Allen Temple Baptist Church

Objective:

• To work for peace on earth and with the earth.
• To work for justice in the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of community.
• To speak truth to power on behalf of the powerless in the light of the words found in Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners."

Summary

The Prophetic Justice Ministry at Allen Temple Baptist Church carries on the distinctive justice tradition that comes with the legacy of being an African-American Church in the 21st Century. We work on critical social justice issues that impact our quality of life individually and collectively. Our work expresses itself through:

1. Research/Policy Analysis

2. Community Education & Organizing

3. Information, Referral, and Advocacy

NEWS AND EVENTS

MLK National Day of Service

January 16, 2012 - Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service.   A "Green Clean Up Day" organized by the Allen Temple Leadership Institute with Mayor Jean Quan and City Council President Larry Reid targeted 20 blocks in East Oakland.

Read more on oaklandlocal.com.

Volunteers help honor MLK with day of service on abclocal.com

Oakland Residents Commemorate MLK Day With Neighborhood Cleanups

Comerica Bank Presents $25,000 check to Allen Temple

San Jose, Calif., -- Comerica Bank will present a $25,000 check to Allen Temple Baptist Church on December 12, 2010.  The grant will help fund a new initiative, the Dr. J. Alfred Smith Sr. Self Sufficiency Center (DJASS).  The center will assist African-Americans and other people of color who are routinely impacted by social, environmental and economic injustices.

For many years, the Allen Temple Baptist Church (ATBC) and its Family Life Center Campus (FLCC) have provided much needed services to families and individuals in East Oakland. ATBC has served as a beacon of hope to the community, which relies on its assistance. In recent years, the demand for services for the working poor and people recently released from the criminal justice system has significantly increased.

“The money will go towards education and health services for people who need it most,” said Don Kincey, Comerica’s Vice President of Public Affairs. “Comerica’s grant will assist with DJASS’ goal of moving families toward self-sufficiency by providing the tools for them to become more financially literate.”

“We are so pleased to be receiving this donation from Comerica Bank,” the Reverend Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Jr. said. “This grant shows that Comerica has confidence in our programs and has taken a leadership role in helping us move forward.  More importantly, Comerica’s actions have helped us attract additional funding, which we need to reach our goal of $418,750.”

FLC is the only community center in East Oakland that is open to the public seven days a week. The DJASS Center will be located on the FLC Campus until an adjacent site can be renovated.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Note from Rev. Buford on ACR 129

11/12/2010

Dear Friend of Human Rights,

California is now the first and only state to comply with the treaty obligations that the United States has with the United Nations. California State Assembly Member Bill Monning authored “ACR129” a bill that requires the State of California to file human rights reports under the three treaties that the United States Govt. has rarified thus far. The Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute (MCLI) provided critical technical assistance and testimony to support the adoption of this groundbreaking bill earlier this year. Join Assembly Member Bill Monning and Board members of MCLI on November 20th. Cases like the Oscar Grant case and the environmental racism of the toxic triangle will now have another forum to be presented in.

Sincerely,
Rev. Daniel A. Buford
President, Board of Directors, MCLI

OSCAR GRANT

Relative Worth of Human Life

By Rev. Daniel A. Buford
Director, Prophetic Justice Ministry

You don’t have to espouse a religious creed to embrace a value system that says that all human life is special, possessing equal worth and equal rights. Recent developments in the murder trial of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle must lead thoughtful people to ponder on the notion that some lives are more valuable than others and that some inherently possess more worth and more rights than others.

On November 5th, 2010 Johannes Mehserle was sentenced to two years in prison (minus time served) for the cold blooded execution of an unarmed man named Oscar Grant. A gun was used in this murder yet gun charges were eliminated from consideration in the sentence by the judge.