Kneeling with the NFL – with Michel Faulkner, NFL Alumni Association NY Chapter President

Show Notes

Head of the NFL Alumni Association’s New York Chapter, and former NY Jets footballer, Michel Faulkner, debates the NFL’s decision penalizing players who kneel during the national anthem to protest policy brutality and racial inequities…

Staking a position that defends the ban, while supporting civic protest, Faulkner and host Vikrum Aiyer also debate the state of America’s right to free expression in an era where everyone from the President to the ACLU and now even sports franchises are shaping how and where we are able to speak our minds.

Guest Bio:

For more than 32 years, Rev. Michel Faulkner has dedicated his life to serving God and his community. Growing up in Washington, D.C., he was an all-star football player that became a freshman All-American and four-year starter at VirginiaTech. In 1980, Rev.Faulkner graduated with a B.A. in communications. Then in 1985 he earned his M.A. in Education with emphasis in Career Counseling. After college, Rev. Faulkner played two seasons (1980-82) in the NFL, one season with the NY Jets. In 1983, Faulkner returned to Virginia Tech and graduated with a Master’s. Upon completing of his Master’s degree, he became the Assistant Dean of Students at Liberty University in 1985, and was promoted to Vice President for Urban Ministry in 1987.

In 1988, Rev. Faulkner and his family moved to Times Square in New York City, to run a soup kitchen as Assistant Pastor for the Lamb’s Church. A little more than one year later, he joined the staff of Calvary Baptist Church in Manhattan as Pastor for Youth and Community Outreach, where he was ordained inDecember 1991. While at Calvary he also served as co-chairman for the New York City Board of Education’s HIV/ AIDS Task Force from 1991- 1994

In 1993, Rev. Faulkner became the Senior Pastor of Central Baptist Church in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He was able to grow the congregation from an average of 50 weekly attendees to over 400. While serving as Senior Pastor at Central he also served as the Vice President for Community Government Relations at King’s College from 1998 to 2002. He served on Mayor Giuliani’s Task Force on Police Community Relations and wasa Commissioner for the City Charter Revision. Also from June of 2002 to February of 2004, Rev. Faulkner served as World Vision’s Director of U.S. Programs in New York City helping to give share to their 9/11 response in NYC.

In 2005, Rev. Faulkner founded the Institute for Leadership, a 501-3c organization to develop leaders and bring scalable solutions to difficult community problems. In June 2006, Rev. Faulkner he founded the New Horizon Church of New York in Harlem on the purpose to build bridges between the economically and socially disadvantaged in the name ofChrist.

In 2010 Rev. Faulkner he was the Republican candidate for Congress for New York’s 15th Congressional district. Also in 2010, Rev. Faulkner published his first book “Restoring the American Dream”, which highlights his vision and goals to save the American Dream for future generations. In September 2015 Rev. Faulkner became a Republican candidate for Mayor and in May 2017 switched to a candidacy for Comptroller. He was nominated by Republican, Conservative, Reformed and Independence Parties. He received 22 percent of the vote November 8 2017.

Rev. Faulkner has completed four marathons including the 2010 NYC Marathon which was a lifelong goal for him. In October 27, 2013, he completed the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington D.C. Rev. Faulkner is also a frequent commenter for numerous national and local media outlets including CNN and FOX News.

In February 2014 Rev. Faulkner lost his wife, Virginia, of more than 31 years to lupus. Together they raised 3 children in New York City, all have graduated College. In March 2015, Rev. Faulkner married Dr. Sarai Padilla. She is a practicing psychologist for more than 30 years and has one daughter and three grandchildren.

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What is American Enough?

America's identity is evolving in real time. Immigrants are being scoffed at for looking a certain way and not being "American" enough. Transgender individuals are being determined not "fit enough" to serve in our military. Sexual assault and neo-nazi behavior is being condoned by the Oval Office. The First Amendment is being ridiculed. And, America's moral authority is eroding internationally, begging the question of who is "enough" of an American ally.

Former Obama White House senior advisor and Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of Commerce, Vikrum Aiyer, is joined by journalists, comedians, politicians, activists, and listeners, to unpack this crucial existential moment for our nation's identity.