This evening, the Religious Affairs Committee of the Miami-Dade Branch NAACP will continue with their series on local religious leaders, Meet the Pastor.

This episode’s special guests are Rev. Dr. Jimmie L. Bryant, Senior Pastor and Lady Estella King-Bryant of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Liberty City. You don’t want to miss this lively, educational, engaging and motivational conversation. Pastor and Lady Bryant are inarguably one of the most forward-thinking religious couples around.

• When: TONIGHT, July 11, 2022, 7:00 PM ET 
• Where: Via Zoom & Facebook Live 
• ZOOM Meeting ID: 853 4173 4135  Passcode: 640493 
• Facebook Live: @MiamiDadeNAACP

The Ebenezer United Methodist Church (EUMC) in partnership with Young Adult Missional Movement (YAMM) and United Methodist Commission on Relief (UMCOR) Global Ministries announces the re-launch of the EUMC Food Distribution Ministry on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at 2001 N.W. 35th Street, Miami, Florida 33142 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

EUMC has distributed food in the community for over 10 years on Mondays but will now shift to the 2^nd and 4^thSaturdays starting on April 24^th. The change to Saturdays is designed to enable more families to participate on theweekend. Free and open to the public, participants will receive food (perishables and non-perishables, based upon availability), temperature checks, blood pressure screenings, in addition to health education information and resources. This will be a drive-through distribution site and requires all attendees to remain in their cars at all times. Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) will be available for distribution, while supplies last.

“To address the demand and impact of COVID 19 on the community, the people that come to our food pantry have generally have no food at home. Considering the expense of food and health care, we are providing screenings that indicate other condition,” said Pastor Sherlain Stevens. “Ebenezer is proud to be part of the solution.”

The Southern Area of The Links, Incorporated presents the second in a series of Surviving, Thriving and Mobilizing and the New South Virtual Town Hall Meetings! On Thursday, September 24th at 9 PM EST, witness "Politics, Faith & Media: Harnessing the Collective Power of When We All Vote." Joining the one hour 15 minute discussion will be one of the most powerful men in politics, House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn, renowned activist and faith leader, Bishop William Barber and journalist/talk show host Roland Martin. The meeting will be shown live via Facebook telecast, on the Southern Area Website (www.salinksinc.org) and via Youtube.

BALTIMORE, MD — The NAACP today released the following statement regarding the most recent Muslim Ban executive order from President Trump.

The new executive order restricting travel from six Muslim-majority countries is just the latest in a series of actions that threaten our nation’s values.  In a few short months, this administration has withdrawn from voting rights cases, reversed course on private prisons, revoked guidance on transgender youth, intensified immigration raids, and announced its intention to limit investigation of abusive and discriminatory law enforcement.  The message is clear: this administration is unwilling to protect and is in some cases actively targeting vulnerable communities.

Even though the new executive order purports to be rooted in national security interests, it cannot mask its true origins. The civil rights community is keenly aware of seemingly neutral laws that mask intentional discrimination. We have seen poll taxes and literacy tests being imposed as supposedly race-neutral voter qualification measures.  We continue to see voter ID laws that act as modern day poll taxes that rob communities of their vote.  Regardless of the smokescreen of security justifications, this executive order is a continuation of the administration’s stated goal: the implementation of a Muslim ban.

Just as we fight against voter suppression and police brutality, the NAACP continues to stand against discrimination based on racial identity, ethnicity, national origin, or religion.  We know that actions that rely on unfounded assumptions about dangerousness will always come at the expense of the most vulnerable populations.  We have seen the results of the divisive rhetoric that form the true rationale for this executive order.  We are witnessing a record number of hate crimes—including the death of an Indian student, Jewish cemeteries being defaced and community centers being threatened, and numerous attacks based on xenophobia and Islamophobia. We know that this hatred is poisonous and antithetical to the ideals that we fight to uphold.

The NAACP is made up of Christians, Muslims, Jews, and more.  Our members are individuals of many religions and some of no religion.  We stand with our Muslim brothers and sisters. We will join in protest of this ban.  We will continue to fight for equal rights for all, for policies based on evidence and not on fear.

Bernadette C. Poitier, center, receives St. Martin De Porres Award for Excellence during Black Catholic History Month celebratory luncheon.

Congratulations to Bernadette C. Poitier, recipient of the St. Martin De Porres Award for Excellence during the Office of Black Catholic Ministry Archdiocese of Miami Black Catholic History Month luncheon at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday, November 19, 2016.

Poitier has been recognized and received numerous awards for service to her church and the community at large. She is also a dedicated member of the South Florida Chapter of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College; a Golden Life Member of the Miami Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; and was recently appointed Health and Human Services Chair of the Dade County Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.

Other St. Martin De Porres Award for Excellence honorees: Linda Adderly; Deacon Thomas Dawson; Phillip and Wendy Fletcher; Lavanette Mildor and Sarady Amparo. Black Catholic History Month is observed each November. Congratulations to all of the honorees and Katrenia C. Reeves-Jackman, Director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministry.

 @vanessawbyers

Pastor Wayne Lomax

WASHINGTON —This morning, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson will welcome Pastor Wayne Lomax as guest chaplain to lead the day’s opening prayer before Congress. Pastor Lomax is the founder and senior pastor of the Fountain of New Life church located in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Founded nearly 20 years ago, the Fountain of New Life is one of the largest churches in Florida and an indispensable community partner in South Florida. The church enriches thousands of lives in Florida’s 24th congressional district and tackles many pressing issues, including hunger, poverty, and crime. The pastor is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  He is a proud husband and father of three beautiful children.

Tune into your local C-SPAN station, at 11:30 a.m. ET, to watch Pastor Lomax deliver the prayer and Rep. Wilson welcome him to the House floor.

by William "DC" Clark

Word: Black People are an Ancient People. We are the most Spiritual People on this Planet. People have copied our way for years and claimed it to be their own. But since we have forgotten our way, we pay homage to others without realizing we are actually paying homage to ourselves.

Case in point. I see people questioning Christianity, but if you truly understood the origin of this religion, and many others, you will understand why our People are drawn to it. It's  innate. Ten thousand years ago, Blacks worshipped the Sun. The Sun was the giver of life. Without the Sun, nothing would live. Years later, around 3,000 BC, the Sun was personified in the image of Horus. Horus was called the God Sun, the Light of the World, Savior of Mankind, Lamb of God, the Truth, the Light, Good Sheppard, etc. He often battled Set, the ruler of darkness (the Light vs the Darkness/God vs the Devil). Horus was accompanied by 12 Constellations  (12 Disciples). He also was born on December 25th, to a virgin mother (Isis), accompanied by a star in the East (Sirius, the brightest star), and 3 Kings (3 stars of Orion's Belt ). He was also a teacher at 12 and Baptized at the age of 30. Sounds familiar?

But this belief system came from the study of the Constellations. As the Sun moves South in the later months, it gets smaller and smaller and the days get shorter and shorter. The Ancients use to call that the death of the Sun. By the 22nd of December, the Sun stops moving South (officially dead) and stays in that position for 3 days until December 25th. During that time, the Sun sits in the vicinity of the Southern Crux/Cross (Sun God dies on a cross). On December 25th, the Sun rises and moves Northward for the first time in 3 days, thus signaling the Resurrection. The Sun continues to move in a Northern direction but the Resurrection isn't celebrated until the Spring Equinox (or Easter) when the Sun overpowers Darkness and the days become longer.

In the end you must realize there is nothing new under the Sun. They may have taken our history, heritage and culture away from us, but in a sense you are still practicing it everyday whether you realize it or not. You belong to a great people. It's time that you recognize it. Study and practice what you desire. Just recognize it all came from you and yours.

# knowledgeispower

Easter Joy

Jesus came to earth,
To show us how to live,
How to put others first,
How to love and how to give.

Then He set about His work,
That God sent Him to do;
He took our punishment on Himself;
He made us clean and new.

He could have saved Himself,
Calling angels from above,
But He chose to pay our price for sin;
He paid it out of love.

Our Lord died on Good Friday,
But the cross did not destroy
His resurrection on Easter morn
That fills our hearts with joy.

Now we know our earthly death,
Like His, is just a rest.
We'll be forever with Him
In heaven, where life is best.

So we live our lives for Jesus,
Think of Him in all we do.
Thank you Savior; Thank you Lord.
Help us love like you!

By Joanna Fuchs

Los Angeles, California _ Mercedes Young is responding to late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel talking about her revealing that she is a born again virgin on the WEtv show ‘Match Made in Heaven’. The show aired on Thursday, February 12, 2015.

Mercedes Young

Young, a 23 year-old entrepreneur from Miami was featured on the show with another contestant, telling the bachelor Shawn Bullard they were virgins.

"Mine is a little different," Mercedes told Bullard after the revelation. "She’s a pure virgin, I’m a born again virgin."

"I don’t know if that’s how virginity works!" Kimmel told his laughing audience after referring to the show as an "all Black version of ‘The Bachelor’".

"That’s like eating a salad and calling yourself a born again vegetarian," he laughed. "It’s like ‘I’m a virgin, these are my children, Caroline and Samantha."

Young has released the following statement through her publicist:

"When I signed up to be a part of WEtv’s ‘Match Made in Heaven’, I knew that I was signing away my privacy and that what you put out there to the world you can’t take back. I just didn’t realize that talking about my celibacy was one of the things that was something that would end up as a part of an intro for Mr. Jimmy Kimmel on his late night talk show.

I was very flattered to have him show my clip on his show because I’m a fan and have been for years. I’d be even more flattered to one day appear on his show and really explain to him what a #BornAgainVirgin is.

Anyway, after the show aired, I got a ton of people calling me offended that he was making fun of my celibacy. Honestly, when I saw the show I actually laughed because I realized that the term "born again virgin" is not one that a lot of people have heard.

I actually had planned to launch my #BornAgainVirgin campaign, tee shirt line and purity jewelry line later on this year but Mr. Jimmy Kimmel has unintentionally forced me into talking about it a little earlier than I intended to.

#BornAgainVirgin focuses on the fact that there is no shame in preserving yourself.

Since Jimmy Kimmel took the time to mention me, I must now make the time to continue my mission of encouraging people to realize there is nothing wrong with being a #BornAgainVirgin.

Chief Jimmie Brown

After a brief hiatus, the Rev. Dr. Jimmie Brown returns to radio with the debut of "The Chief Jimmie Brown Show" on the award-winning 1490 WMBM starting Sunday, February 1, 2015, 11:00PM -1:00AM EST. Chief Brown is a multi-talented host, author, pastor, retired law enforcement officer and war veteran.

After hosting "Hot Talk with Chief Jimmie Brown" for more than 25 years and posing a black history question to the listening audience of his weekly talk show, how appropriate that Chief returns on the first day of Black History Month. The Chief Jimmie Brown Show will offer listeners a fresh take on issues affecting the community – from politics, business, education, history, youth and community empowerment issues.

There are several ways to tune in to The Chief Jimmie Brown Show each Sunday night: listen on your radio at 1490 AM; streaming live by computer at www.wmbm.com; or via the WMBM mobile app which can be downloaded from iTunes and Google Play.

Call-in numbers for The Chief Jimmie Brown Show are:

305.953.9626 Dade
954.525.1490 Broward
1.888.599.9626 toll-free

Connect with Chief via his official website: www.chiefjimmiebrown.com and "Like" his Facebook page: Chief Jimmie L. Brown.

Welcome back, Chief Brown. Boom-Shacka-Lacka!

- vb