Anthony Whitfield Buie, known to his friends as “A.W.,” has called Louisville home for just a few short years, but in that time, he has worked to bring his vision and his passion to the community.
It was a mission born of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. At the time, Buie lived in Fairbanks, Alaska, and watched the news of the tragic evens from his home. “I looked and I saw these buildings just fall apart,” he said. “I went to work and got in a circle and prayed … and then I went to church.”
It was there that he heard the pastor give a sermon that mentioned “the cross before the flag,” and the vision of the Together We Stand ministry began.
“Though we love our country, we love our city, our government, we love each other, but God wants to be the center of our lives,” Buie said. “He wants to be first.”
Since moving to Louisville in 2012, Buie has continued that message by using his ministry to partner with several philanthropic groups in the city.
The National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS) is one of them. Buie brought his Together We Stand ministry to help with cleaning up local cemeteries, particularly Greenwood Cemetery in West Louisville. “We want more people to be aware of this cemetery,” Buie said. “It’s sad that it’s been neglected for so many years.”
The cemetery opened more than 100 years ago for burial of the city’s Black residents, but it fell into disrepair in recent years. NABVETS brings in volunteers on a regular basis to help clean it up.
NABVETS Commander Shedrick Jones said the cemetery is beside an elementary school, and cleaning it up sends a much-needed positive message. “What I tell people all the time is we need your help because we’re trying to inspire these young people,” Jones said. “We would not like to have them ride by here every morning and look over here at this jungle, and then at the end of the school day have to look at it on their way home.”
Buie’s “large array of skills” is a natural fit for this program.
“The ministry that [Buie] brought to the table with ‘Cross Before the Flag’ brings in a natural partnership … very much compatible with NABVETS,” Jones said. “Plus, his skill sets and his background and experience fit right in.”
Buie’s background includes experience as veteran of the United States Air Force, serving 22 years before his retirement in 1992. He served during the Vietnam War, Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Buie expresses pride in his service to his country but always remembers that his faith comes first and drives him to make those around him and his community better—especially now, with the unrest in recent months in Louisville.
“They’ve got a lot of good people in this city,” Buie said. “And I’m going to say it again: They’ve got a lot of good people in this city, but these good people need good people behind them to help them achieve what they need to achieve. We need to be a better person. We need to be a better community. We stand firm on the Word of God, and that’s how we can transform Louisville, Kentucky, into a better place.”
In addition to political unrest, Buie stresses homelessness as a real tragedy facing not only Louisville but also the rest of the country. To help combat the problem, Together We Stand has launched the PUSH Initiative (“Providing Unfortunate Souls Housing”) to sell one million pins at $5 each, with the proceeds going to various nonprofit programs to assist the homeless.
The pin embodies Buie’s mission—an image of a cross in front of the American flag. The logo has been registered with the Library of Congress, and a framed picture sits in the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas.
“That’s what propels me to do what I do—it’s homelessness and just being out there helping people,” Buie said. “I want to do all I can.”
The Cross Before the Flag
Message: Pastor Essex L. Richardson Jr.
Author: Warren C. Whitmore
Visionary: Anthony “A.W.” Buie
I watched that faithful morning,
in horror and disbelief,
As the planes struck the buildings and the people ran in the streets.
I knew at that moment that things would never be the same,
For terrorists had changed the rules, they’d started a whole new game.
Thousands of people were injured, maimed and killed,
This was the work of madmen,
not something GOD had willed.
People began to help, doing
things we call brave,
And just above the rubble,
in the wind our flag did wave.
It started a worldwide movement,
as our flag flew everywhere,
And yes, to some degree,
it does ease our despair.
Revenge and retribution,
for letting such terror out of the bag,
But we’re doomed from the start,
if we forget in our heart
To put The Cross Before the Flag.