On Token Diversity at the Southern Baptist Convention

Robert Parham has posted an essay comparing the programs for this year's national conventions of American Baptists, Southern Baptists and Cooperative Baptists. American Baptists and Cooperative Baptists have demonstrable support for ethnic and gender diversity in their programs.

Southern Baptists began with a patriarchal white supremecist approach to the gospel and the current convention remains true to its racist heritage. Only a solitary white woman, a lonely African-American male, and a single Hispanic male are listed as participating in the two-day program for a denomination of 16 million members.

At a moment when our nation is governed by its first African-American president, it would be hard to send a stronger signal that there is only token support for anything other than white male leadership within the Southern Baptist Convention.