Great Watch Night Initiative: Saving Our Own Community

November 27, 2018January 16, 2019 R.L. Witter

January 2019 will mark six years since the observance of the 150th anniversary of the Great Emancipation of 1863. Think about what life was like in America 150 years ago. In 1868, the Reconstruction period in the South was at its height in the wake of the Civil War to end slavery (1861–1865); a war that cost over 700,000 American lives.
From those perilous times to the present, we are blessed with an enormous opportunity to measure, analyze, and define our American story—our collective claim on
the American Dream—to proclaim for ourselves a new song, a new language of freedom! And, as always and forever more, Positive Music Matters!

The Initiative
On December 31, 2012, an awesome event took place as hundreds of churches throughout New York and New Jersey participated in The Positive Community’s Great Watch Night Initiative! On that night history was made. It went like this: At midnight, there were prayers of thanksgiving and hope for the future; then a young person stood before the congregation and read the Cultural Narrative; the congregation sang the Negro National Anthem. After
the closing prayer, everyone exited the sanctuary, singing together the hymn, “We’ve Come this Far by Faith”
Let us now establish a new tradition, an exercise in spiritual unity, cultural pride and faith, affirming for ourselves the community-building ideals of self-acceptance, self-reliance and self-respect. Join us as we pay it forward on Watch Night 2018!

Below is the Cultural Narrative that every child should be encouraged to learn and commit to memory by the age of 10. The story—our history in this brief presentation, reflects the people’s deep, collective experience, which dates back to before this nation’s founding:

African Americans are a unique people with a peculiar history in this land. Brought to these shores in chains from Africa in the early 1600s, our people toiled and suffered as captives in brutal bondage for a quarter of a millennium (250 years). On January 1, 1863, two years into the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, became law, signaling an end to slavery. On that day, the African American community of the United States of America was born.
One hundred years later, in August, 1963 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial, as he led hundreds of thousands to a March on Washington, seeking an end to discrimination and 90 years of Jim Crow segregation in the South. It was a demand for full and equal citizen’s rights for the people in what has been called “the Second Emancipation.”
Forty years after Martin Luther King’s tragic assassination in 1968, America elects its first black president, the Honorable Barack Obama (2008).
In the 100 years between the first and second emancipation, in the midst of bitter persecution, humiliation, lynching; enduring the denial of basic human rights, the resiliency of the African American spirit continued to shine brightly in religion, business, education, medicine, invention, sports, and in the creative arts—music, fashion,
dance, language, literature, and theater. Indeed, original American art forms and a popular culture which has become the envy of the world were founded upon the souls of
a forlorn people! And that is our story—the Truth, Beauty and Goodness of a loving and gifted race—revealed!

An Extraordinary History
Ours is an extraordinary history of trial, tribulation, and triumph that we must never, ever forget! This is the very story we must tell our children and ever be remembered for all future generations. We the people, descendants of the Great Emancipation must tell our story and sing our greatest songs to each other and to the entire world! We must remind ourselves over and over again of the noble struggle, human dignity, scarifices and wisdom of our torch-bearing forefathers; of our goodly heritage, our divine inheritance; our great music legacy Positive Music Matters!
This is our story—the cultural narrative— a new language of freedom; a springboard toward a great and prosperous future; a spiritually enlightened ideal. A vision of hope, opportunity, and progress; liberty and happiness; health and wholeness—peace and goodwill!
WE’VE COME THIS FAR BY FAITH…!

Thoughts and Comments about the 2013 Watch Night Initiative and the Great Emancipation

… We, the offspring of those freed, are obligated to honor the past and we
are in debt to the future. The institution of the celebration of this providential
document must become annual and understood in terms of its intent,
its accomplishment and all of the by-products thereof. We must take on the
consciousness of the senior Negro woman who discerned and declared that
‘Massa Lincoln signed the paper but God done set us free.’”
—Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, senior pastor
Mt. Pisgah BC, Brooklyn, NY

“All Americans enjoy the freedoms produced by the labor of slavery. Watch
Night services across America remind us that we have a rich, dark and
glorious history that forever connects each American and impacts the world.
These services also engender great anticipation for future possibilities of generations
to come.”
—Rev. Dr. Demetrius S. Carolina, senior pastor, First Central BC,
Staten Island and member of Staten Island Ministerial Alliance

“On behalf of the Empire Missionary Baptist Convention we commend and
congratulate The Positive Community for the special Watch Night Initiative
commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.
I also wish to personally thank our convention pastors and officials for their
participation in this both solemn and joyous occasion.”—–
—Rev. Ronald Grant, president, Empire
Missionary Baptist Convention of NY

“The Emancipation Proclamation, though born of convenience and compromise
to save the Union, started African Americans on our journey toward
freedom. On the sesquicentennial anniversary, our greatest deception would
be to think we have arrived. We must journey on.”
—Dr. Arlee Griffin Jr., Berean BC, Brooklyn, NY

“The Watch Night Initiative information we received was disseminated to
our membership, The Newark North Jersey Committee of Black Churchmen
(NNJCBC). At my church, the response was amazing. As we began our
service and shared the Cultural Narrative with the congregation there were
spontaneous shouts of ‘Teach us, pastor; ‘tell the truth, pastor;’ ‘help us,
pastor.’ It bought tears to my eyes”.
—Bishop Jethro James, president, NNJCBC and pastor
Paradise BC, Newark, NJ

“I was so enthusiastic about the intention of the Emancipation Proclamation,
especially as it relates to cultural and spiritual literacy. I was moved to
share the Watch Night Initiative and the ‘Countdown to Freedom Cultural
Narrative’ with all the other Church Of God In Christ bishops in New Jersey.
I have also shared this news with many of my colleagues throughout the
country. I should hope that we will continue to carry out special events and
activities about the Emancipation commemoration throughout the year.”
—Bishop William T. Cahoon, jurisdictional prelate
New Garden State Jurisdiction

“As we began the Watch Night service, we spoke about the meaning of emancipation
and what this special night meant to our forefathers and what
it means to us today. A combination of Watch Night and Emancipation
Day helped to educate the people about slavery and freedom. Then we had
a young child read the Cultural Narrative; shouts echoed throughout the
church from the congregation, ‘This is our history; this is our history!’ We
can no longer hide the truth of who we are and the potentials and possibiliThoughts
and Comments about the 2013 Watch Night Initiative and the Great Emancipation
ties of the future. We thank The Positive Community for having the courage
to reclaim our heritage.”
—Rev. Dr. Robert M. Waterman, president, African American Clergy
and Elected Officials and senior pastor, Antioch BC, Brooklyn

“Watch Night Service at Cathedral International was extraordinary. The
sense of expectation filled the sanctuary twice. Both the 7pm and 10pm services
were phenomenal. The reading of the Cultural Narrative was powerful;
it informed the people of the tremendous sacrifices that were made on their
behalf by those who have come before us. It pointed to a future of hope. We
sang the Negro National Anthem and departed with tear-filled eyes, hands
raised to the hymn, We’ve Come this Far by Faith.”
—Bishop Donald Hilliard, senior pastor
Cathedral International, Perth Amboy, NJ

“The United Missionary Baptist Association observes and commemorates the
150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation along with the other
ecumenical clergy groups across our state and country. This is a pivotal period,
a time when as a nation we remember the sacrifices so many made that
we may enjoy the freedom to exercise our rights as citizens of the republic.”
—Rev. Lee Arrington, moderator,
The United Missionary Baptist Association

…We, clergy and members of the church, must maintain a watchful eye
and be diligent in the ongoing process of true emancipation. Each church
should hold its immediate society accountable for apparent violations of economic
and educational policies and practices as the fight for Emancipation
continues.”
—Rev. Dr. Shellie Sampson Jr. (1940-2014), pastor, Thessalonia
Worship Center, Bronx, NY and president of the Baptist
Ministers’ Conference of Greater NY and Vicinity

“Are we free? We can only be free when we unshackle and dismantle the
chains of Jim Crow on our minds. We have allowed our children to be taken
away from us. This 150th anniversary celebration should energize us that
there is still much more to
be done.”
—Rev. Gregory Smith, senior pastor,
Mother AME Zion Church, Harlem, NY

“Freedom is what we have—Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people,
and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again.” (Galatians 5: 1) As we
watched through the night, in anticipation of a new tomorrow, may we as a
people of faith (especially during this Year of Faith) be ever vigilant to avoid
those things and people that entangle us in bondage or return us to the past
days and present ways of “slavery!”

Thoughts and Comments about the 2013 Watch Night Initiative and the Great Emancipation

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