by Allen Reynolds, UrbanFaith Editor | Apr 18, 2016 | Feature |
Over the past year, there has been a public outcry and protests on college campuses across the nation due to the handling of sexual assault and sexual harassment cases filed by students with their respective institutions.
The most recent survey by the Association of American Universities found that more than 11 percent of college students have experienced nonconsensual sexual contact in their college careers. The same report found that less than half the women surveyed did not even report their sexual assault. The picture is clear, women are survivors of nonconsensual sexual contact at alarming rates on college campuses (and everywhere else), yet do not report or the incidents and do not receive the help and support they deserve.
Recent examples of confronting this system of sexual injustice include the protests on the campus of Howard University in March. I, myself, am a Howard alumnus and was proud of my fellow Bison as current students stood in solidarity with a survivor of sexual assault. This was a result of what was perceived as an unsatisfactory response by university administration in dealing with the real issues.
Yes, it is true that the university must follow due process because of the possibility of false accusations, which also happens. But with the number of cases that are, in fact, valid, it is good to see students speaking out against these issues and standing in solidarity against the institutional and cultural dynamics that have not yet dismantled our rape culture in the United States, especially on college campuses.
Like many of my peers, I also have personal stake in fighting against rape culture. I, personally, know too many women who have been victims of sexual harassment, assault, and rape.
One particular case is etched in my mind as I remember the fury I felt when I learned that one of my close friends at Howard had been raped. “How could a man do something like that?” I asked myself. My friend felt guilty that it happened. There was a sense of guilt for putting herself in that position, defiled and sinful for something that was never her fault.
It is never a survivor’s fault that they are assaulted. She didn’t report it because she didn’t think it was “worth it” and didn’t want to “be responsible for another black man in prison.”
There are several scriptures that address sexual violence in the Bible, but the rape of Tamar in 2 Samuel 13 captures these emotions and their aftermath best in my view. The lust, misogyny, anger, denial, guilt, depression, lack of fulfillment, and self-hatred and shame of the rapist, the stigma, the sorrow of the survivor, Tamar, are all found in scripture.
The anger of the aftermath and how it impacts people so far beyond the parties directly involved are also found there in those verses. It is illuminating that the aggressor, the victim, and their families experience psychological, social, and spiritual pain from the event, even in scripture.
Jesus stood on the side of those who were survivors of oppression, violence, and sexual devaluation. So, it is also safe to say that He would stand against rape as well.
As men, we must stand with our sisters against patriarchal, oppressive structures and influences. We must stand with them in the midst of the pain. We must, as Christians, stand and speak against sexual violence in all of its forms, against men and women.
We must stand for God’s Kingdom Culture influenced by love and justice against the rape culture that covers our country. We saw a step toward that on Howard’s campus in March and on other campuses nationwide last year. We have to keep walking toward justice and true love. We must break the silence about sexual violence.
Watch for more details on the Howard University protests below:
What are your thoughts on the recent campus protests against sexual violence? Share them below.
What are your thoughts on the recent protests? Share them below.
by Jacqueline J. Holness | Apr 15, 2016 | Feature |
Writer Jacqueline Holness dresses as her favorite First Lady, Michelle Obama.
With the upcoming New York primaries for the Democratic and Republican parties on Tuesday, the groundbreaking yet vitriolic presidential campaign continues to captivate the country. However, as the campaign showdown plays out, the presidential candidates’ spouses have become targets as well.
Last month, Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz traded insults and threw out innuendoes about their respective wives, potential First Ladies Melania Trump and Heidi Cruz, and recently, potential First Gentleman and former president Bill Clinton squared off with Black Lives Matter protestors. Bernie Sanders’ wife Jane O’Meara Sanders has managed to escape negative scrutiny for now.
However, as the country is on the cusp of choosing its candidates at the party conventions, it is appropriate to take a closer look at the attributes and accomplishments of these candidates’ spouses compared to current and former presidential spouses. Although presidents are typically seen as the primary power brokers in their marital relationships, First Ladies throughout history have also contributed significantly in public service, government, and overall American life.
Hillary Clinton is the first former First Lady to campaign for president and to have held the Secretary of State office as well as a senatorial position. According to WhiteHouse.gov, Hillary Clinton was the “first woman elected statewide in New York” to the United States Senate.
In addition to the being the first Black First Lady, the academic accomplishments of Michelle Obama also set her apart as well. Michelle Obama, who was the 1981 salutatorian for Whitney Young High School in Chicago, graduated from Princeton University in 1985, the first First Lady to have earned an undergraduate college degree from an Ivy League institution.
She then secured a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1988, making her the second First Lady to have an advanced college degree, with Hillary Clinton being the first.
While Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama are arguably the most popular First Ladies right now, other First Ladies have also distinguished themselves for their contributions to American life. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, who died on March 6, took on the cause of youth drug addiction when she created the “Just Say No” campaign in 1982 during her husband’s presidency.
According to WhiteHouse.gov, “in 1985 she held a conference at the White House for First Ladies of 17 countries to focus international attention on this problem.” According to the Reagan Foundation website, by 1988, “cocaine use by high-school seniors dropped by one-third, the lowest rate in a decade.”
Eleanor Roosevelt, who held the First Lady position the longest (as her husband and distant cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt served four terms as president), also championed political causes. She held press conferences, lectured, and had a column “My Day” in a daily syndicated newspaper, according to WhiteHouse.Gov.
She also championed civil rights for Black Americans, including publicly supporting the Tuskegee Airmen. Her friendship with Pauli Murray, a Black civil rights activist and attorney, was captured in The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship: Pauli Murray, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Struggle for Social Justice, a book written by Patricia Bell-Scott and released in February.
Finally, following her husband’s death, Roosevelt became a United Nations spokeswoman.
Mamie Eisenhower, wife of Dwight Eisenhower, sought equality for Black people, though in less public ways. Eisenhower, an honorary member of the National Council of Negro Women, invited Black children to come to the annual Easter Egg Roll, and ensured that the 4-H Club Camp for Negro Boys and Girls was included in special tours of the White House, according to biography.com.
Here is some random trivia about other First Ladies: Should Melania Trump be next First Lady, she won’t be the First Lady to have been born in another country; Louisa Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams, was born in London, England. Similarly, Betty Ford, wife of Gerald Ford, worked as a fashion model, just like Melania Trump. Finally, technically not a First Lady, Harriet Lane served as a First Lady for her uncle James Buchanan, the only president who never married.
While it is impossible to predict who will be the next First Lady or even if there will be a First Gentleman this time next year, it is evident that the spouses of presidents have much to offer the country as well.
For more information about First Ladies, go to www.whitehouse.gov/1600/first-ladies.
by Deida Massey | Apr 5, 2016 | Feature |
Here is the third blog entry from Celebrity Makeup Artist Deida Massey on her experience as a Christian makeup artist in the entertainment industry. Dive deeper into Deida’s world as she answers our third question below and check back next week for Deida’s final blog entry.
What is a typical day like for you as an entrepreneur and celebrity makeup artist?
A typical day for me is, first, waking up and starting my day in worship and prayer.
There are two worship songs I love to play by Pastor William Murphy: “Amazing GOD” and “We Ain’t in Church.” Prayer and worship help me to command my day.
When I’m not on set, that time gives me a chance to respond to emails and catch up on work for my non-for-profit Reel Beauty, Inc. Currently, the organization is inside Chicago Public Schools. If I have the time, I like to go and visit my girls to see how well they are doing with the program. My team always likes when I come in to encourage the girls to stick to their commitment to the program.
I’m always researching new ways to better my businesses and looking for ways to make more money. After checking emails, I usually have board meetings to attend for my organization or my brand.
I’m truly a visionary and, therefore, I’m always dreaming and talking openly to GOD about what’s next or what’s on my mind. I have several books I’m currently reading and, when time permits, I enjoy catching up on my reading.
Running errands is also a huge part of my day. Whether it’s for my business or personal, I’m always running errands. I believe your day should be productive. Keeping an agenda or, as some people like to call it, a “Things To Do List” helps to give order to your day.
I am also often on set for film and television. I currently work as an additional day player on Chicago Fire. While on set, my day is consumed with production. I spend my mornings in the makeup trailer helping to prepare the actors for their scenes. Sometimes I’m also called to set to cover the actors that are already there.
I am truly grateful and love working in film and television. It’s really amazing to be behind the scenes and see how an entire production comes to life. More importantly, I love working with creative people and seeing everyone operate in their gifts that GOD gave them. We are usually on set for 10-12 hours and, therefore, my day in production is pretty full.
Being an entrepreneur is one of the most rewarding parts of my life. My days are pretty flexible if I’m not on set working. Although I have a team of consultants who go into the schools to help facilitate and implement our Reel Beauty curriculum, I am very grateful for those volunteers who are passionate and committed to the work we do. Their commitment helps me to further the mission for my non-for-profit and work in my gift as a make-up artist.
I live by the words “Time is valuable.” When we work for someone else, we are on their time but when we work for ourselves 365 days of the year, it’s so much more rewarding.
Did you miss Deida’s other blog entries? Start with the first entry here.
Learn more about Deida and her life in the industry here.
by Deida Massey | Mar 17, 2016 | Feature |
We are back with the second blog entry from celebrity makeup artist Deida Massey on her experience as a Christian makeup artist in the entertainment industry. Learn more about Deida’s journey as she answers our second question below and check back each week for Deida’s latest blog entry.
How does your faith play a role in your work?
My faith plays a great role in the work I do today. If it had not been for my Faith, I would not have the ability to quit my job of 16 years and pursue my passion and purpose.
The bible says “It is impossible to please GOD without faith (Hebrews 11:6).” I have taken this scripture and used it to propel my life in ways that only GOD can. For me, it’s simply, faith moves God! I really came to understand this when I wanted to quit my job and do what GOD had purposed me to do.
Scripture also tells us “Faith without works is dead (James 2:17)” and “Faith is the evidence of things not seen but hoped for (Hebrews 11:1).” All of these scriptures helped me get to where I am today.
Faith and works work together. Therefore, I had to research my desire to become a makeup artist. I worked at counters in Saks Fifth Ave and Marshall Fields on weekends and after school to help build my confidence as a makeup artist. It also helped me to learn skin tones and the application of different ethnicities.
I believe when GOD saw me moving in works, my faith was being increased and developed. I never sought to become a celebrity makeup artist. It was in GODS plan for me to be one. I didn’t know it; I just moved not only in faith but courage as well.
When Scripture says “Faith is the evidence of things not seen but hoped for,” I couldn’t see where my Faith would take me. I hoped to be successful and for everything to work out as GOD intended. I learned through my experience of relocating that GOD was watching me move in Faith.
It is difficult to do anything we don’t see or to trust something we’ve never done. However, I am a true believer that that GOD has a plan for our lives and the word says “His plans is to prosper us and not to harm us to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).”
GOD’s plan for me in LA was more than I had imagined for my life professionally and personally. While living in LA, I met key persons who helped me in furthering my career as an artist. In addition, GOD positioned me strategically to get opportunities I would never have imagined had I not stepped out on Faith.
Finally, my faith helped me trust GOD more and more each day. Witnessing the doors opening that my faith produced was amazing. It taught me to trust GOD in everything and, more importantly, trust the process.
In life, we go through many processes but we don’t learn to enjoy or embrace the process or journey until its over. Today I’m still learning to embrace the journey. The journey is there to teach us, stretch us and increase our faith.
It was and is only by Grace and mercy I’m still here. But it’s by Faith that my career continues to grow. I always say “Faith it until you make it.”
Did you miss Deida’s first blog entry on how she got her start as a celebrity makeup artist? Check it out here.
by Patrick Hare | Mar 15, 2016 | Feature |
Well, this year we vote. At some point, perhaps in the early morning hours of the day after the election, perhaps not for several days, we will find out who has been selected by our Electoral College system to serve as President for the next four years. I expect that the winner will not fulfill all the promises they have made. Nor will their presidency be as apocalyptic as the prophets of doom have predicted. Both of these candidates have virtues that are worthy of our admiration, and weaknesses that merit our concern. Nonetheless, based on the deluge of Facebook posts by my friends, I expect that while somewhere around a third of you will be ecstatic over the result, another third will be bitterly disappointed.
But this post isn’t really about who is President for the next four years. We’ll all survive that. This post is about our friends, our neighbors, the stranger we see on the street, the person driving in front of you whose bumper sticker you disagree with. It’s about all of us. For no matter who wins this election, the last election, the next election — most of us will still be here. There is an old saying that we get the government we deserve. And frankly, based on the vitriol and animosity I have seen in social media surrounding this year’s presidential campaign, we don’t deserve much.
The Facebooking of Politics
I have heard friends accuse friends of being bigots and racists because of who they are voting for. I have seen friends accuse friends of being “uninformed, misinformed, communists or opposed to this country’s values” if we vote for specific candidates. I have seen friends accuse friends of being haters, homophobes, misogynists, etc., if they vote for others. I have seen friends “unfriend” friends. Frankly, I’ve been tempted to unfriend some folks myself, although I have resisted the urge. I don’t know if we are reflecting the polarization of Washington, or if the Beltway reflects the hatred and spite of the American citizenry.
Here’s what I rarely, if ever, observed: People truly listening. People asking questions of people who view the world differently than them. People seeking to understand.
To paraphrase G. K. Chesterton, it’s not that we have tried to engage in gracious, thoughtful political dialogue and found it wanting — it’s that we have found it difficult and not tried. We have told people what they think rather than asking them. We have refused to believe their reasons, choosing to trust our own stereotypes. We haven’t listened to their stories — we’ve made them shallow caricatures in a story of our own creation.
I expect I have noticed this acutely the past several years during the 2008 and 2012 elections, because those were the first elections when so many of us were on Facebook in a presidential election year. But of course, politics, not to mention religion, has been a taboo topic of discussion for years, long before the Internet. It is tragic that those two disciplines that capture the depths of human values and meaning — religion and politics — are considered off-limits for many of our conversations. I expect much of this revolves around our need to be right, and our fear of people who see the world differently.
I’ve given this a lot of thought, as a friend of mine has continually jabbed at supporters of the other candidate, goading them to respond to some of the more troublesome aspects of their candidate’s platform. Always done in a shaming, blaming way. Not surprisingly, no one took my friend up on the offer to explain.
But let me make a few friendly suggestions about how we might do this better four years from now.
The Wisdom of Listening
First, ask questions. And listen. Really listen. Don’t just wait for the person you disagree with to take a breath so you can shoot down their position. Listen seeking to understand. Assume that they are a person of good faith rather than an evil, bigoted hater. Don’t tell them why they’re wrong. Try to understand why they view the world the way they do. Affirm aspects of their values and perspectives that you can respect and admire, even if you might view things differently. Make it safe for them to share their deepest hopes and fears with you. In the Old Testament, Proverbs 18:13 says, “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame” (ESV). Are we practicing the wisdom of listening?
You will find that when you have asked questions, listened actively seeking to understand, and affirmed common ground, that you will develop trust. You will also have created a space where they may ask you questions and give you the same respect that you have shown them. They may even be willing to express respect for some of your values and vision.
Confession Is Good for the Soul
Then, admit to them the concerns you have about your own candidate/party, acknowledging that candidates, like the rest of humanity, have their weaknesses as well as their strengths. Then, and only then, might they feel safe enough to address the weaknesses in their candidate/party that trouble you. Few of us embrace the entire platform of the candidate we vote for. You may not change your friend’s vote. But you will have deepened a friendship. And opened a mind. You cannot wait for them to take the first step; you have to do it.
And whoever wins this election, be open to the possibility that some of their policies, all of which have been informed by advisors and embraced by close to half the population, might actually succeed. Hope and pray for the success of the candidate, even if you’re skeptical. Be more concerned about the good of the country than the success or failure of political parties.
When we remain open to the virtues and vision of our elected officials’ leadership, they may be more willing to listen to our legitimate concerns about those who might get left behind by their policies.
And maybe, just maybe, this sort of political engagement will catch on.
by Nicole Symmonds, Urban Faith Contributing Writer | Mar 9, 2016 | Entertainment, Feature |
For a while the most popular literature and television programming about black people captured no sense of African consciousness. We’ve been far removed from The Cosby Show which introduced many of my generation to Miriam Makeba or A Different World which introduced us to divesting from businesses that supported apartheid in South Africa. Those shows and others of the late 80s to early 90s taught my generation that we don’t only have a history in Africa but our actions affect our present and future connection with the continent. But since then we have slipped out of the realm of cultivating such an understanding of our connection to the continent. For the last decade or so, television programming about black people has been driven by self-interestedness over communal values. There has been nothing to remind us of our descendants and ancestors. On the literary front, we were also hard-pressed to get beyond the Zanes and the Steve Harveys of the world. But recently there has been an uprising of African narratives from African-born writers and creators that is breathing a breath of fresh air on literature and on-air/online programming.
We see its presence in the work of Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie author of the novel “Americanah” which tells the story Ifemelu, a young woman who journeys from Nigeria to America and back again. It is primarily a love story but it also acknowledges the cultural differences between American black people and non-American black people. Ifemelu captures and critiques these differences on her blog and Adichie uses Ifemelu’s blog posts to break up the narrative arc of the book. Though these blog posts are the work of a fictional character they resonate as fact among African and African American alike. Adichie also has Ifemelu return to Nigeria where she comes to grips with the ways that America has changed her and also the ways in which Nigeria in particular and Africa in general will always be a home to her despite the ways in which she has fallen out of love with it. African-American readers of “Americanah” are forced to take a look at the ways in which American culture influences their perceptions of African people and question the relational disconnect between American and non-American blacks. “Americanah” is at the top of many books lists and is rumored to be optioned for a screenplay starring Luptia Nyong’o as Ifemelu. Adichie’s earlier novel “Half of a Yellow Sun,” which tells the story of the effects of the Nigerian-Biafran War through the eyes of five different characters, is now a full-length feature film and is currently being screened in major cities. The film features an all-star cast including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, and Anika Noni Rose.
Teju Cole is also a part of Africa’s uprising in American literature. Nigerian-American Cole was born in the US, raised in Nigeria until the age of 17 and came back to the states. A Distinguised Writer in Residence at Bard College and a regular writer for publications such as the New York Times and the New Yorker, he recently released his novel “Every Day is for the Thief” in the US–it was published in Nigeria in 2007. The novel tells the story of a young man revisiting Nigeria and facing some of the less beautiful aspects of life in Africa, such as watching the audacious Nigerian scammers in action—you know, the ones who e-mail many of us claiming we will inherit millions if we respond to their message. Cole’s is a less glamorous account of revisiting the continent, but he also holds that in tension with the fact the he believes Nigeria is “excessively exciting” to the point of being overwhelming. In an interview with NPR’s Audie Cornish Cole said, “But for me, personally, I have not actually really considered seriously living in Nigeria full time. This is my home here [New York and the United States], and this is the place that allows me to do the work that I do…I’m fortunate to be able to travel to many places, and to go to Nigeria often. And so I feel close enough to the things happening there without needing to live there.” This quote captures the beauty of Cole’s work which banks on both his lived experience in Nigeria and life as an Nigerian-American writer trying to maintain some semblance of a connection. His next book will be a non-fiction narrative on Lagos.
Finally the most recent example of Africa’s uprising in American literature and entertainment is the new web series “An African City.” Created by Ghanaian-American Nicole Amarteifio, the series follows five young African women who move to Ghana after educational and professional stints in America and Europe. The show is billed as Ghana’s answer to “Sex and the City” but it is actually smarter than SATC. The characters don’t just navigate the sexual politics that SATC was famous for, they launch into the deep of socio-economic politics on the continent. The show touches on the plight of the underdeveloped countries, the people who hold the power in such countries—mostly men, and the premium placed on the authentic African woman over the African woman who has been corrupted by Western ways. It branches out from self-interest to communal concern. The series also provides viewers with a look at the landscape of Accra, a region that is reaching toward urban metropolis status in the midst of strong rural roots. Shots of dirt roads lined with shacks where vendors sells their wares and old Toyotas putter down the streets offset the young women’s appetite for cosmopolitan fare and fashion. The show balances inherited American sensibilities with ingrained African pride with style and grace within each 11-15 minute webisode.
And lest I be remiss there is Kenyan Lupito Nyong’o. Born in Mexico City and raised primarily in Kenya, she stole our hearts in her first major acting role as Patsy in “12 Years a Slave.” She also steals our hearts every time she appears on a red carpet, gave an awards acceptance speech, or appeared on the cover of or in the pages of a magazine. Her beauty is being celebrated by many–and it isn’t limited to the fashion and beauty industries. Nyong’o is blazing the trails that supermodel Alek Wek set for African women and expanding dominant views of what is beautiful. But it is not just Nyong’o’s beauty that is captivating, it is her humble spirit and intelligence that is reminding the world that Africa is a force to be reckoned with.
Lupita Nyong’o, Nicole Amarteifio, Teju Cole, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and many more African-born actresses and actors, producers, writers and other creative types are broadening American understanding about Africa and its people. They are also expanding the African-American consciousness on Africa. We can only hope that this is truly the start of a beautiful relationship that goes from this generation beyond.
