Just when I said I would post less...

Today, I want to express my displeasure in the lack of response from gospel artists to the Women's March that took place this past weekend.

While several artists and lay people that I follow on Instagram posted encouraging words re: Travis Greene performing at the president's inaugural ball, only one artist posted something about the women's marches. THANK YOU BRIAN COURTNEY WILSON! Somehow, not even the female artists that I follow said anything about it. There's something very wrong with that.

It's amazing how we (the gospel community) can rally behind someone who believes their performance will help advance the ministry by providing music to celebrate a man who makes racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, and every other "-phobic" comments, but we can't even acknowledge women fighting for their voices to be heard. This is not to knock Travis Greene's decision - it's his choice to do what he feels is right and it's my choice to voice that I think President Trump is deplorable. The Women's March was about solidarity and standing up for women's rights.

Just to be clear, women's rights are not synonymous with being pro-choice. Reproductive freedom is one piece of the puzzle and if you happen to disagree with that piece, I see that no different than when a minister preaches something you believe to be inaccurate by scripture but you continue to go to that church/follow his or her on social media/donate money to that ministry, etc. Women's rights include issues like equal pay for equal work, the right to affordable healthcare, the right to unionize for a respectable living wage, immigrant and refugee rights, benefits such as paid family medical leave, affordable childcare, and accountability for police brutality which affects people of color disproportionately more than white people. Or better yet, it also includes standing up against someone who in normal conversation said "Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything." in reference to a married women he tried to sleep with. (Read/listen to the entire transcript here). My guess is that a reasonable person would not disagree with fighting for most of these issues.

So praise and worship junkies, if there was ever a time to stand together, especially as women and people of color, this is the time. How about instead of posting self-promoting marketing ads, selfies, and/or ignoring the big events taking place in our society, we speak up about said events and share our perspectives and convictions. It makes for a great praise leader to know and acknowledge what's going on in society at large.

Blessings