This volume contains twenty-one speeches on the long and enduring struggle for equal rights, from one of Americas finest scholars and orators on race relations in American history. Dr. Benjamin E. Mays. He witnessed race relations (1920s 1980s), and the transformation of America from a rigidly segregated society to a desegregated social structure. Mays is often referred to as the Godfather of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, since he mentored many of the leaders of the movement. And he is acknowledged as the spiritual and intellectual mentor of Martin Luther King, Jr. the selfless leader of the most important social movement of the twentieth century, and the Nobel laureates birthday is a national holiday celebrated on the third Monday in January annually. Outside of Kings immediate family, Dr. Mays influenced his spiritual and intellectual maturation more than anyone else.
The Hebrew prophets of ancient Israel strove to convey God’s point of view to the people and the powers at a time when injustice, deceit, malfeasance, and crushing the poor and the oppressed was prominent—much like today! The prophets spoke courageously and emphatically about God’s profound and unrelenting concern and compassion for human beings. Much influenced by the theology of prophecy developed by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, this book discusses the nature, meaning, and relevance of ethical prophecy at a time when democracy—in the United States of America and elsewhere—is under vicious assault from the religious and secular right and authoritarian politicians who openly flirt with and support murderous dictators, sexism, homophobia, racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred of Muslims both in word and practice. An examination of the contributions of eight powerful personalities from the period of American slavery through the post-civil rights era—Angelina Grimké, Ida B. Wells, Abraham J. Heschel, James Baldwin, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Óscar Romero, and Alice Walker—offers a recipe for addressing this state of affairs.
Benjamin Mays was an African-American educator and a vocal opponent of segregation and discrimination who influenced the thinking of Martin Luther King, Jr. Political scientist Colston presents a collection of the speeches, commencement addresses, sermons, and eulogies of Mays, in which he comments on race relations and the state of education in the United States. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
The Crisis, founded by W.E.B. Du Bois as the official publication of the NAACP, is a journal of civil rights, history, politics, and culture and seeks to educate and challenge its readers about issues that continue to plague African Americans and other communities of color. For nearly 100 years, The Crisis has been the magazine of opinion and thought leaders, decision makers, peacemakers and justice seekers. It has chronicled, informed, educated, entertained and, in many instances, set the economic, political and social agenda for our nation and its multi-ethnic citizens.
Memories and insights of a lifetime fighting for Black freedom and social justice Millicent E. Brown's family home at 270 Ashley Avenue in Charleston, South Carolina, was a center of civil rights activity. There Brown gained intimate knowledge of the struggle for racial justice, and those experiences set her on a life course dedicated to the civil rights struggle. Best known as the named plaintiff in the federal court case that, in 1963, forced the initial desegregation of public schools in South Carolina, her experiences as an activist range across years and well beyond her native state. Another Sojourner Looking for Truth is Brown's insightful reflection on her search for freedom in a nation deeply mired in white supremacist beliefs and overt violence against people of color. In this revealing memoir, Brown writes about her fears and doubts, as well as the challenges of being a teenager expected to "represent the race" and combat negative stereotypes of African Americans. Readers also gain perspective on the interpersonal aspects of white backlash to civil rights progress and strategic machinations within the movement. Overall, Brown's words will inform, inspire, and challenge everyone to better understand the Black Freedom Struggle and confront its ongoing challenges.
This book chronicles a life long journey of stunning and tragic events. It took some five plus years of a "backward glance" to describe that journey. It begins within the doors of a small, seemingly insignificant church on the south side of Chicago where "ordinary people" did extraordinary things; a little assembly of believers gathered together in the Lord's name. The church had been founded by an icon, a giant in the Christian community named B. M. Nottage, who started, along with his brothers, several assemblies in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and other cities. This book, "From Grace to Glory", gives a vivid picture of the marvelous grace of God and his unbounded, unlimited mercy through great tragedy and devastating losses. Read the shocking "unpleasant history" of this little church, and its' resilience through it all. Laugh out loud in "A Little Bit About A Lot of Things", as you look at Bob Hope's jokes and Mae West's one-liners. Read the jaw-dropping "You in six words" from Oprah Winfrey. Go back to another era of great books, outstanding movies, and awe-inspiring music. Share in the great pride of cultural icons who contributed so much to our country and ultimately to the whole world. Don't miss the chapter on the "Onslaught of Nines", where you will discover unknown facts, or surprising facts, or maybe "not-new facts", or just affirmation for the people, places, and things. You will wonder what is the "Fine As Wine In the Summertime" chapter all about? And then, this book gives a vivid picture of the great love and the deep ties of family; a family with an ancestor who could not read or write, but amassed a fortune in land and property. Love of family runs through this family whether you are rich and famous, or poor and needy, or somewhere in between. All families can affirm this, but this book tells it in a different way, in a different format. By reading "From Grace to Glory ... A little Bit About A Lot of Things", we are reminded of what is important in life. We are encouraged by the dear ones who have gone on before us. We can build on that strong love, that strong foundation that has been left, and we can trust our God to take us from His grace to His glory as we continue on life's journey.
As a result of Benjamin Mays's many contributions, he was not only recognized as one of the great minds of the twentieth century, but also let an indelible impact on so many of those he touched. He received 51 honorary degrees, wrote articles for 100 magazines and contributed chapters in 15 books. At the Oxford, Conference on Church; Community, and State held at Oxford University in 1987 and at the state funeral of Pope John XXIII, Rome, in 1963. Dr. Mays represented the United States. He delivered addresses at more than 250 colleges, universities, and schools in the United States and was awarded the Distinguished Educator Award by the United States Offices of Education in 1978. His portrait was unveiled and placed in the South Carolina State House on 12 July 1980. In addition, Dr. Mays gave wisdom and counsel to many more through his sermons, speeches, and community involvement. To chronicle the amazing life and contributions of Mays Carrie Dumas spent several years in research collecting photos and interviewing many of those people whose lives were touched by him. Drawing from numerously archival sources; Duams presents here a photographic biography of one of America's most notable citizens. With more than one hundred images of the life and career of Dr. Mays, this work presents this unique and influential story in vivid detail. While many have read of the life of Dr. Mays, now we can view the images.
Born the son of a sharecropper in 1894 near Ninety Six, South Carolina, Benjamin E. Mays went on to serve as president of Morehouse College for twenty-seven years and as the first president of the Atlanta School Board. His earliest memory, of a lynching party storming through his county, taunting but not killing his father, became for Mays an enduring image of black-white relations in the South. Born to Rebel is the moving chronicle of his life, a story that interlaces achievement with the rebuke he continually confronted.
