Dr. Candice Matthews wears many hats. She works at the local, state, and national levels to improve lives and defend civil rights. She’s a proud chair member of the Rainbow Push Coalition and the Coalition for Black Democrats. She is also the CEO/Executive Director for Children of Diversity Foster Adoption Agency.
Data and Accountability
Dr. Candice Matthews recently spoke at a church, calling for accountability for church leaders. She pulled no punches in getting her message across. She is no stranger to accountability. In fact, she holds the Harris-County Accountability Chair.
She is part of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, where she created the accountability program. She collects data on elected officials and candidates and uses the statistics to determine which officials align with the Coalition’s goals and beliefs.
A Call for Accountability
Dr. Candice Matthews stated that she would, “step on some toes” as she addressed the church. She believes that the church is the moral compass of the community and that proper guidance requires accountability from church leaders.
Dr. Candice Matthews stated, “When you don’t say something, then it makes you complicit. So it’s not all time about collecting your collection plate. We are not about who is going to pay for the building. It’s about an assault on our democracy, and the church is supposed to be the moral compass of the community.”
Bold Statements
She called for pastors to be on the right side of history, instead of being led to the slaughterhouse. She mentioned the recent winter storm and asked how many pastors were out in the cold checking on their members, as she was.
She stated, “When we had that winter storm, how many pastors were out there checking on your flock? I know we were out there. I didn’t see you. How many of y’all out there, making sure that your
members know why it is important to vote for the right elected official?”
She went on to proclaim that according to data, the pastors had not made an effort to guide their members in political matters.
An Attack on Democracy
Dr. Candice Matthews believes that there’s currently an attack on the country’s democracy. She cited the recent arrest of an African American state representative, who was also a member of the Christian community.
She states that Montgomery is known as a “rocket docket”. A rocket docket is a court that is known for quickly moving through cases. In some instances, it implies that the court favors the prosecution. She also mentions the foster care system, noting that “we have the most children ever removed from their families at this county”.
A Time Warp
Dr. Candice Matthews states that Montgomery county is like entering a time warp. Segregation and race issues are still prevalent in the area. In fact, the high school proms were segregated, until 2014.
A Call to Battle
Dr. Candice Matthews believes that the church is currently engaged in a battle, with democracy on the line. She states that when leaders do nothing, they are complicit.
She went on to ask how many church leaders had spoken with their flock about the importance of voting for the right elected officials. She asked for a pledge from those present to stand with her on the battlefield.
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