Family what’s up we back in the upper room live powered by Eastern Star Church where Jesus is exalted in the word is explained our senior pastor is the pastor Jeffrey A Johnson Senior and I’m Reverend deei with ESC online and so happy and delighted in this as we kick
Off Black History Month that my brother is here with me on tonight uh I’m here with you sis what’s going on how you doing I’m doing outstanding we are just walking by faith and continuing to trust God how you doing sis it’s so good to see your
Smiling face on tonight yes sir and to have a smiling face it’s it’s a blessing uh you know I had a birth I just celebrated a birthday happy birthday to you it was on February 1 and I don’t know and I’m making reference to this as
You ask me how I’m doing so there was a meme that was going around saying that January was a trial month so with a so uh my year officially started on February 1 so we gonna try it again we gonna try it again but I am
Back I’m glad to be on this side um you know and it’s another blessing and you know to to be able to kick off say your birthday kicks off Black History Month I mean come on you know you just anointed it’s just the favor of God on your life
That’s I love it than that you hear me so what about in your world how’s how’s 24 2024 been treating you we just taking it one day at a time with the Lord kids getting big trying to make sure all of the needs are met and make sure that
Ministry goes forward but God has been blessing it I’m just trusting to see what he gonna do throughout the rest of the year we know we add to our staff uh we’ll talk a little bit about that tonight so I’m just excited to see what
God does in this season I love it I love it that’s good news you know no complaint really seriously real talk no complaints blessed ready to get it get connected stay connected this year as we know that’s our theme for 2024 this is the year of connection so family we hope
That January has given you a running start that um you have uh been complient with pastor’s um charge to get connected to at least one Ministry uh this year uh to get involved to get connected to get in the word uh to make sure that you’re being a part
Of Sunday school’s back in session uh ignite team discipleship groups back in session children’s church team churches back um men of purpose senior Saints women of the word like everybody’s back in Action y’all so plenty of opportun we even had a virtual open house for ESC
Online so even if you are one of our uh online members one of our online church family members and and even on site you have opportunity to get connected so let’s make sure we do that family let’s let’s make sure we do it get connected and stay connected um there’s a lot
Going on in the ministry so we want to share uh a couple of updates a few updates I should say and reminders because we know that February is all tithers month but it is also our 40 day fast our Hallelujah come on it kicks off Lord do
It Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday um don’t don’t even think about Valentine’s Day just askh Wednesday February 14th well you can because God is love so we we gonna do uhuh on in the spirit come on we G get your Valentine’s Day chocolates and stuff in the night before and we
G right so family um everything you need everything you need on our website uh you can visit easternstarchurch.org you make sure you stay connected uh the team uh will be updating the site so that you’ll be able to have access to the um fast guide uh there’ll be
Recipes tips resources and things of that nature and so make sure you stay tuned to that and and stay connected um with our website easternstarchurch.org and make sure you downloaded our free mobile app as well and I know a lot of people sometimes too P during this time
They will you know cut back on their social media um or if not you know just kind of take a break but we encourage you if you do stay connected um with social media know that this will be a safe and Sacred Space to again inform and Inspire absolutely stay connected to
Our Facebook pages uh our Facebook pag is plural because we have an online community group and then we also have our main Facebook page and then also our Instagram page as well and so we’ll be sharing sermon Snippets um words of encouragement devotionals recipes and things of that
Nature to keep us all encouraged uh on the journey and I’m excited about this too our Wednesday wakeup call right yes ma’am every week 7 AM eastern time our Wednesday wake up wakeup call kicks off our Wednesday in the word and so this month our call series is one Faith one
Fast and we are observing uh Black History Month yes and honoring the black church Faith tradition in addition to observing lent as well our 40-day fast so who better to lead us in that than our um Eastern Star Church Senior Saints and so sister Betty Henry uh she kicked
Us off on this past Wednesday and on on yesterday morning and that word is still still with me all of that wisdom and that warmth of her light and her love and she she just really really blessed us so family we encourage you to set your alarms set your alarm and join us
For the Wednesday wake up prayer call again this month our senior Saints will be leading us but next week because it is the day one of our fast our senior leadership U will be kicking us off as we have done annually so make sure you set your alarm uh spread the word and
Make sure you uh save the number and dial in family I see you all U popping up in the chat and representing on tonight I saw Cooper Road I see the Fishers F fish representing I see y’all come on don’t let me down don’t let me
Down man main campus where y’all at show up Make some noise yes yes he yes sister Darlene I shouted out to senior Saints you all are holding it down again for the Wednesday wake up and then we also have our senior Saints Ministry and again all seniors are welcome age 55 and
Up they are back in Action as well thank you Lisa Lisa comes through every time come through man keus we love her we thank God for her no to your point though uh Reverend Dei if you’ve never um because I know there are several indiv ual who
Have never jumped on for our Wednesday wake up um I really encourage us to do that especially to kick off this season of consecration I think that connection um is going to be really powerful so you yourself if you have never uh waken up set your clock and jumped on there I
Would encourage you to do so next week and others that you um may know around the church that that may not have gotten connected there I just really believe um us doing that together uh as a family entering this consecration season is going to pay off especially given the
Type of season we in in poit in um uh political season so yeah I just I just trust in that God is gonna do something special for sure everything to to that point I’m with you on that Pastor P so family we we always see that uptick you
Know we started the Wednesday wake up actually we started the Wednesday wake up called last year on the first day of the fast so here we are a year later still going and growing and we have call call crew they call in for prayer faithfully and we have you know new
People joining us as well so this is a good time if you’ve never been on the call to get connected or if you want to be consistent if you want to get connected and stay connected uh this is a great time to join us for the prayer
Call and know that even after the fast We’re still praying We’re still praying every without you know without aail so make sure join us join us join us so um as we talk about Seasons we want to remind uh church family this is for ESC members only on this Saturday we have a
Congregation event a special congregation event uh that will take place this Saturday February 10th at the Cooper Road campus from 3:30 to 5:00 pm and again that’s for ESC members only uh Pastor shared that information in service we pray that you save the date and you definitely want to uh be a part
Of this special event and so make sure to spread the word again to ESC members church family only um again this Saturday also this Saturday in the morning we will have women of the word and Men of purpose at 9:00 am at the main campus U that’s also taking place
This Saturday so from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the S we shall be with the Lord on Saturday and then y’all we right back in the house Sunday Sunday is baptism and communion Sunday and then we also have our ministry Spotlight for uh February so make sure
That you stop by the ministry information booth after service at each campus uh Fishers it will be in the ministry area Cooper Ro we will be in the chapel and then uh at the main campus we will be in the Family Life Center so make sure you stop by and see
The Ministries that are being highlighted and Shameless plug ESC online will be uh Spotlight in the spotlight this month so make sure you all stop by and say hello to our team members and learn about all of the Ministries and you have opportunity to sign up to get information uh to be able
To reflect to pray and again um ask questions and we can get you connected and get you involved you can start serving today all right so make sure you stop by um our ministry Spotlight booth on Sunday um P so with what’s going on with Ignite
Teens and our young adults CA I got some notes about crew um we getting ready to get back at itting ready get back at it the ESC scholarship window has opened up as well tell tell what’s going on break it down so we’ve been busy in ignite
Children teen children and teens and in crew um actually our children too we have a um we are finally getting back to doing some drama and allowing them to learn and engage the scriptures through play yeah through plays and kind of um it’s been really fun to see them get
Into character and kind of learn the stories from a firsters uh perspective um so they’re going to have a children’s Easter play that is going to take place at the Rock Community Center for Youth and children on March 23rd at noon so they’ve been um rehearsing and y’all it
Is so funny to see these kids but definitely plan to come out with them but of course we’ve got our discipleship groups that are popping at each campus on Wednesday nights at 7 o’clock our our teams you know they always uh doing big things so um we just
Had a team leadership council meeting this past Sunday and y’all our teenagers got some stuff up their sleeve so uh definitely stay tuned um we we’re still doing our first and third Sundays for children and teens at each campus um and then also our crew Young Adult Ministry
Or if you young adult at heart we don’t got no age barriers intended uh for for demographic but if you’re young at heart definitely right but um every third Tuesday a young adult discipleship group will get together at the Fishers campus and just really have a time of
Fellowship get dig in the scriptures together to pray and really just share life you know sometime just that proximity to be able to hear and understand what’s going on especially for the for that young adult demographic um there’s crazy transitions take place in people’s lives coming back and trying
To get into their professional career or family stuff relational stuff a career um so we just really want to create a platform for young adults to come in there to Fellowship to share what God is doing in their life dig down in the scriptures uh and really connect um so
As usual yeah we we keeping it rolling uh in terms of ministry Endeavors sure all ages all ages get in where you fit in to get connected and stay connected um shout out Pastor P Reverend Sandra sister Pam the entire ignite team we love you all thank you so
Much uh for what you all do in the lives of our our young people and our young adults we we appreciate you all for sure and all and our coordinator we have brother Eddie now I was just gonna say yeah we got brother Eddie Burks and I
Look forward to you we got to get him in the upper room one time so he can meet the body sure but yeah brother Eddie Burks he’s our uh ignite children and team coordinator for fisers campus so we are finally uh moving into a place of uh
Really doing campus ministry and I thank God for pastor Johnson and his leadership and just our entire leadership staff for us to truly become active in the community around our campuses so brother Eddie Burks has been a godsend and um he’s getting used to the Eastern Star Church uh pace and and
The ecosystem so it’s a blessing to have him around so him when y’all see brother Eddie Burks yeah for sure shout out brother Eddie yes we do we have to get brother Eddie in the upper room and and check in so family our time is ticking uh we’re
Going to segue into our next segment we are so so excited you all know this is Black History Month we have some very special guests with us on tonight and uh for our conversation again it is connection this year so you all know we always do a hashtag with our audition
And uh tonight is we are one and so if some of you um may recall back in the fall we did a conversation with our young adults uh with um our crew Ministry and we had some of our Civic leaders come in with us those who are in
The uh serving in the political landscape and we had a very in-depth conversation that you just can’t hold within an hour so we made a commitment together um to link up uh ESC online and ignite and keep the conversation going yes for all generations as we focus on a
Online Series this year four parts um so make sure you stay tuned throughout the year um that we’re going to focus on it’s called connection 2024 so it’s a play on Election 2024 we are G to we’ve deemed it connection 2024 and so tonight as we kick off the
Series we will have our segment on tonight called one vote one voice and we’re going to look at the intersection of uh Civic engagement social responsibility uh as a faith community um through the lens of black history and black culture and black church and so we
Thank God on tonight we believe it is divine Connection in fact we know it is that we have with us on tonight first I’m going to bring our sister to the stage um no stranger she is a part of our family Reverend Nicole Barnes she is
A um well I’m gonna let her say her her role and her responsibility who she’s representing on tonight so good evening sis how are you I am good it’s so good to be with y’all what’s up what’s up welcome back to the upper room sis listen yes welcome back to the upper
Room the city I’ve been on the plane and I’m glad glad that I made it yes likewise we glad too oh yes thank God for safe travels and that you would take the time to be with your church family on tonight and um we just thank God for
You and your commitment to your call this is this is your call this is your passion your space uh and as as um who is it uh Donald Lawrence says You Wear It Well you wear it well amen amen we’re glad to have you with us on tonight and
So also without further Ado we want to bring another special guest with us on tonight all the way over in Louisville Kentucky uh via Facebook and YouTube with us on tonight we are so honored so delighted on tonight to have with us none other than Dr Kevin Cosby of the St
Stephen Church of Louisville Kentucky Jeffersonville Indiana as well one St yeah also the president of Simmons College of Kentucky HC you yeah for welcoming me to your space to your conversation it’s just an honor to uh to see you and to be with you and I’m
Excited about U well I’m excited about e star and your phenomenal Peerless Pastor my friend Dr Johnson so thank you so much for inviting me yes sir sir honored we’re honored and I I wanted to yield to deliberately to Reverend Nicole Barnes let us know which hat she’s wearing
Tonight who she wants to represent what is her role her responsibility on tonight what is the charge sis yes yes ma’am yes so I am a senior program director of voting for The Faith and Action fund which is the political arm of Faith and Action so I serve in both
Spaces but for the context of what we’re discussing tonight I’ll come from that lens the political arm and also as a come on church family that’s how yes that’s it woman of God yeah said that hat don’t come off that hat stay on that Hat’s permanent yeah at all times
At all times we love you you’re such a blessing to us and family let’s get into it it’s Black History Month uh again uh Pastor p and I the link up we came together said we we have to do something of course Reverend Nicole Barnes comes
To heart comes to mind she’s in and we said y’all we have to start having this conversation now in fact we have to continue to have the conversation and we wanted to do that not just within our Silo of Eastern Star Church or Indianapolis Indiana but the fact that
This is a global Society this is global impact this is happening in our communities everywhere and again delighted to have Dr Cosby because he serves in this space and from so many different perspectives and with such a wealth of knowledge and and passion for the social justice space and where that
Intersects with faith and so we want to speak to that on tonight family we want to thank you again for being with us we are in the upper room live powered by Eastern Star Church where our senior pastors Pastor Jeffrey A Johnson senior and family you know what to do we need
You to like love and share this live let everybody know that the light is on in the upper room we’re going to have an in-depth discussion on tonight connection 2024 one vote one voice so let’s start even with that to frame our conversation on tonight what comes to
Mind as we lift up uh terminology such as social responsibility Civic engagement even Civil Disobedience and black history black church and we say one vote One Voice how does that re how does that resonate with you all just right off the top coming out the gate we’ll start with um Reverend Nico
Bar um when I think about social responsibility I think about how synonymous that is with black church because black church is communal um when we look at just like you said this is an extension of parking lot conversations when we think about um I remember going to church with my grandparents and how
The community took hold of us took care of us we was in church all day but we ate we slept we learned we sang we danced like it was a community and and we rallied behind one another we supported one another we encouraged one another um so when I think about social
Resp responsibility I think of beyond the pull pit I think of moving outside of Sunday Bible study but what is it that when I step out of those space what as a Believer is my responsibility to my neighbor and we hear that um in the Bible time and time again um about
Caring for our neighbor about love about considering others before ourselves um so when I think about the community of church that’s what I immediately hear when I hear social responsibility and I think of one v v one vote one voice that means that we are Collective um there are there are men
There are no divisions we are a collective this is our Collective identity um so I’ll pause there and let Dr Cosby come on in you I was saying am man just sitting here taking notes for my next sermon uh you’ve given me some very rich nuggets
Uh I mean moving beyond the pull pit I think you you’ve captured exactly what we’re supposed to be about um when I think of one voice one vote and um uh what a fitting title for a discussion One Voice one vote uh in a sense they are synonymous to me because your voice
Is your vote that when you relinquish your vote your voice and that is why um there’s always been either um voter suppression or um um voter denial uh so when you think of the um three amendments to the Constitution the three uh post Civil War amendments 13th Amendment abolishing
Slavery 14th Amendment um equal protection of the law citizenship and then of course the 15th Amendment 1870 uh which gave men black men the right to vote of course women the right to vote uh to the 18th Amendment uh but still for all practical purposes uh even though you know on
Paper we had been given the right to vote in 1960 uh in Mississippi less than 2% of black mississippians were registered to vote so it was not until the Voting Rights bill of 1965 was passed that the black community uh had a voice in governance um and I’m glad that the
Church was the driver behind sir social justice because the church never believed black church that is never believed in in Soul salvation which is a Greek concept that is alien to the hebraic concept that people are not a have a soul but we are a soul God breathed into their nostrils the breath
Of life and they became a living Soul so yes sir have a soul you are a soul so we never believed in Soul salvation we believed in whole salvation oh that’s good will thou be made uh yes and because of that because of what we believed about whole salvation
Black Church’s Ministry usually centered around three pillars and that is um uh value and character formation group empowerment and social justice which e start does so well character formation thank you sir you know having a moral compass knowing right and wrong group empowerment the building of our institutions where we are in governance
We didn’t want American B we wanted Soul trained that’s group empowerment and then social justice and that is making sure that these unjust laws that create the disparities the racial disparities because of of public policies uh those those unjust laws and the gaps that Dr King talked about
Closing the gaps he talks about that and where do we go from here that’s what social justice is social justice is simply about closing the gaps that racist public policy has created that’s good that’s good I just want to rest in all of that so was so
Good so very good P what’s your thoughts what’s your Reflections um have a follow-up question comment yeah I I would love to hear um both Reverend Nicole and Pastor Cosby talk kind of about this idea of Civic engagement I know it’s a term that kind of gets thrown around usually pretty accurately
But hearing everything that y talking about in terms of community and especially when it comes to young people I’m always quite uh I guess concerned for lack of better words with some of our 16 17 18 year olds that approach the topic of politics and social justice and
Blackness and what that means to this American fight and helping them you use this term formation how are they being developed and seeing these ideas from a historical lens and what that means about today understanding that for um Reverend Nicole you were talking about the black community and the black church
And coming up where Community had to do with proximity right it was a lot easier to train and to build up and let the young people be in a church environment so when it comes to young people and Civic engagement just kind of how each of you would Define that term Civic
Engagement and then um why it’s important when we talk about this whole some of those things that uh Pastor Cosby named yeah so I would say at a on a basic level it is a collective action where the public comes together to address an issue or concern that can look a variety
Of ways and particularly now when you talk about um I won’t just put it on young people but just this idea of uh the social world that we live in and social media and we’ve seen um petitions online we’ve seen how uh public outcry on social media can shut down businesses
Can expose uh officers who are um harming our communities we can see you know just a different level of exposure that we didn’t have before with social media um so voting I always try to explain to people that voting is a a tool it’s a resource um but the endgame I believe is
For black folks to be free and that’s in thought body in spirit in resources the ing game is for us to be free and this and and voting Civic engagement civic duty signing petitions protesting um talking to your Representatives whichever ways you choose to participate in addressing a
Public concern as a collective that is a means to get to us being free that’s good Dr Cosby yeah thank you so much u u um re Nicole I appreciate your comments and I’ll just kind of uh pigy back on on your your statements and and um that Civic engagement the I think
The end of Simons Civic engagement the goal of Civic engagement is public policy the word policy is the Greek word polus it means City I know of a city called Indianapolis yes sir and uh maybe you’ve heard of it but it’s the it’s the City of Angels Anapolis is the city of
Um of of Anna and the wife of Lord Baltimore you know so um the poce you know and so many words emerge from that word I’m think of poce po police policies you know so policies and all policies is is simply this policies is the community determining uh what will be the community’s
Priorities that’s good that’s all it is that every year taxes are levied and and we send representatives to determine what will be the priorities of those of those taxes okay that’s what public policy is all about having a voice in where tax dollars are spent so if you don’t like tax dollars being
Spent in war are to butress up the 800 military bases 800 military bases the United States has around the world we’re not a nation we are an Empire like Rome there’s a difference between an Empire and a nation a nation is an is is collaborating with other nations an
Empire is a nation that could seeks to control other nations and we use our might our military budget those money um for global domination the same way Rome did in the first century instead of of helping uh the homeless the houseless uh building up um our infrastructure developing our schools endowing historical black
Colleges universities in perpetuity I mean those are decisions uh that is that need social engagement and um the church must be at least for the black community because that’s that’s one of the few institutions that we control that we have yes sir so it’s the only place where we can come organize and
Mobilize help address uh issues of public policy that affect our community unfortunately we have never in these United hates of America we have never been priorities and that’s the reason why our communities are the way it is so uh I think that to some degree the church has especially during the 90s I
Think the church kind of lost its way with the Prosperity Gospel Jesus um but the fact of the matter is everything is policies and I I’ll close with this and there are basically if you think about it just three basic policies there’s there ‘s um private policy personal policy and public policy every
One of us has a private policy private policy is how you think and nobody knows how you think but you that’s private personal policy is how you behave that’s be that is observable public policy uh H last will of Yale University this is his classic definition of public policy Herold lwell
He said public policy is the public deciding who gets what it is and unfortunately we have always been deprived we’ve never gotten anything that’s the reason why our communities and that’s why people are doing desperate things we think that private policy drives public policy it’s really public policy drives private policy when you
Are desperate and when you live in no opportunity to low opportunity communities that put you in a position in which you do uh desperate things so it’s all D so that social engagement uh is not the the Christian sideline and that’s important to me it’s not our sideline
Like evangelicals will say that we are not we ought to be in the Soul Saving business no it’s not our sideline it is our Mainline you can’t The Lord’s Prayer and say you know give us this day that’s our the plural Our Daily Bread Deliver Us from Evil so and the reason people
Need to be delivered from Evil is because they don’t have Daily Bread yes way if you give me daily bread don’t pray Deliver Me From Evil of selling drugs and engaging in UNT criminal activities don’t pray Me From Evil without first praying give us not me not one Community Bri
Us connection that sound like connection to me yeah us yes so um so you so to me so like I said um public engagement is simply being engaged in in the in the framing of public policy just public policies um that does not hoard and concentrate
Wealth and resources with the top a half percent so so with that Dr Cosby Rend nocole Reverend Barnes help us connect the dots because it’s it’s one thing in theory in principle um information on how we frame it of course but when my reality is contrary to that
That leads me to believe that my vote doesn’t matter so therefore I don’t have a voice nobody sees me first of all to even hear me let alone hear me so with that help us connect the dots when again it’s it’s black history month so we’re gonna shout out our divine nine
Fraternities and sororities who have also been a part of that front line young people um older and those that um have collect ively had initiatives right to get people to register to vote um who have served in the social justice spaces and so I bring them up when I think of a
Dr Martin Luther King Jr who’s a member of alpha F Alpha Fraternity Incorporated and their initiative is a voteless people is a hopeless people so those who choose not to and don’t understand what is at stake and cannot connect those dots to the private policy the personal policy the public policy and
Understanding knowing that your vote does lend you hope how do we help people make those connections and we’ll come back to King in just a moment but how do we help people understand what is at stake and that your vote really does matter because your voice
Matters I think you you know at this point it is literally a matter of life and death um we we are voting I I’ve heard this in a variety of ways but it’s true we are voting for our lives literally we’re voting for our lives and when we go back to this social
Responsibility piece I believe that um in my responsibility to those around me it’s as important for me to talk about what is happening in the political realm what is happening locally state level National level what’s happening in the community it’s as important to discuss that as it
Is Club Shay or Cat Williams or like all the things that we talk about and that we debrief or we talk about the crazy people at work or we talk about you know who whatever it is it’s just as important for us to have these types of conversations um because I think that
That’s where the transformation happens my goal has is never to shame people into voting I don’t want to shame folks I don’t want to um tell you even though these are true these are true facts we do have folks that have went before us we do have ancestors that have went before
Us and we are here now and we see what is happening in this world right now and as we look at the disparities and the gaps and the Very things that Dr Cosby was talking about as far as like War you know we see I was looking at a study the other day
About uh it was a survey of black hoers and hooers is a weird word to me but anyways black folks that live in Indiana and uh they talked about what the concerns were and what were the top concerns of the community and they said that it was you know affordable housing
Community violence and mental health I believe was the other thing so now that we know that these are the these are some of the top concerns those should be topics of conversation and in that conversation the same way we research the latest movie the latest shoe a recipe how to
Install the next wig whatever it is that we’re up we should also be able to Google and figure out okay what representatives are putting forth we’re currently in a legislative session what bills are put forth related to community violence related to mental health related to affordable housing then from
There we can talk with people we can start doing our research we can show up at the state house we can do the things that that Dr Cosby was talking about as far as influencing public policy so I really believe that the transformation happens in the community and it is when
We talk about social responsibility it is my responsibility as not just a person but also as a Believer to include this in my conversation as much as I include everything else in my conversation so I believe that that’s where the transformation happens um and I’ll pause there I do have something
Else to say about messaging but go ahead Dr Cosby oh thank you so much very astute observation um lawence um I think that it’s important to remember that your vote is not a gift it’s an exchange say that again please Dr k your vote is not a
Gift no one is entitled to your vote Yes is not a gift it is an exchange yes sir it is it is something for something yeah so before you give your vote to any party uh the question you should be asking yourself is what will I get in
Exchange that’s right for my vote and that is why that voting takes place beyond primaries and general elections it takes place voter education yes takes place by allowing the community to inductively not deductively but inductively determine what the issues are part of the the manipulation of
Those in power is those in power love to tell you what your issues are instead of community determin what our issues are and for me the issue the preeminent issue for black Americans from 1619 to 20 24 is the pilfering of black wealth yeah sir and every other issue we have from mental
Illness to criminality is a consequence of the fact that black wealth and by black I have to even disaggregate what I mean by black because uh prior to 20 1965 99% of all blacks in this country 99% according to the Smithsonian Institute 99% could trace their lineage back to
Slavery okay because of the 1965 Immigration Act we only talk about the Voting Rights Act of 65 but because of the Immigration Act of 65 for the very first time people of color started coming into this country and while they may have my same color they do not have my same
Lineage okay yeah so um we built the country we’re the descendants of slaves our Free Labor made America what America is today and we are owed a debt and for me the preeminent question in the black community is what is the United States going to do to rep
PR the descendants of enslaved people for 246 years free labor plus 100 plus years of semi slavery so you you had chadow slave you were chadow slaves for 246 years and then you were wage slaves for another 100 plus years and we are dealing today with the consequences of of that Gap
I want to know from the from my elected officials what are you going to do in in order to acknowledge the arc Arc acknowledge repair so we can have some closure to our suffering man so I W to go to our comments have you all see the
Comments um on the screen someone said hashtag reparations uh yeah and then said hallelujah amen uh so you made me think of Dr Cosby um the radical King who said a check I need a check talk about a check that’s the king they don’t want us to to hear and to
Know about right um thank you all for lifting lifting those up p i want you to jump in man it’s so much it’s so much right now I know uh Reverend Nicole you had something else I W to um when we’re talking about that this Gap did you say
P I’m we’re talking about this Gap it seems like when we’re talking about social responsibility that there are so many uh uh that are socially irresponsible who I guess do not recognize the power of that exchange and don’t necessarily understand how it can help transform communities when I’m talking to young
People often times to them it seems like this is a demographic of the black community that is lost and I’m talking about lost ain’t No Getting them back Le cut them off leave them to the side we have hard conversations when they talk about some of that uh group of our
Community that population of our community what would y’all speak to to those young people who are kind of almost discouraged by a large population of their Community who basically by their inac are saying I don’t care enough about the plight of the black community this is about what I want to
Do and part of what I want to do is destroy our own communities um just what would y’all speak to the young people and not just young people to some of the US in the church and to people who have that mindset and are discouraged by that population of their Community who don’t
Care enough to use their power if you me commenting um please go ahead I believe that the My Generation I’m a boomer has let down Millennials gen J A gen z um I think that we have not advocated for them and if I would not say that our young people are
Lost I think our young people have been left Dr Cosby please say that again my God they’re not lost they’re left and it is we have left them we’ve left them in decaying communities um Eric Michael J Eric Michael Eric Michael Eric John Michael Eric Dyson tyon talks about groups of
Black talks about the afro uh afro how you put it the GH ocracy and the arroy so the AF AF no the apocracy that’s it the apocracy and the GTO ocracy afy is the Boule blacks was first started with the Jeffersons who left JJ mov on up to the east side talk about
It Reverend and then they moved to the suburbs and now you have the exurbs and that is the coses and the hux who move beyond the suburbs to the exurbs but the point is is that what hurt the masses of black youth it’s not simply white flight post
World War II but black professional flight man starting with the 70s yes sir went from segregation to desegregation to integration to alienation to disintegration and the disintegration of our young people is because they don’t have Advocates it’s not that they don’t have aspirations they don’t have Avenues okay
They they don’t you know they’ve been left Jes with no jobs no Advocates no aspirational Role Models they’re being blamed for social Arrangements that are um are impossible to overcome I mean thing you have in urban communities poor opportunity lless urban communities is the same thing that the Jews had in
Poland during World War II in 194 when they were ghetto off you had crime you had um predatory behavior because C social circumstances create that if you’re talking about the radical King Dr King preached a sermon on the prodical son you can Google it called the the what’s
It the one-sided approach of the Good Samaritan he basically said it’s not enough just to help a man who’s been beat up on the road you got to fix the road reason why there are robers on the road is because there’s no jobs on the
Road okay so you gota you got to have some social policies that fix the road and um so I don’t blame all you got now is gig jobs you can’t make it on you know AI is going to displace workers y and to say well these young
People don’t want to work they are working that’s their job is to steal their job is to survive because it’s the only jobs we created whereas if you could if you could take this this um this expansive military industrial complex and redirect some of those monies towards infrastructure and
Creating jobs which by the way is what they did in the 30s during the Great Depression that created jobs uh then you you would but it it it will take the blacks who have access to power as Dr King did Dr King started his ministry December the 1st
1955 with SH with poor people in Montgomery ended it April the 4th with sanitation workers although he had a PhD from Boston University he he was grounded with poor people yes yes indeed and he was an advocate and that’s what Christ he’s the advocate of the poor that’s what and there’s no group
Poorer poorer black people with 135% of the of the nation we control 2.6% of the wealth and we’re 13.6% 13.2% of of of the population that’s a disparity 60% of the population control 90% of the wealth and in a few years black people will have zero wealth
It is projected black people will have zero wealth now we are and we are being displaced in the sense because we used to be for 400 years the second largest group in America we are third behind Latinos Asians May surpass us as fourth my question is if you didn’t get
Anything as number two what right talk about what’s at stake my goodness so wow take that in y’all just sit in it for a minute um so how then do we uh as we come into the stretch our time is ticking it always flies um how do we then educate empower we
Mobilized how do we reach back go back get those we’ve left behind uh how do we do that um what is it it just sounds easier said than done uh and as we we we come into the stretch want to reference back again to radical
King U I think this article and as we spoke a little bit about it maybe helps us to get there of how we we literally have to go back to go forward he speaks about a usable past the radical King it’s a article by Robert Green II that
Was actually posted on April 4th 2022 uh online space called black perspectives and he lifts up about many of the things you just mentioned um Dr Dr Cosby about uh King becoming aoral and social leader in American society that being fully cemented by 1965 in 64 he had won
The Nobel Peace Prize and um that year also was the passage of the Civil Rights Act and then by the spring of 65 King helped give voice to the fight for voting rights Pro proceeding in Selma Alabama and then he in that speech on March 25th 1965 um he reminded the audience of
History’s importance uh to King in the movement and then he talks about uh the strange career of Jim Crow um by C van Woodwards um that became known as the Bible of the civil rights movement and so in that um King crafted this analysis of a usable past for both
Black and white Americans and he said it was the one that showed how the segregation of the races was really a political strategy employed by the emerging bourban interest in the South to keep the southern masses divided and Southern labor the cheapest in the land it was in other words A system that
Could be altered by political will and King argued he said and so man has the unique and tragic power of justifying the rightness of the wrong he further says the great tragedy of physical slavery was that it led to the paralysis of mental slavery it led to a
Sort of racial peace that was in King’s estimation an uneasy pieace in which the Negro was forced patiently to accept Injustice and oppression and exploitation and called uh Black Americans to through the history of World War II black participation in it um a dramatically changing um black
American landscape you know that it that was expected from the government and King called it the new self-respect for black Americans that’s a lot to take in but what are what are what are reflections with that when we talk about a usable past and how do we use our
History um to move us into our uh Destiny Dr Cosby I’ll start with you well um history is important um and you have to separate history from mythology um so history is important and the reason you study history is for three reasons if you know history you can’t
It’s not gonna get you coffee at Starbucks but it is important for three reasons number one you learn the lessons of history history teaches you lessons and that is why when you go to the doctor the doctor is going to ask you something about your past your mother your daddy because you can
Better determine what you’re susceptible to based genetically based on knowing something about your past so you learn you learn the lessons of history and for black people the number one lesson of history is this is that white supremacy is baked into the cake white folk want
To dominate they want you to be in a position of subordination black people to be in they’re gonna be white blacks and do subordination blacks whites and domination and that’s why critical race theorist the father of it Derek Bale said this thing is permanent because it’s Bank
Into the cake so you study history to learn his lessons two you study history to be inspired by its accomplishments so I can’t whenever I get discouraged I get inspired reading King I get inspired knowing what adab B Wells said I get inspired knowing what Frederick Douglas said I get
Inspired over the fact that har that harod Tubman went back to the South to Merlin 16 times and brought back 70 enslaved people so you learn it to learn it lessons to be inspired by its accomplishments and then and then to repair its excesses like just like
Zakus who uh said if I you know when he repented said a half of my goods I give to the poor that’s redistribution a half them give to the poor if I’ve defrauded any man I will pay him fourfold that’s reparations if you steal my car on Monday and you get saved on
Tuesday driving my car on Wednesday because you steal my car on Monday and you get saved on Tuesday let me tell you what you gonna do on Wednesday if you get saved you GNA not only bring my car back you gonna bring it back full of gas okay
Okay that’s the fruit of repentance yeah America has never repented Jesus yeah that’s right they have never repented that’s right and there can be no reconciliation yeah that’s right shouldn’t say reconciliation should say conciliation because we never were together a no read to it exactly together if come together it
Will be the first time in American history my God my God Reverend Nicole bars I don’t even know what to add to that no for real I feel you you know it’s funny what comes to mind is you brought up the 2000s or you know I’ll be thinking about Tavis Smiley
Remember they would do the state of the well the state of the black unions and the state of the black church yeah I mean you will see so many you know Gardner C Taylor and Jeremiah Wright and all these you know Big Shot Powerhouse panelists right and I felt like it kind
Of had the attention in many regards of America of Black America to see that form of power but it’s just something about that a visual of that that I wish was kind of recaptured in the black community right where we actually had a appetite to be empowered by you know the
Dr Cosby’s and the pastor Johnson’s of the world so yeah I don’t even know why I brought that up it’s just like these are the jewels that I think those left in theuh in our neighborhoods need they need to feel and hear that empowerment
Yeah um but I think um I guess I’ll add this then I think a lot of us can’t feel it because there’s no we need healing like we can’t talk about all the ills and all of the things that are happening and wealth gaps and crime and
Food deserts and poor education we can’t talk about all these things that are happening to us and our children and generation after generation after generation and not acknowledge the impact that that has on us so I do believe that there is a healing that is necessary because I I sometimes we
Mistake apathy and it’s really fear times we um think that disengage it’s disengagement but really it’s numbness um so I really believe that there is some healing that needs to take place and I feel like the healing takes place um again at that that that communal that social level we
Are supposed to be each other’s keeper and I don’t think that we get to say um you’re too gone or you’re too it’s you’re never too gone you’re never just believe that we can never give up because because God never gives up on us
Yes yes so if if we are believers if we are children of God then we can’t give up on one another E either so I just wanted to add that that piece about I think we need healing yeah black black trauma is real very real now did that also speaks
S to you had you had a you put a pen on messaging was that a part of that thought as well yes that was some of that as well and we can probably say this for another part and Dr Cosby can come back and talk with us about this but I think we
Also um he bought up he intentionally said organizing and mobilizing and a lot of times those two are interchanged but they are not the same true um a lot of times people be like oh you know Reverend Cole You’re an activist you’re no I’m an organizer like there’s a
Difference you know what I’m saying and there’s a place for everyone but um it’s just important how we recognize what’s happening in our community when we recognize what’s necessary in uh changing the policies and all the things that we’ve been talking about for the last hour um so yeah just that’s part of
Those nuances as well yeah well we’re right at the top of the hour I want to leave space uh for you all to share any closing thoughts and also again Dr Cosby want you to give a Shameless plug for Simmons College of Kentucky um as well and we want to thank
Everybody for signing on with us on tonight again this is the upper room live powered by Eastern Star Church our senior pastor Pastor Jeffrey A Johnson Senior and we want you to like love and please share this live on tonight again as we observe uh and celebrate and honor
Black History Month uh with our we R1 Edition and this is the kickoff to a four-part online series you all we’re going to keep the conversation going again in this in this pivotal election year so the series is connection 2024 tonight was one voice I’m G flip it like
You did P Dr Cosby I like that one voice one vote and so um with that just hear some Reflections um again we’re the online Ministry and so we love to pull memes down and post and things that we feel you know help us connect Christ and
Culture I just want you all to reflect on it as you prepare your closing remarks and so one of the posts that um I saw online it said slavery is White History how we survived it is Black History uh another one was uh this quote by Anita Scott
Coleman and it says uh and I love how Reverend Dr Otis M III he he switched it up and he he was inclusive with his language and he quoted it like this he said black people are the tall trees that remain standing in a forest after a fire flame strips their branches flame
Sears their limbs flame scorches their trunks yet stand these trees for their roots are thrust deep in the heart in the earth black people are the tall trees that remain standing in a forest after of fire and then we close with uh one more quote this is Dr King and in part he
Said we’re sleeping through a revolution he said the world in which we live is geographically one the challenge we face today is in terms of making it one in Brotherhood so with those Reflections on our heart in our hearts on our minds and our Spirits what would be your closing
Remarks on tonight and we’ll start with Rend Nicole I wanted to Dev Dr Cosby first Marin is mar because I was gonna let him I was gonna let him take us home but if you he can take us all the way home Dr first of all again thank you for what
E star is doing uh you represent the best in the black church tradition uh your uh phenomenal Pastor who uh to me he is he is without peer no one can see he literally does a forensic autopsy on a text and drop truth in your lap that I’ve never seen
Any minister in my like so I just can’t put in the words how much I admire him and his burden to truly be a kingdom centered Church yes sir um and you can tell it and you you you you reflect that and I just want to applaud you for what you’re
Doing you’re so intelligent and I mean that just so bright and what I love is your willingness it it’s you’re you’re you want to grow I can tell that you have a an itch to know to be informed and you you’ll never get old uh when when you have that type of
Mentality so uh blessings upon all you and your great work and and uh what you’re doing uh Reverend Barnes with u uh the faith in action fund and Pastor p and Reverend DD all you’re doing just um keep on keeping on and also thank you for allowing me to say something about
The only comeback HBCU in American history s College of Kentucky uh which is almost it’s we’re 145 4 years old wow wow a progressive institution born in radical the radical black church to the tradition William J who was our second president and the U really what put us on the map back in
The 19th century runaway slave uh was the founder of the National Baptist convention so all Baptist Trac their origin to him he was a womanist champion of women that was weird in the 19th century straight up yeah Pria Hall win have you ever heard of Pria Hall win yes sir he
Came to Louisville just to read about William J Simmons yeah out of be wells in her outo biography said the only reason I’m a journalist is because of William J Simmons wow empowered black women you don’t know much about him because he died young brilant in fact you can go online
And it’s a part of the public domain and pull up his book it’s a 900 page book forwarded by Bishop Henry McNeil Turner the great black he’s the father of black nationalism it’s called men of Mark he died before he could write the seel me women of Mark but it’s a book
About black men in the 19th century who kick behind in education who roll above slavery these sketches and uh from Frederick Douglas to Nat Turner it’s it’s a powerful book uh but Simmons is doing quite well um our our our enrollment is growing money is growing the um the campus is
Growing it’s just amazing what’s happening at the school multiple degrees one of our signature programs is we’re the only HBCU with the master’s degree in medical science which is like the equivalent of a medical school first school and we also have what’s called Second Chance
Pil Grant and we one of the only schools in the country that has that which means uh incarcerated people get a pil Grant at Simmons to go to college seven right so we have 200 incarcerated brothers and sisters wow who are in school at Simmons College of
Kentucky and they’re able to go through a pil Grant and we’re the only College in the state one of the few in the country that was able to those resources for incarcerated people we’re just 100 miles away from Indianapolis and I and I love Martin University and and we
Partner with Martin and it’s very fine president uh but if you know some kids who will say you know what I want to go to an HBCU Louisville is just 100 miles away yeah I want to be nurtured in my radical Faith tradition education then please uh come
And visit uh Simmons College of Kentucky thank you so thank you thank you Pastor team ESC online if we can drop the um or any of our uh chat ambassadors we can drop the link please to Simmons College of Kentucky in the chat in the comments on tonight please like love and share
Make sure you visit the website uh you’re I’m sure you’re on social media as well too Dr okay make sure you all look up I am on uh X formerly Twitter Dr Cosby uh at at Dr KW Cosby all right all right um Reverend Nicole please share a little bit take a moment
To share with us about uh fa faith in action fund and if there’s just any you know Insight you want to offer about the organization how to get involved how to support uh you know how it serves as a resource sure yeah it’s a national network it’s the largest faith-based
Volunteer-led um Network that works across the country and we also do some International work um around the very things we’ve been talking about today so we do uh policy work we do immigration work we do um Criminal Justice Reform work we do um voter and political education um we do leadership
Development um and again it’s the largest volunteer lead so these are folks in the community I got involved as a volunteer um that’s how I started and then um was able to move into um on the staff side so I just came back from Nevada who had their primary on on
Tuesday and I was with the team there who was um doing some voter Outreach for folks um making sure they got out to vote we are nonpartisan so we don’t endorse candidates on either side the the C3 or the C4 side um but we just want to make sure that people
Participate um in in the exchange that there’s an even exchange um we want to make sure that that happens so yeah if you want more information you can um go to my page um it’s unor nicole. Barnes on Instagram I’m on LinkedIn um our we website is faithin action.org or faithin
Action fund.org either one and let me know your questions all right family we love you so much Pastor P thank you for hanging out with me bro always a always a blessing thank you so much to our ignite children and our teens they will not be left behind they will not be left
Behind and our young adults our crew as well family we thank you all so much for tuning in with us on tonight I’m G to let our special guests go and honor their time we thank you so much again Reverend Nicole Barnes for being with us family and also you Dr Kevin
Cosby thank you Dr Cosby thank you your great work and we gotta get you back we gotta get you back anytime I’m e star down to the St St you’re in you’re in please send our love uh to to your family and to St Stephen family as well our church family
As well so our prayers and our blessings um are with you all as well um stay on the wall God be with you and cover you and keep you and blessing to Simons College of Kentucky as well keep doing good work we love and keep getting in good trouble keep getting in good
Trouble all right family I want to share some uh updates with you all just some reminders of what’s Happening um in the community you know as we’re celebrating honoring um fa uh Black History Month again usable pass all right so we want to just Spotlight a couple of things
Real quickly for you um make sure you uh tune in to gos uh it is the new uh PBS series by Dr Henry Lewis Gates you may recall that he did one on the black church and it was amazing and so he’s back um with a team
Of ladies of Scholars um powerful women um who have helped to uh curate this new series called gospel and so they’re kicking it off with a gospel live concert this Friday February 9th 9 P.M M Eastern 800 PM Central uh that will be on PBS and then
Uh the premere of the Gospel series will take place on Monday February 12th again 900 PM Eastern 8:00 pm Central and you can catch both of those on pbs.org the PBS app or your local PBS member station so again check out pbs.org ospel uh to learn more about this series
I promise it will it will bless you I got a chance to see a preview um and sit in on a Town Hall and uh discussion and it was amazing I promise you do not want to miss that also you all know that um we have the Super Bowl um this this this
Weekend right but next weekend is going down in Indianapolis uh Allstar NBA Allstar Weekend and it includes the official uh gospel celebration it’s the 17th Allstar gospel celebration which will be happening um at The Madam Walker Legacy Center and so this has been recognized as the official gospel event
For 16 years and it will take place on Thursday February 15th uh and as they quote it says a must attend experience so it will feature Grammy women winning um uh billboard and Stellar award-winning artists um which include Dante bo uh keante Gavin who’s a dove nominated um artist also coren Hawthorne
And H saxophone is Angela Christie I think I remember her coming to our church many many years ago and then there will be slam duck honores who will be in attendance that will be honored as well which will include Mike EPs and Kyra EPS his wife also Andre igudala
And uh many others even local um people will be recognized as well so tickets are available at Ticket Master and they can also be found on the Madam Walker Legacy center.com uh registration or um website so you can check out and get more information about that one more thing we
Want you to save the date for March um save the date for March 23r um as we will be in the stretch of the fast uh if you all remember Upon This Rock The Passion Play uh they were with us last year as they celebrated their 40th and final year for the production
Um but they just couldn’t stay away so this year it’s going to be the music from The Rock and it’s going to take place on Palm Sunday weekend Saturday March 23rd at 2 p.m. at our Cooper Road location so we will be a community partner with utr as they
Come as they come back this year with music from the rock that will take place at Eastern Star Church 5805 585 Cooper Road our Cooper Road campus and so those tickets are available online at utr pro.com they said they’re moving fast so uh make sure you log on to get that information about
General and VIP seating and U we’re excited Pastor H uh and Miss Sharon for you all to be back this year um for with music dance and choreography for music from the rock with the classic Timeless Upon This Rock production um family we pray you’ve been blessed and encouraged on tonight uh we
Want you to serve as our virtual street team and we want you to like love and share this live if you have been informed and inspired on tonight if you think that we did Justice on tonight to connect Christ and culture will you please please please hit that share
Button hit the share button and uh let somebody know that we were in the upper room live on tonight for our We Are One Edition the kickoff again this was the kickoff so you all stay connected for uh the rest of our series our connection
2024 series to learn more as we are on the road to the election of 2024 which is a pivotal pivotal presidential election year and um we promise you we’re going to have more guests with us as we journey through this four-part series between now and um November with
The outcome of the election as well and then we want you to save the date for Thursday February 22nd uh 7 p.m. for our black to the Bible Edition where we’re going to have have more special guests I normally give y’all the exclusive but I’m going keep it quiet on this one just
Trust me and make sure you are back in the upper room live on February 22nd family we love you so so much please remember Eastern Star Church family members only be in the house at Cooper Road this Saturday for the congregation event special congregation event with Pastor Johnson lady Sharon 3:30 pm at
Our Cooper Road campus make sure you stay connected visit easternstarchurch.org uh to visit our ministry calendar to be reminded of everything going on in the ministry and make sure you follow the star on Facebook and Instagram as well and share your Reflections and let us know your thoughts about tonight’s Edition we love
You family and we pray to see you on Saturday and Sunday of this weekend have a safe and wonderful blessed weekend we love you till next time uh we’ll leave the light for on for you in the upper room live God bless you we love you
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