Latino Leadership Circle

Sean Bell Protest

by Jose Humphreys

I attended a Sean Bell Protest in Harlem today at 3:00pm. There

were five other protests in strategic places in the city. The energy was intense while people with fists pumping in the air shouted chants of, "No justice no peace" and "We are Sean Bell..."

This latter statement was symbolic of the collective pain a community feels after a barrage of 50 bullets took Sean Bells life outside a club in Brooklyn.

It was good to see both black, white and Hispanic marching together. As the march swelled it formed a blockade at the intersection of 125th Street and Lexington Avenue. It was at this intersection I ran into Derek and Liza who are part of my church.

As the crowd grew larger and larger it headed east toward New York Cities' Triborough Bridge. The Triborough bridge connects Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. It was here I joined Lisa Sharon Harper, Executive Director of New York Faith and Justice. It was great seeing Lisa here and she is posting some of her thoughts at her site as well. Lisa is planning a time of prayer for the Sean Bell family and our city this Saturday in Harlem at 7pm.

While walking in the midst of this vibrant march, all I thought about was, "What is the value of a black man's life?" And as we search our hearts deeply, I know the answer isn't to hate the police. That isn't the way of Jesus. Whether people dislike the police or not, we can't forget Jesus' poignant words to love both enemy and neighbor alike. I talk to many who are angry at the police and want to focus their frustration on the NYPD. However, I realize, that our vocation, our prophetic task as followers of the way of Christ is to be peacemakers. Peace making is in our DNA. It's our identity (...for they will be called children of God).

So where do we begin? I'm not even sure, I haven't come that far in my analysis. Frankly it seems almost irrelevant at this juncture. I suspect that the first couple of places might be prayer and protest.

 

Jose and his wife Mayra are Pastors
of Metro Hope Church,
A new church located in Harlem, NY. 
At the heart Metro Hope's Mission is
to see God’s peace unfold in NY through
expressions of art, acts of mercy
and social justice.

Jose and Mayra are members
of the Latino Leadership Circle.

Brian McLaren visits the home of the Bronx Bombers

On May 2nd--3rd Brian McLaren completed the penultimate leg of his Everything Must Change Tour.  Hosted by the Latino Pastoral Action Center (LPAC) and the Latino Leadership Circle (LLC) the event occurred at LPAC's Urban Ministry Complex in the Bronx.  The event was filled with thoughtful and provocative presentations by Brian, moments of liturgical art, music, prayer and meditation.  There was people who were responders to Brian's presentations as well as a panel which included Lisa Harper of New York Faith & Justice, Rev. Jose Humphreys Pastor of Metro Church in Harlem and a member of LLC, Rev. Dr. Raymond Rivera Founder and President of LPAC, Rev. Gabriel Salguero Pastor of the Lambs Church and a member of LLC and Alexie Torres-Fleming, Founder and Executive Director of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice.

It was a wonderful event filled with fellowship and opportunities to meet new friends.  Tracy Howe blessed us with her beautiful prophetic music from her album, Songs for a Revolution of Hope, Vol. 1. (for more information go to www.restorationvillage.com. 

On behalf of all of us from LLC we want to thank Brian McLaren and Linnea Capshaw for embodying such a Kingdom ethic.  Brian thank you for demonstrating and sharing your wisdom, inclusiveness, and love not only in word but in deeds.  I want to thank Rev. Ray Rivera, Susan Rivera, Rose Mercardo and all the volunteers from LPAC for their commitment to make this happen; thank you for investing from your time, talent and treasure. A very special thanks to Liz Rios for your professionalism, commitment and indomitable spirit; girl you make this look easy.  We would like to thank all of the sponsors of the event; a special shout out to Isabel Long, Lyndsay Moseley and David Veliz of the Sierra Club who we met this weekend. Much love to Belinda Passafaro a.k.a. Trinity and Luis Alvarez a.k.a. Seraph and all the LLC gang--it's such a joy to work with you all!

Grace and Peace,

David Ramos

Pics courtesy of of Jeremy del Rio

See more pics Here

Brian McLaren will be in the Bronx for his Everything Must Change Tour

The Latino Leadership Circle invites you to attend a wonderful interactive presentation by internationally known author Brian McLaren.  McLaren has been named by Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in the country, he is the author of numerous books including, A Generous Orthodoxy, The Secret Message of Jesus, and Adventures in  Missing the Point. He has also been a guest on "Larry King Live"

Brian will discuss how we can use our faith to address real world issues of poverty, the environment and issues of power.  Come for a transformative re-evaluation of faith and social engagement!

Date: Friday, May 2nd--Saturday, May 3rd

Time: Friday at 7:00pm and Saturday from 8:30am--4:00pm

Place: Latino Pastoral Action Center
14 West 170th Street
Bronx, NY 10452

Cost: $20.00

Click here to Register.

Pope Speaks up for Immigrants

For full article click unto:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/us/20catholics.html?ex=1366430400&en=fad5595866ef6df0&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

New Jersey’s Immigration Crackdown

The New York Times

April 16, 2008

Editorial

New Jersey’s Immigration Crackdown

Illegal immigration is inherently a matter for the federal government, but local police forces are increasingly conducting their own crackdowns. The police in some New Jersey towns have been aggressively looking for immigration violations and, predictably, it has been leading to abuses. The state should scale back police involvement in immigration enforcement.
After the arrest of an illegal immigrant in connection with the murder of three students in Newark last summer, New Jersey’s attorney general, Anne Milgram, ordered state and local police to question the people arrested for serious crimes about their immigration status. The suspect in the Newark murders had been free on bail despite previous felony arrests, partly because his immigration status was never checked.
Some officers, however, have been going far beyond what Ms. Milgram authorized, as Kareem Fahim recently reported in The Times. They are supposed to ask about the immigration status of anyone arrested for an indictable crime or drunken driving, but not for minor offenses. They are prohibited from asking about the status of crime victims, witnesses and people requesting assistance. The police are directed to report those without proper identification to federal immigration authorities.
Lawyers and advocates for immigrants say that they have received reports that some police departments, especially in rural areas, are routinely questioning immigrants who are not covered by the directive, including some who were simply passengers in cars pulled over for minor traffic offenses. These actions come dangerously close to racial and ethnic profiling.
The number of immigrants referred to federal authorities has almost doubled since Ms. Milgram issued her directive. Her office needs to undertake an intensive program to impress upon police officers the limits of their powers and the need to end the abuse.
Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/opinion/16wed4.html

MLK: In Remembrance of a Social Prophet

For an audio slideshow click unto:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1475276141/bclid1475275074/bctid1478267941

 

The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo

Today, in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, rape is taking place on a scale that is almost unimaginable. In the last ten years, hundreds of thousands of women and girls have been raped - but their suffering goes unacknowledged. Instead, they are invisible, shamed and mute.

This is the story of one filmmaker's crusade to break the silence surrounding this shocking reality, armed with a firsthand connection with the women and men she meets. Winner of a Special Jury Prize (Documentary) at this year's Sundance Film Festival, The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo premieres Tuesday, April 8 at 10pm ET/PT.

For more information go to:

http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/thegreatestsilence/index.html

The Last Word: Testimony of Dith Pran of The Killing Fields

Photojournalist Dith Pran portrayed in the film The Killing Fields dies at 65. For a brief video and slide show about his life and contribution click on links below:

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/multimedia/20080320_DITH_PRAN_LAST_WORD_FEATURE/index.html

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/03/31/nyregion/20080331_DITH_index.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Puerto Rican Governor Faces 19 Counts

MIAMI — Aníbal S. Acevedo Vilá, the governor of Puerto Rico, has been charged with 19 criminal counts related to the financing of three political campaigns from 1999 to 2004, including conspiracy to violate federal campaign laws, wire fraud and illegally using campaign funds for his personal use, according to a federal indictment unsealed on Thursday.

For full article go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/us/27cnd-puerto.html?ex=1364356800&en=07db5c81b8b43a48&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Equity Loans as Next Round in Credit Crisis

Little by little, millions of Americans surrendered equity in their homes in recent years. Lulled by good times, they borrowed — sometimes heavily — against the roofs over their heads. Now the bill is coming due. As the housing market spirals downward, home equity loans, which turn home sweet home into cash sweet cash, are becoming the next flash point in the mortgage crisis.

For full article go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/business/27loan.html?ex=1364270400&en=ba62e68609df576b&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink