Rooftop Revelations: Will wokeism be the death of black America?

CHICAGO – Those who call themselves members of the woke tribe in America often point to communities like Pastor Corey Brooks’ South Side neighborhood as signs of systemic racism. They talk of white supremacy, redlining and block-busting as the major contributors to the poverty and violence while conveniently ignoring the devastating impact of post-'60s liberalism.

The woke find their audiences in universities, corporations, institutions and in school districts like District 65 in Evanston, a wealthy Chicago suburb 20 miles north of where the pastor lives and ministers. Teachers in that district have been teaching students about Black Lives Matter as part of Black History Month. The students are told: "We did not create race, racism or racist institutions but it is our job as global citizens to dismantle institutional racism. We can start by saying and believing Black Lives Matter." They are also told: "Racism and racists institutions like plantations, Jim Crow Laws, ‘ghettos’ and prisons are/were ethnoracial prisons that purposely impede the social and economic success of black people." (Emphasis added.)

Wokeism functions as a backward looking ideology that derives power not from creating opportunities and present day solutions but from the sins of America’s racist past. That is why the pastor rejects the empty ideology that exploits black pain and gives nothing in return. On the 94th day of his 100-day rooftop vigil to raise funds to build a transformative community center on the South Side of Chicago, the pastor hosted a video chat with Shelby Steele, who wrote and produced the 2020 documentary "What Killed Michael Brown?" The pastor appeared in that film. (Disclosure: Eli Steele is the son of Shelby Steele and directed "What Killed Michael Brown?")

The Democrats, the party of slavery and the KKK has never had the best interest of blacks at heart. The Democrats were first opposed to the Civil Right laws of the 1960s but they soon seen how they could use those laws to “enslave” the blacks for generations.

How did they do this? They exploited human nature.

They opened up welfare based on the number of children a woman had but excluded fathers from the mix. Guaranteeing that there would be generations of blacks growing up in poverty with no father.

Next they declared any restrictions are standards that everyone else had to meet to be “racist”. They lowered the standards for blacks and black educators guaranteeing young blacks would not get the education or skills needed to make it in this world.

Last, they gaslighted generations of blacks into believing all their problems were because of whites and they should hate anything associated with the white culture.

After 60 years of indoctrination they Democrats have been successful.

And I read through Ezekiel 18, and thought that it makes more sense than anything this pastor or the producer has said. It wasn't that many years ago that this passage was taught in black and African churches to promote forgiveness ... of course, the Bible used to be taught in white churches as well.

Sins of parents and children

18 The Lord’s word came to me: 2 What do you mean by this proverb of yours about the land of Israel: “When parents eat unripe grapes, the children’s teeth suffer”? 3 As surely as I live, says the Lord God, no longer will you use this proverb in Israel! 4 All lives are mine; the life of the parent and the life of the child belong to me. Only the one who sins will die.

5 People are declared innocent when they act justly and responsibly. 6 They don’t eat on the hills or give their attention to the idols of the house of Israel. They don’t defile the wives of their neighbors or approach menstruating women. 7 They don’t cheat anyone, but fulfill their obligations. They don’t rob others, but give food to the hungry and clothes to the naked. 8 They don’t impose interest or take profit. They refrain from evil and settle cases between people fairly. 9 They follow my regulations, keep my case laws, and act faithfully. Such people are innocent, and they will live, proclaims the Lord God.

10 But suppose one of them has a violent child who sheds blood or does any one of these things, 11 even though his parents didn’t do any of them. He eats on the mountains, defiles his neighbor’s wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy, robs others and doesn’t fulfill his obligations, pays attention to the idols and does detestable things, 13 and takes interest and profit. Should he live? He should not. He engaged in all these detestable practices. He will surely die, and his blood will be on him.

14 But suppose he has a child who sees all the sins that his father committed. He becomes alarmed and doesn’t do them. 15 He doesn’t eat on the mountains or pay attention to the idols of the house of Israel. He doesn’t defile his neighbor’s wife. 16 He doesn’t cheat anyone, either by seizing collateral for loans or committing robbery. He gives his food to the hungry and clothes to the naked. 17 He refrains from oppressing the poor by taking neither interest nor profit. He observes my case laws and follows my regulations. He won’t die because of his father’s guilt. He will surely live. 18 As for his father: If he exploited the weak or committed robbery, or did anything else that wasn’t good for the people, he will die because of his own guilt.

19 You will say, “Why doesn’t the child bear his parent’s guilt?” The child has acted justly and responsibly. The child kept all my regulations and observed them. The child will surely live. 20 Only the one who sins will die. A child won’t bear a parent’s guilt, and a parent won’t bear a child’s guilt. Those who do right will be declared innocent, and the wicked will be declared guilty.

21 But if the wicked turn away from all the sins that they have committed, keep all my regulations, and act justly and responsibly, they will surely live and not die. 22 None of the sins that they committed will be held against them, but they will live because they do the right things. 23 Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord God. Certainly not! If they change their ways, they will live.

24 If those who do the right thing turn from righteousness and engage in the same detestable practices that the wicked committed, can they do these things and live? None of their righteous deeds will be remembered. They will die because of their treacheries and sins. 25 But you say, “My Lord’s way doesn’t measure up.” Listen, house of Israel, is it my ways that don’t measure up? Isn’t it your ways that don’t measure up? 26 When those who do the right thing turn from their responsible ways and act maliciously, they will die because of it. For their malicious acts they will die. 27 And when the wicked turn from their wicked deeds and act justly and responsibly, they will preserve their lives. 28 When they become alarmed and turn away from all their sins, they will surely live; they won’t die.

29 Yet the house of Israel says, “My Lord’s way doesn’t measure up.” Is it my ways that don’t measure up? Isn’t it your ways that don’t measure up, house of Israel? 30 Therefore, I will judge each of you according to your ways, house of Israel. This is what the Lord God says. Turn, turn away from all your sins. Don’t let them be sinful obstacles for you. 31 Abandon all of your repeated sins. Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel? 32 I most certainly don’t want anyone to die! This is what the Lord God says. Change your ways, and live!

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