Preaching that a change in identification (Negro to Asiatic) would bring salvation, hundreds in Chicago (which became the center of the organization) joined him. Membership may have been as high as twenty or thirty thousand during his lifetime.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Let’s have a word of prayer.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

The History of Black Americans and the Black Church Episode #76

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · The History of Black Americans and the Black Church Episode #76

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #76 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is John 14:6 which reads: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “In reference to Islam, Lincoln and Mamiya have noted that it has become particularly attractive to young Black males in America. They quoted a New York Times article, which estimated that in 1989 approximately one million of the six million Muslims in America were Black and made the following observation: ‘A full decade before the turn of the twenty-first century, if the estimate of 6 million Muslims in the United States is reasonably accurate, Islam has become the second largest religion in America, after Protestant and Catholic Christianity. American Judaism with a steadily declining membership is now third. While much more of this Islamic growth is independent of the black community, the possibility of serious impact on the Black Church cannot be peremptorily dismissed. The phenomenon of more black males preferring Islam while more black females adhere to traditional black Christianity is not as bizarre as it sounds. It is already clear that in Islam the historic black church denominations will be faced with a far more serious and more powerful competitor for the souls of black folk than the white churches ever were. When is the question, not whether.’”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “Colonial Slavery, Part 10: The Middle Colonies, Part 1” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

Although the Dutch were primarily interested in the slave trade and made great profits from transporting slaves to various colonies, they did not neglect their own New World settlements. There were large plantations in New Netherland, particularly in the valley of the Hudson River, and by 1638 many of them were cultivated largely with slave labor. The institution of slavery, as practiced by the Dutch in the New World, was relatively mild, with slaves receiving fairly humane treatment and many considerations as to their personal rights. The Dutch slave code was not elaborate, and manumission was not an uncommon reward for long or meritorious service. Although the demand for slaves always exceeded the supply, the number imported by the Dutch never reached such proportions as to cause serious apprehension or difficulty during the period of their domination.

The character of the institution of slavery changed when the English took over New Netherland in 1664. In 1665 the colonial assembly recognized the existence of slavery where persons had willingly sold themselves into bondage, and in the statute of 1684 slavery was recognized as a legitimate institution in the province of New York. In subsequent years the black population of New York grew substantially. In 1698 there were only 2,170 blacks in a total population of 18,067, while in 1723 the census listed 6,171 slaves. By 1771 the black population had increased to 19,883 in a total population of 168,007.

The slave code of New York became refined early in the eighteenth century. In 1706 the colony enacted a law stating that baptism of a slave did not provide grounds for a claim to freedom. A further and certainly significant provision was that a slave was at no time a competent witness in a case involving a freeman. In 1715 the legislature enacted a law providing that slaves caught traveling forty miles north of Albany, presumably bound for Canada, were to be executed upon the oath of two credible witnesses. Meanwhile, New York City was enacting ordinances for better control of slaves. In 1710 the city forbade blacks from appearing “in the streets after nightfall without a lantern with a lighted candle in it.”

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Our second topic for today is “Negro Religion in the City, Part 25: Negro Cults in the City, Part 11” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

Hundreds of Negroes in Chicago flocked to the new leader, who had become known as Noble Drew Ali. They believed that the change in identification from Negro to Asiatic would bring salvation. The members were given a large calling card which bore the inscription: a replica of star and crescent with Islam beneath it, a replica of clasped hands with unity above it, and a replica of circled ‘7’ with Allah beneath it. Beneath this was the statement that the card represented their nationality and identification card, that the cult honoured all divine prophets, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, and Confucius, and that the bearer was a Moslem under the Divine laws of the Holy Koran of Mecca, Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, and Justice. There was added: ‘I am a citizen of the U.S.A.’ Negroes who carried this card believed that the mere showing of the card would restrain white men if they would be inclined to disturb or harm Negroes. In fact, the members of the cult became so aggressive and insulting in their behavior towards whites that it was necessary for the Noble Drew Ali to admonish them against such behaviour. As the cult grew, some Negroes with education joined the organization and attempted to exploit the members by selling ‘herbs, magical charms, and potions, and literature pertaining to the cult’. As the internal strife increased, one of these would-be leaders was killed and Noble Drew Ali was arrested for murder, though he was not in Chicago at the time. He died under mysterious circumstances after being released from jail under bond and was awaiting trial. After the death of Noble Drew Ali, the cult split into a number of sects with some claiming that they were following him in his re-incarnation.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 19 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

Immorality: Ruth Boaz, a White woman who left the movement and became a Christian, wrote an article revealing Father Divine as “a charlatan, a false god, cruel and cynical imposter…the Devil incarnate.” Miss Boaz admitted having sexual relations with Father Divine, who evidently freely engaged in adultery while preaching sexual abstinence or “non-sex,” as he called it, to his followers. Even married couples who joined the movement were separated and were not allowed to live together. Miss Boaz was told that “God” does as he pleases, and that he sought to eliminate her desire by bringing it to the surface.

Divine was exposed some years earlier in the 1930s by one Viola Wilson or Faithful Mary, who substantially told the same thing about Father Divine’s sex life. In 1946 he married Edna Rose Ritchings, a White Canadian then known as Sweet Angel, now as Mother Divine. She was twenty-one; Father was eighty or eighty-one. A Baptist minister in Washington, D.C. performed the ceremony, Mother Divine is now head of the movement, controlling the money and making the important decisions. It is note-worthy that, according to Miss Boaz, four of the six top officials in the movement were White.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Let’s have a word of prayer.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

One Way Passage, Part 2; The Negro Church: A Nation Within a Nation, Part 10 (The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #41 with Daniel Whyte III)

Welcome to episode #41 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast. My name is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International. Since it is hard to separate Black American history and Black Church history I am combining the two because they are so intertwined. As many of you know, the church and religion has played and continues to play a big role in the African American community. Yet, many of us who grew up in the traditional black church do not have an understanding of how our faith evolved under the duress of slavery and discrimination to be and to represent what it does today. The purpose of this broadcast is to provide that background knowledge while also pointing out the dividing line between what is just tradition and true faith in Jesus Christ.

Our Scripture verse for today is 1 John 1:9 which reads: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He continues discussing statements which are frequently heard in the black church which he calls “innocent but dangerous.” The third such statement is: “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold.” Lee June says, “While these words are from a song, they are often uttered in other contexts and can have both a positive and negative meaning. The negative side of the statement exemplifies itself when one desires to show how special their relationship with Jesus Christ is and/or their dependence on Him. This desire is admirable. However, many times when the person utters these words, he or she is simultaneously flashing a gold watch or ring or is wearing a gold or silver necklace or arm bracelet. The person may also be driving a luxury automobile and have an expensive house. This statement can be detrimental when one does not see the contradiction in what one is saying and modeling. It can thus convey bad theology and suggest to the believer who is not well-grounded or mature to believe or feel that material possessions are in and of themselves bad, or it can imply that the Bible is totally against riches. While Jesus warned against riches, He did not reject riches (silver and gold) outright.”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks. If you enjoy this podcast, please feel free to purchase any one of these books from our website.

Our first topic for today is titled “One Way Passage, Part 2” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

To further illustrate the living hell that slaves endured, some captured females were in their first or second trimester of pregnancy and these mothers were forced to deliver their children in this deplorable environment. A lot of Africans screamed and moaned to the point that these sounds were considered normal to the European captain of the ship; thus a woman could die after a natural and normal birthing of a child because no one would or could assist her with the removal of the placenta. Often, the crying babies’ screams could not be heard over the screams of the adult sufferers. Ship workers did not want the responsibility of taking care of a baby, and African babies were often thrown overboard despite the pain and agony the mother would feel.

European ship workers complained about the smell of the African while on the slave ship, despite the African’s inability to wash, bathe, dispose of bodily waste, and appropriately bury dead bodies. There were brief interludes on deck, for exercise, which was necessary for the prevention of bed-sores and stiffening of the joints. Smallpox and flux, the diseases associated with filth, were among the most common and often were lethal.

Despite difficulties with language, ship captains learned to export slaves from different tribes with different languages so as to avoid mutinous collaboration among the slaves. Despite the many precautions to avoid a rebellion, some Africans managed to successfully hijack ships. But very few could navigate the Ocean, and these ships were lost at sea. Other Africans committed suicide by either jumping off the ship or by rebelling to the point where the slave trader shot him dead. Many Africans died from disease and heartache, and many of the dead were left lying next to a living African for days. The death toll associated only with the middle passages is estimated in the millions. No one knows for sure because ship captains did not want their reputations tarnished by reports of them not having control over their ship, their crew, or their cargo. Therefore, the alteration of records was a widespread practice.

If the Lord tarries His coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church: A Nation Within a Nation, Part 10” from The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier.

— We continue looking at The Church and Education

The impetus among Negroes to build institutions of higher education was due primarily to their need for an educated ministry. But the desire on the part of the masses for an educated ministry was far from universal. The masses of Negroes were still impressed by the ignorant and illiterate minister who often boasted that he had not been corrupted by wicked secular learning. Soon after the “invisible institution” of the slaves was integrated into the institutional church, it was feared that a schism would occur in the African Methodist Episcopal Church as the result of the conflict between the ignorant and intelligent elements in the church. Nevertheless, the African Methodist Episcopal Church succeeded in establishing a number of so-called colleges and universities. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church also established schools. The Baptists had to depend upon local efforts. In South Carolina the Negro Baptists who became dissatisfied with the white control of the college for Negroes finally established their own school.

If the Lord tarries His coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 10 of Chapter 4: “Reconstruction and Retaliation — 1866 to 1914”

— FRUSTRATING SECULAR CONDITIONS, Continued

Writing in 1903, W.E.B. DuBois summarized: “The Negro church of today is the social center of Negro life in the U.S., and the most characteristic expression of African character. Take a typical church in a small Virginia town: It is the ‘First Baptist’, a roomy brick edifice seating five hundred or more persons. Tastefully finished in Georgia pine, with a carpet, small organ, and stained-glass windows. Underneath is a large assembly room with benches, This building is the central clubhouse of a community of a thousand or more Negroes.

“Various organizations meet there — the church proper, the Sunday School, two or three insurance societies, secret societies, and mass meetings of various kinds. Entertainment, suppers, and lectures are held besides the five or six regular weekly religious services. Considerable sums of money are collected and expended here, employment is found for the idle, strangers are introduced, news is disseminated and charity distributed. At the same time, this social, intellectual, and economic center is a religious center of great power.

“Depravity, Sin, Redemption, Heaven, Hell, and Damnation are preached twice a Sunday with much fervor; and revivals take place every year after the crops are laid; and few indeed of the community have the hardihood to withstand conversion. Back of this more formal religion, the Church often stands as a real conserver of morals, a strengthener of family life, and the final authority on what is Good and Right. Thus one can see in the Negro Church today, reproduced in microcosm, all that great world from which the Negro is cutoff by color prejudice and social condition.”

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If the Lord tarries His coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

Let’s have a word of prayer.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

Slavery in Mainland Latin America, Part 6 (The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #62)

Welcome to episode #62 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is John 6:35 which reads: “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Tony Evans. He said, “Churches must extend their influence beyond the lives of church members to impact the broader community that they serve.”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “Slavery in Mainland Latin America, Part 6” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

There were five centers of distribution from which slaves were sent into the various parts of Brazil. From Bahia [BAH-HEE-AH] and Sergipe [SER-JIP-EE] they were taken to plantations and to domestic service on the coast; from Rio de Janeiro [REE-OH DEY ZHUH-NAIR-OH] and São Paulo [SOW POW-LO] they were taken to cane fields and coffee plantations or were kept to work in the capital; from Minas Gerais [MEE-NUHS ZHI-RAHYS] most slaves were sent to the gold mines, such as those of Goyaz [GOY-AYZ]; slaves from the distribution center at Pernambuco [PER-NAHM-BOO-KOO] supplied the sugar-producing provinces of the northeast, and slaves from Maranhao [MAH-RUH-NYOUN] and Para [PAH-RAH] were sent to the cotton plantations of the north. In the seventeenth century it was estimated that more than 44,000 Africans were imported annually, while the following century witnessed an annual importation of no less than 55,000 blacks. Estimates of the number of Africans imported into Brazil vary from 5 million to 18 million. Whatever the total figures were, it is clear that between 1538 and 1828 Africans were imported in such large numbers that persons of African descent still constitute a considerable portion of the population.

In 1798 the first reliable estimate of the population listed 406,000 free blacks and 1,582,000 slaves in a total population of 3,250,000. By 1818 the total population had risen to 3,817,000, in which there were 1,930,000 slaves and 585,000 freedmen. Thus, it can be seen that in that twenty-year period Africans were largely responsible for the increase in the total population. In 1830 they constituted 28.6 percent of the population. In 1847, in a total population of 7,360,000, including 800,000 civilized Indians, there were 3,120,000 African slaves, 1,100,000 free persons of color, and 180,000 free native Africans. In 1888, the year of the emancipation of Brazil’s slaves, there were 723,419 slaves.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Our second topic for today is “Negro Religion in the City, Part 11: Religion in the ‘Storefront’ Church, Part 3” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

The desire for the warm and intimate association of fellow worshippers in church services was not the only reason why the ‘storefront’ church was more congenial to the recently urbanized Negro than the cold impersonal atmosphere of the large denominational city church. In these small ‘storefront’ churches the Negro migrant could worship in a manner to which he had been accustomed. The sermon by the pastor is of a type to appeal to traditional ideas concerning hell and heaven and the imagery which the Negro has acquired from the Bible. Much emphasis is placed upon sins of the flesh, especially sexual sins. The preacher leads the singing of the Spirituals and other hymns with which the Negroes with a folk background are acquainted. The singing is accompanied by ‘shouting’ or holy dancing which permits the maximum of free religious expression on the part of the participants.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 5 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

SECULARIZATION OF THE CHURCHES
Black churches in the North were not prepared for the great influx that took place during and after World War I. The result: new sects and storefront churches came into existence, and what Frazier calls the secularization of the churches begin. Secularization drew the Blacks away from a religious orientation to a worldly one where the temporal was stressed rather than the spiritual. Otherworldliness was a major characteristic of the emphasis of the Black church during slavery and until the end of the nineteenth century. Things formerly opposed–jazz, drinking, dancing, card playing, and theater going–were no longer regarded as sinful by all the churchgoers. Significantly, this “secularization” trend was countered in some measure by the birth of church groups stressing “holiness.” More Black ministers began to dabble in politics. Increased interest was expressed in community affairs. Churches began to show more interest in self-help and racial advancement organizations such as the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), and the Urban league. They expressed their interest with membership drives, financial contributions, special sermons, and the availability of the church building for meetings.

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If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

Let’s have a word of prayer.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

LISTEN: The Plantation System, Part 3; An Arena of Political Life; Education (The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #50 with Daniel Whyte III)

Our Scripture Verse for today is 2 Corinthians 7:1 which reads: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He said, “Biblical counseling is needed for several reasons. First of all, the Bible in a broad sense supports it. Secondly, society itself is undergoing unprecedented change in all areas and the church is not excluded.”

Our first topic for today is titled “The Plantation System, Part 3” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

It was absentee landlordism that constituted one of the most important factors in the development of practices that were manifestly destructive of health and life among slaves. Some English landlords pleaded that the climate of the sugar colonies was “so inconvenient for an English constitution that no man will choose to live there, much less will any man choose to settle there, without the hopes of at least supporting his family in a more handsome manner, or saving more money than he can do by any business he can expect in England, or in our plantations upon the continent of America.” The islands were, therefore, regarded not as a place of residence but merely as a source of wealth. If a planter came out to the Caribbean, he regarded it as a temporary sojourn. Soon he would return to his home country, and with the wealth he had amassed buy an estate and live like a gentleman. Why, then, should he interest himself in schools, churches, and laws that would improve conditions of life for everyone?

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Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church: A Nation Within a Nation, Part 19” from The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier.

The Negro church with its own forms of religious worship was a world which the white man did not invade but only regarded with an attitude of condescending amusement. The Negro church could enjoy this freedom so long as it offered no threat to the white man’s dominance in both economic and social relations. And, on the whole, the Negro’s church was not a threat to

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Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 18 of Chapter 4: “Reconstruction and Retaliation — 1866 to 1914”

— EDUCATION

Of course, other areas of life were affected by the growth of the church during this period. Mutual-aid societies grew out of the church. Assistance in time of sickness and distress, help for widows and orphans, homes for the aged, handicraft clubs, and schools for domestic training were some of the types of mutual aid offered.

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Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.

He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.

He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.

LISTEN: The Plantation System, Part 2; A Nation Within a Nation, Part 18; Crime, an Expression of Sin (The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #49 with Daniel Whyte III)

Our Scripture Verse for today is James 1:22 which reads: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He said, “While the Bible makes reference to ‘spiritual wickedness in high places’, spirituality in the Christian context is very precise. It is the result of a connection to God as defined in the Bible and is produced by reliance on the Holy Spirit. Vine in discussing the word ‘spiritual’ indicates that the spiritual person is one who walks by the Spirit and manifests His fruit. With the blurring and confusion of terms, biblical counselors must clearly assess where a client is on the various dimensions of religion, including a clear assessment of what is meant by ‘spiritual’ and ‘spirituality.’”

Our first topic for today is titled “The Plantation System, Part 2” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

The tendency to overpopulate the islands of the Caribbean with Africans arose from several important factors. Of course, many slaves who were brought to the islands were to be re-exported. Furthermore, there seemed to be no substantial increase in the black population of the islands as a result of births until the emancipation in the 1830s. The death rate was so extraordinarily high that it raises the question of the treatment of slaves.

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Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church: A Nation Within a Nation, Part 18” from The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier.

Where could the Negro find a refuge from this hostile white world? They remembered from their Bible that the friends of Job had counseled him to curse God and die. They remembered too that Samson when blinded had torn down the Temple and destroyed himself along with his tormentors.

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Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 17 of Chapter 4: “Reconstruction and Retaliation — 1866 to 1914”

— CRIME IS AN EXPRESSION OF THE SINFUL HEART, Continued

Until recently, bank robbery was on this list, but there has been a dramatic increase in the number of bank robbers who are black. Formerly, this was exclusively the white man’s thing. The mafia and crime syndicates with their dope traffic, lotteries, gambling dens, and prostitution, are neither organized nor ruled by blacks.

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Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University School of Divinity. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for over twenty-seven years. God has blessed their union with seven children. Find out more at www.danielwhyte3.com. Follow Daniel Whyte III on Twitter @prophetdaniel3 or on Facebook.

LISTEN: Colonial Enterprise in the Caribbean, Part 3; An Arena of Political Life; Crime (The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #47 with Daniel Whyte III)

Our Scripture Verse for today is Matthew 4:4 which reads: “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He said, “Therefore, it is extremely critical that congregations examine their practices and beliefs to make sure that they are not creating, practicing, or reinforcing a toxic faith system. We must carefully examine our statements and belief system to make certain that we do not ‘have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.’”

Our first topic for today is titled “Colonial Enterprise in the Caribbean, Part 3” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

In the seventeenth century, Spain lost all claim to exclusive control over the islands in the Caribbean. Denmark, Holland, France, and England acquired territory in the area. Dutch buccaneers were entrenched in Curacao (Cure-ah-sew), St. Eustatius (U-sta-shus), and Tobago by 1640, and the Dutch West India Company, supported enthusiastically by its government, was promoting the slave trade.

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Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church: A Nation Within a Nation, Part 16” from The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier.

— An Arena of Political Life, Continued

The Negro church was not only an arena of political life for the leaders of Negroes, it had a political meaning for the masses. Although they were denied the right to vote in the American community, within their Churches, especially the Methodist Churches, they could vote and engage in electing their officers. The elections of bishops and other officers and representatives to conventions has been a serious activity for the masses of Negroes.

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Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 16 of Chapter 4: “Reconstruction and Retaliation — 1866 to 1914”

— CRIME

Concerning the Ku Klux Klan, Booker T. Washington said, “Their objects, in the main, were to crush out the political aspirations of the Negroes, but they did not confine themselves to this because schoolhouses as well as churches were burned by them, and many innocent persons were made to suffer.”

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He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.

LISTEN: Colonial Enterprise in the Caribbean, Part 2; An Arena of Political Life; Crime (The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #46 with Daniel Whyte III)

Our Scripture Verse for today is Proverbs 14:34 which reads: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He said, “As can be seen from just a cursory review, erroneous ideas and beliefs can abound throughout church and religious communities. However, we must strive to be true to the Scriptures and thereby create a psychologically healthy environment that is consistent with the Word of God. To do so, we need to exercise greater caution before using such statements or singing certain songs that convey these potentially damaging meanings. If these phrases are to be used or if these songs are to be sung, we need to explain more fully what is meant when the phrases are uttered or we need to better contextualize them. While it is true that ‘Christ is All,’ it is also true that God still works within the context of humanity and its abundant resources.”

Our first topic for today is titled “Colonial Enterprise in the Caribbean, Part 2” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

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Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church: A Nation Within a Nation, Part 15” from The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier.

— An Arena of Political Life, Continued

As the result of the elimination of Negroes from the political life of the American community, the Negro church became the arena of their political activities. The church was the main area of social life in which Negroes could aspire to become the leaders of men. It was the area of social life where ambitious individuals could achieve distinction and the symbols of status. The church was the arena in which the struggle for power and the thirst for power could be satisfied.

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Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 15 of Chapter 4: “Reconstruction and Retaliation — 1866 to 1914”

CRIME

Whites often lament over the “almost complete silence of Negro leaders. including church leaders about Negro crime and immorality.’ ” But whites have not been listening in the right places. Furthermore, until recent years, voices raised within black communities were given no hearing outside those communities.

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He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.

LISTEN: Colonial Enterprise in the Caribbean, Part 2; An Arena of Political Life; Lack of a Proper Male Image (The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #45 with Daniel Whyte III)

Our Scripture verse for today is Job 19:25 which reads: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.”

Our first topic for today is titled “Colonial Enterprise in the Caribbean, Part 2” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

The rivalry among European countries for control of the islands in the 17th century presaged the more intense rivalry for hegemony on the mainland that was to develop during the following century. Spain, of course, had prior claim to the islands, thanks to the explorations of its sailors in the 15th century and the papal arrangement of 1493. The Spaniards took advantage of this position by channeling their energies and capital into development of their insular possessions, the most important of which were Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and Jamaica. Although they were to lose some of these and other islands in various conflicts, they nevertheless made the most of their holdings by producing staple crops, especially tobacco and sugar, with slave labor. Early in the 16th century, large consignments of slaves went to the Spanish islands. In 1518, for example, the king of Spain granted a trader the right to ship 4,000 Africans to the Spanish islands. By 1540, the annual importation had reached approximately 10,000. Moreover, an illicit trade of indeterminate size was already developing.

The breaking of the Spanish monopoly in the Caribbean was closely connected with the slave trade. What the English first sought was an opportunity to share in the Caribbean trade, which, during the early years of Elizabeth’s reign, already gave promise of being decidedly profitable. When Spain rejected this bid, the English, led in both thought and action by John Hawkins, decided that the monopoly could be broken only by force. Hawkins planned to take slaves to the New World with the hope that the colonists’ desire for them would be sufficient to overcome their respect for the royal ban on unlicensed trade. The pattern that he set in selling slaves and other African goods at Hispaniola in 1563 was eagerly followed by other and less discreet English imitators, who were summarily arrested and punished by Spanish officials on the island. Although, for the moment, Spain had checked the encroachment of Hawkins and others, it was only a matter of time before Spain would have to yield valuable ground in regard both to the commercial and the territorial monopoly it had enjoyed.

If the Lord tarries His coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church: A Nation Within a Nation, Part 14” from The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier.

— An Arena of Political Life, Continued

It should be noted that of the twenty Negroes elected to the House of Representatives of the United States from the South during the Reconstruction period only two were preachers, but one of the two Negroes who were elected to the Senate was a preacher. Senator Hiram R. Revels, one of the two Negroes elected from Mississippi, was born a free Negro in North Carolina in 1822. He moved to the North and was ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. When the Civil War broke out he assisted in organizing two Negro regiments in Maryland. He worked with the Freedmen’s Bureau and, like other preachers, engaged in the establishment of churches and schools before entering politics in Mississippi. Revel’s career in politics, like that of other Negro preachers was of short duration because of the re-establishment of white supremacy in the South. After elimination from politics in the South, the Negro preachers generally devoted themselves to their church though in some cases they became heads of Negro schools.

If the Lord tarries His coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 14 of Chapter 4: “Reconstruction and Retaliation — 1866 to 1914”

We continue looking at the LACK OF A PROPER MALE IMAGE

As the economic situation improved, relatively speaking, some Negro men began assuming their rightful, God-given position of authority in the home. Here the growth of the Negro church helped. Frazier credits the new economic position of the male as a major factor in establishing family life, admitting this gain was consolidated by the moral support of the Negro church. Slowly but surely the leadership of the male emerged; since preachers were men in authority, this helped to create within the community a better black- male image. A close relationship still existed between family-life organization and church organization. Loose, immoral sex and broken-family behavior are not changed overnight, but the Negro church played a major role in improving the sex behavior of its members.

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If the Lord tarries His coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

Let’s have a word of prayer.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.