MICAH Pushes Resolution at County Board Monday Morning
County Board Considers MICAH’s Resolution on We All Belong Campaign
Supervisor Priscilla E. Coggs-Jones has submitted a resolution in support of MICAH’s We All Belong Campaign for consideration by the Committee of the Whole on Monday, January 22, 10:30 AM in the County Board meeting room. MICAH members have been reaching out to County Supervisors and will be in attendance at the meeting to urge support of the resolution, the language of which follows this message.
The Milwaukee Common Council adopted a similar measure last October.
Said Rev. Marilyn Miller, retired ELCA Pastor and Anti-Racism trainer for the Greater Milwaukee Synod, “The goals of this campaign are to Protect Democracy, Reject so-called “Christian” Nationalism and Build the Beloved Community. The work starts with each of us personally and within each of our congregations.”
“By passing this resolution, the elected leaders of our county say loud and clear that there are no second-class citizens in Milwaukee County and that everybody’s voice and talents are important for moving us forward,“ declared Rev. Joseph Jackson, Jr., chair of the We All Belong Steering Committee and Pastor of the Friendship Baptist Church.
The “We All Belong” Campaign launched on August 3, 2023, with a press conference in Bronzeville, Milwaukee at the iconic statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. Close to 100 religious leaders participated. The multi-faith reality of MICAH was evident in the range of faith traditions represented at the event: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Unitarian.
The January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was not only a wake-up call about the ongoing need to protect democracy but also a sobering reflection of the alarming re-emergence of “christian” nationalism and white supremacy in the United States. The religious symbolism on display in the insurrection including prayers to Jesus by rioters in the U.S. Senate were, sadly, not some anomaly.
A recent survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute found that about 29% of Americans (roughly 61 million adults) are either adherents or sympathizers of “christian” nationalism agreeing for example with the statement: “The U.S. government should declare America a Christian nation.” And more disturbingly, 17% of Americans (more than 35 million adults) agree with this statement: “The United States is a white Christian nation, and I am willing to fight to keep it that way.”
The Campaign has scheduled dozens of training sessions for religious leaders and congregations throughout Milwaukee County to equip them to educate and engage their congregations in the goals and values of the We All Belong Campaign. Committee Chairs and other key leaders were commissioned at MICAH’s Annual Public Meeting in October. A series of educational events on “The Beloved Community” is planned for the spring. Other events and activities are being planned through next year’s election season for MICAH and the WISDOM affiliate organizations around the state.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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