Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Aug. 19, 1993, edition 1 / Page 8
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\ ' Rev. John Mendez: Controversial, Maligned, Misunderstood "The Thinker" sits atop the book shelf. It is a hazy Thursday morning My. thf ftow and hir*y rn?-_ tor, wearing a black shin and pants with pens protruding from his front pocket, walks into the church bel lowing "We Arc the World." Upon entering his office, Mendez learns that an old college friend trying to recover from drug and alcohol abuse is facing financial difficulties. Mendez calls the man ? once a college administrator at Shaw University in Raleigh ? and assures him that he will loan him some money. That's one side of Mendez ? the side that is seldom shown to the public. What most of Winston ? Salem and the Triad chooses to see, however, is an agitator, a burly, bespectacled, black man who shouts racism at every turn. "Htegees for the headlines," said William Hairston of Kem ersville. Hairston recently wrote a letter to the Chronicle chastising the minister's attention-grabbing tactics. "He only speaks out when there's a controversy. Ifjie is con cerned with black life, jjmy doesn't . he speak out on bla/k-on-black crime,** said Hairstonffwho is black. "If a white does son^ething against a black, he's right on top of it~ see a determined sokfceTwho refuses to back down from the front lines in his fight for justice. Many African Americans believe that Mendez is unfairly criticized and mistakenly perceived as an instigator. "I have a very high opinion of him as ? person, a minister and a leader in the community," said Dr. Raymond Oliver, a longtime dentist in East Winston. "He is very much concerned about the poor and disad ~vamagedu ? ? "Leaders that try to lead arc the most misunderstood people in the world,** said Ben Ruffin, the first black vice president of R.J. Reynold^Tobacco Co. and a mem ber of Mendez' s congregation. "John is misund^toodoflerL^ Under Constant Attack Although he is pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in the city with a highly distinguished con- . gregation of black professionals, Mendez is under constant attack for his outspokenness. He is alternately revered as an intellectual genius by some and labeled a street preacher with cult followers by others. Last summer, he helped found Citizens United for Justice, an orga nization that has black and white members and was borne out of the controversial and horrific deaths of two black residents that heightened racial tensions in the city. "When we first started meeting a year ago, " said Mendez, the media "referred to us as 'black activists.' That was a way of inflaming white folks* emotions to try to turn the community against us, when, in fact, we were a mixed group. But the whole idea was to portray us as radi cals, which 1 make no excuse for being radical because I am. "I've been radical all my life, but so was George Washington, PatrickHenry_aiKLall-4hese~fc^ he said "It is the radicals that intro duce something new all the time or else we would be stuck with a bunch of boring conservatives who wouldn't want to change anything.** Ran With Streets Gangs Mendez was boni in New York City to a Puerto Rican father who worked at a paper factory and a black housemaid mother. His early years included living in the same house with two brothers ? one yminflfx and flQfc ? two aunts and a great-aunt he says played a central role in his life. He grew up in the ghettos of Harlem and the South Bronx where drugs and gangs were prevalent Although he stayed away from dfttfsr MendeVand his younger brother did become gang members. "Our joining the gangs," he said, "was really a survival kind of thing because we bad to fight to sur vive." t Saved By the Church Mendez learned community activism at an early age ? his mother was very active in the com munity. He put his activism to use early, becoming a member of the NAACP in second grade. And in subsequent grade-school years, he had run-ins with teachers after feel ing that they treated him differently than they did while students. Shortly thereafter, he became more rebellious, aggressively acting out his emotions. It was the church that prevented him from total-spiri tual deterioration. He became close with the pastor of Ml Olivet Baptist Church in Harlem but continued his gang activities while grappling with the influence the church had on him. Bed Shuttles worth, a preacher and civil-rights leader who began a protest movement in Birmingham, _AUri_kefore4he-Montgdmery^^ boycotts, inspired Mendez to, preach. Mendez decided to quit the gangs and answer his call 10 preach. A "LaU Bloomer" Promoting himself from the street corner to the church, Mendez began his religious training as a teacher in his Sunday school class at Olivet church at 13. By 17 or 18, Mendez had traveled to Europe to speak at the Baptist World Alliance - convention in Berne, Switzerland. He also developed an apprecia tion for the arts. "1 wanted to be TToncert artist," he said. Paul Robeson, a famous Shakespearean actor and social activist, he said, was a role model. Mendez, who calls himself a "late bloomer/ attended college without ever graduating from high school. He enrolled at Shaw Univer sity in 1969, where he continued his activism with a young man named Benjamin Chavis. One of the orga nization's primary concerns was to protest a movement to integrate his torically Mack college and universi ties. "We marched 7,000 black stu dents down the streets of FUdeigh, demanding that they keep the schools black. That issue did not come up until 20 yean later,** said Mendez, referring to the recent pro posals to increase white enrollment at predominately black schools. A Committed Person CI eon Thompson, president of Winston-State University, attended Shaw when Mendez was the student body president "He was a very active and knowledgeable student," Thompson said. "He is obviously a person truly committed to equal opportunity and justice." __After-graduating from Shaw; Mendez continued his studies at Morehouse College in the school's interdenominational theological cen ter. He later received a master's degree in divinity from the South eastern Baptist Theological Semi nary. In 1991, Mendez became the youngest person ? 41 ? to address a graduating class at Shaw and to be given an honorary degree. He is cur rently a part-time instructor in Shaw's School of Religion. As far as the progress of blacks from the sixties to today, Mendez is less than optimistic. Although blacks have made some strides in civil rigfttsrhe said, the promisc-of^ justice and equality is far from being fulfilled. "We've got a conservative Supreme Court that's constantly eroding civil rights and human rights wi.lli. professional "Uncle Tom" Clarence Thomas, who has done more to hurt us than help us," he said. '*1 think we've lost a lot of ground pathologically and philo sophically." He said the black community needs more strong leaders. "I'm a leader both by default and maybe by circumstance and on purpose," he said. "And what I mean by that is that because I pastor a church in the city, that automati cally makfes you a leader. I believe, as a minister that you cannot be a leader and pastor folk and not be from page A1 concerned about them politically, economically, socially and cultur ally." Fighting Worldwide Mendez has traveled to Europe, Africa and Asia to spread the wotd of God and to fight for justice. In November he will be in Russia for a convention. He is currently working with an organization called Pastors for Peace that is trying to persuade the U.S. government to discontinue its embargo against Cuba. "If we can build relationships with North Korea, with Vietnam and China, then there is no reason why we ought to continue to abuse and intimidate and harass this little tiny Pitas* if# next page Thi Rtv. John Mtndn and his fiimUy. How Some People Feel About the Rev. John Mendez "I have a very high opinion of him as a person, a minister and a leader in the community. I feel very strongly that John Mendez loves black people. He is very much concerned about the poor and disadvantaged." "He's very dedicated and focused on what he thinks the city of Win ston-Salem needs. He causes peo ple to think what changes are needed in the community "John Mendez is one of those guys that was bom to lead He has a deep commitment to making things right. He comes out with it; he can't hold it back. Leaders that try to lead are the most misunder stood people in the world. John is misunderstood often." i "I like him . I don't always agree with him. / approve of his position that he takes a role to point out what needs to be corrected. He comes across as being a little lop sided at times. He can be candid to the point of pain. Sometimes I would like him to forcefully com mend people who are trying, but it may not be his fault. He is per ceived as someone who only criti cizes." Raymond OUnr, CJP. Booker, retired insurance executive Bin RuffU i, VP , RJ. Reynolds Nancy Wooten, board of education I Martha Wood, mayor ofWinston-SaUm Warren Oldham, stat* representative Cleon Thompson, WSSU chance Dor Wayne Wiiiard, Forsyth County commissioner "He certainly is dedicated to important issues in the community. It's like he said, 'anytime you try to make progress, it takes a strug ? gle Progress is growth." "I think he performs a valuable service to the community. Through his efforts, he has made people more aware of problems and seeks solutions. He serves as an inspira tion for African-American youths who want to make a contribution. Because he steps forward and addresses issues that are contro versial, he often bears the brunt of criticism." "I met John as a student at Shaw University back in the sixties when he was the student body president. He was a very active and knowl edgeable student. Today he contin ues his work in support of the downtrodden and disenfranchised. He is obviously a person truly committed to equal opportunity and justice." "He is a very dedicated person in his chosen calling. He is very intel ligent and has considerable drive. He is involved in his projects one hundred percent."
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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