There is outrage and uproar in the Black Community, particularly among Black ministers about a meeting held earlier this week between Donald Trump and a group of Black Pastors. The meeting was allegedly held regarding prison reform.  Many, if not most Blacks, believe these Black ministers should not have gone to the White House to meet with Mr. Trump. They take this position because of the policies and statements of Mr. Trump. For example, he has said that there were “some good people” among the white supremacists, nationalist and members of the Ku Klux Klan who rioted in Charlottesville, Virginia last August. Mr. Trump has referred to Mexicans and other immigrants of color as rapists and murderers and questioned why the United States accepted so many immigrants from Haiti and African “shit hole countries.” Mr. Trump has called NFL football players, 75% of who are Black, who knelt in peaceful protest against unjust police treatment of Blacks, “sons of bitches”, and has not uttered one word of concern or done anything to address the problem. Mr. Trump’s leadership style is to pit people against each other, to keep the country divided along race and class. Given the tenure of Mr. Trump Blacks are angry and wonder why these Black pastors would meet with him.

Let me be very clear, I am not upset and do not criticize these Black pastors for meeting with Donald Trump at the White House. The issue is not meeting with Trump, the issue is that these Black pastors did not use this meeting as an opportunity to speak truth to power, to be prophetic. This meeting was like all of the other meetings. He only meets with those who will agree with him, sing his praises, and tell him how great he is.

I looked at the transcripts from the meeting. It was like one of his cabinet meetings, where they gather in the Cabinet Room, one by one, each of them tells Mr. Trump how great he is, and how blessed they are to be able to serve in his cabinet. In the transcript from this Pastor’s meeting, each of the pastors went one by one, to praise and thank the President. No one questioned Mr. Trump about the comments and policies which have denigrated and harmed Blacks, many members of their congregations.

What disappoints and greatly saddens me, is that these pastors, some of who I know, are like the professional prophets of the Old Testament, whose responsibility it was to tell the king, not what he needed to hear, but what he wanted to hear. They pleased Trump and satisfied his narcissistic need.

How greatly, do we need some classical prophets, faithful to God, who courageously and truthfully speak for Him. Who are not afraid to tell the king, the Trumps of this world, “thus saith the Lord.” Who in the Cabinet Room would have said, Mr. Trump, thank you for inviting us to this house, which our slave ancestors built. We thank you for your interest in prison reform, but let’s also put on the table some of the policies that have caused many of our people to be in prison.  And since we are talking about reform, we support NFL players who want to deal with how law enforcement is treating our brothers and sisters, shot and killed unarmed, profiled because of the color of their skin, the disparity in sentencing between Blacks and whites. Yet, you called these professional athletes “sons of bitches”, while you called white supremacists, nationalists and Ku Klux Klan “some good people.” Mr. Trump please explain this to us. We also thank you, for your interest in workforce development, but we’ve got a problem with your effort to end affirmative action, it presumes that the playing field is level, and that there is no negative action trying to close doors to minorities. They did none of this, they were just happy to be at the White House to sing Trump’s praises.

So much so that one of the pastors said he was the best president for Blacks in the history of the country, and that Barack Obama just got a pass. They don’t know what they are talking about. Barack Obama came into office with the nation in the worst recession since the 1940’s. The banking, automobile and housing industries were about to collapse, and the nation was losing 75,000 jobs a month. But the Obama Administration produced 75 consecutive months of job growth, averaging 199,000 jobs a month. The banking, housing and automobile industries were strong, and wages while slow and small, began to increase. Obama left Trump an economy that was growing, including Black unemployment in decline.

I do not join with those who are upset and criticize these Black pastors for meeting with Trump, I am disappointed and frustrated that my colleagues did not speak truth to power. That is not prophetic, but pathetic!

Bishop Reginald T. Jackson