WMS-AMEC COVID-19 Public Education Campaign

THECHRISTIANRECORDER.COM WMS-AMEC COVID-19 PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

By Kiratiana Freelon, Columnist

Deborah Taylor King’s ultimate wish is for her 19-year-old grandson to get the COVID-19 vaccine. She has done everything to convince him to do it. She constantly sends him info about coronavirus and the vaccine. She always invites him to local vaccination clinics. During last year’s holidays, she packed a plate of soul food for him because he was banned from entering her house.

“He refuses to take the shot because he thinks he is invincible,” said Taylor King, president of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Women’s Missionary Society (WMS-AMEC) and a member of the Grant AME Worship Center in Austin, Texas. “I have done everything humanly possible. I’ve even tried to bribe him, but I know that is not right.”

So WMS-AMEC’s latest project— a nationwide COVID-19 vaccine public health campaign—hits very close to home for her. The 800,000-member group has partnered with the U.S. government’s Health and Human Services (HHS) to implement a COVID-19 vaccine campaign that not only targets African Americans in Ohio and Georgia but will reach African Americans nationally through podcasts, public service announcements, and social media. The goal of the campaign, aptly called “We Can Do This,” is to reach unvaccinated people who have been misinformed or who mistrust the vaccine. This partnership could not have come at a more crucial time in the United States’ fight against the coronavirus pandemic. As Omicron rages across the U.S., the country recently recorded the most number of COVID-related deaths since before vaccines were available—an average of 2400 deaths over the last seven days before February 1. Nevertheless, COVID vaccines work, and WMS-AMEC is on a life and death mission to convince the holdouts— and everyone knows at least one holdout— to vaccinate.

“The only way we are going to change COVID is by joining powerful forces like HHS,” Taylor King said. “We have to be the voice. We will not allow misinformation to continue to keep from combatting and conquering COVID.”

The AME Women’s Missionary Society is one of the oldest African American women’s organizations in the United States. Its members, who span four continents and more than 30 countries, have been committed to winning souls to Christ, health, economic issues, peace, and justice issues for the last 148 years—since 1874. Although it falls under the AME Church, it is a freestanding non-profit organization with its 501c3 designation. So when national and international crises hit, WMS springs into action because, as Taylor King affirms, “We are a global church with a global ministry, and we serve a global God.”

Although the U.S. was one of the first countries in the world to offer mass vaccination to its citizens last year, only 64% of its population is fully vaccinated. Even Brazil, which did not have enough vaccines until six months after the U.S., is 70% fully vaccinated. And U.S. vaccination rates vary across states, gender, class, age, race, and ethnicity. For example, in Ohio, black residents are underrepresented among the vaccinated. The state is 12.5 percent black, but blacks only make up 10 percent of all vaccinated people. In Georgia, black people make up 31 percent of the population but make up only 27 percent of vaccinated people.

Additionally, Georgia and Ohio rank among the ten worst states with the lowest partial vaccination rates, 62.1 percent and 63.5 percent, respectively. And then, there is the significant national age gap. Among adults, 18-25-year-olds and 26-34 have the lowest partial vaccination rates, 75.2 percent and 77.9 percent, respectively.

Aside from being underrepresented in vaccination rates in several states, blacks in the U.S. also suffered disproportionately from COVID when the pandemic began at the beginning of 2020. In the American epicenter of the outbreak, New York City, blacks died from COVID at twice the rate of their white peers. Unfortunately, New York City was not alone. Data compiled until April 20, 2020, painted a grim picture of health inequities. In Wisconsin, black people represent six percent of the population and nearly 40 percent of COVID-19 fatalities. In Louisiana, black people make up 32 percent of the state’s population but almost 60 percent of fatalities. In Kansas, six percent of the population is black, yet black people account for more than 30 percent of COVID-19 deaths. Those numbers have turned a tide as the pandemic progressed, but the damage was already done. Vaccine naysayers started to use the virus’ tragic run through black communities to convince people not to vaccinate.

As an advocate for the campaign, Patricial RussellMcCloud, Esq., missionary supervisor of the 3rd District, noted, “The misinformation that has been shared over the life of COVID is killing people.” Dr. Russell-McCloud, Esq., reminds the unvaccinated that, “You may be six feet under before you make up your mind about the vaccine. There has to be an urgency of now while you are still thinking about the variant. You need protection. An unvaccinated person cannot have a wake-up call and look at a physician or nurse and say can I get the vaccine now? That would be called too late.”

With their massive reach across the U.S. and the world, WMS-AMEC and the AME Church are in a perfect position to fight misinformation among black Americans. The WMS and the AME Church have long been at the forefront of social justice issues that affect African Americans, and COVID is no different. Dr. Delores Bolden-Stamps helped WMS obtain the Human Health Services grant to implement the campaign in January and February 2022. “That was a real opportunity to meet the terms of the grant and be a part of this national initiative,” Bolden-Stamps said. “It was an opportunity to cast down our bucket where we are in our denomination. Our public is clearly people of color.” Bolden-Stamps also helped formulate the campaign, which uses the rich resources of the connectional church to reach the unvaccinated on the ground and through digital channels. The campaign launched with PSAs and social media posts that reached WMS’ 800,000 members in January. In February, there will be three Boots on the Ground Health Fairs in Ohio, collaborating with health care experts, health care agencies, a medical school, and social service agencies. The WMS-AMEC newsletter, which reaches 300,000 people, will feature exclusive COVID-19 content in February. At the end of January, the WMS-AMEC Executive Board meeting featured a COVID panel discussion that included representatives from the Morehouse School of Medicine. The Christian Recorder will feature three informational pages focused on COVID-19 in February. PSAs recorded last month will be distributed on social media and at HBCU sporting events in Georgia and Ohio. Of course, WMSAMEC utilized its youth network. Last month the Young People’s Department (YPD) recorded a webinar focused on COVID-19 misinformation. While much of the campaign utilizes the connectional church’s digital resources, WMS-AMEC relies on individual AME districts and churches to carry out the on-the-ground campaign. Bishop E. Earl McCloud, Jr., leader of the 3rd District, called on the Rev. Dr. Aimee Anderson to spearhead the vaccination campaign in Ohio. When the Rev. Anderson received the invitation, she was excited to take on the task, but she knew the campaign’s target was not her church members—St. Paul AME Church. All of her church members are vaccinated because this is a requirement for anyone to attend the services in the sanctuary.

We all have family members who have chosen not to be vaccinated. The Rev. Anderson recalls, “When I made the announcement of the vaccination fair and campaign, I could read their faces.” The Rev. Anderson added that many made disgruntled faces that revealed their unhappiness with their unvaccinated friends and family members.

The 3rd District is partnering with a health agency to produce three vaccination and testing clinics throughout Ohio. They will hold the first at Zion AME Church in Delaware, Ohio. Most vaccination sites require scheduling in advance with an extensive online form. All the vaccination sites—AME churches—will welcome walk-ins for vaccines and testing. Anderson targets hesitant individuals, those in barbershops and beauty shops, people of color ages 12 and up. They have also pushed the campaign on local college campuses like Ohio Wesleyan University and the Methodist Theological Seminary of Ohio. “We are trying to get that college-aged group,” Anderson added.

This is the age group into which Taylor King’s grandson falls. “I truly believe that we all know someone ... a family member, close friend, church member, or even another missionary or young person…who isn’t vaccinated, and it is our responsibility for each of us to be a proactive and powerful force to change their resistance or hesitancy,” Taylor King said. “This is our COVID call to action! It is the responsibility of each of us to positively impact our COVID vaccine status.” ❏ ❏ ❏ i td th

MISGUIDED ENTHUSIASM

By Rev. Jason D. Thompson, Ph.D., Contributing Writer

Nearly everyone has an idea about what the church is and why it exists. Yet, due to our limited grasp of how the Kingdom of God looks, we find ourselves in desperate need of a church with a clearer definition and understanding of purpose, with a faith more lusty, more robust, and more vigorous than what we practice currently. Such a faith and intention will push us beyond anything that human ingenuity or creativity could ever produce or engineer so we can more accurately carry out the mission and mandate that Jesus assigned.

This level of ministry motivation begins with an essential question: What about ministry excites us, and how does that enthusiasm direct our intentions? Mark’s Gospel (9:38-50) highlights disciples whose ministry motivations might be framed as misguided enthusiasm. Upon discovering a person who was not part of “their” group, the disciples issued a “cease and desist” order and reported to Jesus: “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” Jesus’ response is rather surprising yet instructive: “Do not stop him” (v. 39a).

Perhaps Jesus appreciated their enthusiasm, but theirs was misguided, and misguided enthusiasm is dangerous. First, notice that this misguided enthusiasm comes in the form of criticism against someone who could do what they could not— heal the possessed boy. Second, by their admission, they attempt to stop this man because “he was not following us.” Are we insistent on people doing things the way we have done them or even the way we think they should be done?

I want to give credit and “shout out” this man that the disciples attempted to stop. The disciples’ practices and strategies were not working, and he had enough sense not to copy their failing methods! One of the hardest things for us to admit is why we keep employing methods that are no longer effective. Moreover, to add insult to injury, we have the gall to ask others to continue doing what does not even work for us.

But then again, is not an institution committed to Christianity no more than an imitation of real life? Institutions teach dreamers, visionaries, entrepreneurs, and creatives like the man in Mark 9 to shrink themselves, not to get in the way, to play by its rules, suggesting that the responsibility of these anomalies is never to their own gifting first but to the status quo of our system. Pastor Mark Moore, Jr. of Atlanta, Georgia, notes that “we don’t rise to the level of our vision; we fall to the level of our systems.”

What, then, are the implications of an exciting ministry that directs our intentions? Is there evidence of this happening today in our spaces? Are we committed to choosing revival over possible ruin that the Reverend Vernon R. Byrd, Jr. advocated for at the 2022 First District Founder’s Day? I offer the following questions as a way to synthesize and pull together our cherished long-standing beliefs and practices, along with the revisions and modifications, the eliminations, and the new avenues of work that could create new domains of understanding for better relevancy and impact.

THECHRISTIANRECORDER.COM “THE TRAGEDY OF EXHAUSTION AND THE URGENCY TO KEEP GOING”

*An exert from the speech delivered at the Day of Service for the Chi Iota Omega Alumni Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Duplin County, North Carolina. January 16, 2022.*

By Rev. Dr. Brandon A. A. J. Davis, Contributing Writer

In [Martin Luther] King’s fourth book entitled Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, he argues the serious urgency for a societal evaluation of our progress toward human empathy through the guise of struggle as witnessed during his travels to Watts, L.A., and the ghettos of Chicago and Cleveland. With the success of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Dr. King began to recenter his focus on the daunting and challenging set of emerging American realities – namely the rapidly growing challenges of poverty, the urban exploitation of black people, and the desperation of young men and women who were crying out for new and humane opportunities amidst the vastness of white wealth and the American dream.

As a prophetic witness, King began to sound the alarm for the recognition of a shift that involved more than just seats at the table, photo ops, and back door agreements that never allowed us to walk boldly through the front door as a recognized equal. With all of the achievements during the torrid 50s and 60s, the groundswell of victory during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, and the development of a national agenda for black people—King began to look deeper at the underlying and root causes of our continued institutional and sociological disenfranchisement as it relates to our growth and progress as a race of people and a people amongst other races.

As King began to assess the scrupulous rise of black nationalism and the growing usage of the slogan “black power,” it was Dr. King who dastardly proposed that unless there were a serious call for interracial coalitions, a cease-fire against retaliatory violence, and a doing away of black separatist ideology, there would be no genuine progress. Poignantly, King stood tall as a social prophet of his day, beckoning those that would hear of the fierce urgency for the whole of American society to take a new turn toward greater economic justice. For King, what was of greater importance and symbolism of our growth in the fight for social change was the need to draw attention to the unequal distribution of wealth in America.

He began to realize that granting civil rights was merely a grand gesture of appeasement. If those in control of the purse strings of economic wealth in this country were not confronted about the injustice of wealth disparity, they would continue to piss on us and call it rain. So King boldly and without reservation stated: “If our economic system is to survive, there has to be a better distribution of wealth ... we can’t have a system where some people live in superfluous, inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty.”

As the sunlight of time began to grow dim in King’s life, unknowingly, King began to address the arduous question: How long is too long? King chose not to reflect on the stories of radical involvement that brought him into our view as a global leader. Instead, he chose to raise the dh h i h level of attention to our shared discontent by asking where are we and what have we been doing?

While the times are different, I submit to you that the social and cultural circumstances that continuously produce our struggling reality have not changed. The issues and concerns that dramatically drew Dr. King to Watts, Cleveland, and Chicago are still the same wretched and socially degrading issues faced by the marginalized, dejected, and racially profiled people of today.

What have we done with the works, intelligence, and cultural sacrifices King made for us to achieve human equality? What have we done with our right to vote? What have we’ve done with our right to quality education? What have we done with our right to sit at the national table of decision-making? While we have made much progress since the days of King, I am sad to report that on a local level, the fight for social change and social advancement has fallen on deaf ears! Ears that have become satisfied with the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. ❏ ❏ ❏

best days in small-town Franklin, Tennessee. With a hunger for knowledge, students in the sixth grade at Johnson Elementary School eagerly awaited the arrival of our science teacher, Mrs. Mills. Tall and graceful, with a smiling countenance, she glided into the room, arms loaded with an assortment of books. With a beautiful chrysanthemum pinned to her starched white blouse, Mrs. Mills began our day with a short meditation. We then proceeded to either view cells under the microscope, check the weight of the white rats, or label the parts of a cell. No matter how challenging the task, Mrs. Mills let us know that we were “smart little children,” which became her mantra for us. And guess what; we believed her! Mrs. Mills had the uncanny ability to spark a flame for knowledge and curiosity in every person she touched. She motivated us to aspire to excellence and genuinely believed in our collective ability to change the world. Mrs. Mills took a special interest in me, and I became an “adopted” member of her family. Whether going along on family trips or babysitting her children, she made me feel special. In her role as a church leader, Mrs. Mills invited me to Shorter Chapel AME Church, where she was a member. At the age of 13, I, too, became a member of the church and later was invited by Mrs. Mills to join the Missionary Society. Mrs. Mills has always been actively involved in Women’s Ministry. She enjoys studying the Bible immensely, which is why Golden Hour Bible Study is special to her. In 2002, Mrs. Mills received her Lifetime Membership, the highest honor awarded by the Connectional Women’s Missionary Society to celebrate members who have given twenty-five years of meritorious service to the organization. The honor of the Lifetime Membership award is rare, and the Society only provides a few to each Episcopal District. In 2021, following in the footsteps of Mrs. Mills, the WMS awarded me Lifetime Membership.

Mrs. Mills served Williamson County Franklin city schools for thirty-nine years. “[S]ome say she taught everybody who went to school in Franklin between 1950 and 1993 -- she remembers most of them, but all remember her.” After retiring from the school system, she once again served her community as Williamson County commissioner for 17 years, as an active member of the African American Heritage Society, and she has been affiliated with the Williamson County Chamber of Commerce, Williamson Medical Center, Community Childcare, and the Williamson County Health Council. In 2017, Mrs. Mills received the Caroline J. Cross Award, presented by Leadership Franklin, which is given to a community leader who motivates and inspires others through creativity, character, dedication, and service.

Mrs. Mills continued to mentor me throughout the years, and I became the first person in my family to graduate from college. It is difficult to measure in words just how much of an impact Mrs. Mills has had on my life. I was fortunate to teach at a middle school with Mrs. Mills at the helm as our principal. I, too, found my passion in teaching others and served as an educator at every grade level, including colleges and universities. I poured into each of my students much

...From Living p1 in the same way that Mrs. Mills did for me, which sustained my career and led me to obtain my doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. In short, I hope to inspire yet another generation of people to become lifetime learners and have a love for the Lord. I am thankful to Mrs. Mills for enriching my life as a role model and guiding me on my spiritual journey. She inspired me to reach unseen heights and achieve what I did not believe was possible. In doing so, I have learned to live by the principle first articulated in Booker T. Washington’s Atlanta Compromise speech and later heralded in Langston Hughes’s “Ballad of Booker T.” Let down your bucket Where you are: Your fate is here And not afar You may carve a dream With an humble tool And the tallest tower Can tumble down If it be not rooted In solid ground. As one rooted in solid ground, I desire to cast down my bucket where I am, for I am living proof that it will come up full of fresh, sparkling water from the mouth of the Amazon River.

THE MURDER OF BLACK PEOPLE: A CALL TO ACTION FROM THE 3RD EPISCOPAL DISTRICT

The murder of black people by deputized white citizens and authorities has been a recurring episode in the American saga. However, it appears to be an inevitable part of the black existence that black death perpetually dominates news cycles but still never seems to cover the magnitude of what black people have experienced in this country. So, as the church, we must lead as we have always done, picking up the mantle when and where we can to declare our divinity and humanity in the face of persistent dehumanization.

On December 11, 2021, 29-year-old Peter Benardo Spencer, a Jamaican immigrant residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, joined his white male friend and coworker, Nathan Myers, and three other white males on a short camping trip. Less than 24 hours later, Spencer was fatally shot nine times (a combination of six shots in the chest and back, two shots in the buttocks-thigh region, and one shot in neck or mouth) by Myers in what Myers has declared an act of self-defense.

While investigators have not released the details of the police report, timeline, and events leading up to the shooting, African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church member, chairman and chief executive officer of the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP), Tim Stevens, is asking for public support in amplifying the story and urging local authorities to work more diligently toward closing the case.

In conjunction with family Attorney Paul Jubas, Steven’s efforts have led to the involvement of the United States and Pennsylvania’s attorney generals. However, as of today, no one has been charged for the murder of Peter Benardo Spencer. As a result, Bishop Errenous E. McCloud, Jr., presiding prelate of the 3rd Episcopal District, has partnered with the Pennsylvania Council of Churches (PCC) to support Spencer’s family further.

The 3rd Episcopal District, with an extended invitation to the broader denomination, is prepared to engage in more concerted efforts to ensure accountability, transparency, and public awareness throughout the investigation. Bishop McCloud has committed to financing the press release and representation to garner more widespread support for the family. He states that officials across the 3rd District (Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) will know by our voices that black people are not dispensable targets for the hunting and gaming of white supremacists posing as friends or serving in the role of civil authorities. Similarly, Attorney Paul Jubas is concerned that the racial dynamics of the group have dictated the way authorities are handling the investigation. Though he has repeatedly asked for autopsy photos and information regarding the case, there has been little to no communication from authorities to him and Spencer’s family. These circumstances have inspired local organizations and religious institutions to pledge their support in seeking justice. On Wednesday, February 2, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. EST, the Rev. Dale Snyder, pastor of Bethel AME in Pittsburgh, will host the district press conference with Mr. Spencer’s fiance and mother, the family attorney, the B-PEP, and the PCC. Members of the connection may use the following link to join: https://www. facebook.com/Bethel.AME.Pittsburgh. The joint statement released on behalf of the AME Church and the PCC reads, “With consideration for the number of shots fired into Mr. Spencer’s body and the lack of evidence that any other shots were fired by Mr. Spencer, or anyone else, we find the assertion of self-defense an incomprehensible evasion of accountability. Further, we find the lack of cooperation from officials and the damage to Mr. Spencer’s body to be causes for concern, as related to the propriety and thoroughness of the investigation. “Therefore, in solidarity with the Spencer family, the Black Political Empowerment Project, and those with moral deference toward justice, we, the AME Church and Pennsylvania Council of Churches, make the following demands: 1. The Venango County Coroner immediately turn over all photos and other pertinent information to Dr. Cyril Wecht, the family’s chosen medical examiner. 2. The Venango County District Attorney immediately refer this case to the Pennsylvania Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, out of an abundance of caution to avoid the appearance of any impropriety. 3. The U.S. Attorney General and the Pennsylvania Attorney General conduct an investigation that is as deep, honest, and thorough as humanly possible to obtain the justice that we seek. “As clergy, faith leaders, and members of the church universal, we insist upon the immediate and full compliance of every official involved in the investigation of Peter Benardo Spencer’s murder, and we pledge our support to Mr. Spencer’s family and community.” In the spirit of justice, members of the AME Church are asked to share this story with their local congregations and across networks and platforms. ❏ ❏ ❏

VIOLENCE HAS A FACE

By Rev. Mmakgabo Gwendoline Sepoloane, Contributing Writer

Violence against women, especially rape, is not reserved for the woman on the street but can also take place right in the sanctity of our homes. This sad reality was brought to light by Sister Johanna Hlahasoane, the 19th Episcopal District Charlotte Maxeke Ladies Fellowship (CMLF) president, who told of her ordeal of being brutally attacked in her bedroom while her husband lay tied up on the side. “I thought he was dead,” she remarked.

Hlahasoane spoke during a Zoom platform session of the Central South Africa (CSA) region of the Women in Ministry on 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children. The CSA coordinator, Presiding Elder Rev. Beatrice Motokoa (18th District), chaired the session with the Rev. Mmalorato Mabaso (19th District), serving as moderator.

The session, themed Violence Has a Face, created a safe place for open conversation and a show of love and support for all survivors and victims. I found it amazing how vividly Hlahasoane managed to paint her attack; it played itself out in my mind, her feelings and emotions throughout the ordeal and how she readied herself for death as the perpetrators discussed what a prize she was after days of studying the household movements in preparation for the robbery and now sexual assault. She recalls that one of them said, “You are so beautiful.”

She spoke of her confusion, pain, helplessness, and a continued private heart-toheart with God. “I was so confused,” she said repeatedly. Eventually, her conversation moved from total despair to renewed faith as she could feel God assure her that she was not alone and that she would surely overcome this. After years of individual and family counselling, she has become the voice and face that stands against normalising violence and abuse of anyone in the district. The chat room was abuzz with messages of encouragement throughout the session.

Mrs. Thelma Ngcobo (WMS, 19th District) followed with a response that emphasised the need to act and not just talk about ongoing violence. She reminded us that the church has been too silent and hamstrung on the topic. “The church is a great platform in society for healing and recovery, for both the victim and the perpetrator,” she pointed out. We could help remove the victim’s shame and make it possible for the perpetrators to find the help they need. She concluded by reminding all that as with many enemies, the scourge and the fight against it “is unfortunately not just a 16 days activity but a battle waged 365 days of the year.”

Violence has reportedly become even more prevalent and severe during the COVID-19 pandemic and lock-downs that have left us all cooped up in our homes— many stuck with abusive partners or parents. The South African government has aptly themed this year’s campaign, “The Year of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke – 16 Days of Activism – Moving from Awareness to Accountability.” What better reason for the African Methodist Episcopal Church to take the lead?

The Rev. Lerato Pitso (19th) made a call for the violence to stop with her sermon titled, “Enough Is Enough,” after reading from Genesis 19:8.

The session was graced by the presence of the WIM Connectional Commission chair, Bishop Frederick A Wright, Sr., presiding prelate of the 20th District, the 19th District supervisor, the Rev. Carolyn Brailsford, the 18th District presiding prelate, Bishop Francine Brookins, the 18th District supervisor, the Rev. Dr. Miriam Burnette, the president of the Connectional Presiding Elder’s Council, the Rev. Michele Goodloe, and of course fully supported by the Connectional WIM president, the Rev. Dr. Erika D. Crawford. ❏ ❏ ❏