Rev Al Sharpton speaking at the Faith In Action Interfaith Prayer Breakfast.
Photo grab: Facebook/Kenyatta Johnson
At a time when Americans have their heads on a swivel, Council President Kenyatta Johnson held an interfaith breakfast to soothe the spirit.
By Denise Clay-Murray
During the public comment session of almost every Philadelphia City Council meeting, someone takes to the microphone and asks Councilmembers what they’re going to do to combat the latest impulse of the Trump administration.
Since Philadelphia is a city comprising traditionally marginalized communities, the anxiousness is palpable and can be felt everywhere.
But with a little faith, you can get through anything.
Or at least that is the point that Council President Kenyatta Johnson hoped to make with the recent Faith In Action Interfaith Prayer Breakfast. Held at the Crystal Tea Room in the Wanamaker Building, the breakfast brought together faith leaders, public officials and members of the public for a meal, a series of prayers, and a message from the gathering’s keynote speaker, the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Right now, Americans in general — and Philadelphians in particular — are dealing with a lot of anxiety, Johnson said. The opportunity to connect everyone to their Higher Power can only help, he said.
“There’s some uncertainty in the air, in terms of a lot of attacks that are coming from Washington, DC,” Johnson said. “And you talk to different constituents, and they feel a level of uncertainty regarding the policies, and how they were impacting them. As a faithful person, I thought it was right to bring everybody together in the spirit of faith and unity. And how we can also call on one another to work together to move our city of Philadelphia forward.”
In his message, Sharpton, the founder and president of the National Action Network and host of “Politics Nation” on MSNBC, talked about why it made sense for people in Philadelphia to come and exercise their faith at a time when a fairly large percentage of Americans have their heads on a swivel.
Philadelphia was where America began. So, it makes sense to come here and point out that America has always been a challenge for those who are considered “the Other,”Sharpton said.
It also makes sense to point out that perseverance is what has allowed them to prosper in the end.
“Philadelphia was where they met and talked about ideas that did not exist at the time,” Sharpton said. “You must remember, when they met and had a Declaration of Independence in 1776, Blacks had already been enslaved since 1619. We didn’t have a Constitution until 1789, which means that we were enslaved before America was even incorporated. No one suffered the brutality that we did, yet we built anyway.
They were not only against Blacks, but they were also against women. They consigned their own wives and daughters to second class citizenship. But America was evolving, based on those that had the courage to stand up.”
And everyone has to stand up, Sharpton said. Faith leaders. Business leaders. Community leaders. Everyone has to stand up in order to keep the country from totally deteriorating.
In addition to Sharpton’s message, there were individual prayers for the city, the state, the nation, and for all elected officials and candidates.
Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, The Philadelphia Sunday SUN, the author’s organization, committee or other group or individual.
Leave a Comment