Subject: AME Church Responds to Newt Gingrich


SOCIAL ACTION COMMISION                                                                
    1621 Wellington Road

African Methodist Episcopal Church
Los Angeles, California 90019

Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, Chairperson 
                                                                         
           213-494-9493 - voice

Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, 
Director                                                               
                                      323-734-5003 - fax

                                                                         
                                                        
[log in to unmask] – email

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: J Dupont-Walker, 213-494-9493

Four days ago, we heard these classist remarks from former Speaker of 
the House and Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich….  "Really poor 
children, in really poor neighbor-hoods have no habits of working and 
have nobody around them who works. So they literally have no habit of 
showing up on Monday. They have no habit of staying all day, they have 
no habit of I do this and you give me cash unless it's illegal."  This 
type of ignorance has attempted to damage poor people throughout 
history.

Then, words from the African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded by 
former slaves, and whose daily encounters clearly indicate that,  
“Children whose families live at or below the poverty level and are 
labeled as ‘poor children’ (as if their circumstance defines who they 
are) are more likely to exercise genius in making due with less while 
surviving with dignity.”   In fact their moral fibre, strong desire to 
achieve, and  ultimate success makes “poor children” models for us.  
Today many of us realize that our family’s income level equaled being 
poor, in spite of the fact that our parents were teachers, preachers 
and entrepreneurs.  Our parents and the adults in our neighborhoods 
conveyed values, work ethic, and cultural norms that mirrored their 
Christian faith and did not pre-destine us to lives of immorality, 
crime, and illegal activities. 

It is inexcusable that someone who wants to be a global leader and role 
model in a country built by “enslaved and poor people” would utter such 
demeaning stereotypes of “Really poor children…. In really poor 
neighborhoods”.  Then he adds fuel to the fire by labeling adults in 
that environment as shiftless deadbeats without skills to earn a living 
wage and thus only engaged in illegal activities.

Not only do the lives of countless persons who became the leaders, 
patriots, scholars, and prophets of our time bear witness that one’s 
circumstance does not dictate their character, but we have clear 
evidence of some persons with wealth whose character and actions would 
better fit Mr. Gingrich’s description of “really poor children” .  In 
fact one wonders if Mr. Gingrich is painting a self portrait – 
hypocrite, adulterer, draft dodger, liar, check bouncer and scandalous 
self-promoter.

Americans living in poverty have reached "an historic high of 46.2 
million." According to another recent study from the Brookings 
Institute, the number of Americans living in communities where poverty 
is "extreme" -- neighborhoods in which at least 40 percent of the 
population is poor -- soared by one-third between 2000 to 2009.  Many 
find themselves in circumstances created by home foreclosure,  
under-employment, unemployment, and circumstances created by a 
lingering climate of economic distress.

We would suggest the Mr. Gingrich immerse himself in a really poor 
neighborhood with really poor children to learn the truth.  Then we 
will entertain his apology to folk like ………………  Madam C. J. Walker, 
Mother Rosa Parks, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, LL Cool J, Oprah 
Winfrey, Magic Johnson, Tyler Perry, Willie Gary, many bishops in the 
AME Church, and others.

Our greatest hope and prayer is  that those who aspire to be political 
leaders recognize that we cannot afford to ignore the institutional 
constructs that perpetuate poverty.   America must get back on track – 
creating pathways for all who come here to achieve their dreams.  Our 
church calls upon leadership to make policy and take actions that will 
provide a path out of poverty for the working poor and their children.  
This must be our priority, and that of our leadership, so that this 
problem – poverty – can be filed in the history book of “former 
issues”.

Nothing must stop us from working together to create a groundswell in 
support of lifting the most disadvantaged among us out of poverty, not 
throwing dirt on them.  The Newt Gingrich kind of inhumanity must be 
buried with no hope of ever being unearthed.


Sent from my BlackBerry device from Cincinnati Bell Wireless