Rev. Dr. William J. Barber IICritiques

Quick read of a notable sermon. We are indeed, Rev Barber. Thank you.

While Reverend Dr. Barber is certainly working to build coalitions across creed/race/condition, and I am very impressed, I will admit a bit surprised as well, to see that this includes the LGBTQ community in North Carolina, I was a bit put off by the clear Christian bias (preaching) in his book, which essentially summarises the meetings and marches that have been part of the building of his movement.

I understand and agree that the US is a primarily Judeo-Christian nation in origin, but I find that the level of explicitly Christian citations is far far higher than what Dr. King used, and I personally feel (and perhaps this reflects my own biases) that less of the preaching and more of the reasoning of the type used by Dr. King most often in his speeches might draw in more of our non-Christian brethren (particularly Islamic friends -and much of the Koran does cite or paraphrase the Bible, so it is not very difficult to include Koranic verses as well, given that Rev. Barker seems to go to pains to include both "Old Testament" and NT quotes...).

Overall, I found the last pages in chapter 14 most useful (lessons learned and goals/strategies for linked/related movements).

Toward Human Cooperation,
ShiraDestinie
21 October, 12016 HE

While Reverend Dr. Barber is certainly working to build coalitions across creed/race/condition, and I am very impressed, I will admit a bit surprised as well, to see that this includes the LGBTQ community in North Carolina, I was a bit put off by the clear Christian bias (preaching) in his book, which essentially summarises the meetings and marches that have been part of the building of his movement.

I understand and agree that the US is a primarily Judeo-Christian nation in origin, but I find that the level of explicitly Christian citations is far far higher than what Dr. King used, and I personally feel (and perhaps this reflects my own biases) that less of the preaching and more of the reasoning of the type used by Dr. King most often in his speeches might draw in more of our non-Christian brethren (particularly Islamic friends -and much of the Koran does cite or paraphrase the Bible, so it is not very difficult to include Koranic verses as well, given that Rev. Barker seems to go to pains to include both "Old Testament" and NT quotes...).

Overall, I found the last pages in chapter 14 most useful (lessons learned and goals/strategies for linked/related movements).

Toward Human Cooperation,
ShiraDestinie
21 October, 12016 HE

The list of inequities and inequalities fostered under late capitalism and increased by additional racism and sexism grows longer day by day. No one person can solve it all, and no one solution will have all the answers.

But the Reverend Dr. Barber is one of the inspiring social justice activists of our time, and he has a better grasp on how to be a good leftist than most of the self-proclaimed leftists out there. There's a reason Hillary Clinton gave him a prime time speaking slot at the 2016 Democratic National Convention! If you're looking for a little inspiration to get you through until January 20, 2021, start here.

This collection examines fundamental values through speeches given by three reverend doctors regarding actions and morals in today’s unfriendly environment. The moral policy agenda put forth has five parts. The first is pro-labor anti-poverty policies that allows for economic democracy. Second is equality in education. Health care for all is third. Fairness in the justice system is fourth. Finally, fifth are equal protections under the law. Part one contains a speech that sets the agenda for each reverend. The set part consists of eleven chapters, each with a specific thesis followed by response from other contributors. A short biography of each contributor is provided at the end of his or her response.

Brief but inspiring read on the North Carolina Moral Mondays movement by one of it's leaders, Rev. William Barber. Not a polemic or a tactics guide, but a personal description by Barber of his history, what brought him to the movement, what the movement is and how it came to be so intersectional; how it came to be composed of many disparate protest and action groups across a breadth of many issues.

Received in January 2016 as part of Early Reviewer giveaway from December 2015. Read not long after that, forgot to post until now.

2016 has been short on good news. But Rev. Dr. William Barber is an exception. His "Moral Mondays" show us that the world doesn't have to be a place of dispair as long as there people of courage. He also calls us have the courage of our convictions and "Overcome the Politics of Division and Fear". He knows and these books show that it will not easy but it is needed.

I was looking forward to reading this book from the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber after hearing about the “Moral Mondays” movement in North Carolina that has rallied thousands of people to challenge what seemed to many to be a runaway legislature. I anticipated that I would learn more about Barber and the broad coalition that he and his co-workers organized that was fighting hard for the poor and disenfranchised in his community. The subtitle of the book promised to tell “How a Moral Movement is Overcoming the Politics of Division and Fear.”

Sadly, the very words “moral movement” might keep some folks who ought to read this book away. Ever since Jerry Falwell and his colleagues on the religious right claimed the title of the “Moral Majority,” “moral” has too often been used to typify a socially conservative, anti-gay, pro-capitalist viewpoint that has little appeal to people seeking broader inclusion, economic fairness, and legal justice in our nation. The Moral Movement that Dr. Barber and his associates are developing seeks to reclaim a moral language that returns “public discourse to our deepest moral and constitutional values.”

I got the book just before the Presidential election in November, and expected that it would be an interesting history about a progressive movement in a part of the country that unfortunately seemed rather regressive. (Disclosure: I am a California-based, liberal clergyperson formed in the tradition of faith-based work for justice and peace.) I finished reading it in a country that felt different, one where the forces of what Barber calls “the extremists” won the election and are quickly laying out their agenda for the country as a whole.

Reading the book helped me to understand more deeply why the North Carolina lawmakers seemed to be so out of control, and how their actions are perhaps a warning of things to come. Barber (and his co-author Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove) describe how the extreme positions taken by the legislature and state leaders are in to a great extent a reaction to what Barber calls the “Third Reconstruction.”

To understand what this third reconstruction might be, we need to study the first and second. The first brought about the abolition of slavery and the reshaping of civic life after the Civil War; the second was what we generally call the civil rights movement. Both movements were what Barber calls “fusion” movements, bringing people of diverse backgrounds, race, and experience together to fight for shared values and the common good. Both movements were also met by serious and often violent opposition, a backlash that took form not only in direct attacks on individuals and groups, but in manipulation of laws and public institutions to roll back what had been gained. The opponents “attacked voting rights. Then they attacked public education, labor, fair tax policies, and progressive leaders. Then they took over the state and federal courts, so they could be used to render rulings that would undermine the hope of a new America” (p. 117). What has been happening in North Carolina, and now seems poised to happen nationwide, is the newest manifestation of this historical backlash.

It might be harder to see now how the Moral Movement is overcoming division and fear, and a skeptic might say that our current situation disproves the validity of Barber’s approach. But Rev. Barber is no simplistic Pollyanna. He knows well the powerful reaction that rises to oppose movements that seek to support “voting rights, public education, fair tax structures, labor rights, women, immigrants, and minorities” (p. 120). The book is not only a celebration of what a movement has already accomplished, it is a warning that we as a nation have not yet achieved equality and justice. It offers a handbook for organizing (an Appendix for Organizers lines out 14 principles for developing a fusion movement).

Political activists may find Rev. Barber’s approach too “churchy;” church people may be uncomfortable with his direct political analysis and call to action. In his fusion of these two dimensions of his own personality and experience, Barber offers an inspiring history and a path forward for developing stronger and more inclusive partnerships dedicated to the good of all. Anyone concerned about social justice and community organizing should read this book.

This book appeared unexpectedly on my doorstep a week after my country’s disastrous presidential election. I started reading it immediately, and it was the perfect book to help me face the future.

William Barber is the North Carolina man who has brought together Moral Mondays, a large and amazingly diverse movement opposing the extreme right’s legislation in his state. He brings together a strong Biblical Christianity with an equally strong respect for variety of people and causes. He calls this book a “memoir” of this movement. While he stresses that each state must develop its own agenda out of its own people’s grievances, he lays out the path to claiming the moral high ground that is inclusive rather than exclusive. I am not usually drawn to such deeply religious language as his, but reading his words I realized the importance of proclaiming that right and wrong still matter, despite claims that all positions are relative.

Part of Barber’s appeal is simply his own charismatic voice, a voice which resonates on every page of his book. Beyond that voice, however, Barber offers a much needed model for achieving unity while honoring diversity. Basically he listens deeply and honestly to others who do not share his beliefs or world view. While true to his own absolute religious stance, he does not assume, explicitly or implicitly, that he and his view must be accepted. Instead he focuses on existing issues on which there is agreement. As he points out, even when we work for various causes, we often face the same obstacles. In building his North Carolina movement, he brought together leaders of different progressive movements to develop a list of priorities that all could accept. Once the list was created, those present committed themselves to nonviolent efforts to address the problems. He and his allies developed a pattern for protesting their state legislature’s repressive actions against the neediest. At one level, Barber’s methods are not radical, but his willingness to listen and honor others is profoundly different from the way most of us usually work. He offers a possible way out of the dead end of working only with others like ourselves.

Barber calls his work “fusion politics” which establishes supportive relationships for the long haul. He recounts the ways in which blacks and whites were able to establish such alliances briefly after the Civil War. His vision also reflects the dream of a “beloved community” of the Civil Rights movement. In honoring these past moments, he calls his book and his project, the “Third Reconstruction.”

I strongly urge others to read and think about this book. I especially believe that it is an important book for those of us who are basically "good, white liberals" with secular leanings. Too often we say we support diversity, but we assume and listen primarily to our own insular voices. We think that being tolerant means never judging those who cause harm. Barber offer a prophetic alternative to stand up to evil words and actions while listening more clearly to those who might stand with us if we are humble enough to listen to them. Reading Barber I realized how we need to go back to taking the moral ground from those who advocate lies and hatred.

The Third Reconstruction: How a Moral Movement Is Overcoming the Politics of Division and Fear discusses how the powerful Moral Monday movement developed and how it binds a multiracial, multi-issue coalition together for a common liberation agenda.

The Reverend Dr. William J. Barber may be a familiar face to activists or watchers of the ineffable Joy Reid’s AM Joy news show, but most people were introduced to him when he spoke at the Democratic National Convention with an electrifying speech, explaining that many fundamental issues are not issues of left versus right, but right versus wrong.

Barber’s theology comes direct from the text of the Bible, from Micah 6:8, “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” I think it is interesting that is also a verse often quoted by Hillary Clinton. It articulates the requirement that people of faith do service in the cause of justice and inspires many liberal and progressive activists.

Barber in his search for a theological foundation for justice and social activism, contrasts Reinhold Niebuhr’s advocacy of practical theology (Christian Realism) with Stanley Hauerwas’ focus on the church as witness which Barber called Ecclesial Realism and found both of them lacking, finding a middle way. He tells of his first struggle for justice, in support of workers who were seeking to organize, and its abject failure, teaching him the importance of uniting the broadest possible community. From here, he tells the story of his organizing experience and lessons learned that culminate in the amazing organizing they are doing in North Carolina.

The Third Reconstruction is a restorative book to read in these dire and depressing days when the forces of hatred and bigotry think they are triumphant. Although written before the election, Barber gives many examples of how losses are often precursors to success and how success provokes reaction. It is a reminder that the ferocity of racism unleashed this year is a reaction to growing awareness of systemic racism and growing power of people of color at the ballot box.

The Third Reconstruction is very steeped in theology and faith. Barber naturally incorporates Biblical references in every thought, speech, and action. Barber usefully addresses how a multi-issue coalition can work together, bringing together people who do not necessarily agree on everything, uniting pro-choice activists with faith-based ministries that oppose abortion, for example. It is worth reading just for the examples of how to prevent the frequent deployment of wedge issues that divide natural allies.

Barber finishes the book with fourteen point bullet list of lessons for organizers who also want to move forward together with a multiracial, multi-issue coalition. The Afterword by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove describes the writing process and their long friendship, a friendship that exemplifies that reaching across the aisle, forming alliances that seem unlikely at first.

This is a small, but powerful book and well worth reading for activists who believe the only way forward is working together for justice. Post-election analysts are eager to suggest turning from racial and social justice issues to work on a populist class struggle. Barber reminds us that justice cannot be compartmentalized.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through LibraryThing.

★★★★
http://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2016/11/19/the-third-reconstruction-b...

As a citizen of North Carolina, I have often felt the desire to join Rev. Barber for his Moral Monday events in Raleigh. Alas, I still have a job to hold down, but my moral support is not lacking. This is the story of how the Moral Monday movement was launched as a response of moderate and liberal Christians and other Progressives against right wing efforts to undermine voting rights and hard fought for civil liberties by right wing politicians and their financial supporters. A once moderate, progressive state found all state and local government systems undermined and under assault by big out of state money which gamed the system, gerrymandered voting districts, destroyed public education and led to a loss of rights and representation for minorities, children, the elderly, the impoverished, the disabled, women, veterans and a host of others. Barber's multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-religious coalition has impressed the world with their peaceful activism. Rev. Barber is a big man, who casts a big shadow. Perhaps even bigger than he has yet realized.

As our political system swings towards a government purchased by corporate donors rather than truly elected by the people this book urges disparate groups to come together to fight against the money. It might surprise the different groups to realize that they have more in common than they might realize and that only by joining and combining their power can they even begin to change a system that is so stacked against them.

The book is easy to read and very well written. It's not a screed at all. It encourages people to wake up and realize what is going on around them.½

This is an excellent book that should be read by anyone interested in how to fight the current swing toward racism, fascism, and the White Right. Barber details in a well-written personal narrative his own experiences with getting formerly disparate groups to join together in recognizing their common interests and fighting for them. The radical idea here is not just that e.g. Blacks and poor whites may have some things in common to fight for against wealthy interests that have bought our legislatures, but that the cause of one group is advanced by its joining the fight to help the interests of another -- even if the second group's needs don't immediately resonate with the first. Barber's story, though generally hopeful, comes with an undertone of worry: he details how politically conservative and wealthy forces doubled down and, in particular, made voting difficult, in response to the rise of fusion interest groups.

Account of the Moral Mondays in North Carolina by one of the organizers, a Christian minister. He skillfully weaves into this account his own personal challenges with ankylosing spondylitis, a crippling condition, and with spiritual teachings from many sources. Excellent, well-written and very readable.

I so loved this book!

nicely written book that describes what happened with the Moral Monday movement in North Carolina and the fight against the Koch brothers, (and their ilk) and to expose injustices forced upon people by those of wealth and power. it urges people to keep on, to persevere and to fight for justice. It unites people of all races and income levels (but primarily those living in poverty) to fight against the dominating powers of people like the Kochs

Here's the history of the powerful "Moral Mondays" movement that originated in North Carolina. As the author, Rev Barber, says: it's not all about him. There's solid community organizing, a decades long progress of bringing together progressive groups with diverse agendas, and having them take up each other's causes. And it's all based on a concept of morality, doing what is right and good, rather than religion. "In the American struggle for justice and freedom, moral dissent has always seemed impractical when it began." This means that when activists gather for a rally against environmental racism, pro choice allies will be there. And that when working conditions for undocumented workers at chicken processing plants put lives in danger, feminists will be present at the protests.

This seemingly simple formula took years of meetings all across NC and the Rev Barber, who also suffered from paralysis for twelve years, makes note of the difficulty of replicating Moral Mondays across the country. His state had the great misfortune of being taken over by ALEC and by the Tea Party, and yet the movement was able to chalk up major successes due to the strong coalitions that had been formed. He provides advice here but yet reminds us that all politics are local. A modern day "Reveille For Radicals", the Rev Barber is a Saul Alinsky for our times. And this guide includes not only suggestions for action, but provides valuable insight into the political and spiritual growth of a remarkable man.

"Power concedes nothing without a demand" - Frederick Douglass

I fully support the Rev. Dr. Barber’s mission and I would be interested in joining the grass roots movement should it ever make its way to Arizona. It’s fair to say I’m more interested in the “how-to” section at the end of the book than the autobiography at the start.

In The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement, the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II gives a riveting overview of the Forward Together Moral Movement in North Carolina. Rev. Barber draws convincing comparisons between the Reconstruction Era that followed America’s Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and the current Forward Together Moral Movement taking place in North Carolina. A distinguishing factor for the current movement, which Rev. Barber sees as the start of a Third Reconstruction, was the immediate reaction by the extremist conservatives in power in the state government.
In response to the election of President Barack Obama – and, specifically, because he carried North Carolina in 2008 – the stage was set for retaliation by the shocked conservatives in the state. Districts in the state for the U.S. House of Representatives were redrawn in 2011 under questionable motives and that redistricting is still being challenged in the courts and puts the March 2016 North Carolina Primary in jeopardy as I write this review just weeks prior to the primary date.
Under the guise of “Christian values” and with tremendous financial backing of the Koch brothers, conservatives took control of both houses of the General Assembly and the Governorship in the 2012 election. The ensuing onslaught of laws enacted to put the poor, ethnic minorities, teachers, women, middle class, elderly, and children of North Carolina “in their place” came out of Raleigh in rapid fire fashion beginning in January 2013.
A sampling of laws enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly since January 2013 include the following or have had the following results: a repressive voter rights act to take effect in 2016 to eradicate a voter fraud problem that did not exist; drastic cuts were made to state funding of public education resulted in teachers leaving the state by droves; funding of a voucher system for private school students which in affect subsidizes residents wealthy enough to send their children to private school anyway; public funding of charter schools resulted in an explosion in their number and further undermined true public education since charter school teachers need not be certified; the refusal of federal Medicaid funds which put 500,000 North Carolinians at risk; the addition of numerous services (haircuts and refrigerator repairs, for example) to the items on which users must pay sales tax which put more tax burden on those least able to pay; and a spate of other acts too numerous to list here.
The Forward Together Moral Movement, led by Rev. Barber and predicated on the principles of nonviolence, brought all the varied groups targeted by the new laws together as they realized they had a common enemy. Rev. Barber led 13 Moral Mondays in the state capital throughout the summer of 2013 and throughout the summer of 2014. Rev. Barber and others were arrested repeatedly. The ground swell of support grew week by week. People who had never considered taking part in a march or demonstration against the government were inspired to travel to Raleigh to speak up and stand up for what is right.
Although I participated in only one of the Moral Mondays in Raleigh in 2013 and thought I understood the situation, it was not until I read Rev. Barber’s book, The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement that I began to see the total picture. His book proved to me that I have been politically naïve most of my life. I took for granted until 2013 that North Carolina was a fairly progressive state that would forever value public education. What happened in 2013 taught me that rights we take for granted as Americans can be taken away literally overnight by state legislators meeting in the middle of the night. This book taught me how a movement with the mantra, “One step forward! Not one step back!” must be in it for the long haul because moral change for the good of the masses always comes slowly. This book emphasizes the pertinence of a moral movement to keep its focus on the belief that true change will only come about when we consistently speak for and work for the good of all until even our enemies will come to see the light.
In the words of The Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II on page 121 in The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement, “Despite the dark money, old fears and vicious attacks of extremists, we know America will be because our deepest moral values are rooted in something greater than people’s ability to conspire. All the money in the world can’t change that bedrock truth. This is the confidence that has sustained every moral movement in the history of the world.”
The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement, by Rev. William J. Barber II is a powerful, life-changing book and a “must read” for anyone planning to vote this year or any time in the future. The essence of the book is that it is justice for all and not division by fear that will bring about true peace, freedom, and a healthy democracy.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I received a free copy of The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement, by Rev. William J. Barber II in a contest conducted by LibraryThing.com; however, LibraryThing and the book’s publisher, Beacon Press, had no knowledge that I had any experience or knowledge of the Forward Together Moral Movement. Also, I was in no way compensated for writing a review of the book. I am a freelance writer, aspiring novelist, and lifelong resident of North Carolina.

This is an interesting book. A blend of faith, social justice, contemporary politics, and race. Rev. Dr. Barber writes about how the building of a movement around race and politics.

The end of the book has a nice 14 step list of ways organizers can begin to grow a movment within their own communities. The steps are very practical and a nice way to help everyone feel like they can connect with support social justice movements.

Previous reviewers mention the book is like a sermon. It is and the personal views of the Revenend.

It took me a while to figure out that this book is, in essence, a sermon. Readers looking for a history of the Moral Mondays movement, or a blow-by-blow memoir, or a handbook for successful fusion politics, may be disappointed in this book's relative lack of detail. But consider the book's form - one man's story of his religious and political journey, with frequent and intentional repetition of points of theology, history, and law, and expert code switching to reveal just enough of Rev. Barber's personal side. This is a sermon, designed to convince people that multiracial, interfaith, multi-issue coalitions can defeat big money elitist extremists in state politics... indeed, it seems to be Rev. Barber's view that only fusion politics holds much hope of success for a "third reconstruction" of American society.

This is a very broad but very short book, and there are a number of points where I would be interested in more depth, from the Reconstruction history of North Carolina to the theological views of Niebuhr and Hauerwas on Christian social action. That said, it's largely convincing, a fast and engaging read. It's probably most successful at forcing the questions "why not here? why not me?'

What a great message this book brings to the heroes of our day. The most powerful and effective movements are at a grassroots level and Reverend Barber keeps that true in his efforts to help the poor and fight against discrimination. As advocates for fairness move, in their attempts to save the suffering souls of humanity, away from down the street or around the corner, they often lose sight of the people they are fighting for. This is a great reminder that, before we save the world, we need to save our neighbor, our friend and ourselves.

The Third Reconstruction tells the story of a new justice movement that could has been building for decades and is a lesson on the history of America's repeated struggle for equality and morality in the face of fearmongers and elites who constantly seek to maintain the status quo. The morality discussed in this book is not approached overtly from any single religion's point of view, but rather encompasses the best messages from all religions as a support to the logic of doing what's right for everyone and applies these messages and logic to the moral dilemmas facing America today. The book also enlightens the reader on the ways in which the political elite attempt to subvert constitutional guarantees to further their own ends, using the recent legislative actions in North Carolina as an example of what can, is, and may occur across the county. The book also lays out a guide for anyone to build their own fusion coalition to tackle the systematic deconstruction of any progress towards the promise of America as it should be. This book is well written, insightful, and inspiring.½

Very quick and interesting story of Reverend Barber and his organization in NC. I wholeheartedly support the goals and public policy agenda of the Moral Monday's cause and find Reverend Barber's efforts laudable and important. That said I did not find enough concrete information in the book about the ultimate policy agenda for a Third Reconstruction. There was not enough information about how the NC experience is being translated to other states and other organizations. It was fine as far as it went providing a vision but in politics the devil is in the detail and the policy agenda leaves much to the imagination. I think the last chapter, which provides for a means to act, the most important part of the book. It gives anybody interested a list of possible first steps to become involved in social change.

Running time: 8:40