I've (Sal) grown up with African-Americans since growing up in the St. Paul school system. One of my best friends was an African American; however, I had some negative experiences with just a few and started to ignorantly judge-stereotype all of them negatively. I became "racist"!
When I came to UMM, an African-American floormate shared Christ's love to me. This was part of my maturity in becoming less prejudiced!
My racist thoughts or feelings didn't go away overnight after becoming a Christian. After continued prayer and more interaction (eg. Residential Advisor at UMM's Residential Halls for many African-American students from Chicago, IL) -good or bad with African Americans, God softened my heart more. I then helped co-started this new "minority-focused" student campus organization called "Alpha & Omega". Many of the leaders and members were African-American, which my friendship with each one became a positive learning experience.
I've learned that hate comes from fear of the "unknown". I've grown to love people overall when I get to know them more. It's like God, which many in this world haven't really got a chance to know Him through a personal relationship, so some fear him as just only a God who just want to send people to hell as a "judge". Back to what I was writing about, I've grown to know more African Americans and experience this unique culture within the American culture.
African American Church Visit
I'm proud to say that I've been to an African American church. In fact the first one I've ever attended was Shiloh Baptist Missionary Church inner-city St. Paul. I went there with an int'l student from African and a couple of African Americans from UMM. It was a divine experience: I never went to a worship as intense and up-beat ever before! People were clapping and standing as the choir sang with all their heart and voice. After the 2-3 + hour service, I was able to meet some of the worship team as a group of people from UMM. Our reason was to build some networks to help start this new predominate African-American student campus ministry in UMM (later known as Alpha & Omega). We ended up being referred to a Campus Crusade-Alpha & Omega worker. The relationship that was built between us and this lady from A&O help us into a good start-Alpha & Omega. Wow-wasn't that God!
I was introduced more to this "upbeat-dancin-Lord praisin" style of music through my friends at Alpha & Omega. Since then, I've been looking for this when the opportunity comes, like this...
The big stereotype of African Americans is that they are members of gangs. One has to know the African American family system, they have the largest number of single-parent households of any racial group. I heard from one source that the cause of this is the slavery times when the "white-man" trained young African youth that the African male is "bad" and would separate the families to decrease their power.
Unfortunately, we'll continue to hear gang killings in the inner-city. It doesn't stop with youth, but also younger adults because of their gang past. I just watched a cool movie called "Hard Corps", which seem so real. Just recently a similar incident from a scene in the movie happened...
"A little after 2 a.m., a white Hummer limousine was sprayed with bullets from a vehicle that pulled along side, said Sonny Jackson, spokesperson for the Denver Police Department. (Watch to see the Hummer full of holes )
Three people in the limousine were hit and were taken to hospitals, where one man was pronounced dead, Jackson said. The other man and woman who were shot were not identified.
"
"Anthony Criss, Williams' high school football coach in Fort Worth, Texas, said: "When he was younger, he always gravitated to the wrong crowd. I remember he went to church and the minister was talking to him about needing to pray and stop hanging around with the wrong people, and he started straightening up and doing the right thing."
* I was watching the news earlier that Williams was in the gang previously and this incident might've been a gang retaliation.
"Police have no suspects in the slaying in downtown Denver but did make an arrest Friday night of a man they want to question. Police won't say whether they know the motive for the slaying but have said there was an altercation at the club."
Resources
LOCAL
Campus
Chi-Alpha, a new student org that meets every Fridays @8pm at the Minority Resource Center T.V. Lounge or Student Center: Alumni Room (check for locations). This new group that started in the Fall of 03' is somewhat a followup of Alpha & Omega (est. 1998)
*I though the 1 man Martin Luther King Jr. show on Monday, February 16th in 2004 at UMM's Edson Aud. was
performed very well as if I was present during the Civl Rights Movement
*been here once and that was back in 2000. A friend of mine (Ryan F.) is very involved here and wanted me to come to their new open house (see flyer this past Saturday-October 20th of 2007). Another UMMer connection is Rodney F. (his nephew), who is a current student at UMM.
*Please contact me about a homemade video I taped on this awesome conference (evangelism outreach testimonies, workshops, talent/variety show, and various inpspriational-motivational speakers on college-youth related topics)
"Growing up in America we all go through the school system learning the history that has made this country such a great place. Still the impact of the African American still remains the part of our history that is not being taught and which our kids know nothing about. This film takes a closer look at this issue and how we can begin to fill some of these historical gaps"
-Abolitionist
Sojourner Truth, 1 of 131 Christians everone should know from Christianity Today
*I chose her amongts many other famous abolitionist because I did a report on her in my Sociology course at UMM
""Several years ago, when 17,000 aborted babies were found in a dumpster outside a pathology laboratory in Los, Angeles, California, some 12-15,000 were observed to be black." --Erma Clardy Craven (deceased) Social Worker and Civil Rights Leader THE ORIGINAL VIDEO IS HERE: http://blackgenocide.org/sayso_video.html For Crisis Pregnancy assistance nationwide, call (800) 848-5683 or visit: www.PregnancyCenters.org online Abortion Breast Cancer Every day in the United States, 1,452 African-American children are violently executed...before they're ever born. The "Say-So" March is designed to draw annual attention to this shocking reality. Beginning in Newark, New Jersey and concluding two-days later on the steps of the Supreme Court, the "Say-So" March gives visual representation to the devastating impact abortion is having on the black community. Along the way, marchers have an opportunity to educate the communities they pass through as they carry graphic, 13-foot signs depicting both the historic mistreatment of born African-Americans, and the current mistreatment of unborn African-Americans. Black Americans represent 9% of the U.S. population (down from 12% in 1973, when abortion was legalized), yet 44% of all abortions are by Black Americans. (Planned Parenthood- Alan Guttmacher Institute, and the U.S. Center for Health Statistics), 1987) Mississippi State Rep. Hillman Terome Frazier explains this situation as a "lack of information", (Black Americans for Life Newsletter, Spring, 1990, p1). A 1993 study done by Howard University showed that African American mothers over age 50 were 4.7 times more likely to develop breast cancer if they had had any abortions compared to mothers who did not have an abortion. The study, as published in the Journal of the National Medical Association, established that mothers with at least one induced abortion have a consistently higher risk of developing breast cancer than those who had had no abortion. The study recognizes that this issue is "still highly controversial"; however, "our results indicate that induced abortions may significantly increase the risk of breast cancer in Black women...", (Journal of the National Association 85:931-939). Between 1882 and 1968, 3,446 Blacks were lynched. However, between 1973 and 1998 over 12 million Black children have been exterminated through surgical abortions. IT'S TIME TO STOP THE GENOCIDE!! (based on statistics from "Choice-A Threat to Racial Reconciliation" L.E.A.R.N. Conference 1998 pamphlet). "Yesterday they snatched babies from our arms and sold them into slavery, today they snatch them from our womb and throw them in the garbage." (Dr. Dolores Bernadette Grier, Vice Chancellor Community Relations, Archdiocese of New York) With 1/3 of all abortions performed to dispose of African American children, the U.S. abortion industry has received over $30,000,000,000 (yes, billion) from the Black community over the last 2 years. What if instead of paying for services to discard these children (including, over 40% of the time, a least one of their pre-born brother or sisters) into the garbage can, these billions have been invested into helping these children live and their families...? (African American Life Alliance) But you say you're "PRO-CHOICE"!!! There is a perception in the African American community, especially by many of our leaders that access to legal abortion is a right that must be protected regardless of the moral implications. Well, for us there was a time when we suffered under a legal right that was morally wrong. In the late 1800's, a "pro-choice" position supported the continuation of the legally-protected right to own slaves. Slavery was morally wrong even though it was legal and those who stood by and did nothing equally << less"
-General
America - Black History
'My Black America - My 2nd Video. History, African American, Martin Luther King Malcolm X, Black Panthers News American, MBA"
Mary McLeod Bethune, from Living Vignettes of Notable Women from U.S. History
*learned of her for the first time at the Black Stuent Union Dinner at Old #1 in Morris, Minnesota yesterday (Monday, October 16th of 2007). It was a question the table I was sitting didn't know, but was given an answer to by a UMM History Professor to get our turn to get our food. Unfortunately our table was last to eat; however, I our table did get some answers to some trivia questions-didn't answer it on time!
Movies
-General
Women Thou Art Loosed, an awesome movie dealing with a whole lot of issues (abuse, drugs/addictions, widows, poverty, etc..) by T.D. Jakes
*watched this for the first time back in high school during Social Studies. It was actually emotional at the time and still is. I remember watching in the classroom and many of my peers got very teary and mad during the lynching scenes against the "blacks". Then we all started to cheer during the counter attacks, which our teacher told us to calm down and not get too caught up. It was definitey an eye-opener on racism/discrimination back in the days. We just need to learn from the past and make sure it doesn't happen again with any group of people!
Mississippi Burning Trailer
Tributes: Wikipedia "While FBI agents are presented as heroes who descend upon the town by the hundreds, in reality the FBI and the Justice Department only reluctantly protected civil rights workers and protesters and reportedly witnessed beatings without intervening" "On June 21, 2005 � 41 years to the day of the murders � Edgar Ray Killen was convicted of manslaughter in the 1964 slayings of the three civil rights workers, and was later sentenced to 60 years in prison. You Can Help Site-Action "Three high school students, Allison Nichols, Brittany Saltiel, and Sarah Siegel, with the support of the Chaney, Schwerner and Goodman families, worked with citizens throughout Mississippi, law enforcement officials, the news media, and Civil Rights Movement Veterans to try and get the case opened. They produced an award winning ten minute documentary for the National History Day contest and have done countless interviews on the case. They even interviewed Edgar Ray Killen, the man convicted as the organizer of the murders of Chaney, Schwerner, and Goodman. They even helped discover the long secret identity of the secret informer! If you'd like a copy of the documentary, please e-mail me. Tapes are free, but we do request that you make a donation to the Andrew Goodman Foundation. Mark it for "Film Project." This supports the making of a feature length documentary about the case. Please enclose a note and tell them we inspired you to donate!"
*saw this movie for the second time (March 17th of 2007) and it was still painful & emotional to watch!
Reviews: IMDB "Powerful drama is a gut-wrenching recreation about the destruction of a once prominent black town. In 1920's Florida, the town of Rosewood is built on an uneasy alliance between black and white citizens. When an influential white woman makes a false accusation that she was raped by a black assailant, angry white citizens form a brutal lynch mob determined to either find the culprit, or coerce other black citizens into revealing his whereabouts."
Tribute: Documented HISTORY OF THE INCIDENT
WHICH OCCURRED
AT
ROSEWOOD, FLORIDA,
IN
JANUARY 1923
, from Florida State Real Rosewood "Author Lizzie PRB Jenkins is a direct Rosewood descendant. Jenkins first heard the story of Rosewood in 1943, at age five.
This website as well as Jenkins' book The Real Rosewood Volume I are a compilation of years of research and devotion to disclose the true history of the 1923 Rosewood Massacre and to serve as the voice for justice of the survivors and descendants of those who suffered this historical tragedy." Remembering Rosewood
*reffered A Roadmap to African American and Diversity Resources by Sherry DuPree on 3/19/07-personal e-mail reply! "The survivors listed below and their descendants were recipents of monies from the 1994 Florida State Rosewood Claims Bill. Residents and their descendants who were evacuated or not in Rosewood on January 1923, also received some compensation from the claims bill. Currently their are five of the ten listed survivors alive, and estimated 400 descendants to date. There may be other survivors and descendants that are yet not known to Rosewood Researchers."
*I was much exposed to this during Alpha & Omega when would sing various spirituals/hymnals (clapping, foot tapping, and shouting to the Lord!) on Friday evenings! Amazing Grace, by John Newton (Anointed Christian Links)
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.
The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...
as long as life endures.
When we've been here ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun.
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see. "-from little leaf
Related Sites:
"Publisher Comments:
Behind our most beloved song is a fascinating story spanning continents, cultures, and centuries. Inspired by the way "Amazing Grace" continues to change and grow in popularity, acclaimed music writer Steve Turner embarks on a journey to trace the life of the hymn, from Olney, England, where it was written by former slave trader John Newton, to tiny Plantain Island off the coast of Africa, where Newton was held captive for almost a year, to the Kentucky-Tennessee border and other parts of the South, where the hymn first began to spread."
"John Newton(1725�1807) was on board a slave ship. On May 10th, 1748 returning home during a storm he experienced a "great deliverance[citation needed]." In his journal he wrote that the ship was in grave danger of sinking. He exclaimed "Lord, have mercy upon us!" He was converted, though he continued in the business of slave trading[citation needed].
Many years later he left the slave trade and eventually became a minister. He still held investments in slave trading companies though, and socialized with old slave captain friends. Nor did he criticize slavery in his sermons until much later, long after he wrote the hymn.
The now familiar and traditional melody of the hymn was not composed by Newton, and the words were sung to a number of tunes before the now inseparable melody was chanced upon.
There are two different tunes to the words. "New Britain" first appears in a shape note hymnal from 1831 called Virginia Harmony. Any original words sung to the tune are now lost. The melody is believed to be Scottish or Irish in origin; it is pentatonic and suggests a bagpipe tune; the hymn is frequently performed on bagpipes and has become associated with that instrument. The other tune is the so-called "Old Regular Baptist" tune. It was sung by the Congregation of the Little Zion Church, Jeff, Kentucky on the album The Ritchie Family of Kentucky on the Folkways label (1958).
Newton's lyrics have become a favorite for Christians of all denominations, largely because the hymn vividly and briefly sums up the Christian doctrine of Divine grace. The lyrics are based on 1 Chronicles 17:16, where King David marvels at God's choosing him and his house. (Newton entitled the piece "Faith's review and expectation".)
It has also become known as a favorite with supporters of freedom and human rights, both Christian and non-Christian, as it is believed by many to be a song against slavery, as Newton was once a slave trader. This is however wrong since Newton had no problems with slavery when he wrote the hymn. The song has been sung by many notable musical performers, such as iconic folk singer and human rights activist Joan Baez.
The hymn was quite popular among both sides in the American Civil War. While on the "trail of tears", the Cherokee (see Native American) were not always able to give their dead a full burial. Instead, the singing of "Amazing Grace" had to suffice. Since then, "Amazing Grace" is often considered the Cherokee National Anthem. For this reason, many contemporary Native American musicians have recorded this song.
In recent years, this song has also become popular with drug and alcohol recovery groups, particularly the Christian ones. However, unlike the usual funeral singings, it is usually played at celebrations of those who "once were lost, but now are found."
-Movie
"Amazing Grace The Movie Trailer English"
"Prior to the Tuskegee Airmen, no US military pilots had been African American. However, a series of legislative moves by the United States Congress in 1941 forced the Army Air Corps to form an all-black combat unit, much to the War Department's chagrin. In an effort to eliminate the unit before it could begin, the War Department set up a system to accept only those with a level of flight experience or higher education that they expected would be hard to fill. This policy backfired when the Air Corps received numerous applications from men who qualified even under these restrictions."
-Stories: Christopher Newman: Tuskegee Airman (a brief documentary), from youtube.com My Dad (Wilbur Dixon), Tuskegee Airman! Tuskegee Airmen Veteran Interviewed "Meet a member of this elite air crew who once battled in the skies over Europe in World War II and now keeps memories fresh for young soldiers in Korea"
"We believe every single person has the power to make a tremendous difference in our world. Too often we're just not sure what to do, how to help, or how or where to get started. These 101 ideas will propel you to get started, and then guide you as you move forward. No matter where you live; how much money you make (or don't make); whether you are healthy or sick; whether you are young or old; whether you are busy or have a lot of free time - YOU can make a difference! Take a minute and watch our exclusive flash movie. THANKS! You'll never be the same!"
Thank you for visiting UMMAlpha! Please feel free to e-mail me (Sal) at ummalpha@yahoo.com on any comments, suggestions (e.g. any new websites),complaints, or anytype of feedback to improve this website.
This website is dedicated to Keia Johnson, UMM 97'-01', who not only was my resident at Clayton A. Gay Hall II-III, but also a leader that contributed during her time God had her here. She'll be known for helping me co-started Alpha & Omega and was the Commencement Speaker of her class when she graduated in 2001
