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The Man Who Would Be King

Freddy Haynes seemed a shoo-in to lead the NAACP. Then Obama's ex-pastor came to town.

A A A Comments (6) By Jesse Hyde Thursday, Jun 12 2008

...continued from page 6

Courtesy of Friendship West Baptist Church

Freddy Haynes is part Martin Luther King Jr. and part Malcolm X: He can fill the streets with protesters at a moment's notice.

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But now standing at his pulpit, at what was supposed to be a triumphant return, he said he had no regrets. He had put the NAACP in the rearview mirror, and he suggested his congregants do the same. After the sermon, a long line of parishioners snaked around the stage, waiting to embrace their beloved preacher. He picked up a small girl and let her hug him. He looked intently at a middle-aged woman as she told him some personal problem.

He had been denied, his mentor disgraced, but his work would continue. The groundbreaking for the second phase of his urban village was around the corner, he was about to announce an ambitious new plan to help the people living in a dilapidated apartment complex down the street, and before long he intended to transform his Oak Cliff school into an academic powerhouse for black children. God was not done with him yet.

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bilfmo 06/18/2008 11:35:00 PM

Vietnamese refugess came here in 1974 12 to a house could not speak english were tortured beyond tortured etc etc Yet they had 2 parents who slaved away 17 hours a day in 7-11's for years and most if not all of their children end up in college, NO AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COMES THEIR WAY NOTHING NADA ZIP. Welfare??? never

Steve Speir 06/16/2008 8:30:00 PM

An excellent article about Rev. Haynes. A remarkable man. Wish you had interviewed Gary Bledsoe, the regional director of the NAACP, for his opinion about the selection. I'm sure he would have given you his honest opinion as a board member of the NAACP. We need to get behind Barack Obama and Rick Noriega and every other proven, populist Democrat and remove every Bush backer we can. No exceptions.

Dee Tee Gee 06/16/2008 7:11:00 PM

I can appreciate what Pastor Haynes is trying to do in the community. It's apparent that anytime a black person gains prominence, their right to speak the truth tends to dwindle. The fact is white people have grown tired of hearing about how terribly they've treated black people over the years. If we as blacks still weren't receiving forms of that same treatment, it would make it less difficult to move on. There is no way I'll forget about it. That would be the biggest slap in the face to my parents & grandparents & all my ancestors who fought for me to have a fair chance to succeed. My problem with Pastor Haynes & a lot of other preachers is that they seem to have their own brands of doctrine. The Bible is God's word, PERIOD!! Sure there are differences in terminology with a black church, but God's word is true. All of these different doctrines, prosperity, health & wealth, black enpowerment, there no scripture to support these doctrines. Black people would have a fit if we found out a predominately white church was preaching white empowerment. They very well may be preaching it but they won't call it that. The black church is calling it black empowerment. I feel it was God's will for Haynes not to be the national president of the NAACP. He says he wouldn't have left his church but his church would've suffered had he taken on the enormous task of being NAACP president. He would have compromised his calling because of the politics involved with that position. I admire Pastor Haynes courage to say what needs to be said as it pertains to race. Someone with a visible platform has to do it. If people like Haynes & Jeremiah Wright don't call a duck a duck, then we as black people are poised to have a repeat performance of the 1940's & 50's.

Jim 06/16/2008 2:27:00 PM

The NAACP was right to pass Haynes over They shouldn't give the job to a criminal. Any church that engages in political activity is in violation of the IRS rule granting them tax exemption. The rule was put in place to give churches a break who engage in social services that otherwise would be performed by government (soup kitchens, etc). To engage in politics is to attempt to control government. Because these huge churches pay no tax, we average citizens pay more, to pay for the churches roads, fire and police protection. They are stealing from us when they violate the rules under which they claim the tax exemption. This is organized crime, folks. Let's be clear, churches are commercial ventures. They engage in group counseling, child care, education, transportation, entertainment, etc. They already have an unfair competitive advantage over commercial entities who provide these services. If they can't abide by the laws, they don't deserve any favors. I'm sending a copy of this article to the IRS.

Vincent Hall 06/13/2008 2:39:00 PM

Although he must be respected for his past post in the MLK revolution, Peter Johnson aka Saltpeter was not a relevant source of opinion in this story. All he ever does is berate black progressives and protect those who are sedentary enough to allow him to muse about his glory days. Our church edifice has a conference center that serves as an alternative to high-priced hotels who give nothing back to this community. Our children are exposed to education and opportunities that they would otherwise not have access to. Ask the kids who get scholarships or those families who have transitioned from the Katrina experience because of Reverend Freddie Haynes� leadership. If you wanted to quote a preacher, you should have used Reverend Ike. He said �The best thing you can do to help the poor is not be one of them.� And that may explain why Peter Johnson is always standing outside looking in while several other black pastors are making strides. It�s about justice and liberation. It�s not about sitting on the laurels of a movement that once was. Peter Johnson said "vulgar, even sinful" investment. What�s vulgar and sinful is that DO continues to use him as a revered source.

Patrick Williams 06/12/2008 5:59:00 PM

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The Man Who Would Be King

Freddy Haynes seemed a shoo-in to lead the NAACP. Then Obama's ex-pastor came to town.

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