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FinalCall.com News
National News
Released from court monitoring program, an outspoken reverend continues activism
By Abisayo Muhammad
Updated Nov 12, 2009 - 1:22:52 PM
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (FinalCall.com) - It started with a simple question, “Why are so many Black men in our community being sent to prison for such small crimes?”
When Rev. Edward Pinkney, founder and president of a local activist group the Black Autonomy Community Organization (BANCO) pursued the question, he ended up paying a price, accused of threatening a judge because he cited a scripture, he was placed under house arrest, unable to leave his home.
Recently released from prison himself on a $10,000 bond, having won an appeal for accusations of threatening a judge and released from legal tether, Rev. Pinkney has mounted another platform to continue his fight for justice. He is the new president of the Benton Harbor/St. Joseph NAACP.
“I couldn't believe how they mistreated us the way they did,” Rev. Pinkney said, whose advocacy started after visiting county court house to witness how cases were handled. The Berrien County Court House is located in St. Joseph, Mich., which is known as a twin city with Benton Harbor because of its close proximity. He started picketing outside the court house when he discovered many were afraid to challenge those who lived “across the bridge.”
“Nobody was doing anything. If they had someone to encourage them, they could conquer their fear,” he said.
Rev. Pinkney caused a media stir in 2005 when he was accused of paying citizens for votes in a local mayoral election and charged with voter fraud. The first trial resulted in a hung jury. It was in a second trial that he was found guilty by an all-White jury and sentenced to five years probation.
Shortly after writing an article in a Chicago-based newspaper, The People's Tribune where he quoted a Bible verse, he was arrested at his home for violating parole and threatening a judge.
Preparing for further trouble, he recalls telling his family: “Somebody has to do this. I'm willing to die and that's why it is important for people to understand what we do.”
Ms. Dorothy Pinkney, his wife of over 30 years shared how the last few years affected the family. “It changed our family structure. My husband was always out front, always a leader, now I had to take a leading position that was uncomfortable,” she said. “I had to focus more on God. We were in a terrible position and only God could help us,” she said.
Finding injustice in jail, Rev. Pinkney went on a hunger strike to bring attention to inmates not receiving adequate medical attention. Fox News national TV host Bill O' Reilly even featured the hunger strike on his show. The negative press, however, led to news outlets from across the country watching and waiting. Presidential candidate and former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney came personally to visit him in prison. He was even asked by the Green Party to run as their candidate for U.S. Senator. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, of the Nation of Islam, came to the city in June and spoke in defense of Rev. Pinkney.
As Rev. Pinkney was transferred to eight different prisons, the ACLU began to take up his case and eventually he was given a bond of $10,000.
“That is when the Minister came,” Rev. Pinkney said. “He was right on time. When Min. Louis Farrakhan came, it propelled the whole thing to another level.”
After hearing about Rev. Pinkney during the State of the Black World conference in New Orleans in November of 2008, Min. Farrakhan came to Benton Harbor to meet with the pastors, then spoke in June to the community for a lecture titled, “Reawakening the Spirit of Unity and Justice.”
“When he came aboard I was so excited, I don't know if I ever felt that way before,” said Rev. Pinkney.
Since Rev. Pinkney was on house arrest he was not allowed to attend the event. He was delivered the DVD that same evening and watched it over and over.
Since then the charge of threatening the judge has been dropped and Rev. Pinkney has begun his new role as president of the NAACP.
“When you mention the NAACP, people respond. I didn't intend to be president, but I knew I had to be the one to do it.”
He is still on probation. The state Supreme Court will hear the case on voter fraud in the upcoming months. “I will continue to fight for the rights of the citizens for justice. I have no regrets. If I had to do it all over again, I would,” he said. But after meeting with Min. Farrakhan, he said, he intends to do it with more guidance.
