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For more information, go to the Hamilton County Black Caucus Chattanooga Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hcbcchattanooga
Westside Baptist Church pastor Timothy Careathers stretched his fingers toward the people standing behind him and prayed that the power of God would stand up in them so they could be "humble and bold" and speak "truth to power" for deprived people who have no voice.
"Let this be revolutionary," he said. "Let us turn this city upside down for your glory. The weak will say I am strong. The poor will say I am rich because of standing in this space today."
Careathers stood in Alton Park Wednesday with a group of about 50 clergy, business representatives, and community leaders to announce formation of the Hamilton County Black Caucus, a non-partisan, nonprofit organization created to educate, motivate and mobilize eligible registered voters to vote. The group also wants to recruit, train and support the next generation of black elected officials.
"This is overdue," said Tracy Shaw, a local business owner. "It's been a long time that we've needed a group of people working together for a common goal with right intentions."
The Hamilton County Black Caucus wants more economic opportunity in communities such as Alton Park, where the unemployment rate is 35 percent and the average income is $18,000 annually, Careathers said.
He also mentioned East Lake, where the unemployment rate is 28 percent and the average income is $20,000 a year.
"Numbers like these are much too common in our communities," he said.
The group plans to improve conditions by encouraging more people to vote and holding elected officials accountable for helping underprivileged communities.
The Hamilton County Black Caucus will focus its initial campaign, called "Operation Turn up the Vote 2017," on mobilizing black voters between ages 18 and 40 who live in urban communities, people with felony records who are unaware of their rights and working-class single mothers.
Muhammad said the group has already started mobilizing voters and is in the process of developing a People's Agenda.
Careathers and other community leaders formed the Black Caucus after feeling "dismissed" when they got no response from elected officials after the People's State of the City address that local Nation of Islam leader Kevin Muhammad presented to the City Council in May.
"I regret we had to move in this direction, but what do you do when your elected representatives no longer desire to allow for transparency and dialogue when making decisions that affect our community?" Muhammad stated in a Black Caucus news release distributed Wednesday.
City Councilman Chris Anderson, who represents the Alton Park community, said he's willing to talk with the ministers and community leaders.
"Just Monday night I was at a prayer vigil with Pastor Careathers and told him I'd like to meet with him as soon as possible," Anderson said. "I hadn't hear back from him. I didn't know they were doing this."
The councilman commended the group members on their efforts to hold elected officials accountable.
"Anytime a group forms to hold their elected leaders more accountable, that's a good thing, becausehe hopefully it results in better elected leaders," Anderson said.
Muhammad's presentation to the City Council in May included suggestions to help underprivileged communities, including ending payment in lieu of taxes (or PILOT) programs that reduce taxes for developers. He suggested funding job programs for youth and initiatives that help felons find employment. But no council member responded.
Longtime community activist and obstetrician Dr. Thomas Brooks was among those attending the outdoor news conference Wednesday.
"I'm doing what the City Council should be doing: listening to them and seeing what I can do to help," he said. "It ain't about Dr. Brooks and his ideas, it's about what this community wants and what I can do to help them."
Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.