Editor's note: Dr. Ingram is vice-chairman of the Miami-Dade County School Board, one of the largest public school districts in America. He is also former police chief and mayor of Opa Locka, FL, and former city manager of South Miami, FL. He currently serves as pastor of Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church, Miami, and as professor and assistant to the president for Urban Affairs at Florida Memorial College, Opa Locka. Dr. Ingram has been a Black community activist in the Miami area for more than 40 years. Here he eulogizes Arthur E. Teele, Jr., one of the most powerful Black politicians in Florida history, who killed himself in Miami on July 27.

Judges 16: 25-30: While they were in high spirits, they shouted, 'Bring out Samson to entertain us.' So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. When they stood him among the pillars, Samson said to the servant who held his hand, 'Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.' Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. Then Samson prayed to the Lord, 'O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.' Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, 'Let me die with the Philistines.' Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.

Has anybody here seen my old friend Arthur? Can you tell me where he's gone? He helped a lot of people but the good die so young. When I looked around he was gone.

Gone but not forgotten. So we assemble here to note the passing of Arthur Teele, knowing that he is truly in a better place. No more lies, no more misinformation, no more tribulations, no more trials.

To his wife Stephanie: Arthur wanted you to know more than anything that he loved you. Through my spiritual ear, I hear his words saying that his love for you was pure, prevailing, powerful, precious, profound and priceless in quality and quantity. Our community is proud that you have redefined the role of 'help-meet' with your regal refinement, your captivating composure, and your serene stance through some very trying times.

So, here, at this final hour, in this place: to Arthur's mother, Florazelle, his sister Synthia, his son Arthur Patton III, other family members, friends and on-lookers, we have come to bid farewell to one of our most brilliant personalities, Arthur Earle Teele, Jr.

I've stopped by to encourage Art's family and friends to hold our heads up high remembering a man who loved us, struggled for us, and shielded us, even in his death.

In these unsound, unstable and unsure times, we come to pay tribute to a man who challenged the political order and threatened the social order. In my discussions with mutual friends, I shared my belief born out of real data that the power structure fear Black men like Arthur.

The power structure ridicules Black men like Arthur. The power structure will jail men like Arthur. If I took the time to call all of the names of the Black men who have suffered the same fate of fear, ridicule, and jail as Arthur, I would be here until tomorrow. Ultimately, the power structure will kill Black men like Arthur. History says it is so!

When I think about Arthur Teele, my friend and fraternity brother, I'm reminded of Samson, for to me like Samson, Arthur was both special and strong.

Bobbie Mumford, another one of Teele's longtime friends, speaking about his last moments, was quoted as saying that "she now sees Art's behavior as that of a once-powerful politician who wanted to regain command of his tattered life."

I agree. When I see Art, I'm reminded of Samson's struggling and falling, but in the end regaining command of his tattered life. The truth of the matter is that there's a little bit of Samson in all of us, and a whole lot of Samson in most of us.

The event of the evening of Wednesday, July 27, is one that will be with me for the rest of my life. The pain I felt seeing Arthur laying flat on his back, blood streaming from his head in the lobby of the Miami Herald and what seemed to be joy in reporters' voices as they kept calling his name prior to the notification of his family, the Herald logo emblazoned over his lifeless body as if bragging that they had achieved their desired end. Think about it. Rarely if ever do you see such disregard for family members in such a tragic situation. Not only that, to this day there has been no official notification to the family.

There must come a time when justice means more than "just us."

Do you remember the expression, 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me?' Well, I've stopped by to say that words can destroy you.

Prior Herald news reports about Arthur and the most recent Miami New Times report kept racing through my mind, knowing that when it comes to accusing Black political leaders, the media feels the accusation is all that is necessary; that it is OK to give crackheads and male prostitutes credibility without corroborating information.

And then I read (Miami Herald columnist) Leonard Pitts' paraphrase of his colleague, columnist Carl Hiaasen, who was reported to have said, "they don't pay me to hold hands with my readers and sing Kumbayah."

Well, Mr. Pitts, many reporters do hold hands with their readers and sing Kumbayah, but not with the hands of their Black readers. I rarely see mainstream reporters and columnists eating in African-American restaurants, becoming members of African-American churches, or attending African-American community events unless they are on assignment.

I am also aware, as far as the press goes, 'He who controls your wage controls your writing.' So Brother Pitts, (you are also African-American, and) I understand your reference to calling "spades spades". That quote will always stay with me.

Make no mistake. The Black community does not look for our feelings to be spared. We never did and we never will. Not only that we agree that the media's job, as Pitts writes, is to "put the corrupt, the inept, the mendacious, the venal, the hypocritical and the plain stupid on front street." But we also believe that such charges must be corroborated by independent sources.

You cannot speak truth to power and truth about power using lies and misinformation. In America, we claim that a person is innocent until proven guilty.

Not so in Arthur Teele's case. The press deemed him guilty and offered no opportunity for him to prove himself innocent, and this can never be done. No information that has been written about Arthur Teele in the media supports a death sentence. The personal unconfirmed attacks, the trial by news reporting was just that; a summary conviction, death sentence and execution by the media.

There must come a time when justice means more than "just us."
One of the things I make note of in Samson's life is that "we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Sin will always take us further down an unwanted path than we want to go. That's the reason, I suspect, that John 8:7 calls for us to examine ourselves noting, that "he that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone."

Arthur Teele would want us to know that God works in mysterious ways, and that God can use this horrible situation to show us what we should do and how we should live. Arthur Teele would want us to know that what man means for evil, God means for good.

Romans 3:10 says, "as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one." So as we go through the story of Samson, I pray that it will give us a greater insight as to what may have been going on with my brother Arthur Teele.

We'll discover that the Bible tells us something crucial about Samson. The one critical mistake he made was succumbing to 'smiling faces that pretend to be your friend, smiling faces that show no traces of the evil that lurks within.' You see, Samson ignored his weaknesses. And one of his greatest weaknesses was missing the evil that lurks behind smiling faces.

That's why we must never rush to judgment on anyone, for as Romans 3:23 says,"...we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Let's look briefly at the ugly events that occurred after Samson had been tricked by his smiling faced, so-called friend into revealing the secret to his strength.

The Philistines had been waiting for 20 years to get their hands on Samson. Look at Judges 16, verse 21: "Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison." Notice the things that happened to Samson, and then fast-forward to what happened to Arthur Teele.

First there is mutilation. They gouged out his eyes. To me, gouging as it relates to Arthur illustrates the willful injury and psychological hurt by the media, whether from malice or wantonness. When the mutilation is actually inflicted, it amounts to marring or obliterating important features of our external appearance. We no longer appear to the outside world as the person we truly are on the inside.

Next, there is deportation. The powers that be took Samson down to Gaza, which caused him much pain. The 'powers that be' took Arthur down from his political post as a City of Miami commissioner, expelling him from his office, wounding his mental health, offending his honor, self-respect and causing him much suffering and pain.

Then there is incarceration. Samson was bound with bronze shackles. Arthur was bound with chrome handcuffs and confined, having been found guilty of charges that put him on probation.

Finally, there is humiliation. They set Samson to 'binding and grinding' in the prison. Art was sent to the 'binding and grinding' of the news media's prison. Let me say this as strongly as I can. The constant media abuse by misinformation, unconfirmed allegations and lies is what I call 'media violence.' It is the 'binding and grinding' that will push anyone to lose their moral compass and vision. The power structure knows that you might beat the rap but you won't beat the ride. And most of us are beaten by the ride.

In spite of all that happened to Arthur Teele, he is saying to us from behind the altar of eternity, "don't give up, give in or give out in our crusade to better the conditions of all people." Arthur is saying to us that healing and reconciliation to God must take place. How?

First, we can't save ourselves. No one can earn his or her way to heaven. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, " For by grace are we saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." The so-called "good works" that we do are only good in our eyes.
Second, Arthur would want us to know we are all going to die. Sooner or later, our heart will beat for the last time, our loved ones will mourn over our passing, and our body will be laid to rest in a grave. Romans 6:23 says," For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Finally, Arthur would want us to know that our only hope is the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are ready to accept the fact that we are a lost and dying sinner and that our so-called "good works" are unacceptable to God, then we can begin to see our need for Jesus Christ.

I read these questions somewhere: How far can a person go before God will not deal with him or her any more? What if you steal money? Is that too far? What if you kill somebody? What if you cheat? What if you commit adultery? How far can you go before God will say, "That's it. I'm done with you."

Nobody knows the answer to these questions because nobody has ever gone far enough, no matter what they have done, to find out. Our God is a God of a second chance.

Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. Then Samson prayed to the Lord, "O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.

The moral to the story really has nothing to do with Samson or Arthur Teele, but has everything to do with God. This passage is a living lesson in the grace of God, how a man who was beaten, blinded, and humiliated, reached the bottom, turned around, and discovered that God was waiting for him all the time.

I can almost hear Arthur's voice as he stood in the lobby of the Philistines: "God use me one more time. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation. Let me feel your touch, your love and your anointing. Holy Spirit, flow though me like you used to." The pillars began to shake, rattle and roll and the foundation began cracking. Gone is the past. Gone are the failures.

Listen carefully. Restoration of a relationship with God does not depend upon your good performance all of the time. I say that because Samson did not perform well all of the time.

And so it was with Arthur Teele, but he did come back to God before he pushed those pillars down in the lobby of The Miami Herald. He came back to God while he was still shackled, while he was still blind. He turned back to God and God took him in.

There must come a time when justice means more than "just us."
Yes, it will cost us to come back to God. It cost Abraham the offering of his son Isaac on Mount Moriah. It cost Jacob a limp for the rest of his earthly life. It cost Ester laying her life on the line as she stood up on behalf of her people. It cost Job losing everything he had that was dear to him. It cost Daniel a night in a dark, stinking lion's den. It cost the three Hebrew boys a trip through the fiery furnace. It cost Stephen death by being stoned. It cost John exile on the Isle of Patmos. It cost Samson power, pain and prison. It cost Arthur Teele a long list of great difficulties.
There is a price to pay, but someday justice means more than "just us."

Arthur Earle Teele, Jr. is saying to us today, look to II Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek God's face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will they hear from heaven, have their sins be forgiven, and God will heal their land."
He is saying to us, remember Ecclesiastes 9:11: "... the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, but to those who hold out until the end." Look to Isaiah 40:31:"they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not get weary; and they shall walk; and not faint."

Arthur Earle Teele, Jr. is saying to us, "Start the healing today. Stand up and be counted. For if we don't stand for something we will fall for anything."

My brothers and my sisters, we have work to do. There was a time when we stood firm against media violence, terrorism and yes, even weapons of
mass destruction. What we once did we can do again.

Arthur Earle Teele, Jr. is saying, "the healing (and reconciliation with God) must begin." The oppressors may still try to terrorize us and threaten us with media violence; may still put the police-hounds on us; may still turn the water-hoses on us; may still put us in jail; but we would have a spirit of love and healing that media violence cannot frighten out, that the police-hounds cannot bite out; healing that water- hoses cannot wash out, that jail cannot lock out.

We would sing with new meaning, "...and before I'll be a slave, I'll be buried in my grave, and go home to my Lord, and be free!"

Arthur Earle Teele, Jr. has reminded us that we have suffered too severely, been water hosed too many times, been cattle-prodded in too many instances, been billy-clubbed by too many police officers; marched too many miles; prayed too many prayers; died too many deaths; buried too many bodies; and cried too many tears to turn back now.

There must come a time when justice means more than "just us," and it will take each of us to make it so. There must come a time when our Father will be glorified, the Holy Ghost gratified, our Bible ratified, our bodies edified, our souls satisfied and God's people sanctified.

There must come a time when justice means more than "just us." Weeping may endure for the night, but your hope is on justice beyond "just us," where there will be unspeakable, unbelievable, undeniable, unquestionable, unassailable, unbending, unbridled, unshakable, unbreakable, undisputed, unconditional, undaunted JOY in the morning.

Has anybody here seen my old friend Arthur? Can you tell me where he's gone?

He helped a lot of people, but the good die so young. When I looked around he was gone.

But not forgotten.

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