The Presence of Black People in the Bible Essay Example for Free

The Presence of Black People in the Bible Essay Although not very important, I took the liberty this past month(Black History) to document my research to the age old question, Was Jesus Black, after a small debate with my auntie Angelina Quarterman arguing that He was a Jew, and Jews are White(lol). The typical Hollywood image in which ancient Israelites look like fair-haired White Americans is way off the mark. The people of the bible were Semitic(Afro-Asiatic languages) and would have been dark- skinned. The racial emnity equating Black with evil was an unfortunate development in later Europe, devised in part to justify African slavery. This topic of course has been a discussion almost since the introduction of Christianity to the western world. What color was Jesus Christ? I challenge those who may believe that Jesus was of White, Arabic, or Semitic(which doesnt consitute a race, but a group of languages and culture) descent to do some research. We must first begin by understanding that the first humans were black and were discovered in what is known today as Africa ( Akebu-Lan, which means Mother of Mankind to the natives of Africa or Garden of Eden). This name for Africa (Alkebu-Lan) was given to the continent by the Moors, Nubians, Numidians, Khart-Haddans (Carthagenians), and Ethiopians. The Muslims called it El Bilad es Sudan which translates as Land of the Blacks. You must also note that Africa was a name given by European conquerors, particularly the Romans/Greeks. There are many other names that Africa has been called by such as Kemet, Libya, Ortegia, Corphye, Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Olympia, Hesperia, Oceania, and Ta-Merry. It was even called Aethiops which meant burnt faced people in Greek. Many also do not know that the original Hebrews were black-skinned people. Today we have terms used to describe blacks such as Negro or African which does little to say or prove the roots of black or darker skinned people. The term Negro was given to Blacks as they left Africa for the slave ships (ca. 1500 A. D. ). Negroland was also used by the Portuguese which means black land of course. This term was used to save them from having to call them by their true roots, which were Cushites, Nubians, Ethiopians, or Abysinians, in which they are called by in the Bible. These people were the founders of Christianity and Judaism in Alkebu-Lan, North Alkebu-Lan and Europe. What we have today is Western bias which has thwarted the history of the black race and it takes great study to get back to the truth. Even Moses (who married an Ethiopian woman) is commonly portrayed as an Eurasian or European. You also have people like Tirhaka, King of the Ethiopians, and as a Pharaoh was the fourth member of the Twenty-fifth Egyptian Dynasty that ruled Egypt from (730-653 B. C.). This man is commonly portrayed as European or White. Tirhaka was of grave importance to Israel in the days of Hezekiah. His armies were needed to stave off an impending Assyrian assault by Sennacherib. Furthermore we arrive at the question; What did Jesus of Nazareth look like? His Mother Mary was black/afro-asiatic and closely resembled those of Yeminite, Trinidadian, or African American descent of today. The perception of the Madonna and Child can also be challenged. In Matt 2:15 and Hos 11:1 we find Out of Egypt, I have called my son. This particular passage speaks about Mary and Josephs attempt to hide the one that King Herod feared would displace him. Can you imagine the divine family as Europeans hiding in AFRICA?!? There are literally hundreds of Shrines that depict the Black Madonna in many parts of North Africa, Europe, and Russia. These are but uncanny reminders of the original people who inhabited ancient Palestine. Watercolors and marvelous oils of the painters brush has recast the image and rebirth Jesus as a European. Medieval and renaissance artists (such as Michaelangelo) made him suitable for a European form of Christianity. You even had people like Shakespeare have a hand in editing the the King James Version of the Bible. Again people will argue Jesus was Semitic, but again this is a group of languages that include both Hebrew and Arabic and NOT a racial type. It is ironic that the term Semitic was created at around the same time the Middle East was created. It is as they sought to simply de-Africanize the sacred story of the Bible by disconnecting a part of Africa. In my final analysis I would like to provide evidence that Jesus was of African descent based on the descriptions given in the Bible as regard to appearance. Dan 7:9 reads I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, who garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. We all know that blacks have hair that closest resembles that of wool. We continue on to Rev. 1:13-15: And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire; and His feet unto like fine bronze as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice like the sound of man waters. I can go on and on and continue to prove my point, but as of now you can decide for yourself.

Nelson Mandela Essay -- essays research papers fc

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African resistance leader who received a life sentence on Robben Island for opposing apartheid. Nelson Mandela personified struggle throughout his life. He is still leading the fight against apartheid after spending nearly three decades of his life behind bars. He has sacrificed his private life and his youth for his people, and remains South Africa's best known and loved hero. Nelson Mandela was born in a village near Umtata in the Transkei on July 18, 1918. His father was the principal councilor to the Acting Paramount Chief of Thembuland. After his fathers death, the young Rolihlahla became the Paramount Chiefs ward to be groomed to assume high office. However, influenced by the cases that came before the Chief s court, he was determined to become a lawyer. Hearing the elders stories of his ancestors struggles during the wars of resistance gave him dreams of making his own contribution to the freedom struggle of his people (Ngubane). 	After receiving a primary education at a local mission school, Nelson Mandela was sent to Healdtown, a Wesleyan secondary school. He then enrolled at the University College of Fort Hare for the Bachelor of Arts Degree where he was elected onto the Student's Representative Council. He was suspended from college for joining in a protest boycott. He went to Johannesburg where he entered politics by joining the African National Congress in 1942 (Woods). 	At the height of the Second World War, members of the African National Congress set themselves the task of transforming ANC into a mass movement. In September of 1944 they came together to form the African National Congress Youth League. Mandela soon impressed his peers by his disciplined work and consistent effort and was elected to the Secretaryship of the Youth League in 1947 (Ngubane). 	By painstaking work, the ANCYL was able to get support for its policies amongst the ANC members. At the 1945 annual conference of the ANC, two of the leagues leaders, Anton Lembede and Ashby Mda, were elected onto the National Executive Committee. Two years later another Youth League leader, Oliver R. Tambo became a member of the NEC (Ngubane). 	The victory of the National Party which won the 1948 all-white elections on the platform of Apartheid, inspired ANCYL to create the Programme of Action. The Programme of ... ...onference of the ANC held inside South Africa after being banned for decades, Nelson Mandela was elected President of the ANC while his lifelong friend and colleague, Oliver Tambo, became the organization's National Chairperson (Ngubane). 	Mandela accepted the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of all South Africans who suffered and sacrificed so much to bring peace to their land. He was inaugurated as State President of South Africa on May 10, 1994. 	Nelson Mandela's life symbolizes the triumph of the human spirit over man's inhumanity to man. His struggle throughout life to do away with racism exemplifies his courage and heroics. South Africa is very fortunate to have a leader of that character. Without Mandela, blacks would still be opposed and would not have equal opportunities. They would not have a proper education or have any basic human rights.   Bibliography   "Apartheid." World Book Encyclopedia. 1988 ed., vol. 1, pp. 563.   Ngubane, Jordan. "Mandela." McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography. 1987 ed., vol. 7, pp. 132-133.   Woods, Donald. Biko. New York: Paddington Press LTD, 1978.

Dr. Jose Rizal Writing

Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896), was a Filipino nationalist, novelist, poet, ophthalmologist, journalist, and revolutionary. He is widely considered the greatest national hero of the Philippines. He was the author of Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, and a number of poems and essays. He was executed on December 30, 1896 by a squad of Filipino soldiers of the Spanish Army. He returned to the Philippines in 1892, but was exiled due to his desire for reform. Although he supported peaceful change, Rizal was convicted of sedition and executed on December 30, 1896, at age 35. On June 19, 1861, Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was born in Calamba in the Philippines' Laguna Province. A brilliant student who became proficient in multiple languages, Jose Rizal studied medicine in Manila. In 1882, he traveled to Spain to complete his medical degree. While in Europe, Jose Rizal became part of the Propaganda Movement, connecting with other Filipinos who wanted reform. He also wrote his first novel, Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not/The Social Cancer), a work that detailed the dark aspects of Spain's colonial rule in the Philippines, with particular focus on the role of Catholic friars. The book was banned in the Philippines, though copies were smuggled in. Because of this novel, Rizal's return to the Philippines in 1887 was cut short when he was targeted by police. Rizal returned to Europe and continued to write, releasing his follow-up novel, El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed) in 1891. He also published articles in La Solidaridad, a paper aligned with the Propaganda Movement. The reforms Rizal advocated for did not include independence—he called for equal treatment of Filipinos, limiting the power of Spanish friars and representation for the Philippines in the Spanish Cortes (Spain's parliament). Rizal returned to the Philippines in 1892, feeling he needed to be in the country to effect change. Although the reform society he founded, the Liga Filipino (Philippine League), supported non-violent action, Rizal was still exiled to Dapitan, on the island of Mindanao. During the four years Rizal was in exile, he practiced medicine and took on students. In 1895, Rizal asked for permission to travel to Cuba as an army doctor. His request was approved, but in August 1896, Katipunan, a nationalist Filipino society founded by Andres Bonifacio, revolted. Though he had no ties to the group, and disapproved of its violent methods, Rizal was arrested shortly thereafter. After a show trial, Rizal was convicted of sedition and sentenced to death by firing squad. Rizal's public execution was carried out in Manila on December 30, 1896, when he was 35 years old. His execution created more opposition to Spanish rule. Spain's control of the Philippines ended in 1898, though the country did not gain lasting independence until after World War II. Rizal remains a nationalist icon in the Philippines for helping the country take its first steps toward independence. The greatest contribution of Dr. Jose rizal in our country is the two novel he written; the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, by this many filipinos awaken by the slavery of Spaniards to the Filipinos. He used these two writings instead of holding a sword against the Spaniards. He proved to everybody that pen is mightier than a sword. He also organized the first cooperative in the Philippines while in exile in Dapitan. The Rizal's clay sculptures, including the one entitled Prometheus Bound, are very original. They are not only pleasing to look at, but also show social issues. Rizal used art as a medium to effect societal change. Rizal's pencil sketches also show techniques that were later used in comic strips. For these, the historian Gregorio Zaide nicknamed Rizal as the â€Å"Leonardo da Vinci of the Philippines†. He was also an exemplary example of Filipino Values. He also advocated a peaceful and a diplomatic way to speak out Spanish indifferences. Andres Bonifacio, on the other hand, advocated a bloody revolution, which is against the Filipino value of life. He also made anthropological researches on the physical and social make up man. He also experimented on various plants as he practiced horticulture. He also made researches on the physiology, classification and habits of animals. Aside from being an ophthalmologist, he practiced engineering and constructed a water system while in exile in Dapitan. His death gave new courage to the filipinos like emilio aguinaldo etc. to defend Filipino people from foreign accusations of foolishness and lack of knowledge; to show how the Filipino people lives during Spanish colonial period and the cries and woes of his countrymen against abusive officials; to discuss what religion and belief can really do to everyday lives; and to expose the cruelties, graft, and corruption of the false government at honestly show the wrongdoings of Filipinos that led to further failure. Dr. Jose Rizal Mercado y Alonso is by far, without a doubt, the greatest hero this nation can ever have. Ever since the very foundation of our early education, we have been taught about a man to whom we owe the sweet taste of independence we now have the privilege to enjoy. Rafael Palma, a person of great significance once said, â€Å"The doctrines of Rizal are not for one epoch, but for all epochs. They are as valid today as they were yesterday and it will still be strongly valid in the future. This signifies the immortality of Rizal’s life, works, and genuine character. And as our beloved country’s National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal will be remembered, forever. That we can be sure of. However, the world will never run out of skeptics. Some have lead themselves to believe that Dr. Rizal was a made-to-order hero; one that personifies what we want to see in a person, or in a hero, for this matter. But we strongly believe, that these opinions hold no truth. Dr. Jose Rizal was a very real human being. One who had his share of mistakes, and heartaches, but nevertheless stood for what he believed in, and lead his nation to freedom. Who made Jose Rizal our foremost national hero, and why? But before we can come up with a logical answer to that, we must first look into the character and works of Dr. Jose Rizal that made him our national hero. First and foremost, as stated by the authors Gregorio and Sonia Zaide in the book Jose Rizal, Dr. Rizal is our greatest hero because he took an â€Å"admirable part† in that movement which roughly covered the period from 1882-1896. His wondrous magic with words in his writings, had a tremendous contribution to the formation of Filipino nationality, lead his fellow men to assert their right to our nation. Dr. Rizal’s works sparked a flame that set us free. The authors have previously stated, â€Å"†¦no Filipino has yet been born who could equal or surpass Rizal as â€Å"person of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering. † This is the second point. We can all agree about the fact that not one citizen of the country had yet to show the same characteristics, or had done the bravest of acts for his country as Dr. Jose Rizal. Considering his natural endowments—intellegence, wealth, influence—Dr.Jose Rizal could’ve chosen a life in prosperity, up, up and away in another island. But instead, he dedicated his life into writing for the sake of his love for public service to the Filipino people, and the Philippines. nd lastly, Jose Rizal is the greatest Filipino hero because he is â€Å"a man honored after death by public worship, because of exceptional service to mankind. † (Gregorio and Sonia Zaide, Jose Rizal). Dr. Jose Rizal is not only highly acclaimed up to this very time because of the exemplary literature we still study to this day. He is still very highly remembered and ever adored because of his conviction, service, and great love for the Filipino people, and the country. This is because he is still celebrated years after he left the face of the earth. He was a great leader, who offered exceptional service to mankind. Going back to our main question: Who made Dr. Jose Rizal our foremost national hero, and why? My answer is going to be brief, and simple. Not one person or organization can be held responsible for making Dr. Jose Rizal our national hero. Rizal himself, his own people, and the foreigners all together contributed to make him the greatest hero and martyr of his people. This is because; Dr. Jose Rizal didn’t become our National Hero by way of traditional election. The fruits of his exceptional dedication and conviction to his life’s purpose are seen in our everyday lives. If he hadn’t, and among other note-worthy heroes of our history fought for our well-deserved freedom, maybe we’ll still be in the hands of our unjust captors. His â€Å"excellent qualities and merits† (Rafael Palma) made him Our Foremost National Hero.

Essay on Racism in Invisible Man - 838 Words

Racism is perceived as a very negative aspect of society. When most people think of racism, they see hatred, evil, and ignorance. It has always been around since history has been recorded, and probably before that. There are many different forms of racism, but when one thinks of racism in America, they most certainly think of the struggles that the African-Americans have faced for hundreds of years. American literature has been noted for its sometimes controversial, but outspokenness of issues faced by people and minorities. Ralph Ellison is considered one of these authors after his novel Invisible Man. It was published in 1953, before the Civil Rights Movement really got strong. Ellison confronts the various forms of racism in this novel.†¦show more content†¦The man says something that the narrator does not like and tries to force an apology out of the man. This is what initiates the first part of racism and the thought of being invisible in the novel. The narrator endures the different types of racism through the different places he visits. Everyone expects something different of him and other African-Americans. This is how he tries finding his inner self and it just confuses him more because everyone wants something different. Another example of this is when the narrator is working for Liberty Paints in New York. The work force is primarily blacks, but the final product is white. This is ironic because their slogan is â€Å"If it’s Optic White, it’s the Right White.† There is also a sign outside of the building that reads â€Å"Keep America pure with Liberty Paints.† This is a form of racism in itself because they only produce white paint, and they say that they are keeping America pure. †Our white is so white you can paint a chunka coal and you’d have to crack it open with a sledge hammer to prove it wasn’t white clear through† (Ellison 217). This is said by Lucius Brockway, an engineer at Li berty Paints. This can be seen as an extended metaphor between the paint making process that requires a black chemical to be added, and the whites vs. blacks at the company itself. The company seems to have primarily black workers producing the paint, but this quote goes to show that white is overpowering and thatShow MoreRelatedInvisible Man, Race And Racism1822 Words   |  8 PagesIn the novel Invisible Man, race and racism is a constant issue of equality and inequality. In the 1960s, a black man confronts racism against not only to white folks, but society’s from degradation, but the narrator s experiences in the battle royal and his role in perceived the Brotherhood organization. However, the novel goes more in-depth in a race that makes it hard to find an individual identity. 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