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VOL 3. NO. 19 Friday, May 18 - Thursday, May 24, 2001
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Wading Into The Water For Faith-Based Initiatives - What Does It Mean For Black Americans
By William REED
As President Bush's faith-based initiative moves ahead across America, some praise it as needed welfare reform while others say it is a back-door effort to undermine civil rights. The initiative represents an opportunity for multi-billions in government grants to be directed to African-American communities.

To help put faith into action, Mr. Bush has established the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. He wants to "expand charitable choice," through a provision of the 1996 welfare reform law and allow religious groups to provide services such as job training and drug treatment. "The government's encouraging deeds of the faith community," says Black Republican Congressman J.C. Watts who introduced a bill in Congress to allow "faith-based" organizations to compete for the $8 billion in grants the government provides for social services.

In contrast to those who say it undermines civil rights, Republican leaders promote the program and say people in local communities should be solutions providers. National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise head Robert Woodson, Sr. says "local, faith-based groups know the ills and problems of a community far better than any government agency in Washington." A former Urban League executive with decades of local-level program experience with religious groups, Woodson joins Watts in declaring faith-based initiatives as the "hallmark of President Bush's domestic agenda." Many African Americans oppose Bush, but they should note the Pew Research poll showing 75 percent of Americans favor faith-based initiatives. Most see it as a chance to get an increased money flow to fight local social problems.

The federal government has been giving millions to faith-based groups overseas for years to do things from earthquake relief to feeding the poor. Watts' legislation puts faith-based organizations on a level playing field with other organizations in the quest for government grants. With this funding they can do every thing from providing shelters to reading programs." Watts' "community renewal" legislation, passed when Clinton was president, provides money to faith-based groups for drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

To be sure, not everyone is buying the "faith-based" gospel. Thousands of, mostly-white, clergy say they have reservations about "injecting government dollars and bureaucratic oversight directly into houses of worship." But, the church is the most viable institution in black communities, and is best suited to address the needs of the black underclass. With faith-based funding, black ministers have an opportunity to increase black Americans' political and financial empowerment. It's a chance for multitudes of church leaders to pass the plate to the federal government.

William Reed is the author of "Who's Who in Black Corporate America." For questions or comments email him at businessexchange@metroconnection.info.

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