12 Things the Negro Must Do For Himself

I don't know if you all have seen this before, but Nannie Helen Burroughs wrote an essay in the early 1900s that is eerily relevant to today's society. See for yourself:

12 Things the Negro Must Do For Himself

(Excerpts)

1. The Negro Must Learn To Put First Things First. The First Things Are: Education; Development of Character Traits; A Trade and Home Ownership.

2. The Negro Must Stop Expecting God and White Folk To Do For Him What He Can Do For Himself.

3. The Negro Must Keep Himself, His Children And His Home Clean And Make The Surroundings In Which He Lives Comfortable and Attractive.

4. The Negro Must Learn To Dress More Appropriately For Work And For Leisure.

5. The Negro Must Make His Religion An Everyday Practice And Not Just A Sunday-Go-To-Meeting Emotional Affair.

6. The Negro Must Highly Resolve To Wipe Out Mass Ignorance.

7. The Negro Must Stop Charging His Failures Up To His "Color" And To White People's Attitude.

8. The Negro Must Overcome His Bad Job Habits.

9. He Must Improve His Conduct In Public Places.

10. The Negro Must Learn How To Operate Business For People--Not For Negro People, Only.

11. The Average So-Called Educated Negro Will Have To Come Down Out Of The Air. He Is Too Inflated Over Nothing. He Needs An Experience Similar To The One That Ezekiel Had--(Ezekiel 3:14-19). And He Must Do What Ezekiel Did

12. The Negro Must Stop Forgetting His Friends. "Remember."

The entire essay can be read here

Isn't it fascinating? And this essay was written around 100 years ago!
And as tempted as I am, I will not take this as an opportunity to put Black folks down. If any of the above applies to you - then you are responsible for dealing with it. And, if it doesn't, it is your responsibility to help others around you to put those things behind them.

We have a long way to go, but, God willing, we will get there.

Religion, Spirituality, Christian, Christianity, African-American, Self-Improvement

The AIDS Virus is Killing the African-American Community

I was reading an article in Newsweek this week and I was horrified to learn how the AIDS virus is ravaging the Black community. (Newsweek gives an overview of the AIDS epidemic in America here.) Numbers don't lie. The article tells us that:

African-Americans make up just 13 percent of the U.S. population but account for an astounding 51 percent of new HIV diagnoses. Black men are diagnosed at more than seven times the rate of white men, black females at 20 times the rate of white women.

Did you see that figure about black women - we are getting AIDS at 20 TIMES the rate of white women. 20 TIMES. And, most heartbreaking of all, most black women get the disease during heterosexual sex with men.

The virus once referred to as "gay-related immunodeficiency disease" has become increasingly gender-blind, especially in the black community, where heterosexual transmission accounts for 25 percent of male infections and 78 percent of female infections.

And where are most of the black men getting the disease? From homosexual sex with another man.

That's scary. And it's outrageous. One of the men profiled in the story admitted to regularly having sex with both men and women. And, EVEN AFTER HE FOUND OUT HE HAD AIDS - HE STILL HAD UNPROTECTED SEX. And did not bother to inform his sex partners that he had the virus.

Ladies - that could be someone you are dating. Or someone you might consider dating. The article made it clear that it was not only 'promiscuous' women who got the virus from their partner - one woman was married and the another had been with very few men. But it just takes one time. One time with one person without protection. Just one time.

And the scariest part of all is that you can't even assume your partner will know if he or she even has the virus. The article uncovered the fact that testing among black men is low. A study of 2000 bisexual men discovered that half of these men tested positive for AIDS and TWO-THIRDS OF THEM DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY HAD THE DISEASE!!!

All I can say is, if you are having sex, protect yourself. Get tested for AIDS. And if you are contemplating marrying or becoming engaged in a long-term relationship, have your partner test himself or herself as well.

Religion, Spirituality, Christian, Christianity, AIDS, African-American

More Da Vinci Code Stuff

I'm still rather fascinated by the whole Da Vinci Code phenomenon, so I'm reading the news, websites and other blogs to see what others have to say about it. I'm particularly interested in the Christian reaction to it.

From my reading, there seem to be two reactions - strong abhorrence to the book and/or movie and a lighthearted take on what we should all understand is just 'fiction'. Below is an example of the latter sentiment, from the The Grail Code Blog:

The best thing about The Da Vinci Code is that it's getting a lot of people interested in Christian history. You can get a conversation about the Gnostics started in the dentist's office; you can talk with a stranger about Mary Magdalene while you're waiting on the safety island for the streetcar. These things didn't happen before Dan Brown. (That whole article can be found here.)

I agree with the writer of this piece. Prior to the Dan Brown novel, we were not having these conversations, much less even thinking about such things (at least I wasn't). While I have given some time and attention to early Christian history, Dan Brown's novel forced me to re-think my perception of Jesus, the role of women in the early church and my whole concept of sin.

The book did not, however, shake my faith. And I don't believe, in a widely quoted passage from the book that 'everything we had been taught about Christianity is wrong'. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead. I believe that he was the Son of God. So that didn't change upon reading the book.

But it did make me re-think what I thought about Jesus, the workings of the early church and church history as a whole. And the thing to remember (as has often been pointed out) is that the Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction (with some factual content about the Priory of Sion, architecture and art history). (The Catholic Answers website does a really good job of debunking the book in 'Cracking the Da Vinci Code'.) So, ultimately, though I thought the book was a pretty good read (though I liked Dan Brown's book Angels and Demons better), it was just one more good read among many. But, as the Grail Code Blog pointed out, we certainly are having a lot more interesting conversations now!



Religion, Spirituality, Christian, Christianity, Articles, Da Vinci Code

In the News: Black Woman Have Increased Breast Cancer Risk

A recent news story about a study of one million women found that Black women are diagnosed with more advanced breast cancer tumors than White woman. Not because we get cancer at a higher rate, but because we are inadequately screened,the article says. Specifically:

Compared with white women, black women were significantly more likely to have received inadequate screening, which included never receiving a mammogram before diagnosis, not receiving one until age 55, or not receiving one in the past three and a half years, said Rebecca Smith-Bindman, M.D., of the University of California San Francisco.

Have you been screened recently for breast cancer? I have - and though I hated the poking, prodding and squeezing - I at least left with the reassurance of knowing I had done my part to catch a potentially fatal disease.

Ladies - make sure you are screened regularly and, if you are at high risk or over the age of 40, that you receive yearly mammograms. And men - make sure all the women in your life are well protected.

Be Blessed!

Religion, Spirituality, Christian, Christianity, Health

Argus Leader Profiles PostSecret Blogger

I am a big fan of honesty. Though I don't always hit the mark in being 100% truthful (would you tell your girlfriend that, yes, she does look like she's gained weight?), I try my best to be open, honest and candid in my friendships, in my relationships and in my discourse with God. That's why I'm a big fan of the the postsecret blog. It was started by Frank Warren as an art project, but grew into so much more. People mail in postcards (anonymously) and reveal their deepest secrets. Here is a quote from the article:

"I've been surprised every step of the way," Warren says. "I'm just a typical suburban husband. I'm an 'accidental' artist. It's been quite a journey, quite an adventure."

And all because of his blog, postsecret.blogspot. com. It started out as Warren's temporary community art project. Now it's where thousands of Americans go to anonymously post their deepest secrets, and where millions of Americans go to read them. Secret-tellers - call them "confessors" - send their secrets to his home in Germantown, Md., in suburban Washington, on postcards they decorate themselves. Warren reads every one and picks 10 to 20 to post on his blog every Sunday.

I find it all so interesting (and refreshing) to look at the postcards posted on his site, because, though our society is supposedly so 'open' now, it's clear that many of us are hiding secrets ranging from innocent to mind-blowing. Why is it so much easier for some people to share their deepest thoughts in an anonymous forum? Perhaps because the people in their lives are not as accepting as they'd like them to be. Or maybe people are just not ready to reveal themselves in all their flawed imperfection.

Whatever the case, I think it's good that a site like postsecret exists. It helps us to know we are not alone (almost everyone has done or thought something that makes them feel ashamed) and hopefully inspires us to be just a little more honest in our own lives. And - to all my girlfriends - you look great! Even if you have gained 10, 20 or 50 pounds, you are still the beautiful human being you've always been! Trust me....

Peace

Adrian's Blog: Blogging the gifts - the word of wisdom

I just ran across this article from a fellow Christian blogger, Minister Adrian Warnock. I think he has some pretty good insight on the spiritual gift 'Word of Wisdom'. Read it and let me know what you think! Adrian's Blog: Blogging the gifts - the word of wisdom

The Millionaire Next Door

I just re-read Thomas J. Stanley's 'The Millionaire Next Door'. This book shares with its readers the surprising habits, beliefs and attitudes of the 'millionaire' who could be living right next door to you. If you've ever wondered, why am I not rich, when (insert name) is? - this book is for you.

I re-read the book because, in the 700,201st effort to re-do my finances, I needed to be reminded of the basic tenets of saving money, the pay-off of entrepreneurship and the value in controlling your budget instead of allowing it to control you. I classify the discovered habits of the rich as 'surprising' because I found them to be just that. The book quickly puts to rest the notion of the well-to-do person as a jet-setting, richly clad, spendthrift kind of person. The 'average' millionaire profiled in this book in fact lived a very frugal lifestyle, did not generally spend a lot of money on foreign or luxury automobiles, lived in a middle-class neighborhood and lived well below his or her means. As a matter of fact, the author stated that the more luxury items a person had, the less likely he or she was to ever become millionaire.

The second read of this book proved just as eye-opening as the first for me. It put me in the mind of the fact that God has required that, as Christians, we be good stewards of the resources He has provided us with. This means your time, your talent and especially your money. Though we are advised 'Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal' (Matthew 6:19), we are also advised to make the most of our talents, as evidenced in the parable found in Matthew 25:14-30. To me this means, don't rely on money (and certainly don't love it), but use what you have wisely. Much of the Bible talks about loving and helping others, and while this of course includes acts of service, prayer and support, sometimes it also means cold, hard cash. And we can't be of much help to others if we can't help ourselves, now can we?

So, for anyone looking to improve their financial outlook and become a better steward of his or her money, I would highly recommend that you pick up this book.

President Bush - A Good Christian?

As the death toll of U.S. soldiers in Iraq approaches 2300, I wonder about why we ever got into this war. Like most people, I initially believed it was unavoidable, inevitable and a necessity. 2286 deaths and five years later, however, I began to sense the futility of fighting a war not for the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people but for oil and profits for America and its allies. There are many countries that experience internal conflicts - not many of which have experienced the level of 'assistance' and peace brokering that the United States has brought to Iraq. And it forces me to consider why this is. Are the civil wars and genocide in Africa any less important than the fates and minds of the Iraqi people? Or is it just that other countries don't have as much to offer in the way of compensation - vast amounts of potential riches and opportunities for political associates and allies to 'contract' their way to millions? Why else are we there? It certainly isn't because we're winning - because we're not. 2286 American deaths and 28501 Civilian Deaths well prove that point. And, even after the recent imposition of curfews and the restriction of vehicular movement in Baghdad, the insurgents are still managing to kill their own people and coalition forces. Is it really worth it?

Which brings me to the question - has President Bush been the 'good Christian' he professes to be by getting us involved in this war? As a Christian, I readily acknowledge our ideological and theological differences. But how can we go to war against another country in part due to our President's 'Christian' beliefs? Why hasn't President Bush given us a structured plan to pull our troops? And, finally, how can President Bush equate the tenets of the Christian faith with the death of so many of our sons and daughters? I pray for it to end.

Medea's Family Reunion....And They Lived Happily Ever After????

I recently saw Tyler Perry's movie 'Medea's Family Reunion' with a group of friends. Now, I love Tyler Perry - I love his positivity, his Christ-centeredness and his overall enthusiasm, dedication and perseverance in the entertainment business. And I appreciate the fact that he is bringing black movies to diverse audiences. Having seen two Tyler Perry movies (Medea's Family Reunion and 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman'), however, I find myself struggling with the fairy-tale like quality of his storytelling. The main character (a young woman) usually finds herself in a physically abusive relationship, with a monster-like creature devoid of any compassion or remorse. She finds her inner strength, leaves this man and goes on to live happily ever after, hopefully with a good-looking, single, 'perfect' black man (at least in the case of Diary of a Mad Black Woman). Now, I like a happy ending as much as the next girl (and it doesn't hurt that the men in Tyler Perry's movies are so fine), but I feel these story lines need a serious infusion of gray areas. His movies are clearly delineated in black and white. Here are the bad guys - as evidenced by physical abuse, manipulation and treachery - and here are the good guys - marked by characteristics such as purity of heart, total transparency and Christ-centeredness. I love you, Mr. Perry, but can we have a character that has a little more depth? One who is bad and good and everything in between? Can we have a love story that doesn't end with 'happily ever after', but 'they had a good relationship with some flaws?' Just a thought...