Street Preachers at Woodward and Grand River

**dtowncitylover** · December-08-16, 09:51 AM

So I was downtown recently on a weekend and I was walking past the group of African-American street preachers. I've seen them before, paid them no mind, didn't really care what they were saying. They're dressed pretty raggedly, which I would guess is part of their shtick.

I didn't really pay them any mind until this one time and as I was walking past overheard them talking about and I'm paraphrasing, "The white man raped the native women, and the white man raped our 'negra' women, well it's our turn to rape your women!" I didn't stop, didn't care to, but holy hell that wasn't exactly what I was expecting! I'm all for black empowerment and equal rights, but raping "our" women and calling for it, as a way to get back at what white people did isn't exactly reconciliation. Maybe I misunderstood?

At least with the NOI, they are either silent when a white person walks by or mutter, "devil" under their breath when walking by [[as happened to me earlier this year when I was downtown as the NOI convention was taking place).

Anyone know who these guys are? They're all men, btw. Can't be NOI, because NOI members dress up. These guys are wearing rags and slippers, it appears.

**3d123** · December-08-16, 10:30 AM

Ranting man might be more apt nomenclature, per the description.

**dtowncitylover** · December-08-16, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by 3d123

Ranting man might be more apt nomenclature, per the description.

True, but Ranting Men, it's usually a group of them. Weekend afternoons, I've noticed...

**One Shot** · December-08-16, 11:30 AM

Keep setting yourselves back and blame others. Get a life.

**brizee** · December-08-16, 11:51 PM

Black Hebrew Israelites.

It's a good thing.

Means downtown is getting healthy.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · December-09-16, 02:16 AM

Freaks of nature

**Dan Wesson** · December-09-16, 03:45 AM

Originally Posted by brizee

Black Hebrew Israelites.

It's a good thing.

Means downtown is getting healthy.

I think they should take up arms and act out...

It's just the little anarchist sitting on my shoulder whispering to me....

For every action there is an equal [[and sometimes overwhelming) reaction.

Would they need my help? Could they accept "diversity"? I doubt I would and I doubt they could.

I love the oratory style and in your face narrative of The Rev. Louis Farrakhan.

The Nation of Islam has got their act together.

The fellas in the pic above and the street preachers don't.

**Dan Wesson** · December-09-16, 05:50 AM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

So I was downtown recently on a weekend and I was walking past the group of African-American street preachers. I've seen them before, paid them no mind, didn't really care what they were saying. They're dressed pretty raggedly, which I would guess is part of their shtick.
Anyone know who these guys are? They're all men, btw. Can't be NOI, because NOI members dress up. These guys are wearing rags and slippers, it appears.

Maybe they were street corner Philosophers philosophizing, expounding upon their version of the truth.

Were there any Richards Wild Irish Rose empties laying around?

When I was running service calls in Detroit I saw so many of them square empty bottles laying around on street corners I thought this stuff must be good. Turned out I emptied a lot of them and then it was my gateway beverage to the hard stuff.

Quit cold turkey about eight years ago, overnight, one of the best things I ever did. I thought I was gonna die from drinking like my old man, by himself in a rented room near Miller and Van Dyke.

**Honky Tonk** · December-09-16, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by Dan Wesson

Maybe they were street corner Philosophers philosophizing, expounding upon their version of the truth.

Were there any Richards Wild Irish Rose empties laying around?

When I was running service calls in Detroit I saw so many of them square empty bottles laying around on street corners I thought this stuff must be good. Turned out I emptied a lot of them and then it was my gateway beverage to the hard stuff.

Quit cold turkey about eight years ago, overnight, one of the best things I ever did. I thought I was gonna die from drinking like my old man, by himself in a rented room near Miller and Van Dyke.

I wonder if the shoe was on the other foot and they were white with hoodies on, how long they'd be allowed to last? Yet there they are, preaching hate, violence, sexual assault, weekend after weekend, looking like badly dressed extras from the Holy Grail.
Glad you were able to shake it, Dan. Alcohol is absolutely the worst drug, IMO.

**SaintMe** · December-09-16, 08:22 AM

I love that they photoshopped Christina Ricci in there

**dtowncitylover** · December-09-16, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by brizee

Black Hebrew Israelites.

It's a good thing.

Means downtown is getting healthy.

I thought the same thing, except with more people comes more ears and I wouldn't be surprised when one white person takes offense and either gets physical or calls the cops.

That second image totally has typos but they obviously don't know how to "create" a religion. If they're black "Isrealites", then they probably use the Jewish Bible soley, so then why is there a quote from Revelations, a purely Christian document which is actually an allegory for the Roman conquer of the Jewish-early Christian people in Palestine.

**davewindsor** · December-09-16, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

So I was downtown recently on a weekend and I was walking past the group of African-American street preachers. I've seen them before, paid them no mind, didn't really care what they were saying. They're dressed pretty raggedly, which I would guess is part of their shtick.

I didn't really pay them any mind until this one time and as I was walking past overheard them talking about and I'm paraphrasing, "The white man raped the native women, and the white man raped our 'negra' women, well it's our turn to rape your women!" I didn't stop, didn't care to, but holy hell that wasn't exactly what I was expecting! I'm all for black empowerment and equal rights, but raping "our" women and calling for it, as a way to get back at what white people did isn't exactly reconciliation. Maybe I misunderstood?

At least with the NOI, they are either silent when a white person walks by or mutter, "devil" under their breath when walking by [[as happened to me earlier this year when I was downtown as the NOI convention was taking place).

Anyone know who these guys are? They're all men, btw. Can't be NOI, because NOI members dress up. These guys are wearing rags and slippers, it appears.

If what you said is true, they have committed a "hate" crime by definition. S. 750.147b of the Michigan Penal Code--Ethnic intimidation--calls it a felony. They are threatening to rape white women because of their color--see 1 c) below. You could always file a police report, but being it's Detroit and there have been so many complaints on this website of the police not doing anything because of a lack of resources, well, we'll see...

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/[[S[[wqg...e=mcl-750-147b

THE MICHIGAN PENAL CODE [[EXCERPT)
Act 328 of 1931

750.147b Ethnic intimidation.
Sec. 147b.
[[1) A person is guilty of ethnic intimidation if that person maliciously, and with specific intent to intimidate or harass another person because of that person's race, color, religion, gender, or national origin, does any of the following:
[[a) Causes physical contact with another person.
[[b) Damages, destroys, or defaces any real or personal property of another person.
[[c) Threatens, by word or act, to do an act described in subdivision [[a) or [[b), if there is reasonable cause to believe that an act described in subdivision [[a) or [[b) will occur.
[[2) Ethnic intimidation is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years, or by a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.
[[3) Regardless of the existence or outcome of any criminal prosecution, a person who suffers injury to his or her person or damage to his or her property as a result of ethnic intimidation may bring a civil cause of action against the person who commits the offense to secure an injunction, actual damages, including damages for emotional distress, or other appropriate relief. A plaintiff who prevails in a civil action brought pursuant to this section may recover both of the following:
[[a) Damages in the amount of 3 times the actual damages described in this subsection or $2,000.00, whichever is greater.
[[b) Reasonable attorney fees and costs.

History: Add. 1988, Act 371, Eff. Mar. 30, 1989
Popular Name: Ethnic Intimidation

**EastsideAl** · December-09-16, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by brizee

Black Hebrew Israelites.

Have these guys really come to Detroit? Maybe that is some sort of perverse sign of urban health, since these jokers are something of an urban freakshow fixture in NYC. When I lived there, I used to enjoy hanging out and watching them for a little while, as they would camp out every weekend around Macy's in Herald Square. And they also used to have a bizarre public access TV program too that was often good for a little laugh.

Both the TV show and the street preaching would consist of a leader, and several followers dressed up in the robes. A young acolyte would be holding a bible, and when the leader would yell "READ!", the young guy would start shouting out a bible verse until the leader yelled "STOP!" And then the leader would start some expounding some bizarre crap on the passage just read. Every now and again he'd get the whole group to chant one of their slogans too.

One thing I will say about them, they were always ready to engage in some religious debates. In fact, that really seemed to be their whole point in standing out in the street, and bringing along all the followers, who would break out into one-on-one arguments with people in the crowd. They particularly seemed to love calling out and trying to "correct" mainstream African-American Christians, and engaging in pretty disgusting displays of anti-Semitic provocation and argument with Jewish people.

**LarryC39** · December-09-16, 04:44 PM

These same fools were hanging out on the pedestrian bridge at Eastern Market a few Saturdays back spreading their hate.

**Hypestyles** · December-11-16, 01:59 PM

So are there female members of this coalition? Seems like all I see are men at these gatherings, and I'm sure that their take on same-sex relationships is disapproving. I saw a cohort of them last year at the African World festival, they were perched at the periphery of the Charles Wright Museum property, so I don't know if they were an official vendor or not. They were getting into it with a couple of folks who were apparently curious/offended and decided to engage with them..

Groups like this are more black nationalist and quasi-political than "religious", per se, in my book. Their main thing is promoting an 'alternative lifestyle' compared to the mainline of Christianity and lip service is paid to encouraging black folks to pursue "independent nation" status. By the time Malcolm X decided to leave the NOI, he was catching heat internally for being involved in the "secular" affairs of civil rights dialogue, etc.,

Wiki profile:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hebrew_Israelites

**Bobl** · December-11-16, 02:45 PM

I think many are being too rough on these folks. They appear to be doing one of the two things that religion does best: divide people. Not sure about the other thing, profit financially or politically, where it appears they are lacking up to now.

**G-DDT** · December-11-16, 09:40 PM

First of all, most religions believe in bridging gaps without being intrusive. If anything, it is proto-new atheism that has been acting like a formidable Status Quo of intolerant virus-minded fundamentalists. The climate of the internet for quite a while makes clear of that. Remember: anyone can wear the mask of the oppressor.

Christianity should be about abiding without crossing the line of the double standard-for it can be accomplished. The teaching of learning from the popularly despised Samaritan [[who was charitable when others were not) and then-in turn-becoming "all things to all men is essential.

Second, these guys are jokes. I believe most African Americans sniff them out as a bad joke. For all we know, they could've been responsible for putting out tasteless race-baiting political fliers in Southfield.http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/oakl...-in-southfield

Third, all they seem to represent is the same nonsense that has been going on for a long time [[don't even bother looking up the Renegade Tribune)-especially with Herbert Armstrong's racist British Israelismhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Israelism.

**michmina** · December-17-16, 02:15 PM

LOL before I even saw the picture I said IT'S THE BLACK ISRAELITES...you cannot have a rational discussion or even ask a question without receiving a screamed lecture back. Listening to them is great entertainment, really.

**JenniferL** · December-27-16, 07:49 PM

I've heard similar talk at the bus stop, but it was a random crazy man. He didn't seem to be a preacher or affiliated with any kind of organized group. Still, as a white woman, it is disturbing to stand there while someone talks like this. And of course, the damn bus was late!