Nationwide (June 1, 2011) -- Whenever the "massa" gave the enslaved black man something, no matter what it was, he took it - whether voluntarily or by coercion. Sadly, no matter how demeaning or dreadful the thing may have been, he had no choice but to accept the token, allowing it to become a part of his identity.
For instance, the black man was given the name 'N**ger' by the massa. When asked: "What is your name?" He responded: "N**ger". "What? Say it loud so they all can hear you, what is your name?" "N**ger!!!" was the replied. And yet again he was asked, and he replied: "I am a N**GER." Finally, the white man said, "Right!! That's a good n**ger. Never ever forget - who and what you are - and your proper place."
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Today, as opposed to being ruthlessly, physically and emotionally beaten into submission and acceptance of the n-word by a brutal white social system, black people find themselves courted and conned by other blacks to voluntarily remain in their pre-appointed place of a n**ger/n**ga. In this contemporary era, White supremacy is most effective when it uses a black voice as a ventriloquist, and today, many rappers, comedians and black scholars validate the premise.
It is incredulous and appalling how some black scholars encourage their college students to greet each other as n**gas. An uninterrupted indoctrination process that began almost 400 years ago by a brutal racist social system is now carried on by cloned black representatives. The definition of self is only limited by who that person thinks they are, and far too many black scholars - who are, by definition of their roles, leaders and influencers in the community - have a diminished image of themselves and their race.
The American institutionalized systemic has always identified Black America with the n-word and, therefore, finds Black Americans' willingness to accept and relate to their pre-appointed place and category of being a n**ger/n**ga both gratifying and an ease on their guilty conscience.
So long as black people restrict themselves to saggin' pants, referring to one another as n**ger/n**ga, b*tches, mf's; and limiting their thinking to sex, cars, drugs, guns, sports and life in the hood, all is well in the American institutionalized systemic. However, a far more challenging and graver concern to the systemic are Black Americans retaking control of their minds, demonstrating the ability to think and act rationally, and possessing demeanors of royalty - walking with dignity; that who boldly declare their independence and rightfully return any unfitting or cursed gifts to the systemic - one primarily is being the n-word.
Black historians and scholars such as Dr. Asa Hilliard, Dr. John Henri Clarke, Dr. Chancellor Williams, Dr. Richard Williams, Kimani Nehusi, Dr. Kwaku Person-Lynn, Dr. Ray Higgins, Dr. David Pilgrim and a few others serve as examples of liberated, independent thinkers. As such, the American institutionalized systemic refrains from parading these gentlemen before a sound-asleep Black community in fear that the knowledge of these thinkers may awaken the slumbering masses.
However, they will parade and promote the likes of a Dr. David Bradley, Dr. Randall Kennedy, certain rappers, black comedians and some other hand-picked high profile blacks - all of whom are proponents of the n-word - before an unsuspecting and sleeping Black community. The systemic will and does make every effort to keep the sycophants - n-word supporting blacks - constantly before the public to trick blacks into remaining blinded to the truth even though they believe they are in control of their thoughts and aware of what's occurring.
The ravages of centuries of brutal mistreatment at the hands of whites through slavery, Jim Crow, segregation and lynch mobs still have a powerful psychological effect on black people to this very day. The intent and purpose of being categorized as the n-word was far more sinister than just a mundane racial insult.
The term was used as an identifier and a method of separating blacks from the remainder of the populous; it was used as a psychological conduit to breed thoughts of inferiority and, thus, no self-dignity, -pride, or –respect. The definition of a n**ger/n**ga painted blacks as sub-human, 3/5 a person, a bestial savage beast who needed to be tamed. The term was white America's way of not accepting blacks as their equal - but as a burden. And because blacks were considered non-human, and instead, animalistic, Whites believed that in the eyesight of God, classifying black ancestors as n**gers made it okay to dehumanize, brutalize and subject them to anything and everything ungodly.
The Holy Bible was interpreted in many self-justifiable ways to support White America's idea that blacks were a cursed race and that it was God's word that instructed them to "cleanse the world of impurities" by enslaving and dehumanizing them. They found it necessary to browbeat, brainwash and indoctrinate the black slaves into believing that they were indeed n**gers, and that whatever harm came to them was an act of God because they were nothing more than n**gers.
N**ger is an inferior category and place, reserved for those black folks who are gullible enough to accept the term. During slavery, our ancestors had no choice but to accept such categorization; today, their descendants have a choice but are timid about leaving their comfort zone, their pre-appointed place of being n**gers. So, what do they do? They dupe themselves into accepting the ghetto vernacular n**ga as some BS term of endearment. That action in itself basically safeguards White America's plight of destruction against the black community at the black community's own hand.
The embracing of the n-word serves as a sanctioning of all the evil deeds committed upon Black African Americans' beloved ancestry. This is not a consensus or opinion but a fact. Deliberate or not, it is sanctioning nonetheless. Such actions are neither magnanimous nor altruistic but indeed the opposite - malevolent, mean-spirited, self-centered and narrow-minded. Black ancestors deserve better - in the perspective of reverence and honor of their sacred and hallow memories. The n-word should be taboo and forbidden to be a part of the Black African-American culture.
There is nothing empowering about embracing the n-word; it has no benefit or value. Continually holding on to the name given blacks by a racist society through using, defending and supporting the use of the word, as well as trying to rationalize that it has been changed into something positive, is sheer insanity.
N**ga/n**ger is an empty sign of self-hatred masquerading itself as a term of endearment. The idiom serves as perpetual imprisonment and is the detonator to the absolute extermination of an entire race of people's pride, dignity, honor and state of mind. Some may feel that the term carries no weight and plays no role in the current status and eventual outcome of the black community.
However, the name "N**ga/n**ger" was always meant to demean and destruct. And as blacks continue to use the term, the community's ill-development will continue to occur. Words are a mighty source of power (Proverbs 23:7), and there is power - a negative, evil, conniving power - in the name "N**ga/n**ger".
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Thursday, June 2, 2011
Beyonce covers Essence magazine
Beyonce graces the July cover of Essence magazine, and in her self-penned feature she dishes on taking a break, celebrating the little things and new music.
Check out the highlights:
On taking a 9-month break:
"I had talked about taking a vacation before, but always ended up in the studio after two weeks, so no one believed me. This time, though, I was serious. I was going to give myself a year to do the things I never get to do. Simple things like play with my nephew, pick him up from school, visit museums, go to concerts, see some Broadway shows, learn to cook a meal and spend time with my husband... Yes, I needed some relaxation, but I wanted inspiration too, from regular everyday things..."
On new music:
"I feel like my job in the industry is to push the limits and I feel like I have to constantly evolve. I can never be safe... It’s hard to create a new-sounding up-tempo [song] that people are going to love, not only in America but around the world, or for different ages. One thing I’ve always stood for is making people feel good."
Read more: http://www.my1071.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=104650&article=8654352#ixzz1OA7ZLLbo
Lady Gaga's Born This Way sells 1.1 million copies in first week
>The numbers are in for Lady Gaga's Born This Way, and the album broke records, selling 1.1 million copies in its first week.
Gaga's first-week numbers are the highest since 50 Cent released The Massacre in 2005. Additionally, Born This Way is only the 17th album to cross the "1 million copies in the first week" mark since SoundScan started keeping track in 1991.
Gaga also broke records on the digital front. Born This Way was downloaded 662,000 times, and now holds the record for most downloads of an album in a week.
With Gaga taking the #1 spot for the week, Brad Paisley's new release This Is Country Music came in at a distant #2 with 153,000 copies sold, and Adele's 21 was #3, selling 126,000 copies.
Read more: http://www.my1071.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=104650&article=8653150#ixzz1OA5a3DZ2
Black People Are Charged More For Car Insurance
A new study by online auto insurance quote provider 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org finds that African-Americans pay more on average for auto insurance than people of other races. This study, that looked at annual car insurance rates for men in New York City, discovered that black men pay over $800 more than whites or Asians for their car insurance. The report shows that while insurance companies do not intentionally discriminate against black people, they do place emphasis on factors African-Americans score poorly in when determining insurance premiums.
4AutoInsuranceQuote.org surveyed 600 male Manhattan residents in conducting this study. The results, they said, were shockingly lopsided. "Not only did black people pay the most for car insurance," owner James Shaffer said, "they paid the most by a landslide. It was something that really concerned us, so we had to figure out why."
The data showed that while Asian men paid $1945/year and white men paid $2193/year, black men paid $2910/year on average. When explaining why African-Americans are faced with much higher auto insurance costs, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org cited the factors that can affect insurance costs, most notably: your credit score, the safety of your neighborhood, whether or not you are married, and your employment status.
African-Americans, on average, tend to have lower credit scores and live in more dangerous neighborhoods than Asians and Caucasians. They also get married less and have higher divorce rates. In addition, unemployment rates are higher in the African-American community. While insurance companies do not intentionally charge black people more for car insurance, African-Americans do, on average pay more for auto insurance than whites and Asians.
"Statistics do show that African-Americans pay more for auto insurance than Caucasians and Asians," 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org says, "this does not mean, however, that you will pay more for auto insurance just because you are black."
A site offering free insurance quotes for it's users, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org also conducts research reports on the automobile insurance industry. Recent reports released by them include "The Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles," "The Most and Least Expensive Cars To Insure," "The Ten Best Auto Insurance Companies," and "The Most Expensive Cars In The World." In addition to research reports, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org features an extensive content library including insurance-related blog posts and news articles. Apart from their insurance content, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org has free tools which help users compare insurance quotes from different auto insurance companies in order to find the most affordable rates.
4AutoInsuranceQuote.org is a car insurance company operating out of New York, NY. In business since 2008, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org's goal is to become the leading destination for auto insurance quotes in the United States.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/05/31/prweb8503917.DTL#ixzz1O9mTIKmI
4AutoInsuranceQuote.org surveyed 600 male Manhattan residents in conducting this study. The results, they said, were shockingly lopsided. "Not only did black people pay the most for car insurance," owner James Shaffer said, "they paid the most by a landslide. It was something that really concerned us, so we had to figure out why."
The data showed that while Asian men paid $1945/year and white men paid $2193/year, black men paid $2910/year on average. When explaining why African-Americans are faced with much higher auto insurance costs, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org cited the factors that can affect insurance costs, most notably: your credit score, the safety of your neighborhood, whether or not you are married, and your employment status.
African-Americans, on average, tend to have lower credit scores and live in more dangerous neighborhoods than Asians and Caucasians. They also get married less and have higher divorce rates. In addition, unemployment rates are higher in the African-American community. While insurance companies do not intentionally charge black people more for car insurance, African-Americans do, on average pay more for auto insurance than whites and Asians.
"Statistics do show that African-Americans pay more for auto insurance than Caucasians and Asians," 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org says, "this does not mean, however, that you will pay more for auto insurance just because you are black."
A site offering free insurance quotes for it's users, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org also conducts research reports on the automobile insurance industry. Recent reports released by them include "The Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles," "The Most and Least Expensive Cars To Insure," "The Ten Best Auto Insurance Companies," and "The Most Expensive Cars In The World." In addition to research reports, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org features an extensive content library including insurance-related blog posts and news articles. Apart from their insurance content, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org has free tools which help users compare insurance quotes from different auto insurance companies in order to find the most affordable rates.
4AutoInsuranceQuote.org is a car insurance company operating out of New York, NY. In business since 2008, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org's goal is to become the leading destination for auto insurance quotes in the United States.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/05/31/prweb8503917.DTL#ixzz1O9mTIKmI
Lil Wayne Almost Married Lauren London, Says Actress
Lil Wayne is without a doubt a ladies man. On Weezy's new single "How To Love" off his upcoming Carter IV album, the dreadlocked rapper get's his Dr. Phil on, handing out advice on how to treat the females. The father of four has made no secret about it his passion for the opposite sex both on and off wax, not to mention his marriage to reality TV star Antonia "Toya" Carter at a very young age age. In addition to Toya, another one of Wayne's children's mother, actress Lauren London, recently revealed that she was almost Mrs. Carter too.
"I met Dwayne when I was 15 years old. I’ve known him a very long time, and we were in a relationship that didn’t make it" London told Kathleencross. "We tried more than once to revive it, and we were engaged briefly years ago, but we eventually parted ways. People see the “Lil’ Wayne” persona and think they know who he really is. My son’s father is an intelligent, loving and lovable person who will always be a dear friend. That is all."
According to London, one of her biggest gripes with the media are the reports that her love child with Wayne was a result of a one night stand.
"That my son is the result of some kind of one night stand or groupie encounter with his father" London responded when asked what the biggest misconception was about her personal life. "I struggle with deciding when to answer or ignore the constant speculation about my private life, because I feel like that doesn’t belong to anybody but me."
NBA Legend Shaquille O'Neal Is Retiring
NBA star Shaquille O'Neal appears ready to hang up his size 23 basketball shoes after a 19-year pro run that saw him collect four championships and reach fifth on the league's all-time scoring list.
"I'm retiring" and "Shaq ooout" was posted Wednesday to his Twitter account, which also links to a video in which he talks of his intentions.
“We did it. Nineteen years, baby. (I) want to thank you very much. That’s why I’m telling you first, I’m about to retire. Love you. Talk to you soon,” Shaq said in the video on Tout.com, linked from his Twitter account.
His team, the Boston Celtics, has not announced his retirement, but it did re-tweet one of O'Neal's retirement posts.
Rare photos of O'Neal | Shaq answers CNN viewers' questions in January
O'Neal, a 7-foot-1-inch center, won four NBA titles and reached the league finals two other times. He is fifth on the NBA’s all-time career scoring list with 28,596 points - short of only Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain - and 12th on the league’s all-time rebounding list, with 13,099.
Drafted after his junior year at Louisiana State University in 1992, O’Neal would earn NBA rookie of the year honors with the Orlando Magic, with whom he played four seasons. He reached the NBA finals for the first time in 1995, but the Magic lost to Houston.
He started collecting championship rings in Los Angeles after signing with the Lakers ahead of the 1996-97 season. He teamed with Kobe Bryant to win three straight NBA titles from 2000 to 2002, earning NBA Finals MVP awards in all three years.
O’Neal eventually went to Miami, where he would pick up his last NBA championship with the Heat in 2006.
He went on to play for Phoenix and Cleveland before signing with the Boston Celtics in August. Limited by injury, his points-per-game average with Boston was under 10 (9.2) for the first time in his career, and he missed the first round in this year’s playoffs before scoring two points in two games in the Celtics’ second-round loss to Miami.
Miami star LeBron James, whose team beat Dallas on Tuesday night in the first game of this year's finals, tweeted his respects to O'Neal - his teammate for one year in Cleveland - on Wednesday.
"What a career for Shaq Diesel!!" a post to James' Twitter account said. "The most dominating force to ever play the game. Great person to be around as well. Comedy all the time!!"
Another former teammate, Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash, tweeted Wednesday: "Congratulations @SHAQ on your quadruple platinum hall of fame career. I know you're not riding off into the sunset...what's next?"
Riding off into the sunset would be hard to imagine. O'Neal has long pursued entertainment interests off the basketball court, appearing in "Kazaam," "Steel" and the basketball film "Blue Chips." He's set to appear in the upcoming film "Jack & Jill," starring Adam Sandler.
"It’s fun. It’s an opportunity for me to show my funny side," he told CNN International in January.
He's also reveled in tongue-in-cheek public appearances, including turns as a Boston Pops conductor and a human statue in the Boston area's Harvard Square.
As a rapper, O'Neal sold more than 1 million copies of his debut album, "Shaq Diesel." He also expressed interest in pursuing law enforcement opportunities, having worked for the Los Angeles Police Department and the Miami Beach Police Department during some offseasons.
Blacks African-Americans Seemingly Underrepresented in Smartphone Ads
Blacks are fastest mobile internet adopters, though not depicted in advertising
By Corey Washington –
The smartphone landscape has quickly evolved over the past five years, outpacing expert expectations and moving faster than many consumers and technology aficionados can keep up with. And while blacks have historically been used to slight by societal changes, recent studies show African-Americans are outpacing other ethnic groups in mobile internet access and social media. This appears to be a positive indication of where we could be headed in the information age.
[Smartphones are displayed in a mobile phone store in Taipei April 28, 2010. (Credit: Reuters/Pichi Chuang)]
Smartphones are displayed in a mobile phone store in Taipei April 28, 2010. (Credit: Reuters/Pichi Chuang)
But as some critics question how this emerging trend could be separating black culture farther apart in our efforts to bridge the digital divide, I wonder where are the black faces in the smartphone advertising campaigns.
The evidence of African-American buying power has been undeniable for more than a decade, but newer studies on African-American use of technological advancements make a clear case for why African-Americans should be a leading group in the smartphone marketing world.
In 2009, African-Americans spent $9.4 billion on cell phones, up 30 percent from the previous year, according to a report by Target Market News. Heavy hitters in the smartphone arena, such as the iPhone and Android handsets pose the best opportunity for growth with African-American consumers, who mostly own Blackberry devices. According to research by The Nielsen Company, 31 percent of African-American consumers owned Blackberry devices, 27% owned Android phones, and 15% owned iPhones at the end of 2010.
But if you turn on your television, visit a major cell phone carrier online or pay close attention to billboard advertisements, African-American representation is minimal. African-Americans living in urban neighborhoods may notice modest relative advertising, but most anecdotal evidence points to cell phone and smart phone advertising hanging on the lower end of the total advertising spectrum.
Last year, a Pew Research Center study showed that about six in every ten adults go online wirelessly. This includes Wi-Fi and broadband access on a laptop as well as internet, email and instant messenger use via cell phone. Nearly two-thirds of African-Americans (64 percent) were wireless internet users. English-speaking Hispanics were right behind African-Americans, with 63 percent. Throw in 87% of African-Americans and Hispanics likelihood of owning a cell phone compared with whites and the picture becomes clear.
Technological innovation is non-stop, especially with smartphone and mobile device platforms, with tablets coming into the mainstream and 3G becoming the slower data standard for smartphones. African-Americans need to remain on par with these changes and their buying power or willingness to purchase smartphones should not be taken for granted.
With smartphones accounting for half of new cell phones coming to the United States in 2012, according to a study by In-Stat, one has to wonder when will the advertisers come to African-Americans.
Beyonce and the New Black Feminist Movement
Whenever Beyonce releases new music, she elicits strong reactions from fans and haters alike. Recently, the streak-haired R&B songstress has sparked a vibrant debate in the black blogosphere about whether her latest video single 'Run the World (Girls)' can be considered a legitimate feminist statement.
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'Essence' editor Demetria Lucas argued in her story, 'Is Beyonce Sending the Wrong Message?,' that the video merely inspires male lust. Responding to a reader comment on gossip blog, 'The Young, Black and Fabulous,' which compared the pop star to feminist icon Gloria Steinem, Lucas said there's a difference between "p-popping and actual empowerment."
The post sparked considerable reaction among the young black female writer set on Twitter and Facebook.
Soon after, Arielle Loren penned a reaction piece for Clutch Magazine online, 'Is Beyonce the New Face of Contemporary Feminism?' in which she wrote: "Like Lucas, women pushing the traditional hyper-sexual critique have been focused on the 'male gaze' for far too long."
Clearly struck by the title of Loren's Clutch piece, Jamilah-Asali Lemieux responded to the notion of contemporary feminism by stating, "I think the 'new face of feminism' should be able to articulate what feminism is."
A woman who identities herself only as NineteenPercent, called Beyonce's proclamation - "Who run the world? Girls!" - a lie. She added that Beyonce is merely trying to lure impressionable young women into feeling a false sense achievement, and "distracting them from doing the work it takes to actually run the world."
And Natasha Theory from BeGirlManifesta, a site that asserts that every woman is "multifaceted, complex, and nuanced," chimed in too. In response to NineteenPercent, Theory wrote, "I think Beyonce is an artist doing what artists do...creating her vision of what reality should be."
This isn't the first time Beyonce's version of feminism has been called into question. Back when she was still a singer with Destiny's Child, Beyonce and her bandmates belted out girl-power anthems like 'Bills, Bills, Bills,' and 'Independent Women Part 1,' and suggested a kind of kinship with the black female performance tradition popularized by Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Aretha Franklin. There was much debate then around whether Destiny's Child was male-bashing or offering up a new brand of sexual politics.
Now even as a solo artist, Beyonce seems to be fueling similar discussions. A few years ago, Princeton professor Daphne Brooks claimed in the 'Nation' magazine that Beyonce, beauty and sexy dance moves notwithstanding, "delivers a unique version of black female dissent in pop and R&B music culture." Brooks' point made about the singer's 2006 album 'B-Day' could just as easily describe Beyonce's significance today. Brooks adds, "Beyoncé is part of a tradition of black women's musical expressions of personal and political discontent ranging from singers like Nina Simone (pictured below) and Odetta to MCs Lauryn Hill and Jean Grae to the brilliant new artist Keyshia Cole."
To dismiss Beyonce's lyrical sassiness or the 'I will never disappoint' message in her 'Me, Myself, and I' does us a gross injustice.
As Loren argued in Clutch, there is something that happens when a Beyonce record plays - it's visceral and empowering at the same time. We feel a connection to these songs and they command us to get up and dance. And we react in the affirmative when she says "Who run the world?" just like when we scream "Hell yea!" after a DJ shouts, "Do my ladies run this muthaf**ka?
These black female voices like Lucas, Loren, Lemieux and Natasha Theory, among others in the social media space may recall the debates about how women should define themselves that Patricia Hill-Collins (author of 'What's In A Name? Womanism, Black Feminism and Beyond'), Alice Walker (pictured below), Barbara Omolade, June Jordan and Sherely Ann Williams had in previous generations. Are we feminist, black feminist or Womanist? Or all of the above?
However, perhaps it's time to broaden our definition of feminism so we can transcend the idea that the easiest way to pick a fight is to wear stiletto heels to a conference on feminism. In that case, Beyonce may doing her job.
Bishop Eddie Long Settles Out of Court For Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Atlanta, GA (May 26, 2011) -- Lawsuits brought by four young men who accused a Georgia megachurch pastor of sexual misconduct have been resolved, attorneys for both sides said Thursday, bringing a quiet end to a blockbuster legal complaint that targeted a powerful national religious leader.
Both sides declined to discuss terms of the deal, other than to say the civil suits in state court would not go forward against Bishop Eddie Long, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.
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The four young men had alleged Long abused his spiritual authority and coerced them into sexual relations with gifts including cars, cash and travel when they were 17. One suit also claimed Long had sexual contact with one of them during trips he took them on in the U.S. and abroad. Long denied the allegations, and federal and state authorities didn’t investigate because Georgia’s age of consent is 16.
Still, the scandal tainted the reputation of Long, who over two decades had transformed his suburban Atlanta congregation of 150 into a following of 25,000 members and an international televangelist empire that included athletes, entertainers and politicians. The 58-year-old husband and father of four has championed strong families and been an outspoken opponent of gay marriage.
Plaintiffs’ attorney B.J. Bernstein said Thursday “we can confirm that the matter has been resolved” but would not elaborate. Phone calls to the young men were not returned.
Barbara Marschalk, an attorney for New Birth Missionary Baptist, confirmed the suits had been resolved and said they would likely be dismissed by Friday.
Church spokesman Art Franklin issued a statement late Thursday saying: “After a series of discussions, all parties involved have decided to resolve the civil cases out of court. This decision was made to bring closure to this matter and to allow us to move forward with the plans God has for this ministry.”
“As is usually the case when civil lawsuits resolve out of court, we cannot discuss any details regarding the resolution or the resolution process, as they are confidential,” Frank said in the statement. “This resolution is the most reasonable road for everyone to travel.”
Much of Long’s appeal was based on a prosperity gospel - featuring his own lavish lifestyle - and his macho appearance, accented by the muscle T-shirts he often wore in the pulpit.
The TV preacher’s ministry was threatened in September when Spencer LeGrande, Jamal Parris, Maurice Robinson and Anthony Flagg sued Long in DeKalb County state court. The Associated Press does not generally identify people who claim they are victims of sexual abuse or misconduct, but Bernstein said the four consented to making their identities public.
Two of the men who brought suit alleged that Long groomed them for sexual relationships when they were enrolled in the church’s LongFellows Youth Academy, a program that purportedly sought to guide teens through their “masculine journey” with lessons on financial discipline and sexual control. Two other young men - one of whom attended a satellite church in Charlotte, N.C. - made similar allegations.
Flagg, who enrolled at the academy at age 16, said Long chose him as a “spiritual son” after learning of the young man’s challenges growing up without a father. Flagg moved into another minister’s home after being arrested on an assault charge when he was 18. The lawsuit alleged Long would visit, crawl into bed with him and the two would engage in sexual acts.
Robinson said his mother enrolled him in the LongFellows program when he was 14. Long started lavishing attention on him the following year, and a church employee soon rewarded the teen with a Chevy Malibu, the lawsuit said. The two began engaging in sexual acts after an October 2008 trip to New Zealand.
Parris, who said his father had not been active in his life, said Long encouraged the teen to call him “Daddy” and later used biblical verses to justify the alleged abuse.
Long denied the allegations in court motions, saying that he often encouraged his flock to call him “daddy” as a term of respect. He acknowledged giving gifts to the plaintiffs, but said he often provided his church members with financial help. During church sermons, he turned to biblical terms to portray himself as an underdog.
Long has remained at the helm of New Birth since the allegations surfaced last year, vowing to fight the allegations.
“I feel like David against Goliath. But I got five rocks, and I haven’t thrown one yet,” Long said during his first sermon after the lawsuit was filed. He said that although he didn’t claim to be perfect, “I am not the man that’s being portrayed on the television.”
Monday, February 1, 2010
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