How Killer Mike helped me rethink the work of Christian activism
Protesting in Jesus’ name is an outward act that yields inner transformation.
When rapper Killer Mike came to the podium in Atlanta one night at the height of the city’s recent Black Lives Matter protests, the usual emotional distance between the viewer and the televised disappeared. I felt what he was going to say before he said it. The words were written all over his face. Killer Mike, an Atlanta native and the son of a police officer, was prophetic. Watching from my home in New Orleans, I immediately thought, He can come into my pulpit anytime.
Killer Mike understood that the protest would not reach its full expression if, in its aftermath, there were no measurable gains. “It is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy,” he said. “Fortify your own house so that you may be a house of refuge in time of organization. Now, is the time to plot, plan, strategize, organize, and mobilize.”
He stressed the importance of these protests rising above the cathartic to become a catalyst for measurable, sustainable strategy and empowered action. To this end, he offered some suggestions: “Make sure you fill out your census.” “Exercise your political bully power by going to local elections.” “Bring back the community review board.” “Talk to ten of your friends . . . come up with real solutions.”
