Smart Suits, Tattered Boots: Black Ministers Mobilizing the Black Church in the Twenty-First Century grapples with the enigma of sustained movements. For authors Korie Little Edwards and Michelle Oyakawa, the ability of black ministers to influence an election proved to be a fascinating case study. Through interviews, they examined how black preachers in Ohio united to support President Barack Obama’s reelection. However, the mystery lies in what happened to that momentum post-election. Edwards and Oyakawa are deeply intrigued by the factors that led to this unity and by the absence of a sustained movement like this since the 2020 death of George Floyd. The authors write, “The black church, however, which was at the forefront of perhaps one of the most successful organic social movements in modern history, the civil rights movement, had been relatively inactive when it came to confronting the systemic killings of unarmed blacks, or any other systemic form of racial oppression of blacks for that matter, at least on a grand scale since blacks began again to make inroads into politics in the 1980s” (2).
Edwards and Oyakawa are concerned with where black ministers work to mobilize today. This volume centers on “illuminating why and when black religious leaders become involved in social mobilization. In so doing, it helps inform why we see the mobilization that has occurred as well as why we have not seen more black religious leadership in the movements for black justice today, such as Black Lives Matter” (4). They examine mobility because the black preacher seemed to be able to mobilize. With regard to Obama’s 2012 election, Edwards and Oyakawa noticed that Ohio, a critical swing state, was won with the help of black preachers.
The book is divided into three parts; each part explores the concept of mobilization and what appears to be hindering mobilization from the black preachers. Part 1 sets the stage for the research. The authors begin by noting the importance of black preachers to politics, demonstrating how they promote political action within the African American community. Edwards and Oyakawa point to the black minister's ability to frame or to give compelling arguments that make them essential to mobilizing the black community (16). The black preacher also has the ability to be a kingmaker. Generally, if a political candidate wants to gain access to the black community, they must do so through black preachers. If these preachers organize and get behind a candidate, they can help that candidate win. Edwards and Oyakawa emphasize that, much like during the Civil Rights Movement, the black preacher still has a prominent voice in the community. The authors pointed out that not all black preachers have the sway to do this; rather, most come from their ties to the Civil Rights Movement.
Edwards and Oyakawa point out that the Civil Rights Movement is still held in great regard in the black community, giving leaders connected to the movement greater access to political power. The authors evince how these ties enabled certain leaders to mobilize more effectively than others, which played a part in Obama’s victory.
As this book is focused on mobilization after the Floyd murder, Edwards and Oyakawa examined what hindered mobilization, and they found several factors that stand in the way of legitimate mobilization, such as those seen since the Floyd murder. One of the significant factors is the black church losing its position in the community. The authors point to the loss of principal leaders in the community as a key issue in the mobilization of the Black community. They write, “So far, the experiences and perspectives of the black religious leaders in this study reveal that they look to certain peers for direction” (67). Edwards and Oyakawa note that as we drift further and further from the Civil Rights Movement, there are fewer principal leaders.
Another factor hindering mobilization is the role of faith-based community organizations. Edwards and Oyakawa wrestle with the place of these organizations in a new landscape. The black church has always been the focal point of the black community, but these new organizations are competing with it for both resources and momentum. They write that “tension and distrust can emerge, both between black religious leaders and FBCOs and within the black religious leader community, particularly when black churches contribute significant resources to campaigns that do not center the black community” (87). The authors showcase how, while they might rob the community of resources (fewer people assume leadership positions in churches, for example), they also help bring people together. These organizations are a part of the new landscape and cannot be avoided.
Edwards and Oyakawa close the book by looking to the future. They successfully illustrate how three principal leaders use their influence to mobilize in a new normal. Edwards and Oyakawa demonstrate how each preacher uses their ties to the Civil Rights Movement or their ability to rally FBCO resources to continue the mobilization work. They see a future combining the strengths of the black church and faith-based community organizations to build sustainability. They work hard to highlight that the power of the black preacher is not lost and give some insights into how new leaders can help bring about a new organization that merges the black church and new community organizations. The power of the black preacher remains, but they must hold on to the ideas of the past while working with the current system to build a brighter future.
Edwards and Oyakawa work to bring to light the issue of the mobilization ability of the black church. They give a solid history of the mobilization problem by revealing the strains within the community itself. They show the complexity of the issue with the closing examples of The General leader with direct ties to the Civil Rights Movement; the Warrior, the leader who earns credibility through their work and accomplishments; and the Protégé, the new leader who has ties to those from the Civil Right era but uses their FBCO influence to make change. As times change, Edwards and Oyakawa rightly point out that a new form of leadership will be needed to mobilize the masses in the future.
Philmont Bostic is a pastor and PhD student in practical theology at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Philmont Bostic
Date Of Review:
November 29, 2024
