Christian Picciolini: Article Analysis

The article by Erika Christakis, informs future teachers and parents how preschool today may not be benefiting their children as much as they thought. She talks about how preschool has changed drastically over the years as well as kindergarten. She states that “kindergarten may be the new first grade”. Her statement shows how children today are expected more then they were years ago in all grades, especially preschool and at such a young age. Many think this is helping our children or will benefit them in the future if they know more as a child but this may not be the case. The article talks about multiple studies done throughout America to children are learning and how school curriculum changing affects children. A studied showed that children

In a great percentage of history books the information given is only given from one perspective. One when is reading or listening to an historical account, one must take into consideration who the historian in order to gain more insight into why they may have a particular account about a particular event. The same is true when looking at churches. Because white experiences in this country differ so greatly from those of African-Americans, The Black Church has the burden of being a spiritual backbone of a community while also being able to relate to the specific experiences of African-Americans. Calhoun argues that if blacks are able to get away from the image of God given to them by whites and form their own, they would be more likely to relate to this image and as result would become more empowered and connected to their race. The idea of racial empowerment and black theology can be considered as counterparts. If one is given a religion that is based on experiences that are not their own, and cannot relate those experiences to themselves, they are more likely to be apathetic towards them. Religion has long served as a means of moral and emotional support. Calhoun argues Blacks

David Walker’s Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World, but in particular, and very expressly to those of the United States of America, “promoted racial solidarity and moral elevation with fervor,” and is as much a political source as it is religious. His Appeal adamantly argues against oppression and slavery while encouraging a vivacious and lively spirit amongst the black community, in the hopes of promoting unity and diminishing the acceptance of mistreatment from their white counterparts. To convey this message, which was presented in a mannerism that was extremely radical, Walker uses the bible and what can most clearly be defined as a Methodist theology to support his stance on the issues of society.

theology, the only true theology as Cone sees it, is not possible by white people as they are

King made the white churches feel guilty for doing nothing to help the African American protests and violating morals established by the early church. King mentions the word

He taught there should not be any difference between the white and the blacks. They should all be treated as one which is correct, so I support him on that because even the Bible is against that. God those not like cheating, the religious leaders have to teach us what is in line with the gospel, not contrary to the law. “In spite of my shattered dreams, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, would serve as the channel through which our just grievances could reach the power structure. I had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have being disappointed”

threats and violence. Black experiences were to refer to white men as authority for being a

Unlike DiAngelo’s White Privilege essay, a group of religious authorities under the umbrella of Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A. wrote a response letter to Dr. Reverend King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” First quoting a portion of Dr. King’s letter then responding to the quote, the group takes a Biblical stance on the racial issues that continue to preside in modern day American culture. Beginning the essay, the group differentiates between merely acting upon the symptoms of racism. “... (a) superficial kind of social analysis…” and discovering and fixing the root of the racial. By investigating the racial issues at hand and striving towards Dr. King’s dream of a community of equal opportunities for all races, then the conversation of racial inequality can begin. Realizing that fostering a multiracial community centered around radical love that forsakes “safety of our social order,” we, as the Christian body need to develop a society that eliminates the social prejudices currently penetrate into every aspect of

Racism, known as “the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.” (Oxford, 2013) When an individual mentions the word ‘racism’ almost all the time it will be referred to a black individual, not white nor any other race, but black. Over the years racism has repeatedly occurred whether it was said or done; some showed racism by the words they used, while others presented it by the racist acts they committed. Racism towards the black community has not only been shown by other races, but also by individuals who were there to keep them ‘safe’. Very contradictory yet true, that a black man’s worst

He also looks unfavorably at the white Christian churches that have not lent a hand to help their black brothers in the Christian religion. Overall, he is trying to show how his way of nonviolent direct action is the best way to solve racial injustices against blacks.

King brings in examples from his religion to further his argument that one must oppose unjust laws using nonviolent direct action. King is accused of being an extremist, to which he responds: “Will we be extremists for hate or for love?” (King 26). A bold statement, phrasing action as having two distinct sides. King strongly disavows the white moderate who stands to the side and waits for justice to come with time, instead of fighting for justice in the moment. He is quick to refer to the Bible when addressing the clergymen: “Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel?” (King 25). Using a rhetorical question with a biblical reference to make those who consider him an extremist, rethink if being an extremist is such an ill position to be in. He continues to use biblical imagery to support his point, citing that he is an extremist for love as so many were before him, including several prominent figures from Christianity. Even Jesus Christ, he states “was an extremist for love, truth and goodness” (King 26). By using this symbolism King is able to converse with his fellow clergymen in a way that is familiar to them all, pointing out the flaws in their

In spite of Baldwin?s sympathetic response to the villagers, there is no sympathy toward the white man?s ideas of religion. I believe Baldwin feels that these religious villagers, who have preached about God for years, are simply hypocrites. How could these vague white supremacists believe in the same religion as Baldwin and his ancestors when the Negro supposedly used to be ?identified with the devil? (Baldwin 134)? So the suppressed Negro must

Rather than pushing both races to blur the line between whites and blacks, the religion seems to further distinguish this line. Baldwin gives a compelling reason for stating that Americans must separate themselves from Christianity in order to progress into a world where everyone can live free. The Christian religion keeps its members in a prison of blind faith. While the blacks lack freedom because of society's treatment of them, whites lack freedom in their blind following of the belief that they possess superiority over blacks because of skin color. Despite the initial comfort that religion wrapped around Baldwin, he saw its hypocrisy that ensnared the other members and continued the long chain of hate among Americans of every color. Americans’ interpretation of the message of Christianity may lead them to judge others, but Baldwin takes the true message of love and applies it to his plea to have hope. Baldwin states that he and believers like him will “force [their] brothers to see themselves as they are, to cease fleeing from reality and being to change it” (8). In opening their hearts to the Christian commandment to love one another and applying it to their actions, Americans will be able to save themselves from drowning in a flood of their judgments and bring peace to the

Ethics is theology and white theology is blind, therefore it directly affects white ethics, “because white theologians have not interpreted God as the Liberator of the oppressed, it follows that white ethicists would not make liberation the central motif of ethical analysis.” (185) A poem by Joseph Cotter ends the book because it is Black Theology’s thought on reconciliation with the white community. In 1975, Cone’s answer was this reconciliation is not going to happen because blacks were still being oppressed. Today, Cone may feel that enough progress has been made in liberating the blacks to reconcile with whites.

Cone feels that one of the most serious charges that have been leveled against advocates of Black Power are that they are black racists. It is true that blacks hate whites but the hatred is not racists. Webster defines racism as “the assumption that psycho cultural traits and capacities are determined by