{"id":13394,"date":"2017-06-22T15:28:56","date_gmt":"2017-06-22T22:28:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=13394"},"modified":"2017-06-22T15:28:56","modified_gmt":"2017-06-22T22:28:56","slug":"tragedy-turmoil-and-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/tragedy-turmoil-and-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"Tragedy, Turmoil and Hope"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week we read a book that was not an academic account of the historical events that occured during the Apartheid in South Africa. We have been reading books from theologians who have fever and passion about shifting the narrative back to its origins. The origin of our Christian faith which belongs now and has always been in Africa. The westernization and white washing of our Christian heritage is very daunting. Going beyond the African orign of our Christian heritage, this term we have focused on the henious systematic debacle of the apartheid in South Africa. \u00a0In Mark Mathabane’s autobiography, Kaffir Boy, he gives a first hand account of how black families and people of color lived in the mist of the Apartheid. These families faced racial injustice, social injustice, violence, displacement, economic and educational inequality for decades. His account is real, raw and disturbing but truth. In reading this book, I could not help but correlate his experience with black families and people of color in America. I find it interesting that many white Americans would see the Apartheid as tragic and horrible but cannot see the very impact of racism that plagues America since it was founded. For centuries people of color have face horrifying tragedy and turmoil. They continue to be depicted as less than human and are forced to make their oppressors feel justified in their oppression by placing the blame elsewhere. From the evasion of America to slavery of Africans, to the 13th Amendment, to Jim Crow legalizing\u00a0segregation to laws enforcing “Law and Order” ,the legislation and systematic oppression is America is very real and continues to perpetuate inferiority amongst people of color and white Americans. So when I read Mark’s story I didnt have to step into his shoes , I am among those already wearing them. In the beginning reading about the police brutality hit home even more. Our young black men and women are brutally murdered by the hands of law enforment. You can barely go a day without reading about someone losing their life in this manner. To make matter worse, justice is a far off thought because the system that is designed to ensure people of color do not have equal access continues to renders verdicts that indicate that the lives of those individuals do not matter and consider their deaths a day in the life of law and order. It was difficult reading Mark’s accounts of the raids and how many neighborhoods were treated all because of the color of their skin but it was even more disheartening to know that this is a real depiction of accounts of people in our own country.<\/p>\n

Within this book there were some key themes that I want to highlight in my post. The first is the importance of \u00a0cultural tradition, Religious implications in light of tradition and christian narrative and the concept of hope in the midst of oppression. While I am aware that my summary will not even grace the surface of such heavy and important subject matters. My hope is to just continue in bringing awareness to the dialogue.<\/p>\n