Forward Together The Nation

In Rev. Dr. William J. Barber’s book; Forward Together, A Moral Message for the Nation, with Barbara Zelter, both authors talk about the historical context of the civil rights movement and the need for a moral movement their state of North Carolina and ultimately in the whole of the Unites States. Rev Barber sees this movement toward right wing extremists in the Republican Party; and sees them as coming to hurt minorities and poor through their policy implementation. The book progresses with historical background, addressing the moment they were in; which is a combination of early 2000’s, around 2006 with the Historic Thousands on Jones St and progresses to 2013 with the National Moral Mondays movement that is starting to take place. The chapter cover a different subject of the moral agenda whether that be health care, education, economic justice, criminal justice rights, or LBGTQ rights. This book fits in the broader time scale as Barrack Obama was coming to power through his presidential win combines with the strong need to help the impoverishment of the poor and middle class through federal and state policy. At the very same time white back lash, in southern and Midwest states, …show more content…
Starting small, the movement grew into the thousands of participants. One of the key points made in the book is the importance of creating a broad alliance. An example of this was his address given to the Equality North Carolina Gala in 2012. In this message, he speaks of attempts by the “ultra-right” to drive a wedge between the LGBT community and the African American Community and how this divide does not necessarily exist or need not exist. Barber took the lead in helping the NAACP come out in support of gay rights, because this type partnership and alliance is a key to the creation of what Barber calls “fusion politics” that goes beyond religious and party