Over the course of the last few months I have been stepping back from my daily routine to observe in as wide a scope as possible, the endless number of things happening. As I mentioned earlier, for many years I made it a point to keep my spiritual life separate from my personal. Furthermore, the news seemed to be an endless meditation on negativity; draining to say the least. From where I stand now imposing that artificial separation between spiritual and person seem rather trite and juvenile, despite the fact that it was beneficial for a time. But realistically speaking so much has changed from my childhood to the present day. Without irony or cynicism it can be clearly stated that we are a global culture. It's hard to imagine a scenario where proximity to a worldwide event, if its great enough in magnitude can confer immunity to from the subsequent ramifications. No matter how far we are from the source or …show more content…
About a week ago it just so happened to be the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther Kings Riverside Church speech, and perhaps coincidentally the NY Daily News published a story indicating the extent to which the Black Lives Matter movement was infiltrated by undercover police. I asked around on my Facebook page and in person to friends and family if anyone saw the irony? Many people didn't know MLK was wiretapped and placed under surveillance by the FBI who in addition worked on coercing Dr King to commit suicide. There are few things as amazing as being in meditation with other dervishes, yet once we cross that threshold again and re-enter the world, the threat of systemic abuse and exploitation are palpable again and a weight is hung on one's shoulders, (at least
The All Lives Matter supporters believe that black people who were killed recently showed violence against the policemen and they were not innocents. The president of Amherst College Republicans Robert Lucido responses, “First, the Black Lives Matter group was originally titled ‘F--- the Police.’ The organizers of the Awareness week claimed that every 28 hours a black man is killed by a law enforcement officer, but they never mentioned that a law enforcement officer is killed every 48 hours in the line of duty. The organizers may have thought it clever, but such a title is utterly shameful” (Lucido). The author uses ethos by showing facts in his response that illustrates the opposite of what Black Lives Matter group claimed; however, these
Drea Knufken’s thesis statement is that “As a society, we’ve acquired an immunity to crisis” (510-512). This means that humans in general, or citizens of the world, have become completely desensitized to disasters, we think of them as just another headline, without any understanding of their impact upon fellow
One of the most destructive forces that is destroying young black people in America today is the common cultures wicked image of what an realistic black person is supposed to look like and how that person is supposed to act. African Americans have been struggling for equality since the birth of this land, and the war is very strong. Have you ever been in a situation where you were stereotyped against?
African Americans had been struggling to obtain equal rights for scores of decades. During the 1960’s, the civil rights movement intensified and the civil rights leaders entreated President Kennedy to intervene. They knew it would take extreme legislature to get results of any merit. Kennedy was afraid to move forward in the civil rights battle, so a young preacher named Martin Luther King began a campaign of nonviolent marches and sit-ins and pray-ins in Birmingham, Alabama to try and force a crisis that the President would have to acknowledge. Eventually things became heated and Police Commissioner Eugene “Bull” Connor released his men to attack the protesters, which included many schoolchildren. All of this was captured and televised to the horror of the world. Finally this forced the President into action and he proposed a bill outlawing segregation in public facilities. The bill became bogged down in Congress but civil righ...
Today there are many controversial subjects discussed throughout the media. One of the most discussed is race and the Black Lives Matter movement. Recently, I came across an article titled “The Truth of ‘Black Lives Matter’”, written by The Editorial Board. The article was published on September 3, 2015, to the New York Times. In the article, The Editorial Board writes about what they believe African Americans are facing as challenges in society today, including the all-too-common police killings of unarmed African-Americans across the country. The Editorial Board is right that some African Americans have been treated unfairly, but all ethnicities have been. Life is a precious thing that comprises all ethnicities. This brings us to ask; why
Growing up an African American female in poverty is hard. You constantly see your parents worry about making ends meet. They wonder will they be able to make their paycheck reach to the next paycheck. Being young and watching your mother struggle is something you do not understand. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised there until I was 5. In 2005 I move south to live in Abbeville, Al. By this time my mother and father separated and I was being raised by my mother, a single parent. Having moved to a smaller town from the big city was one of my very first obstacles. Everything is done differently in the south from how I was raised. They spoke differently and acted differently. This was just something I was not used too. I always knew how my mom raised
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death was publicized at 8:19 p.m. on April 4th in Washington D.C. by radio broadcast. Merely an hour later riots broke out around the city. Rioters destroyed windows and set fire to buildings (Burns, Rebecca p. 23). By midnight there were no less than a hundred fires recorded by the fire department (Burns, Rebecca p. 23). One man was so furious about the killing of Martin Luther King, Jr. that he hurled a Molotov cocktail through a store front window without realizing his grandmother resided in the upstairs apartment (Burns, Rebecca p. 29). This is an illustration of how resentment can make a person proceed without thinking clearly. Had he stopped to think about the consequences first, his grandmother’s home would not have been destroyed. There were riots reported in more than 100 cities across the United States (Rosenthal, H). Riots were reported in Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, and Detroit just days after the announcement of King’s death (Davey, M. p.25). Several millions of dollars in damages ensued after the riots and left neighborhoods recovering for decades (Davey, M. p.25). The riots devastated the lives and properties of many in the United
...spirit of MLK, chanting "no justice, no peace" in harmony. Ignorance is bliss in society's eye.
I don’t think they could’ve done anything more than what they were doing. I say that because if they would’ve done more they would’ve gotten their “head busted” like John Gray’s friend Brookley Field. In those times, what authority did a black person really have? They didn’t have anyone to take up for them and were punished without question so I don’t think it was much they could really do. I think the experience of fighting made them realize what they were fighting for. Once, they understood that they were fighting for their worth and for what’s right, I think it made it more of an impact on them. My grandma is 88, so her experience was totally different from mine. She experienced segregation at an all-time high. My experience with segregation
Chill dudette dude! I think you're looking for an excuse to feel butt hurt over some perceived social injustice. I still have to disagree with your interpretation of the other comment that offended you. The comment before that hoping Shkreli would be raped daily forever didn't offend you? A man being forcibly sodomized is ok but a gay person being raped is offensive? Whatever. I think the other comment was making fun of the fact that if he was gay getting a daily infusion while in prison would be something Shkreli enjoyed. He was disputing the notion of rape. You can liken it to some 'unfortunate' scenario where I was sexually assaulted by Daniela Lopez Osorio
Racism was everywhere and it wasn’t just the adults who saw it, or felt it, but young children as well. I thought everyone was created equal. That we weren't all that different. That no one was judged. I thought I was right, but I realize I couldn't have been more wrong. I was born the daughter of Presbyterian missionaries. My parents had named me Pearl Sydenstricker Buck and I spent virtually half my life in China.
Peggy McIntosh, Associate Director of the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women , describes white privilege as “an invisible package of unearned assets, which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was meant to remain oblivious” (J. Roehl, personal communication, August 16, 2016). Consequently, there are many ways in which my white race allows my privilege, many of which I take for granted without even recognizing. According to the White Privilege Checklist (J. Roehl, personal communication, August 16, 2016), my skin color allows me freedom from harassment in a multiple of settings (including schools and stores); it allows me the freedom to fearlessly get on or off a city bus; and, if it really mattered to me, I have
I live in a historically black neighborhood on the edge of Annapolis, MD, about five miles from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The neighborhood was once a single large farm on a small peninsula between several small creeks emptying into the Bay. It was inhabited by several black families freed after the Civil War; the Johnsons and the Browns and the Pecks. My house is a former part of the Johnson property. These days the neighborhood, “Brown’s Woods”, is like a checkerboard, racially, socially, and economically. There are old shacks and cottages, there are million dollar waterfront homes, and then there is everything in between.
Wait. Be still. Don't go over the line. Don't let go. Wait for it. "BANG!" My reactions were precise as I sprung out of the blocks. The sun was beating down on my back as my feet clawed at the blistering, red turf. With every step I took, my toes sunk into the squishy, foul smelling surface, as my lungs grasped for air. Everything felt the way it should as I plunged toward my destination. I clutched the baton in my sweaty palms, promising myself not to let go. My long legs moved me as fast as I could go as I hugged the corner of the line like a little girl hugging her favorite teddy bear. The steps were just like I had practiced. As I came closer to my final steps, my stomach started twisting and my heart beat began to rise. The different colors of arrows started to pass under my feet, and I knew it was time.
The Black Lives Matter movement hasn’t only been calling attention to the racial stereotypes that revolve around black individuals, but also the concepts behind institutional racism, which is describes any system that consists of inequality based on race. Statically backing the claim, U.S News reports that black children are three times more likely to be suspended from schools, 18 times more likely to be sentenced as adults in a justice system and twice as likely to struggle to find work after college than their white counterparts. Not only that, but the Huffington Post also reports an article where Kamilah Brock, a black woman, was placed in a psychiatric ward for 8 days after police officers didn't believe her BMW actually belonged to her. A lot of these issues are not typically brought to the attention of mainstream news outlets, however, the Black Lives Matter campaign has brought attention to these issues, not only in their rallies and protests, but also to social media, where many individuals, such as myself, are able to become aware of the corruption that is occurring towards America’s black