This is a picture of the Late Joseph Thomas the father of the Black Buddhists in Memphis, Tennessee

This is a picture of the late Mr. Joseph Thomas was a retired Military man who became introduced to Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism while stationed in the Army in  Okinawa, Japan. I was only a 21 year old youth who visited Mr. Thomas house each day to discuss Buddhism.  When we had formal NSA Buddhist meetings we choose our own subjects and we never had some Priest or Japanese to force us to read exclusively his Oko lecture at our meetings the way the Priest insist such things are conducted in Memphis today by our Priest.  Our Buddhist meetings were so exciting that we held lively meetings on Saturday nights to packed rooms full of people.  Most of us did okay and we enjoyed our practice without a Priest or a Japanese forcing his culture on us.  Japanse SGI leaders broke such meetings up. In Memphis Nichiren Shoshu Priest totally direct meetings and use his words only as the law of the land.

In 1980 Japanese leader Daisaku Ikeda broke those meetings up and put everyone under strict Japanese controlled groups.  Ikeda sent Japanese paid staff member George Kusaba to Memphis Tennessee to orient Black Buddhist to the Japanese way of doing things.  Soon Black people lost their culture and Black men were speaking with Japanese accents and we became a model of the SGI Japanese members.  Soon the spirit of Buddhism was lost.  In 1991 I departed the SGI.

For the first time in America's History Disney Movie Studio created a Black Princess in a movie called "The Princess and the Frog." America is a culture within a culture and for so long Black people have been neglected, since this movie came out Black mothers from all over America took their children to see this movie.  This movie is poplar with Black people because they want to see themselves as positive and Black culture recognized.  At the time of our writing this lecture this movie is the Number one movie in America.  America is in the mist of a "Cultural Revolution" where respect for other cultures is important. Such  practices of Japanese or Priest authority only is outright racist on the part of Japanese people. This goes for Priest and Lay leaders alike.  The idea that Black and American  people are not involved at the highest levels in our Buddhist practice is  unattractive and Racist. What is most important in America is that  opportunity should be available to everyone. Let me explain further.

Click on the Picture to see Video of Mr. Thomas.  This is a scene from our 1988 movie "Iron Thunder."

A most remarkable Buddhist phenomena happen in Memphis, Tennessee at the Memphis home of the late Julius Dorsey and his wife Jeannett who is a Memphis and a  member of Myogyoji Temple.  Mr. Dorsey lectured and taught Buddhism to common Black people outside of the SGI or Hokeko traditional Structure.  When the Myogyoji Temple anniversary celebrations were held in June there were so many Black people coming to the celebration from Memphis that a charted but was rented to carry a bus load of Memphis to the temple in Chicago.  For whatever reason Nichiren Shoshu Priests changed the format of the meetings and demanded that the only words or guidance that could be spoken were the words of the Chief Priest.  I saw the wind get knocked out of the sail of Mr. Dorsey.  The very love dedication and effort that he spent his life developing was taken away from him.  I saw a Japanese system demorilized a strong Black man.  Both the SGI and the Nichiren Shoshu Japanese systems inhibited the cultural grow and acceptance of Buddhism in the Black community. There is nothing in the writings of Nichiren Daishonin that prohibits the cultural expression of Buddhist teachings.  The disregard and disrespect that I see in our Nichiren Shoshu Temples in America as it relates to Black people is almost tantamount to racism.

Black parents crowded the theaters because they wanted their Children to feel proud and know that they can be a Princess. The teachings of Buddhism should inspire and all cultures should be respected. Click on Picture to see the CNN Blog

In Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism there is not one single American recognized  authoritative Buddhist lecturer or writer in America. Nichiren Shoshu Priest have the unamitigated gall to arrogantly believe that they are the only qualified teachers of Buddhism in America and they do not even seek the advice of Black people as asking for ways to introduce Black people to Buddhism.  This practice runs counter to the Gosho.  In our Nichiren Shoshu practice in America the Nichiren Shoshu Priest not only brought Nichiren Shoshu teachings but they also brought with them a racist and dominate Japanese culture and arrogance that has no place in American culture.

The Gosho True aspect of all Phenomena reads; "you must also teach others. Both practice and study arise from faith. Teach others to the best of your ability , even if it is only a single sentence or phrase.you must also teach others. Both practice and study arise from faith. Teach others to the best of your ability , even if it is only a single sentence or phrase."

The Gosho the fourteen slanders reads; "And if we go by the words of the Lotus Sutra, you should also teach the sutra to the best of your ability. " The Gosho does not say Priest only should teach, this idea that only a Priest can teach Buddhism is nonsense that Nichiren Shoshu advocate, this is not the way of Nichiren Daishonin.

I have seen young Japanese Priest arrive from Japan not knowing American, History, Culture and background come to America and disrespect and disregard American pioneer members with arrogance and Japanse Racist domination. Black people see this domination but most are to intimidated by Priest to challenge many of their racist policies. In Memphis, Tennessee there is a history of 40 years of practice and I have seen a Japanese Priest tell a Black leader that he is not to teach anymore and members should only read his words.  Talking about a bad case of "Ego Triping."  Rev. Shingi Iwaki of Chicago Myogyo is a clear-cut example of Japanese Racism and a disrespect and disregard for Black people in America. Black people will not accept Buddhist this way.

For years and years I wrote about the clear-cut racism in the SGI Buddhist sect but it never dawned upon me just how racist many Nichiren Shoshu Priest are in America.  In 1998 I went to the Nichiren Shoshu Temple in Accra, Ghana and my heart and love was in Ghana. In Ghana I sat down and discussed culture and racism in Rev. Yorsita in Ghana and Rev. Yorshita was open to culture and understanding. This is not the same in America, I remember going to a few  of our  Myogyoji anniversary celebrations and once I took out my Video camera to document the celebration.  The Priest were "mean spirited" and acted as if I was a criminal or a child by bringing out my camera.  What I found at the Myogyo Temple was an absence of expression, everything done at the temple was done in Japanese cultural manner and an impromptu express is not expressed at this temple.  Members at the temple had to adapt to the Japanese culture.  I was a filmmaker and I recorded two High Priest and I have documented more video on Nichiren Shoshu members than perhaps anyone in the world.  I was surprised at how unwelcomed I was treated at a temple that I have supported for 12 years.  Many members do recognize the racism because there is a culture in America of members  kowtowing to Priest.  In Nichiren Shoshu in America there is an absence of strong American culture or Black culture. our temples are a culture within a culture whereas the Buddhist practice is isolated from the mainstream American society and Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism is more of a rare foreign import than an American integrated product as we have accepted Japanese products in America. Racism has caused Buddhism to emerge as an esoteric foreign religion absent of American culture.  This lack of expression and American culture is a clear-cut Japanese racist practice.  Let me explain.

After Hokeko meetings were switched from the late Julius Dorsey to Gerald Hopkins home I attended meetings for a decade and I met Rev. Murata many times at the meetings.  Whenever Rev. Murata came to Memphis the meetings were 100% Japanese orientated in an environment that was 100% African/American.  What I witnessed was an event were people lost their Soul or integrity.  I suggested for ten years  that Gerald and his wife should go to Ghana and see how Black people in Ghana practice Buddhism but maintained their culture.  One thing was clear at the Buddhist meetings at the home of the late Julius Dorsey, Julius l. Dorsey was a strong Black man and there was no way in the hell no Japanese or White man would take away the culture of Julius Dorsey.  The meetings with Rev. Murata at Gerald Hospkins home was simply incredulous to me. I asked the question was it the duty of Nichiren Shoshu Priests to serve the members or was it the duty of Nichiren Shoshu members to serve the Priest?  Every effort was made to serve the Nichiren Shoshu Priest in Memphis.  Never had I ever seen Black culture so badly omitted in an area that was the heart of Black community in Memphis. I thought that it was shameful for a Japanese man to come into a Black culture and totally dominate Black people. I once asked Rev. Murata about the Black historical figure of the Wooden Buddha in the ancient capital of Japan in the city of Nara.  The is the largest Buddhist statue in Japan and the most ancient and this is a "Black Buddha." Rev Murata gave me a racist answer by telling me that he does not deal in racism.  This is not racism this is a historical fact but this Priest did not want to acknowledge a Black Buddhist statue in Japan.  In my opinion this was racist and not answering the question was racist.

When Rev. Murata was moved to Washington D. C. Temple I spoke with the then Priest Rev. Shingi Iwaki; I explained my concerns in Memphis to Rev. Iwaki and I asked him when he comes to Memphis to visit our civil rights museum and to speak on cultural issues relative to Black people. I wrote Rev. Iwaki three letters that he did not answer and in July of 2008 he sent me a thank you note for my donation but he was not going to tell me that he was scheduled to come to Memphis.  Just a few days of learning of his trip to Memphis I had invited Gerald and is wife to attend an event at our home with our Congressman Steve Cohen.  Gerald was not going to tell me about the meeting.  I came to the meeting took pictures and wrote a report about the missed opportunity to infuse Black culture at the meeting and educate everyone with diversity.  Rev. Iwaki has since visited Memphis again and I was not informed.  I make the point clear that it is racist for one Japanese man to come to a City of almost a Million Black people and dominate the people with his culture only.  Because he is a Priest no one will challenge the Nichiren Shoshu Priest.  Please note; African/Americans need True Buddhism but we do not need "Japanese Culture."  What has happen in Memphis with Buddhism is racist and until Black people are respected Buddhism will not grow in Memphis. I could not bring anyone to such a dominate racist Japanese environment.