In September 1991, archaeologists began to turn up graves and bodies in lower Manhattan. Well-known maps had shown that this was the site of New York's first burial ground for slaves and free blacks. "Breaking Ground, Breaking Silence" uses the rediscovery of the burial grounds as a window on a fascinating side of colonial history and as an introduction to the careful science that is uncovering all of the secrets of the past.
Young seventeen-year-old Joelito Filártiga was taken from his family home in Asunción, Paraguay, brutally tortured, and murdered by the Paraguayan police. Breaking Silence is the inside story of the quest for justice by his father—the true target of the police—Paraguayan artist and philanthropist Dr. Joel Filártiga. That cruel death, and the subsequent uncompromising struggle by Joelito's father and family, led to an unprecedented sea change in international law and human rights. The author, Richard Alan White, first became acquainted with the Filártiga family in the mid-1970s while doing research for his dissertation on Paraguayan independence. Answering a distressed letter from Joelito's father, he returned to Paraguay and journeyed with the Filártiga family on their long and difficult road to redress. White gives the reader a compelling first-hand, participant-observer perspective, taking us into the family with him, to give witness to not only their agony and sorrow, but their resolute strength as well—strength that led to a groundbreaking $10 million legal decision in Filártiga v. Peña. (Americo Norberto Peña-Irala was the Paraguayan police officer responsible for Joelito's abduction and murder, whom the Filártigas had arrested after finding him hiding in Brooklyn.) That landmark decision, based on the almost obscure Alien Tort Claims Act of 1789, ruled that U.S. courts could accept jurisdiction in international cases—recognizing the right of foreign human rights victims to sue—even though the alleged violation occurred in another country by a non-American and against a non-American. So fundamentally has the Filártiga precedent changed the landscape of international human rights law, that it has served as the basis for nearly 100 progeny suits, and grown to encompass not only human rights abuses, but also violations of international environmental and labor rights law. Today, there are dozens of class action suits pending against corporate defendants ranging from oil conglomerates destroying the Amazon rainforest to designer clothing companies running sweatshops abroad. Breaking Silence is a remarkable, consuming story, documenting not only the most celebrated case in the international human rights field—but also the tragic and touchingly human story behind it that gives it life. In 2001, Dr. Filártiga was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Alien Tort Claims Act continues to be hotly debated among politicians and lawmakers.
Providing a balance of empirical research and practical concerns, this book explores the definitions and historical context of spiritual abuse, outlines a process model for the different stages of spiritual abuse and includes strategies for therapists working with survivors of spiritual abuse.
Hundreds of Israeli soldiers speak out about the Palestinian occupation, revealing that their presence is not merely for defense, but also to accelerate the acquisition of Palestinian land and work against an independent Palestinian nation.
** Chosen by Oprah Daily as one of the Best Books to Pick Up in May 2021 ** 'Fast-paced but nuanced ... impeccably researched ... a much-needed book' The Guardian ''[S]o dystopian and apocalyptic that you can hardly believe what you are reading. ... But the story [it] tells is an essential one, with just a glimmer of hope in it. Because of the work of Ellsworth and many others, America is finally staring this appalling chapter of its history in the face. It's not a pretty sight.' Sunday Times A gripping exploration of the worst single incident of racial violence in American history, timed to coincide with its 100th anniversary. On 31 May 1921, in the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a mob of white men and women reduced a prosperous African American community, known as Black Wall Street, to rubble, leaving countless dead and unaccounted for, and thousands of homes and businesses destroyed. But along with the bodies, they buried the secrets of the crime. Scott Ellsworth, a native of Tulsa, became determined to unearth the secrets of his home town. Now, nearly 40 years after his first major historical account of the massacre, Ellsworth returns to the city in search of answers. Along with a prominent African American forensic archaeologist whose family survived the riots, Ellsworth has been tasked with locating and exhuming the mass graves and identifying the victims for the first time. But the investigation is not simply to find graves or bodies - it is a reckoning with one of the darkest chapters of American history. '[A] riveting, painful-to-read account of a mass crime that, to our everlasting shame ... has avoided justice. Ellsworth's book presents us with a clear history of the Tulsa massacre and with that rendering, a chance for atonement ... Readers of this book will fervently hope we take that opportunity.' Washington Post
Anyone concerned about finances—and that's just about everyone—will welcome this step-by-step guide to opening up about a difficult subject. It offers a strategy that can save money, improve relationships, and help people raise fiscally responsible children. Almost half of Americans say that the most difficult topic to discuss with loved ones is their personal finances, so much so that they would rather talk about death, politics, or religion. But what price do you pay for staying quiet? In her fifth book, Kathleen Burns Kingsbury, a wealth psychology expert with over twenty-five years of experience empowering women, couples, parents, families, and wealth advisors, provides you with the answer. This book equips you with the practical tools needed to navigate difficult conversations and future-proof your finances. Discover how to identify your thoughts and beliefs about wealth, and how doing so can help you talk more openly and honestly about money with loved ones. Acquire skills for engaging in effective dialogues with aging parents about healthcare costs, estate planning, and end-of-life issues. Learn tips for fighting fair financially with your partner, and for raising a financially literate next generation. Using Money Talk Challenges and real-life stories, Kingsbury coaches you (and your trusted advisor) to take action. You'll walk away with a roadmap for putting what you learn into practice. Breaking Money Silence is a catalyst for a money revolution leading to a more gender-savvy, financially secure, and financially literate world.
The Veil of Silence concerns you more than you think. You come across it at every turn, whether in your personal life, in your family, in your church or congregation, or in your cities and nations. The Veil of Silence is the reason for inner coldness, loneliness, and the sense of being lost in darkness. Through a captivating blend of history, theology, and psychology, the German pastor, theologian, and activist, Jobst Bittner, provides a brave, discerning perspective on this Veil of Silence and how the weight of history can be lifted. It is a powerful and practical intervention and spiritual guide to reclaim our authority by uprooting all destructive tendencies of covering up the past, uncovering our own family history, rediscovering the Jewish roots of our faith, and moving forward into action. Once the veil is lifted, true healing, restoration, and change can begin.
In 1991, archaeologists in lower Manhattan unearthed a stunning discovery. Buried for more than 200 years was a communal cemetery containing the remains of up to 20,000 people. At roughly 6.6 acres, the African Burial Ground is the largest and earliest known burial space of African descendants in North America. In the years that followed its discovery, citizens and activists fought tirelessly to demand respectful treatment of eighteenth-century funerary remains and sacred ancestors. After more than a decade of political battle—on local and national levels—and scientific research at Howard University, the remains were eventually reburied on the site in 2003. Capturing the varied perspectives and the emotional tenor of the time, Frohne narrates the story of the African Burial Ground and the controversies surrounding urban commemoration. She analyzes both its colonial and contemporary representations, drawing on colonial era maps, prints, and land surveys to illuminate the forgotten and hidden visual histories of a mostly enslaved population buried in the African Burial Ground. Tracing the history and identity of the area from a forgotten site to a contested and negotiated space, Frohne situates the burial ground within the context of late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century race relations in New York City to reveal its enduring presence as a spiritual place.
