The Daily Signal - What Frederick Douglass Might Say to Us Today

Episode Date: June 8, 2020

The wisdom of leaders like 19th-century abolitionist Frederick Douglass is critical at this moment in America’s history. The Rev. Dean Nelson, the executive director of Human Coalition Action and chairman of the Frederick Douglass Foundation, joins the show to explain what Douglass’ message to America might be if he were with us today.  Nelson also explains that to end racism in America, society as a whole must place a value on all human life, whether that be babies in the womb or grown men like George Floyd.  We also read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about people across the nation who are helping African American entrepreneurs rebuild destroyed businesses in the wake of riots after Floyd's death.  To donate to either of the fundraisers mentioned in today's Good News Story, follow the links below. Support African American Entrepreneurs Support Scores Sports Bar Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Single podcast for Monday, June 8th. I'm Robert Louis. And I'm Virginia Allen. On today's show, we talk with Reverend Dean Nelson, executive director of Human Coalition Action and the chairman of the Frederick Douglass Foundation about how valuing all human life is one of the most powerful tools to fight racism

and what wisdom we can draw from the legacy of Frederick Douglass at this critical moment in history. We also share your letters to the editor and a good news story about how people all over the country are helping African-American entrepreneurs rebuild destroyed businesses in the wake of the riots after the death of George Floyd. Before we get to today's show, we want to tell you about the most popular resource

on the Heritage Foundation website, the Guide to the Constitution. More than 100 scholars have contributed to create a unique line-by-line analysis of our Constitution. The guide is intended to provide a brief and accurate explanation of each clause of the Constitution as envisioned by the framers and as applied in contemporary law. If you want to gain a deeper understanding of our founding document, visit heritage.org slash constitution or simply search for Heritage Guide to the Constitution.

Now stay tuned for today's show coming up next. I am joined by Reverend Dean Nelson, Executive Director of Human Coalition Action and the chairman of the Frederick Douglass Foundation, Reverend Nelson. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you, guys. It's always a pleasure to be with you, particularly at crucial times in our nation's history like this. Absolutely. I want to begin by just asking you to tell us a little bit about the work that you do at Human Coalition action.

Certainly, yes. So Human Coalition was started about a decade ago with this idea of engaging with women, particularly around the country, to provide alternatives to abortion. I joined the team about six years ago as their national outreach director, particularly working with partnerships in government and in the church community. We secured some fantastic partnerships with some of the largest African American denominations in the country to do the vital work. As we continued, we recognized that kind of the work that we do was important in the education space and certainly as a service. service provider providing these free resources to women who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy. In fact, we did it so well that state governments and even at the federal government showed interest in how we were effectively using technology to engage with women in these

vulnerable populations. So we recognized that states had a real interest in the work and we actually secured some contracts and grants in states, again, helping particularly black and Latino women get services that they would need to help them to make that healthy choice for unborn or preborn children. Fast forward, we saw then we needed to have a C4 to kind of build a grassroots group around the country to advocate for preborn children as well as for women. And so Human Coalition Action was born almost a year ago to do that very very, thing. Wow. We're so thankful for the work that you all are doing. It's really so critical and so powerful and I think highly, highly relevant to the situation that today we find ourselves in this

really critical moment. And as we're going to talk about today, only two weeks ago, George Floyd was killed. And America is grieving. It's become evident that we're at a critical point in America's history. Can you share just some of your thoughts about the moment before us? Well, first off, my heart still goes out to his family that's obviously still grieving with the loss. And, you know, it's hard to watch the video of George Floyd being killed without concluding that his death was both tragic and the result of an evil act. He clearly posed no threat to the officer who killed him and the subsequent firing of the other four officers that were involved. Felt like that was a good start.

I'm not a prosecutor and I'm not privy to steal all of the details as more come out. But at the same time, looking at that video to the casual observer, it just seems that some of the things that have been laid maybe too lenient. But we'll see. But it was tragic. And my hope is that many individuals, many organizations cross-culturally can continue to work to see healing and to resolution. But it is a tricky challenge for many people. But I'm glad to be a part of the conversation.

You are the chairman of the Frederick Douglass Foundation. If Frederick Douglass was here with us today, what do you think he would say? No, it's a great question. And I've thought a lot about this listening and rereading some of Frederick Douglass's writings, who himself had a degree of evolution from the time that he started escaping from slavery as a young abolitionist to the time that he served multiple presidents. And I think one, he would echo the word, agitate, agitate. Frederick Douglass was one who felt like we needed to push the boundaries, whether it was with the federal government in his relationship with President Lincoln, whether it was with other white leaders like William Lloyd Garrison, who he worked with and then broke away from. I think that the agitate, agitate is an appropriate word that I feel like Frederick Douglass would echo. That being said, he was. always one who felt that we needed as particularly as black people to demonstrate a level of dignity

and poise. Frederick Douglass, as you may remember, was the most photographed person in the 19th century. And every photograph that you will see is a poised, distinguished African-American man. Part of that reason was because of the caricatures that were around at the time. And he wanted to represent black men and black people very differently. And so I think that Frederick Dougher- would have a real problem with what we have seen in our culture with the looting, with the destruction of property. I think that that is beneath us as a people. And I think that he would be very disappointed with that type of activity that we've seen really from both sides, white and black. How do you come to be involved with the Frederick Douglas Foundation?

So basically, I guess this has been about over 10 years ago now, too, when President Obama was first elected, you know, I had worked here in Washington, D.C. and knew a little bit about his record. And while we could cheer the fact that America could elect an African American, I knew a lot more about his policies. And so we gathered about maybe 15 or 20 black independence, Republicans and conservatives to. to say, hey, what was our response now that we had someone who was elected to office who looked like us, but his policies were radically different than what we felt like would be productive and helpful for America and for our culture. And so that's kind of how we got started. A friend of mine, Timothy Johnson, who has passed away, had a dream at my house that evening after we had the first meeting. And he asked me the next morning, who did I know anything about Frederick Douglass?

And I said, hey, here's a big poster. I said I've launched an initiative called the Douglas Leadership Institute. It's just in its infancy, but it's designed to help black leaders know more about the work of Frederick Douglass, who was, in his own words, a dyed in the wool Republican. So that's kind of how it got started, in part through a dream of a friend, and in part through the coming together of black conservatives and moderates after President Obama was elected. Wow, that's so powerful. What an amazing story. Well, and you've continued that tradition of meeting with influential African-American leaders. You were at the White House just yesterday, meeting with a number of those very leaders and the vice president, Mike Pence. Can you tell us a little bit about that meeting and what the vice president had to say? Yeah, it was a fantastic meeting, you know, a couple of hours over lunch. And it was leader.

who I think have the right principles and the right ideas about how America can move forward, particularly during this very difficult time regarding race. The vice president echoed something that I believe, and that is he feels, you know, at the root of this, you know, issue is the lack of the value and dignity for human life and that racism is an assault against human dignity. And how can we address issues of race, issues, of inequity within our American culture, but at the same time, do it in a productive way. And I felt like that the voices that were at that table, particularly that of Kay James, who was

the president of the Heritage Foundation and my good friend Elroy Sailor, felt like that they were really good initiatives. Some of them had more of a spiritual perspective. Some of them had a public policy perspective. So I felt like it was an excellent start, and I trust the vice president to take those recommendations to heart. That's so encouraging to hear. Well, and if I could, I want to ask you a little bit more about that because you've worked in the pro-life movement for so long, and you've been vocal right now about the fact that that value for human life at all stages, it's so critical, and it affects really all of society in a huge, huge way, maybe more than we realize. So how does that value for us?

life at all stages affect the way that people, a community, or even a country, think and act. You know, I'm so pleased to work, you know, at an organization that is named Human Coalition because the idea is to try to bring to the forefront of our culture how precious life is, whether it is the life of a preborn child that's in, you know, the womb of his mother, or whether it's the life of a precious human being who is struggling for breath because of, you know, a trusted law enforcement officer, you know, putting his knee, you know, on his neck. I feel like that when we look at certainly as a Christian, the idea of, you know, Imago Day, you know, that we are all created in the image and likeness of God.

That means that whether we are rich or poor, black or white, that every person, person deserves, you know, that protection under the law. That is really what our great constitution is all about. And so I feel that we as a people have to affirm the dignity of human life at every stage. I think we should call into question if we are not protecting our most vulnerable citizens, those who are preborn, you know, in the womb of their mother, then maybe that should say something to our country that we're dealing and struggling with seeing others, you know, not value life at other stages. And so my hope is that through continued dialogue, through agitation, as Frederick Douglass would say, pushing the boundaries that our American culture

will re-examine how important life is. Liberty is extremely important, but I think the founders had it right to include first life, then liberty. And my hope is that we'll be a better society for having these meaningful discussions. And what, in your opinion, what is at stake if, you know, if as a culture and a society we don't begin to truly value human life, whether, like you say, it's an unborn child or, you know, it's someone in their 40s, what is at stake before us if we can't make that switch to actually value all human life. Yeah, I shudder to think about what would happen not just in America, but around the world. America has been looked to as the leader in the free world for a reason.

And I think part of those reasons are because the world has seen us in many times go to extraordinary circumstances to protect human life. And if we fail on this issue, it not only means that the poor and that the vulnerable, those that are in urban communities, that those folks are forgotten, but it also means that the people around the world don't have this city set on a hill to look at as an example anymore. And I think that we have to get this right. We have to come across ethnic, you know, boundaries to say that this is what it is fundamentally to be American. This is what it is fundamentally to be human. And we have to get this right.

I don't think that we have an option. Yeah. So where does that value begin for all human life? How can that be taught? It has to be done, I think, in every kind of sector of our society. So before, you know, my children ever marched at a, you know, Black Lives Matter event, you know, they went with me when they were younger to a pro-life event. I think that families have to have these discussions and to model it before their children. I believe that we need to have leaders that are in the arts and entertainment to continually voice their thoughts about how important.

the dignity of human life is. We need to have good public policy that doesn't discriminate based on, you know, size, doesn't discriminate based on position in terms of whether that child is unseen, you know, in the womb or outside. So I think that in every public sector, whether it is in arts and entertainment, whether it's in the family, whether it's in government, whether it's in education, we have to reaffirm these principles of, life and liberty. And I believe that if we are able to continue to insert those and have these conversations and to educate and to demonstrate in every one of these sectors, I believe that we'll have a hope of restoring a greater commitment to the sanctity of life at all stages.

Yeah. Well, and like you say, I mean, yeah, absolutely. That takes, it takes every sector of society. And, you know, right now, I think a lot of people's eyes are on the the church. They're looking to the church for how is the body of Christ going to respond. And we cannot be silent. What is your message to the church right now? You know, in the meeting that we had with the vice president yesterday, I was prompted to remind him of a proverb that says a brother offended is harder to win than a strong city. America is in a very vulnerable position right now. and I believe that particularly black Americans have had this struggle. There's been a great offense, and we see it every day, you know, in the media,

played out in some way, shape, or form. And I believe that that scripture says that it is harder to win. It doesn't mean that it is impossible, but it means that it's not going to be done simply by, you know, a pulpit exchange by having a black pastor speak at a white pastor's church. It isn't going to happen just because, you know, somebody, you know, invited someone over to have a meal. Those are great starts, but we have to look at this from the long view. And I believe, though, that the church has, though, a great history in America,

not without problems, without a doubt, but when we look at the founding of our country, there were a large number of Christians who stood up and said that slavery was wrong, and they didn't want to have slavery in certain parts of our country. during the struggle for abolition. It was the church that stood up and said that a man who is born in this country, regardless of his race or his color, should be afforded the same protections under the law. That's what Frederick Douglass did. And he was one who was a slave.

But I'll take it one step further. And we've seen this with the peaceful protest from Dr. King and the words in the lifestyle of Frederick Douglass, where even though he was subjected to. to slavery and discrimination. Because of his Christian faith, he found it in his heart to forgive his slave owner. And because he recognized that the slave owner was the one who was really bound when he accepted the premise that one man could own another. And I believe that the church does have a great opportunity to represent itself in this generation to show that Christ is the one who is pleading. through us to be reconciled to him. And once that reconciliation to him occurs, we can have a society, I believe, that can demonstrate reconciliation towards one another. Wow. Wow. And you tweeted

a great scripture last week out of Ephesians that says, be angry and sin not. Many people are angry right now. And they have a right to be angry. That's right. But how do we hold that tension of being angry, having that righteous anger but not sinning. Yeah, well, we probably all don't do it very perfectly, that's true. But to that same point, St. John, excuse me, St. James also said that the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God. My encouragement to people regardless of their faith background would be this. To give each other a little bit of deference, to give each other a little bit of space,

I feel like that we do have the right to be angry. I was angry. My children coming to me were angry. But I believe that we can move forward if we lean on one another. We reflect on the writings of the ancient scriptures to give us a little bit of perspective. And so it's not easy. We'll stumble across the way. But I think this whole idea of extending.

grace and forgiveness and showing a little bit of deference to one another would help us to go a long way. Yeah, yeah, wow. One of your roles at the Human Coalition is really essentially to kind of be a bridge builder between communities. And like we've talked about, it's clear that we need to be building some bridges in America. Speaking from your own experience, what are some of the most effective ways to build those bridges between communities? Sure. One is being willing to go outside of your comfort zone. It is to make meaningful change, it's not easy. And so I have encouraged both people from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds to go maybe outside of their comfort zone to at least, listen and to have conversations. Allow people to sometimes say what they want to say to get it out.

It may not say it perfectly again, but going outside of your comfort zone to engage with people who have different ideas. It's not even just about people who have a different color, but it may be people who have different ideas. I feel like as a conservative leader, I am best when I hear the best liberal ideas to compete and to wrestle with those. I think beyond just going outside of your comfort zone, I think going back to this idea of kind of allowing people to grow. I have to share this story. So if I go back to 1989, I believe, I was a student at the University of Virginia on spring break. I went to Howard University where I had gone previously to transferring to University of Virginia.

I was there and something erupted on campus. I joined this huge protest. We took over the administration building and it was all for the purpose of opposing Lee Atwater for being on the chair of, excuse me, being on the board of Howard University, a historically black college and university. Lee Atwater at the time was the head of the Republican National Committee. So I was protesting against a party that I would later on become a part of personally. And so I feel like that story demonstrates that people can change. People can evolve in their thoughts and in their ideas.

But someone came to me and helped me to understand a little bit better the principles of the conservative movement. Someone came to me and helped me understand better ideas. of free market, you know, principles, principles of, you know, limited government. And those things were consistent with how I was raised. But it took someone and a number of people over a period of time to show patience with me as I began to, you know, work out my own, you know, political ideology. Yeah. Wow. Thank you for showing that story. It's really powerful. Now, I know that you are a strong man of faith and I know that you're praying for our nation right now. What is that prayer that you're praying over America? Yeah. One, you know, and I hate to, you know, to beat a dead horse here,

but one really is that we as a nation would humble ourselves, that we would listen to the cries of groups of people that are hurting and that we would show grace. humility and deference to people that are going through. You know, Bible talks about, you know, mourning with those who mourn. There's a time and a season for everything. We do need truth. As one person said, you know, truth is not something that politely taps you on the shoulder. Truth sometimes is like, you know, a punch in the gut.

I don't think that that's what we need right now. We need in that as we're praying with people around the country that we would have an attitude of humility and deference towards one another, and that ultimately through that we would be healed. I joined prayers just two days ago with law enforcement officers and with ministers of the gospel. I've been in prayer meetings with people that are from a variety of faith traditions because everybody by and large wants peace. And so I think that the idea of praying for the peace of our nation should be on the forefront of every leader's minds and lips. Reverend Nelson, thank you so much. We so appreciate your leadership in this hour and just your

wisdom and your insight. Very, very thankful for you and the work you're doing. Thank you guys so very much for every opportunity. And I encourage you to continue to do the great work that you're doing on reporting on some of these things that the broader culture doesn't get to hear. Thank you so much. Here at the Daily Signal, we want to make sure you and your family are receiving the most accurate information about the coronavirus and how to prevent it. Here's an important message from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams to parents explaining how we can talk to our children about COVID-19. I'm a dad myself, and it's important that you talk to your kids about coronavirus because we know that sharing your feelings can help lower your feelings. fears. One of the things that I tell parents is to share age-appropriate information with your

children, because knowledge is power. It's also important that you reassure your children that they will be safe. And then finally, help your kids understand how they can be part of protecting their family and their community from coronavirus by washing their hands, covering their cough, and getting enough sleep. Rest is best. Thanks for sending us your letters to the editor. Each Monday we feature our favorites on this podcast. Virginia, who's up first? Julie writes, Dear Daily Signal, our country needs to work together to set up a time and date across this country to lock arms and walk together in the same manner that Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. did in Selma. Our country and our lives depend on each other. Innocent people are getting hurt, losing their

livelihood, they worked for their entire lives and physically by some individuals who stir up riots. And in response to Jude Swalbach's article, Eighth Graders Need to Know Their History, Derek Dubasik writes, I've never been a fan of the Department of Education on the federal level. I understand the need to have a minimum standard of secondary education knowledge for the country, but left to the state to manage their own programs. Charter schools and homeschooling are the best methods currently. to impart the basic civics and history lessons necessary for young citizens to enter the voting public. Your letter could be featured on next week's show. So send us an email at Letters at DailySignal.com. Virginia, you have a good news story to share with us today about one of our good friends. Over to you.

Thanks so much, Rob. That's right. C.J. Pearson, a 17-year-old conservative activist, the founder of Last Hope USA, and, as you say, a good friend of the Daily Signal is stepping up to help African-American entrepreneurs who lost their businesses during the riots in the wake of George Floyd's death. Pearson launched a GoFundMeek campaign last week with the goal to raise $30,000 for the business owners, but in just 24 hours, he had already doubled that, raising $60,000. And after three days, nearly 3,000 people had donated $1,000. 35,000. Pearson wrote on the fundraiser homepage that this is an opportunity for conservatives to show the black community that we stand in support of them, capitalism, and the sacrifices they made to

become entrepreneurs in the first place. And Pearson is not the only one stepping up to help African Americans who lost businesses during the riots. After firefighter KB. Bala's brand new restaurant in Minneapolis, scores Bort's bar, was burned and. and looted on May 27th after George Floyd was killed, he launched a fundraiser to try to rebuild his business. Bala has a wife and four children and wrote on the fundraiser page that he has been left to pick up the pieces amidst mourning with the community and added that the toll of this entire situation is heavy. But Americans are not allowing Bala to bear the burden of his destroyed business alone. Just one week after the launch of the fundraiser, more than 37,000 people have donated

over $1.1 million so that Ballet can rebuild his business. Wow, what a joy it is to see that the American people are stepping up to help those in need who are really hurting right now. And we'll be sure to leave the links to both of those fundraisers in today's show notes so that you can help too if you want. Virginia, it's really sad to see the rioters destroying so many families' futures and really stealing the American dream from them. I mean, not only have we seen innocent people hurt, many businesses damaged, but in many cases, those businesses provide support in minority communities, which are already struggling. So we're grateful for you bringing us this story, and we thank all the people out there who are stepping up and doing their part to help those in need. Yeah, it's incredible to see just the sheer number. of how many people are donating and getting involved.

It's encouraging and certainly powerful at this moment in our history. Such a critical time for us all. It certainly is. And we're going to leave it there for today. You can find the Daily Signal podcast on the Rurkishay Audio Network. All of our shows can be found at daily signal.com slash podcasts. You can also subscribe on Apple Podcast, Google Play, or your favorite podcast app. And be sure to listen every weekday by Apple.

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