Black folks need to stay out of white churches, says a highway sign in Alabama.
The pastor of the black church that put up the sign has defended the remarks.
Rev. Michael R Jordan says he’s encouraging locals to fight gentrification.
The reverse of the sign says: “White folks refused to be our neighbors.”
Jordan is taking aim at Church of the Highlands. It’s Alabama’s largest non-denominational, multicultural, megachurch with 16 branch locations.
These branches attract over 40,000 worshippers each week.
A 17th church, right in the City of Birmingham, is almost ready to be opened.
“Blacks have flooded white churches and moved into white neighborhoods,” Jordan says.
“It’s for status reasons. It’s a sense of self-worth. But 99 percent of whites won’t go to a black church.”
He says the City of Birmingham may give the new church priority funding over other social programmes including those designed to address the social problems Hodges claimed to be opening the church for.
“If you’re concerned about crime and drugs, why did you leave the city and start your own school systems?” Jordan asked Church of the Highlands founder Chris Hodges.
“It’s very hypocritical,” Jordan says.
“Chris Hodges won’t move next door to us. He won’t let his family go to school with us.
“If you want to help with crime, you have wealthy entrepreneurs, give these black boys a job, not just cleaning up. Start some job programmes and fund it through the black church.”
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin posted a response to remove the signs on Facebook, saying he’d like to “elevate the conversation” and move beyond divisive racial tactics.
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