Rev. Barber
A Leader’s Leader
We hope you all take advantage of the opportunity Friday evening to hear from North Carolina’s very own drum major for justice, Rev. Dr. William Barber II.
He has headed the state NAACP for close to a decade, and we have been impressed with his results, his passion and his seemingly endless energy. Though now, his energy (and patience) is being tested by the Republicans in the General Assembly who are intent on taking North Carolina back to its Dixie roots. There is a new battle every day in this ongoing war against racist and repressive legislation.
Barber is a master at galvanizing the troops. Few can fire up a crowd like him. His Southern Baptist roots can take partial credit for that, but it’s his intellect and vast understanding of our history and today’s political landscape that make his words so powerful – prophetic, even.
“We call on those in the legislature to remember the Bible you placed your hand (on) as you pledged to uphold the constitution and pull back from this extreme agenda. This agenda’s impact is laced with classism and racism and it takes us backward rather than forward together,” Barber wrote in a statement he released last week as the N.C. House moved to pass a voter ID bill. “We call everyone to build the bridges of understanding, and not the walls of division. The policies now being promoted demand our voice, not our silence. These new walls demand our action, not our complacency.”
We aren’t the only ones taking notice. The Grio – the über popular African American news and entertainment site – recently named him as one of the nation’s most influential black leaders. We are indeed fortunate to have him in times such as these.
