The Harlem Gospel Choir just cancelled their performance as part of Glenn Beck's The Christmas Sweater, a live performance that's scheduled to be broadcast in movie theaters across the country this Thursday.
The Harlem Gospel Choir has backed out of a holiday performance with controversial conservative talk-show host Glenn Beck, the Daily News has learned.
The famous choir, which has performed for Nelson Mandela and Pope John Paul II, was set to appear in the simulcast film of Beck's novel The Christmas Sweater -- A Return to Redemption, which opens Thursday in theaters nationwide.
The choir canceled the appearance Monday, citing financial reasons.
James Rucker, executive director of Color for Change -- which has helped persuade more than 80 advertisers to ditch Beck's show -- said the group did an about-face after he called the choir.
Before we contacted the Harlem Gospel Choir about Beck, they didn't know much about him. After learning more about Beck and his history of race-baiting, the choir quickly came to the right decision and canceled their appearance with him.
The choir told the Daily News that their reasons for canceling with Beck were financial, and it's understandable that they would want to avoid getting involved in what could be seen as a political fight -- the choir is about faith and music, not politics. And it's hard to blame them for wanting to avoid starting a fight with Glenn Beck -- he is a powerful man with a large megaphone and a large audience that includes some very hateful people (based on some of the email we've received after launching our campaign against Beck, we know this first-hand at ColorOfChange).
The Christmas Sweater is part of Beck's effort to present himself as someone who represents mainstream American values. His desire to work with the Harlem Gospel Choir serves that goal, and it would have helped him position himself as embracing black people while his rhetoric works against the interests of not only black folks but most Americans.
That's what makes the Harlem Gospel Choir's refusal to perform with Beck so important -- they are world-famous for spreading a message of peace, love, unity and respect. They've performed for Nelson Mandela, in honor of Dr. King, and before Pope John Paul II. They have proudly represented one of black America's oldest musical traditions around the world, and now they have refused to allow their name and their legacy to be used by someone like Glenn Beck.
Zack Exley: Glenn Beck's Revolution, And Ours
An angry fringe of the middle class is turning to a "tea bagger" libertarian movement that promises utopia if only the government can be destroyed. And that movement is led by Glenn Beck.
But hey the LAST thing we need in this country is for people of different views to exchange these views in a positive manner, it is more important to keep the bases on their respective plantations. Because we know for a fact that the nation will be better off if each party's special interests works settle scores and stoop to the lowest level possible. Hey it worked with the Bushies it's gotta work with the Obamabots, right? I mean gosh the last eight years were real great and wow, this term is off to a real harmonious start.
So, thank you Color of Change for not promoting Change. Nothing like keeping politics in the gutter. Until we meet in the middle we will continue to be ruled by the fringes.
He's a slick grifter with deep pockets and a bully pulpit.
"Everything You Know Is Wrong"
And they wonder why some pple are deathly scared of clowns.
(for goodness sakes, glenn beck has admitted making out with his sister, 'M'k?')
Beck is obsessed with African-Americans. I wonder what happened in his past? Something personal? Or is the old white-supremacy thing, where they FEAR blacks are better physically, sexually, spiritually - so blacks must be put down and controlled, or they would take over everything? Or they Fear black retribution for things they have personally done wrong? I wonder.
I dunno. Maybe a black woman dumped Beck and he's still heartbroken? Maybe he got dumped by a black man?
SOMETHING is wrong with that man - that he is so obsessed with black people.
But his problems are not our problems. Let him work on them Off The Air, like normal people.