I feel a tinge of sadness as this Black History month comes to a close. As an immigrant, I knew nothing about celebrating black history until I came to this country, and the fact that a month was set aside to remember the achievements and struggles of black people in this country filled me with excitement.
Black History month was a time when we focused on the achievements rather than the struggles. We listened to and marveled at the eloquence, of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the bravery and courage of Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, and others like them.
The White House, Washington, D.C. USA”Diego Delso, delso.photo, License CC-BY-SA
We wore our beautiful African dresses to church and sang our favorite negro spirituals, and some of the young people would read poems by Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes and others.
Then came 2020 and along with all the mayhem taking place in the world — the Jan 6 insurrection, climate change, mass shootings, COVID-19 — things began changing. Later came the banning of books, mostly those written by African American writers, and now comes the shocking pronouncement that the teaching of African American history in schools has “no educational value.”
No educational value? The history of a people who were brought here over four hundred years ago, forced to work as slaves, beaten and humiliated at the whim of their masters and literally treated like animals has no education value? But despite the harsh conditions under which they existed, these enslaved people built some of our iconic landmarks, among them the White House and the US Capitol.
Then once freed, the slaves went on to use their God-ordained creativity and skill in every area of American endeavor. They became lawyers, doctors, singers, dancers, writers, pilots, astronauts, and inventors to name a few. They fought in wars to defend this country at home and abroad and some, like Frederick Douglass, even became abolitionists.
These accomplishments were by no means painless. With emancipation came Jim Crow, a nefarious legal and social system of segregation designed to separate white and black and literally keep “blacks in their place.”
Through “blood, sweat, and tears,” African Americans overcame these horrendous conditions, but the struggle never ended completely. African Americans still have to fight for equality in healthcare, for equal pay, and even for voting rights. And now even our history is in danger of being wiped out.
In the beginning of this post, I said I feel a tinge of sadness as Black History month comes to a close, but judging from the tenacity and resilience of the former slaves and all they have overcome, I feel a sense of hope. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, I believe “we too shall overcome.”
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This Black History Month there’s a lot of focus on the polarization taking place in our society. Racism seems to once again be rearing its ugly head in many areas. Even our school system is coming under attack from right-wing politicians who began by banning books they consider inappropriate for our children to read and are now banning the teaching of African American studies in schools. And all of this happening against the backdrop of the killing of black men by police officers.
If ever there was an attempt to exclude African Americans from the mainstream of society it would appear this is it. So where does Love, Lies, and Grace, a novel fit into all this?
Pat, Grace’s best friend, has been living in Grace’s house for a few years and therefore thinks she has some authority to say who should share their home and who shouldn’t. But as Grace later realizes, Pat is only afraid that the strong friendship she and Grace have built up over the years may be watered down by having a third person living with them.
However, there’s one other factor to consider: Milli, the newcomer is white. Pat is biracial and Grace is black. Grace, who does not have a prejudiced bone in her body, looks beyond Milli’s color and sees a fellow human being in need of help. She doesn’t think Pat is racist; she has white friends and was even dating a white man when she first came to live with Grace.
Martin Luther King said in his famous I have a Dream speech, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Dr. King was referring to his children who are black, but this line can be taken generally to refer to everyone. Jesus taught, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c]38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22).
Pat would certainly agree with all this but like most of us, she chooses to do as she pleases.
Is Pat justified in thinking they should not take Milli to live with them? How can you look for similarities in others rather than differences? Leave a comment in the box below.
Have you ever shown hospitality to a stranger who turned out to be an angel? In my next post, I will deal with the religious aspect of showing hospitality to strangers.
Angela Joseph is the author of Love, Lies, and Grace, a Christian women’s fiction novel showing how life’s challenges help the relationship between three strangers evolve from friendship into family.
Angela is a blogger and author of Christian women’s fiction and Christian romance. Her latest release is Making Music Together.
Sometimes genuine love requires uncompromising sacrifice.
It’s easy to make an idol of routine—finding comfort in the
boundaries set before you. Something About Ruth is an intricately woven,
magnificently crafted story about three ordinary strangers, who, after
Katrina, are plucked from their own securities and set against unordinary
circumstances. But fate brings them together.
Ruth, an outsider.
Naomi, a wounded mother.
Boaz, a no-nonsense man of character.
The path that brings them all together is scarred with the pain of loss,
the bitterness of starting over, and the faith that sustains them.
JC Miller is a freshly anointed, faith-based author who uses her childhood
experiences in the Bronx, New York, to capture the soul of inner-city
living. As a former student of Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute and a
graduate of the Te’Hillah School of Urban Ministry, Miller utilizes her
studies to intertwine pop culture with divine accounts of biblical
characters. Through sharing these stories, her goals are to encourage people
to study the bible and not make it complicated, to view themselves through
the lives of those characterized, and to find healing in Christ.
JC Miller recently co-founded a publishing company, Jess, Mo’ Books,
with her childhood friend, M.R. Spain. Together, these ladies are creating
fresh content to uplift, educate, and motivate women through blogs, social
media groups, and a yearly online magazine.
In this sizzling Regency romance by USA Today Bestselling author Charlie
Lane, a lady with a secret runs from the gentleman who loves her.
She’s not who she says she is.
Shadows, secrets, and Jackson Cavendish—all things Miss Gwendolyn
Smith runs from. She’s determined to live a life of obscurity,
studying dusty tomes. Better that steady present than her haunting past or a
future she cannot have. When a letter arrives that threatens her secrets and
Jackson tells her he’s done waiting, she must choose—face her
past and gain a future? Or continue running from both.
He fell first, but he’ll win at last.
Mr. Jackson Cavendish has chased Gwendolyn for six years but only caught
her once. In Paris at midnight. He’ll never forget what she felt like
in his arms. And he’s determined to repeat the experience. Every night
for the rest of their lives. But how to convince the woman he loves to trust
him with her secrets?
He’s tried seduction.
He’s tried retreat.
Now he’ll have to reveal his own fears and secret guilt.
When these two scholars must dig into their own pasts, they’ll learn
how to build a future from it or lose each other forever.
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author Charlie Lane traded in academic databases and
scholarly journals for writing steamy Regency romcoms like the ones
she’s always loved to read. Her favorite authors are Jane Austen (who
else?), Toni Morrison, William Blake, Julia Quinn, and Maya Rodale.
Charlie writes unique stories with unconventional characters who push
against the rigid restrictions of their society. Officially, Charlie has a
Ph.D. in literature with a focus on the nineteenth-century novel and
children’s literature and answers to Professor. Unofficially,
she’s a high-flying circus-obsessed acrobat. She lives with her own
Colonel Brandon, two little dudes, and a furry fella in East
Tennessee.
Logline: Two worlds collide when a young Amish girl discovers she was adopted by a wealthy family. As she seeks her birth mother, she must overcome the obstacles of a lost fiancée, a shunning and a crafty gold-digger who seeks the fortune of her birth mother.
Synopsis: Katie Lapp, a young Amish girl, discovers her parents have been keeping a secret from her… she is adopted. Katie decides to seek her birth mother, defying the rules of her Amish village and risking a shunning. Meanwhile, her wealthy birth mother, Laura Mayfield, battling an illness that might take her life, begins a search to find her long-lost daughter to bequeath her inheritance before it is too late. Secretly plotting against her is the gold-digging husband Dylan (played by John Schneider), who is scheming to make sure it is he who inherits her fortune. With the help and prayers of her Christian maidservant (played by Chonda Pierce), they try to foil Dylan’s plan and reunite Katie and Laura.
Production “The Confession Musical” is based on the New York Times best-selling book series “The Heritage of Lancaster County” written by Beverly Lewis and written for the stage by Emmy-Nominated screenwriter Martha Bolton. Filmed in front of a live audience and brought to the big screen, the film combines drama, mystery, faith, and spectacular songs and sets. A clean film the entire family can enjoy or perfect for a spectacular “girls’ night out!” Mystery, intrigue, and romance are woven together with Broadway-caliber music under the direction of award-winning producer Dan Posthuma and film director Stephen Yake with Yake Films. Wally Nason’s songs are dramatic, and Emmy-nominated scribe Martha Bolton sprinkles in comedy as the screen is filled with over 20 actors and dancers, supported by spectacular visuals. Produced by BLUE GATE MUSICALS.
Website: https://www.fathomevents.com/events/The-Confession-Musical Movie Trailer: https://youtu.be/nJb6JHIbpRI Website: www.confesionmusicalmovie.com Website: www.bluegatemusicals.com
MEDIA CONTACTS: The Confession Musical Movie Lori Heiselman lori@biscuitmediagroup.com Fathom Events Colette Carey ccarey@fathomevents.com
Order your tickets now to see The Confession Musical Movie with John Schneider and Chonda Pierce. You will Sing, Dance, Laugh and Gasp in this new film from Blue Gate Musicals! ONLY IN MOVIE THEATERS ON FEBRUARY 20
