IBO - Brian R. Lundin (100 books to read in a lifetime .txt) 📗

James strong voice began again it had started to rise.
“It is not the white man who is being put in prisons for the rest of their lives, but our young black men who had not yet tasted the sweetness of a good life. It is up to us to stop the violence, the police and the courts cannot or will not do it, and so it is up to us. To paraphrase the words of Martin Luther King Jr. I want us all to be, “Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty we are free at last from the evils of drugs.”
“You’re right reverend, God bless you reverend,” an older man seated in the front row said.
Sweat was pouring from the reverend as the deacons led him to his seat. One of the Deaconesses wiped his brow and another fanned him feverishly. The congregation was with him now, lost in a shoulder pushing rhythm. The heat generated by the people, the noise of the congregation clapping and “amending” and the reverend voice climaxing in a low wail that was so unbearable to some that they collapsed and had to be administered to by the “sisters.” The services ended the way it began, the band playing and the choir and congregation singing, and the reverend descending on the lift with the orange light diminishing.
After each service the entire congregation would go into the church cafeteria for a free dinner, where white dressed servers served chicken, dressing, mixed greens, candy jams, macaroni, and cheese. Deserts were a mixture of homemade pies and cakes. The Deacons, Deaconess invited guess often joined the reverent for dinner at his palatial home on Woodlawn Avenue.
Reverend James, in addition to his ministering duties was also very active politically. He was appointed by the mayor to various city boards and he received quite a few perks from the city, like allowing his members to double park their cars on Sundays for services and providing police officers for security. The mayor knew that he could count on the reverend for support at election time and there were rumors that the reverend could pick up the phone and talk to the mayor of Chicago or the President of the United States.
The reverend enjoyed the good life; he wore expensive clothes and had a chauffeur who drove him around in a Lincoln Town car. The reverend was also a regular at the racetracks and local taverns. The younger people in the community considered him a regular guy, to the older members the reverend offered the usual spiritualist wares; advice in times of trouble, home visits to the sick or infirmed and of course, healing blessings. His congregation contained over two thousand people and it had a well trained choir backed up by a five piece band, that when not performing at the church, often played at blues clubs throughout the South Side of the city. He also has a Sunday evening radio and television broadcast with a large following in the black community.
The show always opened with his theme song, “Precious Lord Take My Hand,” sung by his white and gold-robed choir and accompanied by two pianos, a pipe organ, several violins and an electric guitar. The reverend was also involved in civic and political enterprises. His church made the largest single contribution to a national organization for racial advancement and he once held a candlelight service to feed the hungry in White Sox Ballpark that drew over twenty thousand people.
He had the political connection where he could get a person released from jail or gets a person a good paying, easy work city job. The people in the community loved Reverend James, the dope dealers and gang bangers feared and hated him, for he was a man of principle and courage who led his large congregation and the community on marches against the drug houses and gang hangouts. He had received numerous death threats from the gang bangers and dope dealers that infested the area for interfering in their “Bidness.” Because of the threats, the mayor had provided him with twenty-four hours police bodyguards. Two plainclothes detectives worked three shifts.
Two years ago, someone threw a firebomb into the church during the morning service. It was a warm summer Sunday morning, the church’s members had taken their seats, and Reverend James had just finished ascending to the pulpit and was about to start his sermon. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion. The pulpit splintered into countless pieces, sending pieces of wood, glass, and smoke into the congregation. The Deacons and Deaconess seated behind the reverend was knocked backwards out of their chairs and the reverent was knocked unconscious. Small fires had started to break out in various sections of the church being fueled by the wooded pews. Women started to scream, fainted in the aisles, and were trampled by people trying to escape, trying to find the exits in the smoke filled room. Police and fire department siren could be heard rushing to the scene. Inside the church, some of the congregation was trying frantically to free the wounded from the debris and put out the fires, outside the church the police officers were trying to contain the large crowd that had gathered to make room for the firefighter and ambulances. Shortly, the mayor and his Police Commissioner, Harry Grimes arrived at the scene of the carnage.
In front of a battery of news reporters and cameramen, Police Commissioner Grimes said, “The lowlife gang bangers and dope dealers that the courageous Reverend James have targeted and have tried to get him out of this community, are responsible for this outrage, but rest assured we will find them and prosecute them to the full extent of the law.”
Fortunately, no one was killed but several were seriously injured including Reverend James who suffered a concussion and serious burns to his entire body. The church received considerable damages.
Within a week, Commissioner Grimes gave a press conference relative to the bombing.
“This morning I am happy to announce that the coward that threw the firebomb into the Second Church of Deliverance has been arrested. His name is Caldwell Turner and he has confessed to the crime and admitted being a member of the Crazzie Street Gang a small-time neighborhood gang of thugs that was upset with the reverend stand on gangs and drug dealers. Members of the church obtained information that led to Mr. Turner arrest from the fine members of this community and. Mr. Turner is under extensive police guard while he is being treated at Provident Hospital for severe injuries, which resulted from unknown causes. In addition, I am happy to announce that an anonymous donor have given ten thousand dollars to the church to help it rebuild. A week after Caldwell Turner posted bond, the police found his body was found floating in the Washington Park Lagoon.

Chapter 17

Years ago the Second Church of Deliverance had initiated the Adopt a Child program, which was aimed at underprivileged but gifted youngsters who excelled in sports or academics, but whose parents did not have the resources to send their child to college. Second Church of Deliverance had adopted Malik because of his academic accomplishments and work in the church. Malik was an ideal choice, he came from a dysfunctional single parent family, he was polite and courteous, and he was intelligent, tests showed that he had an above average I.Q. and he scored very high on the on the S.A.T. test.
Malik graduated from DuSable High School. At the graduation ceremonies, Reverend James was the guest speaker and a large number of his church members attended the graduation.
John H. Collins the principal of DuSable introduced the Reverend. James began his speech.
“I want to congratulate all of you fine young men and women, you have walked in God's footsteps, and you have avoided the plague that is killing our community, drugs, gangs and violence. You have stayed God's course of righteousness and you are a credit to the black community. You are an example to our young black brothers and sisters and may God walk beside you and guide you throughout your lives. God blesses you.”
Malik was on the stage with other graduates who were receiving awards and he listens attentively during Reverend James speech, which had been limited to five minutes. After the graduation ceremonies, Reverend James introduced Malik to Professor Ambrose of Harvard University. The professor was well dressed and distinguished looking


“Malik I want you to meet a good friend of mine, Professor Ambrose of Harvard University.”
Professor Ambrose looked to Malik like the typical college egghead; he wore a dark suit, white shirt, and black bowtie and thick horn-rimmed glasses.
Malik, shaking the professor's hand said, “Nice meeting you sir.”
“It's my pleasure, Malik, congratulations. Reverend James has told me about your work at the church and how they have adopted you. That’s very commendable. Have you made any college plans yet?”
“Not really I’ve received some scholarship offers, but I haven't made up my mind yet,” Malik answered. “Would you consider Harvard?” the professor asked.
“Of course but I cannot afford Harvard,” Malik responded.
“Well judging by the academic awards you received tonight, you would be an asset to Harvard. Harvard doesn’t offer many scholarships, mainly because the students that attend Harvard comes from well to do family and don't require any financial help, but recently we have come under intense scrutiny and criticism from minority organizations like the NAACP and the Urban League because of our low minority enrollment. In response to this criticism we have instituted a minority set aside program. This program offers full scholarships to minority students, who are qualified academically to do the work but do not have the financial resources. A selection board made up of department heads at the university administers the set-aside program and they make the final selection decisions. For the fall semester, the university is offering ten scholarships. Additionally, the selection board will help the student get a part time job, either on or off campus to help him with supplementary expenses, interested?”
“Yes sir, what do I have to do?”
“First, you have to fill it out and submit an application,
I have one, fill it out giving some background information on yourself, and submit it with a fifteen hundred-word essay describing what your future plans are and how you believe that a Harvard education can help you realize those plans. Based on the awards you received this evening, I am sure your grade point average is good enough, but you will still have to score over 800 on the SAT examination
To be perfectly honest with you, I know that the examination is culturally bias, but what can we do, this is still the white man's country. I will be in Chicago for a couple more days, if you can complete the essay and the application before I leave, I’ll take them back with me and submit it to the board with my recommendations for review. If you are selected for consideration to the program, you will be contacted by the university and will be flown to Harvard at our expense for an interview, that’s it.”
Reverend James tells Malik, “I know you want to join your classmates, why don't I keep the papers and you come by the church tomorrow, and we'll fill them out and I’ll get them to the professor.”