In the year of 1931 I joined the church, Carter Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, and I am still an active member. It was my introduction to church, religion and my God.
The exposure to God’s teaching began in youth Sunday school, then young adult and was concluded by adult Sunday school. The church in conjunction with my parents instilled in me the overwhelming importance of loving yourself, family, friends and people in general. It guided me to live by the teaching of God’s word “feed my sheep.”
As a youngster I thought it meant food, but eventually I came to understand it meant that I had an obligation to enlighten my brothers and sisters and thereby enhance their growth as an individual and a race of people. My faith and my knowledge of the bible began to increase, and also my concern about our future as Black people.
Over the years it became more and more apparent that for a multitude of reasons or excuses too may Blacks were reluctant to expose those whose actions were not only detrimental to us as a race, but oft times destructive. In my early years in the church I interpreted the statement “Go tell it on the mountain” as meaning don’t be reluctant to tell the world at the top of your voice that you serve a mighty God. However over the years I have reinterpreted it to mean, “those who are oppressing us must be exposed for the entire community to see.”
My father set me free to tell it from the mountain at the age of 17. Daddy and another adult male were discussing an issue and when their conversation was over I said to my father, “Mr. Shive was right,” and he responded by saying, “Why did you not speak up and correct me?” I responded by saying you raised me to stay out of adults’ conversations. He instantly said never allow your daddy to be in a situation like that. That day “Hop” Kendrick was emancipated.
My first opportunity to write a column and voice my opinion to a public outside my friends and neighbors was provided by “Talk Magazine” were I wrote a monthly column. My readers and listeners began to expand, as I became a Friday and Saturday commentator on WCXJ 1550, who then was broadcasting from Ebenezer Baptist Church’s basement. The radio station was sold and I then went to WAMO to do a Saturday commentary for a year. I then became a columnist for the New Pittsburgh Courier. The editor Mr. Rod Doss has permitted me to “Tell it from the mountain” for more than 20 years.
As this column is being read there are those across this country marching about police actions that resulted into a number of deaths. There are a larger number of people being confined to wheel chairs, and an astronomical number of young Black men, such as Jordan Miles being physically attacked. It has always been my conviction that smart sophisticated voting could and can eliminate a major portion of these atrocities. How?
A young 12-year-old Black youth killed in Cleveland, a Black man selling cigarettes in New York, a young Black man killed in Ferguson, and here in Pittsburgh a young Black man, Leon Ford is confined to a wheelchair and let us not forget Jordan Miles.
All of the above cities are controlled by the local Democratic parties that have been supported by Blacks for the last 70 years. Yes, politicians that we elect year in and year out control these police departments.
Christmas is coming, please send the Kingsley Association a financial donation.
(Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a weekly contributor to the Forum Page.)
