Trinity United Church of Christ

Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value = System,=20 written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee, chaired = by the=20 late Vallmer Jordan in 1981.

Dr. Manford Byrd, our brother in Christ, withstood the = ravage of=20 being denied his earned ascension to the number one position = in the=20 Chicago School System. His dedication to the pursuit = of=20 excellence, despite systematic denials, has inspired the=20 congregation of Trinity United Church of Christ. = Prayerfully,=20 we have called upon the wisdom of all past generations of = suffering=20 Blacks for guidance in fashioning an instrument of Black=20 self-determination, the Black Value System.

Beginning in 1982, an annual Black Value System =E2=80=93 = Educational=20 Scholarship in the name of Dr. Byrd was instituted. = The first=20 recipient of the Dr. Manford Byrd Award, which is given = annually to=20 the man or woman who best exemplifies the Black Value = System, was=20 our brother, Dr. Manford Byrd.

These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in = homes,=20 churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are = gathered. =20 They consist of the following concepts:

Commitment to God. =E2=80=9CThe = God of our=20 weary years=E2=80=9D will give us the strength to give up = prayerful=20 passivism and become Black Christian Activists, soldiers = for Black=20 freedom and the dignity of all humankind.
Commitment to the Black Community. = The=20 highest level of achievement for any Black person must be = a=20 contribution of strength and continuity of the Black=20 Community.
Commitment to the Black Family. = The=20 Black family circle must generate strength, stability and = love,=20 despite the uncertainty of externals, because these=20 characteristics are required if the developing person is = to=20 withstand warping by our racist competitive=20 society.

Those Blacks who are blessed with = membership=20 in a strong family unit must reach out and expand that = blessing to=20 the less fortunate.
Dedication to the Pursuit of Education. =20 We must forswear anti-intellectualism. = Continued=20 survival demands that each Black person be developed to = the utmost=20 of his/her mental potential despite the inadequacies of = the formal=20 education process. =E2=80=9CReal education=E2=80=9D = fosters understanding of=20 ourselves as well as every aspect of our = environment. Also,=20 it develops within us the ability to fashion concepts and = tools=20 for better utilization of our resources, and more = effective=20 solutions to our problems. Since the majority of = Blacks have=20 been denied such learning, Black Education must include = elements=20 that produce high school graduates with marketable skills, = a trade=20 or qualifications for apprenticeships, or proper = preparation for=20 college.

Basic education for all Blacks should = include=20 Mathematics, Science, Logic, General Semantics, = Participative=20 Politics, Economics and Finance, and the Care and Nurture = of Black=20 minds.
Dedication to the Pursuit of=20 Excellence. To the = extent=20 that we individually reach for, even strain for = excellence, we=20 increase, geometrically, the value and resourcefulness of = the=20 Black Community. We must recognize the relativity of = one=E2=80=99s=20 best; this year=E2=80=99s best can be bettered next = year. Such is=20 the language of growth and development. We must seek = to=20 excel in every endeavor.=20
Adherence to the Black Work = Ethic. =E2=80=9CIt=20 is becoming harder to find qualified people to work in=20 Chicago.=E2=80=9D Whether this is true or not, it = represents one of=20 the many reasons given by businesses and industries for = deserting=20 the Chicago area. We must realize that a location = with good=20 facilities, adequate transportation and a reputation for = producing=20 skilled workers will attract industry. We are in = competition=20 with other cities, states and nations for = jobs. High productivity must be a goal of the Black=20 workforce.
Commitment to Self-Discipline and=20 Self-Respect. To accomplish anything = worthwhile=20 requires self-discipline. We must be a community of=20 self-disciplined persons if we are to actualize and = utilize our=20 own human resources, instead of perpetually submitting to=20 exploitation by others. Self-discipline, coupled = with a=20 respect for self, will enable each of us to be an = instrument of=20 Black Progress and a model for Black = Youth.
Disavowal of the Pursuit of=20 =E2=80=9CMiddleclassness.=E2=80=9D Classic = methodology on control=20 of captives teaches that captors must be able to identify = the=20 =E2=80=9Ctalented tenth=E2=80=9D of those subjugated, = especially those who show=20 promise of providing the kind of leadership that might = threaten=20 the captor=E2=80=99s control.

Those so identified = are separated=20 from the rest of the people by:
1. Killing them off directly, and/or fostering a social = system=20 that encourages them to kill off one another.=20
2. Placing them in concentration camps, and/or = structuring an=20 economic environment that induces captive youth to fill = the=20 jails and prisons.=20
3. Seducing them into a socioeconomic class system = which, while=20 training them to earn more dollars, hypnotizes them into = believing they are better than others and teaches them = to think=20 in terms of =E2=80=9Cwe=E2=80=9D and = =E2=80=9Cthey=E2=80=9D instead of =E2=80=9Cus.=E2=80=9D=20
4. So, while it is permissible to chase = =E2=80=9Cmiddleclassness=E2=80=9D with=20 all our might, we must avoid the third separation method = =E2=80=93 the=20 psychological entrapment of Black = =E2=80=9Cmiddleclassness.=E2=80=9D If we=20 avoid this snare, we will also diminish our = =E2=80=9Cvoluntary=E2=80=9D=20 contributions to methods A and B. And more = importantly,=20 Black people no longer will be deprived of their = birthright: the=20 leadership, resourcefulness and example of their own = talented=20 persons.
Pledge to Make the Fruits of All Developing = and=20 Acquired Skills = Available to the=20 Black Community.
Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of = Personal=20 Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black=20 Institutions.
Pledge Allegiance to All Black Leadership Who = Espouse=20 and Embrace the Black Value System.
Personal Commitment to Embracement of the = Black Value=20 System. To measure the worth and validity = of all=20 activity in terms of positive contributions to the general = welfare=20 of the Black Community and the Advancement of Black People = towards=20 freedom.=20

THE=20 BLACK VALUE SYSTEM

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