It should be stated that my intentions are not to overshadow the life and memory of the late Songstress Whitney Houston, but rather an effort on my part to understand the events that were allowed to occur at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. This incident creates a hell of a stigmatization upon the Houston Family as well as the Church’s Administration. I will spare nothing in describing my personal discuss and outrage that this so called Christian Community allowed to happen, and the impact it may have upon the children who were effected by this obvious ungodly, and cruel act.
They say it was a day for Church and a day in which “one of New Jersey’s finest citizens” came home to her Home going Service at the Church that helped launch her career as one of America’s most beloved songstress. At Whitney Houston’s funeral there were more stars then at a Grammy Awards Ceremony. They sang songs about loving God, they came and preached, and the constant theme was how Whitney Houston’s life was marked by her love for the lord. It was one of the most heartfelt, loving, and Christian like events I have ever witnessed in my life. It’s just sad that Bobbi Kristina, Whitney’s daughter didn’t have her only surviving parent at her side during the family’s darkest hour. Bobby Brown who arrived with 9 other people was asked repeatedly to move by security at the church. There have been several rumors that Brown and his guest (which primarily consisted of his children; children that Whitney herself helped rise during their 15 year marriage) were asked to leave the service. Brown issued a statement to Entertainment Tonight stating, “My children and I were invited to the funeral of my ex-wife Whitney Houston. We were seated by security and then subsequently asked to move on three separate occasions. I fail to understand why security treated my family this way and continue to ask us and no one else to move. Security then prevented me from attempting to see my daughter Bobbi Kristina. In light of the events, I gave a kiss to the casket of my ex-wife and departed as I refused to create a scene. My children are completely distraught over the events. This was a day to honor Whitney. I doubt Whitney would have wanted this to occur. I will continue to pay my respects to my ex-wife the best way I know how.” Social media has been buzzing since reports first emerged that Brown left the funeral, and if Brown’s account is accurate, it’s troubling considering the constant reflection that many speakers highlighted about Houston’s caring and loving spirit for everyone. Who requested Brown and his kids move? Was it a member of the Houston Family? Was this act well thought out with Bobbi Kristina kept in mind? These are questions that many may have and probably will never be answered. However, the incident has now created more discussion about how Bobby Brown was treated then the actual Whitney Houston funeral. The circumstances surrounding the death of Whitney has yet to be confirmed, but I’m sure the debate will last for years whether it was Brown that brought the perceived pristine Queen of popular music to such depths of promiscuity that it was extremely difficult for her to recuperate from it all. The debate has always been even sided as to which of the two Music stars actually started the other on hard drugs, and we know the Houston family has always held Bobby directly responsible for Whitney’s fall from grace. I am not convinced that the family has a legitimate argument with that perspective. The Media and the Houston’s have continuously waged war on Bobby Brown, charging him with tainting her image, domestic violence, alcoholism, and substance abuse. Whitney was marketed as a good girl who grew up in the church in the shadows of her Gospel Music Award winning mother Cissy Houston. You would think that the life she experienced married to Bobby Brown was an unfamiliar culture that resulted in the eventual fall from grace of the Angelic like songstress. Many people forget or probably care not to remember the battles with substance abuse endured by the late songstress’ cousin Dionne Warwick. The R&B superstar, like many before her, also fell prey to the lures of drugs and alcohol in an extremely demanding industry. Though my recollection on this doesn’t mean a hill of beans related to the demise of Whitney Houston, it does offer some possible insight into the fact that Whitney wasn’t exactly naive about substance abuse and other negativities associated with the music industry. In fact mom Cissy, her cousin Dionne Warwick, and her God Mother, the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin were all more than equipped to educate and groom Whitney about the lures of drug culture associated with the exact same craft of Musical Performance that they all had dominated, and excelled in during the peek of their careers. I am sure that there was constant counsel as Whitney’s addiction and troubles became more and more obvious publicly. I just don’t see drugs and the other events that occurred sufficient grounds to vilify Bobby Brown for some of the behavior that Whitney willfully chose to indulge in, and the fact that such disdain for Bobby was able to spill over into Whitney’s funeral in my mind tends to indicate that his disconnect from the Houston family runs deeper than what has been made known to the public. I don’t agree with the manner in which the Houston’s chose to deal with Brown’s presence at the funeral, but I understand that people are human. Pain, hurt, and grief often times get the very best of us, and cause us to act irrationally at times because we are all human. I just don’t understand denying children the opportunity to pay respects to a woman that was their mom too. Whitney helped raise Bobby’s other children in their 15 year marriage. Those same kids were innocent in what ever happened between Whitney and their Dad. I looked at the News clip on CNN, and the images of Bobby’s son, crying uncontrollablely in the parking lot outside of the church, was an extremely bitter pill to swallow. Was the hate and disdain for Bobby so overwhelming that his kids had to be punished for his actions perceived by the Houston family to be the cause of Whitney’s death? I am not sure this display of viciousness is even deserving of attention, but one thing for certain is that this incident speaks volumes about the Houston’s alleged allegiance to God, Christianity, and their so called faith. It was Pastor Marvin Winans who preached during Whitney’s eulogy about walking God like and prioritizing God’s word. By snubbing Bobby Brown, especially his innocent children, the Houston family contradicted just about everything that every speaker conveyed describing their experience in the life of Whitney Houston. This was a despicable act of viciousness, ungodly, and sends a hell of a message to the world about the unwillingness of some Christians desire to forgive. This basic principality (forgiveness) taught by Christ wasn’t present during the home going of a woman so many said loved him so. Moreover, those within in the Houston family who allowed this to occur wasn’t thinking about Bobbi Kris, were acting selfishly, and created a horrible stigmatization upon the Houston’s true Christian beliefs as well as the entire New Hope Baptist Church Ministry.
The People’s Champion
I’mDavid Adams
