Dr. Rick Wallace Officially Pledges Support for Dr. Umar Johnson

DALLAS - June 17, 2015 - PRLog -- For any black person, or white person for that matter, who is familiar with the black struggle for empowerment, Dr. Umar Johnson has become a household name. With that being said, you would have had to be on another planet not to have experienced the recent firestorm surrounding allegations by a certain person who identified herself as the “Conscious Stripper.” In short, the person alleges that she has had an intimate relationship with Dr. Johnson, subsequently posting what she alleges to be a conversation thread of them texting one another.

Since this story broke, there has been a strong debate between those who support Dr. Johnson and those who don’t. Dr. Rick Wallace, who operates independently from Dr. Johnson, has, on more than one occasion made it clear that although he does not agree with everything that Dr. Johnson says or does, he does support his passion and commitment to black people. Dr. Wallace initially weighed in on what he has called a distraction and a waste of energy with a short six-minute video on the day that the story broke, and he has remained quiet since then.

Dr. Wallace has said that he was hoping that the issue would blow over; however, it has picked up momentum, at least for the time being — prompting Dr. Wallace to take a firmer stand.

“First of all, it is important for people to understand that I am issuing this statement completely independent of Dr. Johnson. I have not even spoken with him concerning this matter. My opinion or support has in no way been solicited by Dr. Johnson nor anyone in his camp. In fact, I take this man to be someone who is perfectly capable of standing on his own,” said Dr. Wallace.

He continued, “I am issuing this statement of support because I believe the backlash that has resulted from this incident is indicative of a mindset that is highly prevalent in the black community. We, as a race of people have a proclivity to abandon, dismiss and vehemently attack our front line soldiers and leaders at the first sign of indiscretion or mistakes. Many of the people attacking him are men who are intimidated by and envious of his success. We are living at a time in which it pays significant dividends to be a freedom fighter, or at least claim to be. I am making my position clear because we need more black men to stand with other black men, even when they may not agree on every topic.

We definitely need more black men to stand with a brother when he may have made a decision that was not in his best interest or the interest of the movement. No one, absolutely no one, navigates the labyrinthine corridors of life without making some mistakes and poor decisions. I am not looking for the person with the impeccable record, because if all laundry was aired, there would be none. I am looking for a heart that is for the people. I believe that Dr. Umar Johnson has that heart. This man is pushing himself to the limit in a number of ways, and his impact cannot not be denied.

There are some that will wonder if I am condoning his actions, and I will not entertain that. If there is something that I take an exception to, I will address it directly with Dr. Johnson, which is how it should be done. My support is for the man and his work.

And for the people who used this issue as a reason to question the integrity of this brother and how he is handling his fundraiser, as well as what some are calling the lack of transparency, I have been informed that the money has not been touched. It is being raised for a school and that is what it will be used for. At current it is in the bank accruing interest. As far as transparency, there are certain things that don’t need to be common knowledge when you are fighting on the front line. If you want to know details, get involved in the struggle close up and personal, but attempting to judge those who have boots on the ground from your nice little pristine platform will not reveal much as to the true working of things.

So, in closing, I would simply like to say that as long as I sense that this man has passion for and is authentically fighting for our people, I will stand and fight alongside him. We must stop attacking those whom we don’t agree with, and we need to stop behaving as if we can afford to have someone rumble through our closet. Yes, we need to hold our leaders and front line soldiers accountable, but that is not done by tearing them down when they are not even there to engage the criticism. That type of criticism is not constructive; it is highly destructive and counterproductive. There are all types of mechanisms being used to create schisms and divisiveness among the ranks of black warriors, and we must learn to rise above them, not fall prey to them.”

When asked if he was concerned that supporting Dr. Umar may lead to backlash, Dr. Wallace’s response was succinct and straightforward. “At some point in life, you have to be willing to take stands that will not be popular. I have never sought the approbation of others in order to validate myself. I allow the life that I live to speak for me, and if it is not good enough for some, I am more than content with that.”

Dr. Wallace is a published author, who has written 16 books on a number of social issues, including absentee fatherhood, conflict within the marriage and his latest installment, The Mis-education of Black Youth in America. He is also the founder of The Odyssey Project and the Odyssey Consortium — organizations that focus on the direct engagement of multitudinous issues within the inner city. His current initiative is the Black Community Empowerment Initiative, in which he is expanding the parameters of education and fighting to empower black parents and children to think beyond the confines of their current paradigms.

You can support the Black Community Empowerment Initiative at: http://www.gofundme.com/EducateBlackYouth