Turning points in the saga of Race in America
The Color of Christ is a book that evokes memories of the exhausted images and lives of Jesus which preponderantly contributes to “the saga of race in America.” (5) The book modifies and wisely propagates the stereotypical images of Jesus throughout the history of the U.S, which offers the most striking responses. In the book, Blum and Harvey portray the world as a place that is filled with various images about Jesus. The book, in its entirety, has been used by the two authors to substantiate the atrocities that were prevalent at a time when there was supremacy among the whites. White supremacy echoed loudly and was basically reinforced by the argument that Jesus Christ was white so he would agree with this notion. From the vicissitudes, and the happenings in the first six chapters of the book, Blum and Harvey have carefully interwoven a tapestry of visions and dreams of Americans to illustrate the fact that Americans have remade Christ. Instead of the thought that we, humans were made in the likeness of Christ, the son of G-d, we reinvented this theory of Christ in our likeness to suit our bias whether it be positive or negative. Again, Christ is emblematic of their aspirations strivings for power and racial justice, and their deeply- entrenched terrors.
The book has given special treatment to Christ, who, in this case, is the main determinant of political, legal and the national limits on the value of the human person, both
In the book “Not Race: A New Vision of Opportunity in America” by Sheryll Cashin starts off by Cashin argues about the disadvantages about black children who come from low income families and are not getting rightfully accepted base on where they come from. That they are using the placed they come from to determine whether they are accepted. Cashin use her credibility and other credible source to argue her point in the book. The type of ethos use display throughout Cashin book was with authority she seeks a lot of profession option and inserted credible statement. Therefore, if people were read the book and had what if question in there head then credible source that were used in the book help answer that question.
These cruelties were confronted by the church where it was unknown if the African American race could express themselves past whether it was the blues or spiritually or even both. The Lynching trees shares a major resemblance of the cross of Golgotha where Jesus our Savior was crucified for the sins of the human race. The irony presented here demonstrates how the lynching of Jesus Christ of Him dying on the cross and the lynching of five thousand African American individuals have a great difference in American theology where those who committed the acts within the states did not see the similarities between them both. Martin Luther King Jr. had a prominent role within society in America where he sought out to teach the white race of the United States that if the cross were the pillar of the Christian faith then they would soon learn that the lynching tree is the American cross. Even with the outlaw of segregation through the case of Brown vs. the Board of Education, lynching was a shocking reminder to the American population of the power the white race had upon the African
In Chapter 3, Douglas presents three different theological perspectives of the Black Christ. Albert Cleage, James Cone, and J. Deotis Roberts discuss the idea of Christ being Black. Cleage presents, “the most provocative version of Christ’s Blackness” (55). His argument is theoretical in the utmost sense of God as flesh representing Black Americans, but suggesting that Jesus was actually, “…the Black son of a Black Israelite woman and of a Black God” (56). It is of the upmost necessity for Jesus to be ethnically Black to Cleage because of, “…his role as pastor, his understanding of the Black church, and his ties to Black nationalism” (56). Because Cleage views Christ as literally Black, he is not forced to
There are five themes that persist throughout American history. The five themes are mission, manifest destiny, industrialization, imperialism, and race. Racism has been an issue throughout American history. Only in recent years has the problem been resolved, but even now there is still some issues. Some private groups are still against some races.
Podcast Assignment #3: Unlocking Us with Brené Brown In the episode of Brené Brown's podcast Unlocking Us, "Brené with Austin Channing Brown on I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness", Brown and Channing Brown discuss white people's exploitation of black people to validate their egos of being a "good person". She emphasizes this pattern by comparing how black and white religious communities perceive Jesus. Black religious people see Jesus as a symbol of justice and unity, whereas white religious people focus on self-preservation, money, capitalism, and wielding control over others. This preservation of self and power frequently uses blackness as a source of righteousness or pardon from guilt when a white person is called racist. To counteract this accusation, they use
Racial Formation in the United States by Michael Omi and Howard Winant made me readjust my understanding of race by definition and consider it as a new phenomenon. Through, Omi and Winant fulfilled their purpose of providing an account of how concepts of race are created and transformed, how they become the focus of political conflict, and how they shape and permeate both identities and institutions. I always considered race to be physical characteristic by the complexion of ones’ skin tone and the physical attributes, such as bone structure, hair texture, and facial form. I knew race to be a segregating factor, however I never considered the meaning of race as concept or signification of identity that refers to different types of human bodies, to the perceived corporal and phenotypic makers of difference and the meanings and social practices that are ascribed to these differences, in which in turn create the oppressing dominations of racialization, racial profiling, and racism. (p.111). Again connecting themes from the previous readings, my westernized influences are in a direct correlation to how to the idea of how I see race and the template it has set for the rather automatic patterns of inequalities, marginalization, and difference. I never realized how ubiquitous and evolving race is within the United States.
Race is still an open topic in America and in the world, as it has always implied differentiation, inequalities and division among human beings, and has been the basis for some of the most tragic events in history.
For centuries, artists depicted Jesus as a white European, anchoring this image in collective imagination and consciousness in western culture. Modern mass media adopted this depiction, and through cinema and TV consolidated it worldwide. Sadly, for descendants of indigenous population of American continents and African-American community, the image of white European Jesus became a symbol of White supremacy and oppression. In this paper, I will explore the evolution of image of Jesus as white European in art and movies, and the issues related to the image of white European Jesus as symbol of white supremacy and oppression for African-American
Religion and race is embedded deeply in culture. Christianity and the images of Jesus had played a huge part in shaping early colonial America. The Color of Christ is a book written by Edward J. Blum and Paul Harvey that provides a great insight on how race, religion and power played an important role in the colonial America. Sometimes, Jesus figures were used to defend unequal treatment given to certain racial groups, while other times it helped them to rise up against inequality. This book explains how different ethnic groups used physical form of Jesus to their advantage. The Color of Christ provide details on how English Colonists used Jesus as a symbol to justify racial supremacy and to help unify different
When watching a TED talk you automatically know your going to leave with some new profound thought or have your ways of thinking changed slightly. The primes behind TED talks is “Ideas worth spreading” right there in their mission statement is what persuasive speech is. In Ms. Alexander’s TED talk she did just that, she spread the idea to her audience of what the future of race in America will look like if we don’t seek to change the social, economical, and political policies that almost certainly put people in america as legal second class citizens.
H. Richard Niebuhr 's work, Christ and Culture, presents a fivefold typology to describe the different ways Christians understand the interrelation between God, human beings, and culture, and the inherent nature of each of these categories. Niebuhr begins by talking about Christians who understand Christ in diametric opposition to an inherently sinful culture. These Christians see Christ calling them to tear down culture or enter into monastic communities to guard themselves from it. Niebuhr ends his typology by describing Christians who see Christ’s work as the work of redemption. Christ transforms people by converting us back to our original state so that we might glorify God and change society so that it likewise reflects this change in personhood. Jose Porfirio Miranda’s brand of liberation theology adopts the logic of these Niebuhrian types while offering a unique constructive perspective. In this paper, I will explain Niebuhr 's construction of Christ against Culture and Christ transforming culture before applying these types to Miranda’s theory of justice and discussing the way in which Miranda’s description of Christians in the public sphere resonates with these Niebuhrian categories. I will then discuss what Niebuhr and Miranda offer to people of faith, I will apply their insights to the current presidential campaign, and then I will conclude by discussing the way in which our political culture lauds the voices of the rich and powerful at the expense of all
Race relations are an ever prominent issue in American society. Controversies focusing around race are a commonly seen smeared across the front page of the newspaper or headlining on the evening news. The opposition is usually between a minority group and "The Man," a colloquialism used by many Blacks to refer to the overwhelming power stemming from white racist tendencies. This racial tension can sometimes can cause the oppressed to band together against the oppressor. Many times, the most prevalent link is between the African American community and the Latino community. Here we find two groups of people with very similar lifestyles who find camaraderie between themselves when dealing
American society likes to believe that race relations in our country are no longer strained. We do not want to hear about the need for affirmative action or about the growing numbers of white supremacist groups. In order to appease our collective conscious, we put aside the disturbing fact that racism is alive and well in the great U.S.A. It hides in the workplace, it subtly shows its ugly face in the media, and it affects the education of minority students nationwide. In the following excerpts from an interview with a middle class African American male, the reader will find strong evidence that race plays a major role in determining the type and quality of education a student receives.
Many would wonder why racism and religion rapture like a constant glare of ambiguity. Along from the 1700’s to now the 20th century, we ask ourselves why does your race and religion matter still? I would like to think that racism should not even matter based off what is now happening today. Within the essay I will discuss to the reader about three stories that to me had many similarities in comparisons; with controversy, racial segregation and biblical context. I will explain how the text related subject of racial profiling which showed a symbolic idol of (God) in the form of faith during these early times. I will then speak on the controversy that the narrator tried to convey the audience to mimic harsh opinions on certain characters. The last I will speak upon how religion was quoted throughout this paper in the stories.
One of Cone’s most significant assertions is the declaration of God’s ontological blackness. This very strong standpoint has been taken to emphasize the fact that God stands with the oppressed. For this same reason, in a society where oppression is associated with color of the skin, God could never be colorless (Floyd and Pinn 21). Throughout the history of Christianity, God and Jesus Christ have always been depicted as white as one way to justify the oppression of African Americans and the supremacy of white people. To assert that God and Jesus are black also serves as a way to remind people of the injustices committed against black people. Indeed, Jesus was marginalized by the Jews, just like black people have been marginalized by the caucasian dominant community. Jesus was also killed as he was trying to subvert an unjust social order, just like many black people have been killed while trying to subvert white supremacy. This is also the reason why Cone compares the cross of Jesus with lynching trees. Another very interesting point made by Cone that strictly relates to the context of oppression from which Black theology was raised is the belief that since all humans are made in the image and likeness of God, none of them is created to be oppressed, but they are all meant for freedom. This also links to the theme of salvation which Cone identifies with liberation, and is seen in terms of bringing about the kingdom of God, heaven, which is also earthly, and that is the place