During the run-up to the Democratic primary, the main whisper campaign, coming from several candidates, seemed to be about who had—gasp!—voted Republican in the past. Now, it's over who is Christian enough to be mayor.
Mayoral candidate Chokwe Lumumba is pounding the same drum that President Barack Obama had to beat in order to protect his Christian credentials. Since Lumumba came in second in Jackson Democratic primary for mayor, the whispers from opponents about his not being Christian—and perhaps presumably Muslim?—have gotten louder and more insistent.
Lumumba https://www.facebook.com/councilmanchokwe.lumumba/posts/144844442366886">responded to critics on his Facebook himself (or at least someone did on his behalf), writing:
I am a man who respects all people and their right to believe as they choose regarding faith. However, I AM a CHRISTIAN. In fact, I have ALWAYS BEEN A CHRISTIAN. I was raised in Church. My mother was a member of a Christian Women's Association in Detroit to combat prejudice in the Church. When I moved to Mississippi in the late 80s, I continued to attend Church. My late wife Nubia Lumumba, was a member of the Church Choir until her death in 2003. My children have been raised Christian. My daughter, Rukia Lumumba worked in the children's church and the church nursery throughout middle school and high school. My son often gives the message (sermon) at his current Church. GOD and Christianity is a part of who I am. #I AM A CHRISTIAN MAN, WITH AN AFRICAN NAME. #electlumumbamayor for Mayor on May 21st. #together we can make #jacksonrise
Comments
donnaladd 10 years, 11 months ago
After this blog post went up—which, by the way, draws no conclusions on Mr. Lumumba's religious beliefs—Ben Allen of Downtown Jackson Partners just sent me the following email, posted verbatim:
From: Ben Allen ballen@downtown-jackson.com Subject: Then have the courage to post this.... Date: May 14, 2013 5:50:04 PM CDT To: Donna Ladd, Todd Stauffer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkMXYv...">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkMXYv...
This is why , n/m.......POST THIS and let your "readers" decide for themselves....He is a Christian?
Read Exodus 2:7
Post this video, if you have any intellectual honesty....let your reader's decide
Post it.
Yes, sir! (Should I salute here?) We're happy to; we're putting out as much (real) information as we can get about both mayoral candidates.
Knowledge06 10 years, 11 months ago
S0000000.....is there a point to be made by Ben Allen with this video? Exodus 2:7 states: "Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?". What does that scripture have to do with the video? People like Ben Allen have NO credibility with the people Jonathan Lee needs to win next week. This appears to be a WEAK ploy by a desperate candidate and his supporters who can't find a path to victory next week without finding a video which really doesn't seem to mean much of anything. This playbook is old. It's not the 50's, 60's or 70's Ben!!
donnaladd 10 years, 11 months ago
Actually, Allen wrote back and said he's made a typo and meant:
20:7....typo
donnaladd 10 years, 11 months ago
Other than posting what he sent, my only response is: NO IDEA.
Knowledge06 10 years, 11 months ago
Thanks Donna but that only makes Ben's response worse. Exodus 20:7 states: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain." Perhaps he should refer his candidate to Proverbs 12:22: "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight". Just saying.....
donnaladd 10 years, 11 months ago
Y'all battle all you want over Bible verses. I'm Switzerland in this runoff.
donnaladd 10 years, 11 months ago
Ben Allen is onto something: "Resurrection" is becoming a word of the week. It came up again in http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/weblo...">Lee's endorsement press conference today. But Lee denied that it was a swipe at Lumumba's religiosity.
Knowledge06 10 years, 11 months ago
Yeah Donna, Dwayne Pickett mentioned that Jackson needed a resurrection. I guess he means the same way his group (Kingdom Builders Ministries) resurrected the Southwest YMCA on Flowers Drive in Jackson. I saw where it went into foreclosure last month (Clarion-Ledger big easy classifieds). You kinda have to be careful of your words. They may come back to bite you. Just saying...
JLucas 10 years, 11 months ago
I watched this video twice but fail to see why Ben Allen was so eager to put this out there as if it would be a damaging, game-changing revelation. If anything I gained a little more respect for Lumumba after hearing his viewpoint and background.
sarahmina 10 years, 11 months ago
I don't understand why what Mr Lumumba said in the 60's about a separate state is any different from what the Jewish people advocated when being murdered by the Nazis in Germany. When your government sanctions the murder of your people, what would you do? We ARE talking about system oF oppression whose repercussions exists today in very profound ways.
darryl 10 years, 11 months ago
"...any different from what the Jewish people advocated when being murdered by the Nazis in Germany..."
You are an idiot. Please, illuminate the readers what oppression exists today or what "repercussions" exists today that even remotely compares to the Holocaust. If you think that Lumumba's advocacy for a separate "Kush" region within the United States is akin to that then, by all means, remove yourself from the populace.
Knowledge06 10 years, 11 months ago
Manufactured fear is making people like Darryl look like the 'birthers' going after the President.
darryl 10 years, 11 months ago
People like me? Oh, pray tell, what category of people am I? To even remotely compare Lumumba's reactionary, secessionist rhetoric as a necessary redress to the systematic application of genocide that Nazi Germany practiced is simply moronic.
kingkeylion 10 years, 11 months ago
Perhaps "people like" you are people who don't know, don't understand or belittle the experiences of Black people in this country/state/city. The goal of the Nazis was extermination; the goal of the South was enslavement/subjugation. They both used the same techniques to different degrees. Lynching? Drawing-and-quartering? Castration? Emmitt Till? Systematic rape? Boiling in oil? Imprisonment at highly disparate rates? Economic disenfranchisement? These things would make a lot of Black people not wish to live with a good portion of the White population.
darryl 10 years, 11 months ago
Mighty big assumption sparky...
donnaladd 10 years, 11 months ago
Darryl, do NOT call people "idiots" on my website if you ever expect to post here again. Same for everyone else. I'm hoping this election doesn't devolve into a race war; I suggest that everyone here try to be civil and actually get something accomplished in your dialogue. You know, have a mini-dialogue circle on the site. ;-)
darryl 10 years, 11 months ago
fine. sarahmina, I apologize for calling you an idiot. I should have said that your statement was idiotic instead. inappropriate in the extreme.
ladycap68 10 years, 11 months ago
i am a Harvey supporter and i am very angry he could not win.
i am resigned to that and now i want to support Chokwe.
BUT. i saw a commercial on channel 16 this morning where Chokwe said "i hate the police" and this disturbs me alot.
do you all think Chokwe can win now?