By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to The AFRO
The pews at Union Temple Baptist Church in Southeast Washington, D.C., were filled to capacity on Sunday afternoon, May 17.
And while the prayers and songs of praise were prevalent as one would expect, the hundreds who attended were there to represent their various faith communities and to voice their concerns to candidates seeking their votes in next month’s D.C. primary elections.
The event, sponsored by the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN), served as an opportunity for voters to speak to mayoral, congressional, and D.C. city council and at-large candidates on the issues that dominate their thoughts and impact their lives.
The Rev. Dr. Anika Wilson-Brown, Union Temple’s senior pastor, who continues the legacy cemented by her father, the Rev. Dr. Willie F. Wilson, said she opened the doors to her church in Anacostia to send a message to the candidates and to the District’s current business and political establishment.
“Our congregation is critically engaged and socially and politically active, and with so many things changing in our country and in the District, we want to make sure that our concerns are heard and addressed,” Wilson-Brown said. “We have suffered for far too long with issues like being in a food desert and the need for more affordable housing that have been routinely ignored by our elected officials.
Credit: All AFRO Photos / D. Kevin McNeir
“Today, we’re bringing the peoples’ agenda to the candidates and reminding them what it means to be part of a democracy. And while some of the candidates have ties to this church, this is a non-partisan event. But to be clear, this is not a debate – it’s a forum. And for the record, Union Temple is staying right here in D.C. and we will be heard.”
Rabbi Aaron Alexander, co-senior rabbi at Adas Israel Congregation in D.C. helped Wilson-Brown set the tone for the nearly three-hour forum.
“We’re going to pray and we’re going to wake up those of us who may have fallen asleep, because our people are under attack by those who want to make God appear to be small,” Alexander said. “But we know that God is too big to be reduced. This city belongs to us!”
WIN, founded in 1996, serves as a non-partisan, multi-faith, and multi-racial “citizens power” organization in Washington, D.C., that organizes local congregations and associations in the fight for social and economic justice. As a broad-based coalition of 48 dues-paying congregations, unions, and schools, WIN represents more than 25,000 families across all eights wards in D.C.
Rev. Michael C. Bell, senior pastor of Peace Baptist Church, located in Ward 7, urged the audience to engage in “radical responsible activism.”
“The churches, mosques and synagogues represented here today have long-time members and city residents who have been silent, but that’s over now,” Bell said. “We have sheltered the faithful from leaders who have taken our support and our votes for granted. So, while we are praying for those who are seeking election, we’re praying within the limits that define our faith and our beliefs.
“We don’t want politicians who support criminalizing our youth through curfews but who offer no solutions to the challenges youth people face. This is still our city and its strength rests in its people – in us. It’s always been that way. Our power is the people and when we combine forces, together we will win.”
Atrayu Lee, a senior at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School in D.C., received a standing ovation after sharing his sentiments about the challenges faced by his peers.
“We are not criminals, we’re just youth trying to find our place in this world and we deserve to be heard,” said Atrayu who serves as the president for the school’s student government association. “We’ve been unfairly portrayed as thugs and criminals. We’ve been harassed and beaten by the police. And it’s wrong because most of us are hard-working students with dreams and ambitions. We are the voices and leaders of tomorrow.”
Joy Masha, who helped organize a group of over 50 members from Metropolitan AME Church, located in Ward 2, said she’s looking for elected officials who are serious about providing pathways to home ownership to those under 40.
“Like our parents and grandparents, those like me who are Gen Zers or Millennials also want to achieve the so-called milestone of adulthood – home ownership,” Masha said. “But even if we’re still renting right now, we want to live in a space that we can comfortably afford and call home.
“And while the District has programs for first-time home owners, and while some like me have qualified, we still cannot secure loans that allow us to purchase homes in the areas of our choice. We’re being pushed to the fringes of the city. For some of us, that’s fine. But not for me.”
But perhaps the most powerful testimony on the issue of affordable housing came from 72-year-old Beatrice Evans.
“My mother is almost 100 years old and we are a family of five living generations of native Washingtonians,” Evans said. “Rising prices and increasing taxes are forcing people like me to wonder how long we will be able to remain in our homes – in this city that we love and have supported for our entire lives. There’s something wrong with that picture. We don’t need politicians who make promises on the campaign trail but who break those promises once they’re elected. We need folks who care about ordinary people like me.”
