The Three-Fifths Compromise may no longer prohibit African-Americans to have a full voting right in America by claiming we are only three-fifths of a person. But in light of events surrounds the murders, assaults, and incarceration of African-Americans at the hands of citizens and government officials it seems that we still, perhaps, are only worth 3/5 of the appropriate response of our fellow American citizens. For example there are still roads in South Carolina that are named after confederate militants who fought to keep black people enslaved. In the south there are still churches who have existed since the 1800's who have yet to allow African-Americans to congregate let alone assume leadership positions in their churches. When I hear people say that Dylan Roof's actions were an isolated occurrence of a mentally-ill man and that his actions do not suggest that there is a deeper undertone of racial bigotry in this country (even though he himself said he wanted to start a race war) it forces me to realize that many people have created a lie for themselves. One that says, "racism is no a realistic issue and that there are no longer people who plot to murder others because of their racial superiority. You see groups like Isis, Jihad, Al-Queda, these are all Muslim extremist groups who do live by the 'American way'. These are violent religious groups who seek to end American lives and they need to be stopped by whatever means necessary. These small incidents in of racism in America are minuscule compared to the threats in the middle-east." This is not to say that there aren't some extremist groups that are threat to peace for all people. What is astounding to me is that we collectively spend so much energy, resources, and man-power on eliminating any possible international threat yet we refuse to address the plague that has slowly eaten this country inside out since its inception: racism. Not only a racism that kills but one that determines the educational possibilities for our youth. One that determines the accessibility to quality occupations for people of darker complexions. A racism that leads to the gentrification of entire cities in order to promote a better living environment for the wealthy (privileged). For example, as reported by CNN/Money in 2014 , the income disparity between black and white households since the Civil Rights Era has not shrunk. Rather it has grown especially since the last recession. The median household income for whites is $91,405 (CNN). While the median household income for blacks is:
$6,446 (CNN)
According to the Huffington Post the medians wealth of white households was 13 times higher than black households in 2013.
According to PBS, African-Americans and Latinos, Nation-wide, aren't even being offered some essential math and science classes that are necessary to receive an eventual college education. Suspensions and harsher disciplines are also higher for people of color than they are for whites. Why does this matter? A person with a lack of education and opportunity is more likely to be incarcerated during their lifetime but the likelihood of a person being incarcerated increases fourfold for African-Americans. Even though we make up only 12% of the U.S. Population African-Americans make up 41% of the U.S. Prison population. Please don't say this is because African-Americans commit more crimes because it is mathematically impossible for 37 million (37,000,000) African-American people to commit more crimes than 196 million (196,000,000) white people per year.
Agains, racism is not some run-of-the-mill issue that can be ignored and classified as an individual occurrence because it is a disease that has plague every facet of our society since the inception of this country and the longer that its people (you and I) remain voiceless, incoherent, and indifferent about racial prejudice then the more widespread these problems will become. I care about these issues because Jesus cares about the people that are affected by the sin of this country. White, black, Hispanic, middle-eastern, etc. we all are either condoning these sinful occurrences by our inaction/ignorance and thus supporting these injustices or we are fighting against it by being vocal, appealing on behalf of the lost and broken, and refusing to be silent about the lost and marginalized. The gospel compels me to proclaim freedom to the lost, to the broken, to the oppressed, and to the oppressor. Whether it be those brothers and sisters whom we lost in Charleston or it be those whom seek to kill and destroy, we will all one day stand before Jesus and give account to whether we followed him or not. The lost and the broken aren't just those who are oversees that we serve with on mission trips. They are right here in Waco, Texas. Denver, Colorado. Ferguson, Missouri. Charleston, South Carolina. New Orleans, Louisiana. Birmingham, Alabama. Let's stop being silent about the clear oppression we are seeing on a daily basis. Seek God about how you can help proclaim freedom and justice to the broken where you are and go and be faithful.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."-2 Corinthians 3:17
$6,446 (CNN)
According to the Huffington Post the medians wealth of white households was 13 times higher than black households in 2013.
According to PBS, African-Americans and Latinos, Nation-wide, aren't even being offered some essential math and science classes that are necessary to receive an eventual college education. Suspensions and harsher disciplines are also higher for people of color than they are for whites. Why does this matter? A person with a lack of education and opportunity is more likely to be incarcerated during their lifetime but the likelihood of a person being incarcerated increases fourfold for African-Americans. Even though we make up only 12% of the U.S. Population African-Americans make up 41% of the U.S. Prison population. Please don't say this is because African-Americans commit more crimes because it is mathematically impossible for 37 million (37,000,000) African-American people to commit more crimes than 196 million (196,000,000) white people per year.
Agains, racism is not some run-of-the-mill issue that can be ignored and classified as an individual occurrence because it is a disease that has plague every facet of our society since the inception of this country and the longer that its people (you and I) remain voiceless, incoherent, and indifferent about racial prejudice then the more widespread these problems will become. I care about these issues because Jesus cares about the people that are affected by the sin of this country. White, black, Hispanic, middle-eastern, etc. we all are either condoning these sinful occurrences by our inaction/ignorance and thus supporting these injustices or we are fighting against it by being vocal, appealing on behalf of the lost and broken, and refusing to be silent about the lost and marginalized. The gospel compels me to proclaim freedom to the lost, to the broken, to the oppressed, and to the oppressor. Whether it be those brothers and sisters whom we lost in Charleston or it be those whom seek to kill and destroy, we will all one day stand before Jesus and give account to whether we followed him or not. The lost and the broken aren't just those who are oversees that we serve with on mission trips. They are right here in Waco, Texas. Denver, Colorado. Ferguson, Missouri. Charleston, South Carolina. New Orleans, Louisiana. Birmingham, Alabama. Let's stop being silent about the clear oppression we are seeing on a daily basis. Seek God about how you can help proclaim freedom and justice to the broken where you are and go and be faithful.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."-2 Corinthians 3:17
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