Live from Music Row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the host of Pensive Politics and National Spokesperson for Color Us United Christian Watson to the newsmaker line to discuss how the Salvation Army has gone woke and his hope for them to renounce themselves.
Leahy: We are joined on our newsmaker line now by our very good friend, Christian Watson, national spokesperson for Color Us United Christian. The Salvation Army has gone woke. What happened there?
Watson: Hello Michael. Nice to be here. The Salvation Army essentially leads to a curriculum called Let’s Talk About Racism. This curriculum, among many other things that are quite offensive and identical, told its members to go ahead and repent on behalf of the church for its racism.
And they also did a wall of white supremacy separating Salvationists from one another. And so I just want to reiterate that Color Us United, we love the Salvation Army. I myself have personal connections to the Salvation Army.
So there’s no animus in our campaign. All we’re trying to do is get the Salvation Army to say that America is not a racist country, that white supremacy is not assumed by members because of their skin color or what have you. And the Salvation Army’s own legacy proves that America is not a racist country? It actually is an example of colorblindness.
Leahy: So how is it that the Salvation Army of all organizations has decided to go woke and call America a white supremacist racist nation? How did that happen?
Watson: Well, I just want to reiterate they didn’t explicitly call America a white supremacist nation, but a lot of the things in their curriculum hint that America is a racist nation. And Color Us United is just saying this is not acceptable.
But I think it happened because a lot of organizations and institutions in America are just going along with this world craze because they don’t want to feel like anyone is left behind. Even the Boy Scouts of America adopted a similar language in their own infrastructure.
So it’s happening everywhere, even in institutions that we would think are immune from the ways of the world. And that’s why it’s important for people at Color Us United (Inaudible talk)
Leahy: I’m reading right now from the Let’s Talk About Racism curriculum put forward by the Salvation Army. Here’s a quote. “What has not changed in history is that racial groups are placed into a hierarchy with white or lighter skinned people at the top.” That sounds to me like they are promoting a divisive racist view of the world.
Watson: Precisely. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many other quotes within that curriculum that just set Salvationists against one another, saying white folks have this advantage.
There’s even a section called What Is Whiteness, which specifically addressed to all white folks telling them what they need to do to correct their role in inequality, or inequity rather. And so this curriculum is not biblical, and ultimately it defeats the purpose of the Salvation Army of which is to bring people together.
Leahy: Well, here’s a question for you. You’ve held a press conference. You’ve quite gently requested the Salvation Army to reject those guidelines and that curriculum. How have they responded to you, Christian?
Watson: They have responded to us throughout the campaign because we have met with the national commander and we have talked to them before our campaign really ramped up. And we’ve also had them respond by taking down the international commission curriculum and putting a disclaimer in front of it as well.
And they have done their best to make sure that they can conceal or take down every single part of the curriculum. But that’s not enough. We need a formal renouncement of the idea that America is racist and the idea that people are racist because of their skin color.
And we also need to come together and work with groups like ours to ensure that their membership and the principles of the organization are heard.
Leahy: Now, how have they responded to that last request?
Watson: We are going to continue to pose over the next few weeks.
Leahy: Sounds like that they’re not complying with that request.
Watson: Well, they haven’t quite responded. We’re going to pose it for the next few weeks. It’s not that they’re not complying, they haven’t quite responded to the campaign.
Leahy: My guess is they get what probably 70 percent of their donations during the Christmas period?
Watson: Yes.
Leahy: My guess is their promotion of this curriculum has hurt donations. Do I have that right?
Watson: Well, we don’t have any actual numbers. We’re sure that some anecdotal experience is that, yes, a lot of people have been really repulsed from donating because of this. We don’t have any poll numbers to conclude that.
Leahy: Well, I will tell you in terms of my own personal behavior, I have always thought highly of the Salvation Army. They seem to use their money to do good stuff and to do God’s work with people who are in need.
And generally, I give money to the church and we’ll give money to you. I usually put money in the Salvation Army bucket. Not doing that this year my friend. Not doing it this year.
Watson: And I understand that. And look, it’s never the end of the coalition to hurt the army because there are a lot of officers that don’t buy into the woke stuff who will be impacted by the nation.
It is just our goal to get the leadership to realize that these kinds of policies have severe consequences that will impact them in more ways than one. And that includes in their bottom line.
Leahy: Well, I certainly wish you good luck in your campaign and your attempts to get the leadership to change. I am skeptical about leadership in nonprofit organizations that have gone woke. They backtrack a bit, but I think in their heart they still believe all this junk, and that’s why it’s hard to get them to change.
To me, I think the Salvation Army has taken a permanent turn to the left. It’s going to hurt them. And I don’t see that changing, but you’re a bit more optimistic about their ability to respond.
Watson: Yeah, most of the membership of the Salvation Army is definitely conservative. I think you’re just seeing a very fringe section of the Army pushed in a direction that is just not affirmed by its principles or donors or a majority of its membership. So I do have hope. And I do think that this will turn out favorably for the right outcome for the outcome of colorblindness.
Leahy: Well, Christian Watson, it is the season of hope. It is the Christmas season. I hope that your optimism is well justified. Come on back in a couple of months and tell us if you’ve made progress getting the Salvation Army leadership to not be woke. Thanks so much for joining us today, Christian Watson.
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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Christian Watson” by Christian Watson and photo “The Salvation Army” by William Murphy CC BY-SA 2.0.
SA is dead to me