Rocky Mount NC – Open Letter To: Pastor James D. Gailliard Word Tabernacle Church Rocky Mount NC

I remember the first time I was in your presence it was at Metropolitan Church in Rocky Mount when the NAACP held a meeting there concerning the flood in New Orleans. When you stood up and said you had atleast one tractor trailer truck at your church that was going to be filled to be sent to New Orleans, I said who is this guy? I began to do my homework asking who you were.

Later I learned a little more about you when you petitioned the Rocky Mount City Council seeking some funds to do an Impact Center at Claremont apartments. During that time you and some of your church members attended the City Council meeting because some city council members didn’t support you.

Over the years I have been hearing a lot about how good you preached. I was asked to video a funeral in Pinetops and you preached the funeral. I enjoy hearing you preach. I have never heard a preacher preach a funeral as you did and I thought you did a great job. Last year I was asked to video a wedding whereby you performed the ceremony and again I have never heard a preacher perform a wedding ceremony as you did and thought you did a great job.

Last year you had began a talk show on FM 92.1 and I called in almost weekly. Although I didn’t agree with most of your opinions on certain topics as it relates to politics and especially some of your comments about our first black President.

I talk to a lot of folks, some I know and some I don’t know from across the nation. I receive calls, text messages, emails, facebook messages, twitter messages and LinkedIn messages and sometimes mail via USPS whereby folks share information with me. I also do my homework on my own and do some research on the information that I receive to see if it is valid.

Now, as a long time community/political activist since the early 90’s, I take it personal when folks do things as it relates to community and political activism. Folks must have the good of all people in mind when they are making decisions that affect me and others. I have family and friends in Rocky Mount. I have worked in Rocky Mount since 1987. I have been actively engaged in the NAACP Rocky Mount Branch since 1992 and is a Life Fully Paid Member. I have served on the local Democratic Party Executive Committee for numerous years and served as the interim county chair from 1998 – 1999. I was the vice chair of N.E.E.D. Inc. in the early 90’s until the late 90’s. I have attended and been a host of numerous meetings in the Rocky Mount area since the late 80’s and was a member of Black Workers For Justice during that time.

I understand since the shooting in Rocky Mount took place at your church, some folks have been raising some questions. Well I have some too.

Did you not move out of the house that belongs to the church and the basketball court is like right there?

Did you not move to Wilson?

Did you not recently move to the mansion over on West Mount Drive?

Are you in negotiation trying to purchase the old Home Depot to move your church that is not in a neighborhood?

Did the family of the 15 year old that was recently killed ask to have the funeral at your church but the funeral was held at Greater Joy?

I find it ironic that the funeral was at Greater Joy and then there was a shooting at your church on the same evening.

The noon day prayer held at your church the next day or 2 after the shooting was a good thing. However I understand that it were mostly white folks that were on the program. And that is good because my great granddaddy was a white man and there are interracial marriages in my family. But what I don’t understand is why is it white people have to be in the spotlight of a black community issue? It is enough resources in the black community to deal with some of our black issues. I have been told that certain people were not invited but WHIG-TV and some other folks on Social Media ask why certain folks were not in the video during the prayer. Well I understand they were not invited.

A couple of days later I hear about a meeting was held at the mansion and I understand that it was private. I know that I was listening to FM 99.3 and they asked that someone call in about the meeting that morning and no one called.

I have been made aware of a Community Forum to be held at your church on February 17. I can’t wait to see who the panel will be.

Sir I hope that something positive will come out of all of this and it really do bring the black community together. It is time that our black pastors, community leaders, individuals and all black folks to come together and to put aside personalities and whatever that is keeping us divided so that the black community can truly move forward.

I challenge you along with the others in Rocky Mount to work hard to bring the black community together.

Curmilus Dancy II The Political Agitator

Note: Folks if you want to comment you better come correct. What you ain’t fitting ready to do is respond on my page with some ignant bull manure. If you want to answer the questions above you best copy and paste the questions and then respond but other than that you can keep your bull manure opinions to yourself. I understand this may be your Pastor and/or your friend or whatever. If you want to attempt to discredit anything I have posted here you best post FACTS and not just your EMOTIONS because I will not approve your comment.