Rev. Khandi Konte-Bey (Paasewe) 2/17/31ADM (1996)

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Subject: BLACK RELIGION CONFERENCE

Afrikans! i attended the Sixth Annual National Conference on the Future Shape of Black Religion... this is my summary, observations and critical analysis of the conference: featured guest lecturers were Professor James Cone, Union Theological Seminary and Ms. Jill Nelson, NYC... the topic was New Strategies to Combat the Changing Faces of amerikan Racism. Professor Cone's presentation was Martin and Malcolm and amerika: a Dream or a Nightmare (of the book of the same name) ... i have read Cone's other books: Black Theology of Liberation, and Black Theology & Black Power...Ms. Jill Nelson was a journalist for the Washington Post's Sunday magazine 1986 to 1990. She is the author of Volunteer Slavery: My Authentic Negro Experience.

The workshops and presentations were from Friday evening at a local church in the Black community and Saturday all day at Wright State University... Discussion groups included: Clergy, Economic Development, Education, Environmental Concerns, Gender Issues, Health, Legal Systems/Public Policies, Media, Youth (K-12), Young Adults (18-30).

Summary of Prof. Cone's presentation:

We must revolutionize revolutionary theological thinking; Black theology confronts amerikan racism; thesis: integration into existing eurocentric religious system; racial justice has theological significance; Black experience is meaningless to the white theology; can't inslave and oppress and think what whites think about god is correct; radical interpretation of christianity's relationship w/racism must profoundly influence those who listen to the theologians on the pulpit; there is a moral crisis of racism in the world; cannot be a theologian w/out theoretical political practice;

Martin Luther King, Jr. tought him religion and Malcolm tought him about his Blackness; Malcolm transformed christian thinking about race; Malcolm knew what King didn't; self hatred is no accident; Malcolm was amerika's profound race critic; when alienated Blacks turned to Malcolm, whites turned to Martin not outta luv but to undermine allegiances to Malcolm and anti-racism themes; Black is the most potent symbol of evil for whites; and finally, some of us can't live w/the gap between what should be and what is!

i missed Jill Nelson's presentation.

i attended the health discussion workshop... there were some profound recommendations that came outta the workshop sessions, the most profound being from the Youth workshops...

My analysis... the conference should be called the Sixth Annual National Conference on the Future Shape of Black christian Religion because all of the themes, thesis and commentary of presentations were about the church and christianity and its principles... no other Afrikan (Black) religion was discussed at any time, therefore excluding and alienating those of us who are non-christian. Also, most of us who are nationalist, PanAfrikanist and Afrikan centered in our analysis didn't have any of our questions presented to be answered during the audience discussion session even though some of us had our questions taken in the pile FIRST!... sigh... only christian questions were chosen to be presented for answer... sigh...

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