By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com
Juanita Bynum better get some security.
Quickly.
All hell nearly broke loose when the popular televangelist walked through New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Sunday afternoon – as throngs of "Essence Music Festival" seminar attendees clamored toward her for a brief acknowledgment, a touch, a smile, or even a glance.
After the year Bynum has had in the public eye, it didn't come as a surprise that she kept it moving – rather swiftly, surrounded by a barrage of New Orleans' finest and convention security guards that conjured up imagery of a sunglasses-clad/sequin-gloved Michael Jackson and hundreds of policemen during his heyday.
The self-proclaimed prophetess, who was accosted by her estranged husband Bishop Thomas Weeks, III in an Atlanta area hotel parking lot last summer, has been through hell and back over the past eleven months – even becoming a new face of domestic abuse.
And believe it or not, she doesn't shy away from the shame and embarrassment of the unfortunate incident, which subsequently catapulted her into the national mainstream media spotlight.
She actually seems to relish in it.
"Now I know y'all ain't come here on the short bus so come on," she mused to an audience of what seemed to be packed with thousands of her supporters during her fiery sermon.
"I am standing here today to let you know that your breakthrough ain't coming but it's here," she yelled as hundreds of audience members hollered back in participatory fashion.
"Let me tell you something; God don't hurry up and do nothing. This very date was on the schedule. The date that you was born was on the schedule. The date that God said Hurricane Katrina was gonna come but he also knew that he was gonna fix the city so you can keep your apartment. Who am I talking to? So guess what; the devil tried to kill me in that parking lot because he knew when I got on this platform and I opened up my mouth: Your breakthrough was here. It ain't coming, it's already here."
Bynum, who has released a string of best-selling books and recording projects, had the crowd – of mostly black women – on their feet and clinging to her every word of the hour-long presentation, which was at times provocative, uplifting, inspiring and surprisingly humorous.
During a portion of the speech, she shared a recent interaction that occurred while out in public:
"I was in the mall the other day and I ran into some people and they walked up to me and they said, 'Are you alright?' and I said, 'No, is you alright for asking me am I alright?'
"She said, 'I'm praying for you,' and I said, 'I'm praying for you too.' "
"She said, 'You've been through a lot,' and I said 'And so have you.'
"Then she said, 'Well, I just know that yours has just been really public,' and I said, 'Baby, let me tell you something: You're only attacked from the range of who you are, and if that declares who I am, then guess what? I'm bigger than I thought I was.'"
More rapturous applause.
"If you're going through a hard time right now, it's because somebody is afraid of your destiny," she continued yelling at a decibel that shook the rafters of the super-sized convention center.
"Somebody is recognizing on your job, in your family that you are bigger than you thought you were."
Juanita Bynum better get some security.
Quickly.
All hell nearly broke loose when the popular televangelist walked through New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Sunday afternoon – as throngs of "Essence Music Festival" seminar attendees clamored toward her for a brief acknowledgment, a touch, a smile, or even a glance.
After the year Bynum has had in the public eye, it didn't come as a surprise that she kept it moving – rather swiftly, surrounded by a barrage of New Orleans' finest and convention security guards that conjured up imagery of a sunglasses-clad/sequin-gloved Michael Jackson and hundreds of policemen during his heyday.
The self-proclaimed prophetess, who was accosted by her estranged husband Bishop Thomas Weeks, III in an Atlanta area hotel parking lot last summer, has been through hell and back over the past eleven months – even becoming a new face of domestic abuse.
And believe it or not, she doesn't shy away from the shame and embarrassment of the unfortunate incident, which subsequently catapulted her into the national mainstream media spotlight.
She actually seems to relish in it.
"Now I know y'all ain't come here on the short bus so come on," she mused to an audience of what seemed to be packed with thousands of her supporters during her fiery sermon.
"I am standing here today to let you know that your breakthrough ain't coming but it's here," she yelled as hundreds of audience members hollered back in participatory fashion. "Let me tell you something; God don't hurry up and do nothing. This very date was on the schedule. The date that you was born was on the schedule. The date that God said Hurricane Katrina was gonna come but he also knew that he was gonna fix the city so you can keep your apartment. Who am I talking to? So guess what; the devil tried to kill me in that parking lot because he knew when I got on this platform and I opened up my mouth: Your breakthrough was here. It ain't coming, it's already here."
Bynum, who has released a string of best-selling books and recording projects, had the crowd – of mostly black women – on their feet and clinging to her every word of the hour-long presentation, which was at times provocative, uplifting, inspiring and surprisingly humorous.
During a portion of the speech, she shared a recent interaction that occurred while out in public:
"I was in the mall the other day and I ran into some people and they walked up to me and they said, 'Are you alright?' and I said, 'No, is you alright for asking me am I alright?'
"She said, 'I'm praying for you,' and I said, 'I'm praying for you too.' "
"She said, 'You've been through a lot,' and I said 'And so have you.'
"Then she said, 'Well, I just know that yours has just been really public,' and I said, 'Baby, let me tell you something: You're only attacked from the range of who you are, and if that declares who I am, then guess what? I'm bigger than I thought I was.'"
More rapturous applause.
"If you're going through a hard time right now, it's because somebody is afraid of your destiny," she continued yelling at a decibel that shook the rafters of the super-sized convention center.
"Somebody is recognizing on your job, in your family that you are bigger than you thought you were."
*****
"It feels good to be back," Bynum told BlackVoices.com during an intimate chat following a Wal-Mart book signing shortly after a CNN appearance later that afternoon.
Gospel music balladeer 
abuse with his newfound sense of freedom. The project puts an exclamation point on his personal statement of having been set free from the shackles of molestation. 
Religion has always been a major aspect of African-American life. Religion instills morals, discipline and optimism in its practitioners. We often credit our faith in God with our ability to overcome major life issues. Many people feel that their spirituality has greatly influenced their health and many doctors are in agreement, according to a study performed by researchers from the University of Chicago.
