The Hero Of Faith Based Social Justice

Some lessons never die. Mahatma Gandhi died nearly seventy years ago, and Jesus Christ died over two-thousand years ago; yet their powerful message lives on. One example of someone who was deeply touched by the teaching of Gandhi and Christ is John Lewis. In March: Book One and March: Book Two, written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, we can clearly see how Lewis incorporated Christianity and Gandhi's ideas of peaceful protest into the civil rights movement. The books tell an eventful story of John Lewis' life. As Lewis grew up, his faith strengthened and he began involving himself in the civil rights movement. He played a major role in desegregating department store lunch counters, buses, and giving voting rights to people of color by

Culturally speaking, Walter Rauschenbusch may have been years ahead of his time. From the very first chapter of his most famous work, Rauschenbusch’s passion for social justice is quite evident. He certainly had his finger on the pulse of his current generation, noting the compelling movement of the college students of his day to social service (3). It could be argued that the current generation shares this passion and perhaps even his theology. Unfortunately, while as believers we are called to “act justly and love mercy” (Micah 6:8), Rauschenbusch’s system of theology to uphold this love for social justice

Many aspects of social justice can be found in the Bible. Jesus partakes in many actions that would fall under social justice. He fed the hungry, stood up for women’s rights and welcomed the outcasts who were hated. Through history, there are very few people that stood up for equality and against oppression. One such person would be Martin Luther King, Jr. who based a lot of his work on the bible and the religious figures that are described in it.

Society has thrived against adversity with virtues of hope, fueled by the belief of a higher power. In The Book of Martha, by Octavia Butler, the protagonist, Martha, seeks a solution to end humanity’s greed, which will eventually lead to their inevitable demise. For centuries, religion has had an impact in the way societies view ethical and moral issues. Human kindness has always been at the core of each act behind religious beliefs. These acts of kindness have been made with the intention to progress ourselves as a society and as a community. An interview with Father Jesus de la Tapia, from The Parish of Santa Rosa, highlighted the social impact that these acts of kindness can bring to our community. Although Martha’s actions are those set in a fictional story, her belief in God and ability to bring humanity together, are actions which can be seen in our community, making it a better place.

I might not be a person like Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B Du Bois, Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad, Bell Hooks, and Jesse Jackson, or I might not be a part of organizations like the NAACP, SCLC, Afro American Unity, and Black Panther Party, but if I ever get an opportunity to make a difference these people and organizations made to the lives of African-Americans, I would never hesitate to take it. Although, these people adhered to the different ideologies, they all are unique, as they all had a significant role in fighting against the struggles of African-Americans in one way or the other. It’s true that, these people were able to achieve the equal

The introduction to the article is set up with examples of extreme examples of social justice in education, calling them the “by products of […] an elementary school education rooted in social-justice principles” (Reynolds, 2012, p. 1). Reynolds argues that schools are increasing the “weave [of] social justice throughout the primary school curriculum” (Reynolds, 2012, p.1). The ideas of social justice in the education system to inspire children to become critical thinkers of current events.

One of the worlds best known advocates of non-violent social change strategies was Martin Luther King Jr. He synthesized ideals drawn from many different cultural traditions. The image of a social activist and leader was the result of extensive formal education, strong personal values and licit ethics. This excellence in leadership can be traced to his character, which is shaped by his moral values and

For decades there has been a great deal of controversy over the importance of African American citizens. The Souls of Black Folks, by W.E.B. DuBois, and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement both have multiple similarities that deserve to be thoroughly examined. Although DuBois’ work and the modern day movement occurred decades apart, some common similarities include: the realization in the black souls that they are seen differently, the lack of fairness towards black people, and the great divide between black and white citizens.

Obviously, there is unfinished business from the civil rights movement era. Yet, what role the Divine Nine will play? Today, many of the new voices and faces fighting inequality and injustices on the national and local scene are not affiliated with a Divine Nine organization; this was unheard of 40 years ago. The old guard leadership of the NAACP, nor church elders with the possible exception of a few players no longer pilot the rallies, protesting age-old inequalities and injustices in cities like Ferguson, Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia.

After I read the article, I had to sit back and digest the material for an entire day. The article force me to do some soul searching regarding my position on power, privilege, and oppression. Have I been so oblivious to my surroundings? I quickly thought about the six core values of social work: service, social justice, dignity and worth, importance of human relationships, integrity, & competence. Will I be able to help others; because like Spencer (2008) I took somethings in life for granted? It was ironic when I was reading the article that Martin Luther King Jr, Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandella came to mine. They all fought for the injustice and sacrificed much to change the minds of the one in the position of power.

There is little debate among historians that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Congressman John Lewis are arguably two of the most important men in the Civil Rights Movement. Both of these men, Dr. Martin Luther King, in context of his involvement with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and John Lewis, in context of his involvement with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, left indelible impacts on the trajectory and success of the civil rights movement writ-large. While it is important to recognize the collective achievement of each of these men and the organizations in which they served, it is also important to recognize the reality that both of these men occupied distinct political positions within the movement which ultimately changed the ways in which they both would foresee the actions that they thought would be important and essential to the success of the movement.

Uprisings against police crimes, protests on Israeli occupation, lobbying for gay rights, striking for a higher minimum wage, etc. are all fought with the same fist and same power: that of the people. Just in recent months, black activists in Chicago have traveled with student groups to Palestine in opposition of apartheid, and Palestinians marched beside the black community during the Black Lives Matter movement. Political prisoner Angela Davis lead the community hand-in-hand with Rasmea Odeh, a contemporary victim of political repression. The same can be said about so many other organizations and communities here in Chicago. The struggles of so many across the globe are unified here in Chicago by the thread of tyranny and injustice. This unifying thread only serves to symbolize how struggles belong to no single body or group of people, but are obstacles that must be overcome by the global

Bearing this harsh fact in mind, it is worth remembering that the racial minorities, be it blacks, latinos or Asians, face an uphill struggle in overcoming the hurdle of residential segregation if they are to successfully and meaningfully assimilate into American society. The Catholic church places great emphasis on the dignity and meaning of every human life and it has a significant role to play in helping those who are less fortunate in the American society. Doing God’s work on earth is a holy cause.

Protecting the rights and dignity of the poor and oppressed is the most important moral duty of the church.’ Critically evaluate this statement with reference to Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King.

Although this information on Liberation Theology is essential to understanding of this concept, the focus of our presentation, in relation to our class, was Black Liberation Theology. It is easy to see how African Americans relate to the idea of Liberation Theology, as a historically socially oppressed group of peoples. The encompassed theme of Black Liberation theologians is the concept of God emancipating African Americans from white racism. Jesus in Liberation Theology is commonly represented as a ‘Poor Black Man’, therefore allowing the representation of a relatable figure for the African American people. One way in which we felt the concept of Liberation Theology come together with class discussion, was in relation to the Black Liberation Theologian, James Cone, whom we had previously discussed in class time, leading up to this presentation.