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“REVOLT BLACK NEWS Weekly” aired on Friday (Aug. 5) to discuss why Democratic leaders pander to Black voters, why Gen Z is leaving the church and why disability advocates are upset with Beyoncé’s Renaissance.
REVOLT Special Correspondent Rochelle Ritchie hosted the episode, titled “Political Pandering To Black America And The Growing Faith Shift.” She was joined by RNC National Spokesperson Paris Dennard, political and social impact advisor Kristal Knight, “Naturalies” podcast host Samantha-Jo Vaughn and “The Journey” podcast host Jada Christine. REVOLT Entertainment Correspondent Kennedy Rue McCullough also brought viewers the latest in celebrity news, during which she spotlighted new music from Eminem.
Ritchie opened the show by discussing President Joe Biden pandering to Black voters while campaigning for the 2020 presidential election, noting that since he took office his administration has done very little for the Black community.
Antjuan Seawright, a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told REVOLT that politicians are aware they need the Black vote to win. “Without strong, deep and wide support from Black voters — the heart and soul of this Democratic Party — it is not possible to win and I think people realize the power of our vote and our voices,” he declared.
Ritchie led a discussion with Dennard and Knight about the political pandering issue. Dennard believes Democrats pander to Black voters by doing things such as “having candidates go down and talk in a southern accent, as you saw Hillary Clinton do and others.” He added, “Hillary Clinton talked about how she has hot sauce in her purse and things like that. Look, you don’t have to do that — what you stand for and what you’re going to do, that’s how you get the vote. Pointless pandering just doesn’t work.”
Knight concurs with Dennard and affirms Black voters are “so loyal” to the Democratic Party, which results in Democratic politicians only needing to do the bare minimum to win the Black vote.
“Democrats pander to Black voters when it’s election time, but when it’s time to legislate … the Democratic party is silent on Black folks, so the misstep really is that we come to Black voters asking them to show up and vote, asking them to turn out to make sure we have a 50/50 Senate, but then when they are actually in office and have three branches of government they’re mum on them,” he voiced.
Switching gears, Ritchie turned her attention to pastors who seem to be placing profit over the “humility of the pulpit,” causing Generation Z to make a mass exodus from the church. Producer DeVon Franklin told REVOLT that in order for the younger generation to remain in church, pastors need to do a better job of leading by example. “The greatest sermon is going to be the life that I live because words whisper, but actions yell. I think that this generation wants to see it rather than just be told about it,” he stated.
Pastor Mark Couch also explained that younger people know when pastors are not being genuine. “So many young people have been turned off by what they see in the church and so this generation can smell hypocrisy, they can sense when something is not authentic and they shy away from it,” he proclaimed.
Ritchie also held a roundtable discussion with Vaughn and Christine about pastors who seem to hold their positions for a monetary benefit. Vaughn mentioned there is nothing wrong with liking material things, but if Jesus was doing “groundwork” and assisting the community during his time, then pastors should follow his example.
“If you like nice things, it’s okay to buy nice things but if you’re not out here doing the groundwork in your community with that same money — literally, trying to get people out of poverty in these situations and these circumstances that your church is in, in your community — then it’s for fame. You’re idolizing those things,” she asserted.
Christine expressed to Ritchie that a lack of transparency is the driving force behind Gen Z not wanting to attend church. “I think transparency is very necessary, and church leaders have vital roles [that] shouldn’t be taken lightly,” she lamented. “A lot of times we have people who are in charge of churches who misrepresent who Christ is; who aren’t transparent enough about their own walk; and who end up pushing the younger generations away because of that lack of transparency.”
Later in the show, McCullough hosted her “Entertainment Remix” segment, during which she discussed the controversy surrounding Beyoncé’s Renaissance album. Although Beyoncé has received glowing reviews from her fans regarding her seventh studio album, disability advocates have protested her use of the phrase “spazz”on her song “Heated.” The “Break My Soul” singer’s team responded in kind and announced that she would remove the slur from the song.
During McCullough’s segment she also discussed exciting news for Eminem fans. Last week, “The Real Slim Shady” rapper released his latest album Curtain Call 2, which features collaborations with Rihanna and Bruno Mars. The project is Eminem’s first album release in nearly three years.
Watch a quick clip from this week’s episode up top. Plus, be sure to catch the next installment of “REVOLT BLACK NEWS Weekly” on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022 at 5 p.m. ET on REVOLT’s app.