Abstract The paper presents a critical review of "Streets of Glory - Church and Community in BlackNeighborhoods" by Omar M. McRoberts, determining the McRoberts' success or failure in accomplishing his stated intent in writing. The paper sites both advantages and disadvantages in regards to this book in particular, and submits comments on the value of developing an understanding of faith-based social services in general.
From the Paper "McRoberts considers three "ways in which churches were meaningfully different....churches differed in their application of ubiquitous religious ideas, in modes of interaction with the immediate environment and in their approaches to activism, or social change" (2003:59). Differing views of the street include seeing it as an: evil/dangerous place; a recruiting ground, a point of contact with people at risk. Many churches were a combination of these. How churches interpreted "in the world, but not of it" found expression in particularism and exilic consciousness. This often included linking holiness with Southernness and equating life in the North with exile. Church activisms are displayed along a continuum of: serve members more or less exclusively (priestly) -> mixture of members and non members (pastoral) -> mostly nonmembers (prophetic). McRoberts maintains that churches are impacted for change by leadership turnover, congregational growth more than by the "broader political and cultural climate."
Abstract The paper discusses the theory that segregation of a neighborhood is a strong correlating factor determining the rate of crime in that area. Researching in a strong criminologist mindset, the paper touches on economic deprivation, the influence crime has on social change, social organization, adversity in blackneighborhoods and police action in different segregated areas. The paper concludes that the higher the segregation in a neighborhood, the higher the rate of crimes and arrest.
Outline:
Economic Deprivation
Crime Influences Social Changes
Rising From the Ghetto
Social Organization
Adverse to Black Neighbors?
Police Action in Different Segregated Areas
Conclusion
From the Paper "Subsequent research demonstrates that at any given point in time the racial composition of an individual suburban community or of a suburban region is a strong independent predictor of its level of violent crime" (Liska et al, 1998). As embarrassing as it may be, it is safe to say that segregation still exists in the United States. Minorities in America have been given many rights since the 1960's and 1970's and many eyes have been opened to embrace being blind to the color of a person's skin. Unfortunately much of the country is segregated, mainly whites from non-whites. How does this segregation affect crime? What is the correlation between crime and segregated and non-segregated neighborhoods?
Abstract The introduction of highly addictive crack cocaine in the 1980s caused widespread devastation in inner city communities. Under a tough 1986 crack law, vast numbers of black males are serving long prison sentences, yet crack sales and crack addiction have not decreased. Despite the failure of the War on Drugs to reduce drug use or crime in inner city neighborhoods, protests that the crack law targets blacks for prosecution and long prison sentences, and evidence that the CIA was involved in introducing crack cocaine into inner city neighborhoods, the government has refused to change its tactics and take measures to actually help the black community recover from the crack epidemic.
Abstract This paper explains that, when the Dutch settled in their North American colonies, they brought with them slaves to do the manual labor on their farms. These Africans arrived from the Caribbean in 1625 or 1626 as slaves to the Dutch West India Company. The author points out that rules regarding their servitude were not as harsh as they would become in the future under British rule. The paper relates that, as early as 1630, freed slaves settled the swampy predecessor to the Greenwich Village area of New York City, which remained a blackneighborhood for almost 200 years. The author describes the revolt of 1712, which was the result of the stricter British rules.
From the Paper "The ensuing revolt of 1712 was inevitable: the new British rules were too harsh and too much of a change from the unequal but hopeful and comparatively non-violent status quo previously organized in New Amsterdam. After meeting in a tavern, twenty-
three Africans armed themselves with hatchets, clubs, and guns and set fire to a centrally-located building in New York. When Europeans came to combat the blaze, several of them were killed and wounded. Local militias rounded up twenty-seven slaves
in retribution, six of whom committed suicide under capture."
Tags: conditional, blackneighborhood, british armed debasement
Abstract This paper examines the main theme in "Black Picket Fences" that middle-class African-Americans have far more trouble than their white counterparts because of the inequalities that still plague public schools, standardized testing that may indeed be culturally biased toward whites, income disparities, and a paucity of community services due to the negligence of citizens and public officials to address the race issue. The paper also discusses the point made by the book that many people act as if race no longer matters. It explains that affirmative action programs are being cut and as many more African-Americans assume positions of power and become wealthier in general, the needs of the poorer and struggling blacks become white-washed away.
From the Paper "Sharlene looked at me with her big, watery brown eyes. "No," she said emphatically, with a definite doleful tone in her voice. "I have never felt like I fit in here." Sharlene, who is 31 years old and has two children, is a black woman that falls into what Mary Patillo-McCoy calls the "black middle class." However, unlike the men, women, and children that Patillo-McCoy interviews for her book Black Picket Fences: Privilege and Peril Among the Black Middle Class, Sharlene lives in a predominantly white neighborhood. Her neighbors are not all Anglo-Saxon or WASP; some of them are Hispanic-American and Asian as well. However, Sharlene is one of the few people in a two-block radius of African origin. Because of this, Sharlene feels completely disconnected from her community."
Tags:neighborhood, husband, idealistic, optimistic, racial, equality, socio-economic, groups
Abstract Though overt racism has diminished significantly in the United States over the last 30 years, most American cities remain deeply segregated, and a host of related problems - the lack of public services and private enterprise in inner-city Blackneighborhoods, poverty, high crime, poor education- have persisted in part because of this segregation. This research examines and evaluates current social psychological theory as it relates to the issue of discrimination against a single minority group ? African-Americans, who as a group continued to be victimized by the legacy of nearly a century of institutional practices that have embedded racial and ethnic ghettos deep in our national urban demography. Examples for the literature are employed to argue that social psychology confronts many challenges as it attempts to come to terms with a seemingly embedded cultural phenomena.
From the Paper "From a theoretical perspective, categorization is regarded by social psychologists as a primary-process cognition implicit in racism (Ridley & Hill, 1999). The implication is that racism is not necessarily intentional, and that a number of secondary processes are implicitly at work in categorization. Secondary processes associated with racism include color blindness, color consciousness, cultural transference, cultural counter-transference pseudotransference, disconsciousness, splitting, stereotyping and stigmatizing. Ridley and Hill (1999) suggest that many of these secondary processes tend to operate unconsciously and involuntarily.
Baron and Byrne (2000) suggest that research findings have identified two explanations for the persistence of prejudice. First, individuals hold and retain prejudiced views because doing so bolsters their own self-image and allows them to affirm their own self-worth, feeling superior in various ways. Secondly, holding prejudiced views is theorized as saving the individual considerable cognitive effort. Given that human beings are regarded as cognitive misers or as investing the least possible amount of cognitive effort in most situations, stereotypes have the effect of saving or conserving mental effort. With respect to discrimination, blatant discrimination has become a thing of the past in many instances, but the new racism is regarded by Baron and Byrne (2000) as just as deadly if somewhat more subtle than blatant discrimination."
Abstract This urban studies essay discusses the history of Pittsburgh's South Side. The paper examines the area's current urban issues. The paper includes possible solutions proposed by the city, and by the writer. The writer further discusses his opinion on the neighborhood's future growth. The paper addresses several urban issues, including gentrification, urban planning, and architectural preservation.
From the Paper "Pittsburgh's South Side has a rich history and culture. From the first immigrants to the residents that live there today, this neighborhood has seen many changes and growth with the passing of time. The neighborhood has faced new challenges and issues. There have been recent developments in overcoming these neighborhood issues and many areas of success can be seen. If the indicators of positive urban renewal prove to be accurate, the South Side will see positive growth within the next ten years. In this essay I will explore different aspects of Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood through giving a description history and current state, describing its most pertinent problems it faces, give possible solutions to these issues, as well as give my prediction of the direction of its future."
Abstract This paper examines how James Cone believes that if blacks, particularly African-Americans, don't wake up and change the traditional American image of Jesus, they will probably never grasp the true philosophy and mission of Jesus. It discusses how African-Americans must see Jesus as a black man that endured the struggle and how it is the duty of black preachers, pastors and theologians to advocate black theology, which includes the black image of Jesus, for the sake and survival of the African-American experience.
From the Paper "When one begins to think about God, questions arise as one lacks significant knowledge of God. When one begins to engage in such a dialogue, or entertains such questions, one has clearly entered the community of theology. The articles states: "The attempt to think about God leads immediately to a host of related question which are included under the term theology. First, there is the question of mans relationship to God, the ultimate source of things? Then we must ask about revelation to God, that is, how does man know what God is like? If God must reveal himself where and how is he revealed?" These are prospective questions that man can't escape when thinking about God or in dialogue about God. "
Abstract In addition to looking at the reasons for the disintegration of the Black Panthers, this paper also traces the origins of the Party, examines how and why it started, describes its program and activities, the FBI's campaign against the Black Panthers, the trial of Black Panther members in court, the role of women in BPP, and the impact of the Party on the country.
Table of Contents
The Black Panther Party
Origin
Why was the Party Started?
The Ten-Point Program
Activities of the Black Panthers
War Against the Panthers
Black Panthers in Court
Black Panther Women
Alliances and Coalitions
Mistakes Made by the Black Panthers
Impact of the Party on the Country
From the Paper "The black community of Oakland, California was greatly perturbed due to the failure of Southern white policemen to provide adequate protection for its black residents and the increasing incidents of police brutality targeted at the blacks. The organizers of the Panthers, therefore, aimed to gain justice for black people and dedicated themselves to defend the black community from racist police oppression and brutality. Besides being considered as the perpetrators of injustice and violence against the black community, the police was perceived by the Panthers as the representatives of the status quo and the "establishment" who implemented its anti-Black agenda. Since the Panthers believed that they were fighting the "status quo" the BPP considered itself to be a "revolutionary" party, which was committed to wage a class struggle to overthrow the existing order. (Harris 169)"
Abstract This paper examines the collection of essays known as "Black Witness to the Apostolic Faith" edited by David Shannon and Gayraud S. Wilmore about black and apostolic churches. It looks at how the purpose of the book is to find common ground among black Apostolic Christians and to expand their influence in the Christian and non-Christian world. It discusses how the editors believe that black Christian writers and theologians have not had the attention they deserve in the world of Christianity partly as a result of the racism of the past, which has left much power in white hands and less power in black hands. It evaluates how it seeks to take away the distortions of the Christian message which blacks were given by whites in the days of slavery.
From the Paper "In other words, in the bigger picture it should be all Christians, black and white and others, who come together in their common faith. The "confession' the authors write about is not only confession of sins but confession of faith, and that common confession can bring people together only if all sins are confessed and only if the confessor sees God as bigger than his own fears and prejudices. Wilmore is not saying that blacks should hate whites, but that whites must look at the past and accept what they did, just as blacks have had to look at the past and face what was done to them. To these Christian writers, it is God and Jesus Christ Who have allowed them to survive that past and to come out of their experiences with love and forgiveness in their hearts."
Abstract Compares Alain Locke's and Carolyn F. Gerald's proposals for a pseudo-militant black arts movement. Looks at how both authors view the self-image of the average black person as one that has been forced upon them by the white majority. The paper goes on to discuss how both authors see the need to change and recreate the black self-image, and their differing views on how to approach the task of creating this new image.
From the Paper "The main difference between Locke and Gerald is the way in which they approach the new image-making task at hand. For Locke, it is entirely a creative process. He seeks to find whatever meaning in white culture that ought to be (for black culture has, after all, left parts of its meanings floating about in white space, such as musical influences). He additionally seeks to create new meanings that can interact healthily with white culture, to create a new American culture. Gerald is far more nihilistic. Her focus is more on destruction and the (justifiable) wrath of her people. Attempted culture creation in the presence of the white discourse has only led to failure and frustration. The white discourse must be destroyed."
Tags:black, artists/writers, global, race-identification, black, people, black, literature
Abstract This is an informative paper on what exactly a black hole is and what scientists have theorized about black holes. The paper examines the formation of black holes, past research on black holes and pondering questions still unanswered today.
From the Paper "Ever since you were old enough to know what the sky, moon and stars were, you have always imagined what is actually up there? One of the most fascinating ideas of all is the mysterious and scary thought of a BLACK HOLE! This is perfectly normal because even today scientists are still pondering over that same question ? what is a black hole and does it exist? Theories that at one time seemed reasonable are now laughed at, our skies hold an infinite space which we will never be able to explore, as a result, our questions will be infinite as well."
Abstract This paper discusses how the book "The Black Jacobins", by C. L. R. James, is an not only account of the Haitian Revolution, it is a close and personal account of the only slave revolt that ultimately resulted in the founding of a black republic in the heart of the Caribbean. By closely relating the French Revolution with the Haitian Revolution, roughly from 1791 to 1803, it looks at how James is able to show the reader how the two events effected each other. It shows how James examines the struggle for independence while providing an intimate look at those involved, especially the slaves. James offers a perspective of black history that empowers black people, illustrating how they responded to and overcame slavery, especially under the leadership of Toussaint L'Ouverture.
From the Paper "Class structure was important to James, as he believed it was based more on economic needs rather than racial divisions; the economic forces proved to be more influential than the racial boundaries did. James admits that this did not erase the presence of racism, it simply points out that greed for economic and class status were often considered more important than race and can thus influence race prejudice. However, because the elite continually tries to re-implement the order and establish their elite class over and over again, according to James. Within the slave community, James also distinguishes an "upper" class of servants. These servants cultivated themselves and learned as much as they could. From their unique position, they could see the unfairness of society; their knowledge would later help them serve their people on a higher level."
Abstract In this paper, Neihardt provides a different historical perspective of pioneer history through the perspective of Black Elk, a Native American. The paper examines how this anthropological dictation not only provides evidence of the genocide and racism that Europeans forced upon the Indians, but also how much more noble and moral Black Elk was though his tradition and honor of treaties. The writer proposes that by getting another perspective to the often-biased American history of how Native Americans are seen, the story of Black Elk resonates the truth of happened during pioneering expansion from the voice of the defeated.
From the Paper "In this book review one can analyze the various anthropological dictations of the Native American, Black Elk, who was 'interviewed' by the European John Neihardt. By examining various aspects of the expansionist policy of the Europeans who moved into the Dakota tribal region, one can realize an Indian perspective of how they were treated in the ensuing wars. In essence, Neihardt acts as a anthropological investigator that discovers the non-European point of view of the "Indian" Wars' with Black Elk. The purpose of the John Neihardt's book Black Elk Speaks is to give validity to the Native American side of the story when westward expansion was at is peak in the Dakota regions of the Old West. Neihardt's mission is to convey a different story of early pioneer European expansion than those found in American history books."
Abstract This paper discusses the causes and effects of the Black Plague or the Black Death, as it was known to Europeans (or formerly known as the Bubonic Plague). It describes the nature of the Black Plague and its effects on individuals and communities. The paper then discusses how the Black Plague contributed to the end of feudalism in Europe.
From the Paper "Europeans in the middle ages tended to be superstitious in their religious beliefs. As they searched for something or someone to blame for the wrath of the plague, all of their praying and blind faith did not protect them from being infected. Comets, earthquakes, astrological configurations and the sin of humankind were all examined as possible causes. Interestingly, as Christians watched as their cardinals, bishops, priests and other clergy fall dead, just as vulnerable as anyone else, the religious strength of the feudal structure began to decline, as well. It is thought that these events may have ignited the Protestant Reformation (Uretsky)."
