Final Blog Post: Women Supporting Women

For my final blog post, I am going to write about something that was briefly mentioned in our final class discussion. The topic I am going to elaborate on is “women support women.” Growing up as being the only girl out of my three brothers really showed to me how important it is for women to be supporting women. Friendship is the most evident advantage of women supporting women. This is necessary to human satisfaction, and for a woman, it can be a crucial component of leading a balanced existence. The crucial sounding board to go over a personal difficulty is frequently other women. In order to participate in the women support women movement, which is all about positivity and female solidarity, you must share a photo of yourself in black and white and nominate other women to do the same with the hashtag #challengeaccepted. 

International Women's Day: Shop these 14 sales to support women-owned businesses

It is important for women to lift each other up because it boosts their self-esteem and serves as a reminder that they possess special skills that nobody else possesses in addition to being just as smart, skilled, and intelligent as their male colleagues. When women are empowered, they contribute back to society by taking on responsibilities, landing jobs, and promoting equality on a worldwide level. 

Women Supporting Women Poster

International Women’s Day falls on March 8^th every year. International Women's Day was first honored on a global level in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. This day was designated an official day by the United Nations back in 1977. The now-global holiday strives to recognize the outstanding contributions made by women and raise awareness of the gender disparities that persist. 

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner Reflection

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner Reflection

This film was about how Joanna "Joey" Drayton comes to her parents' house in San Francisco after a trip to Hawaii with her fiancé, the highly qualified Dr. John Prentice, so they can meet him. Her father, Matt Drayton, is the publisher-editor of the newspaper The Guardian, and her mother, Christina Drayton, owns an art gallery. Joey, who received a liberal arts education, plans to wed Dr. John Prentice, a Black widower who must depart that evening for Geneva to work for the World Health Organization. The pair takes a flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco without realizing that Joey is white, and Joey extends an invitation to John's parents to join her family for dinner. Christina also extends an invitation to her family's liberal friend Monsignor Ryan.

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

I can see how some people may interpret Dr. Prentice's contempt for his father. Dr. Prentice, however, wished for his father to see that his son is an autonomous, free-thinking adult. The next thing that Dr. Prentice said to his father, as his countenance softened and he showed his appreciation, is something that must be acknowledged and was not included in the previous post. "You are my father, and I love you forever," I said. Regarding whether their marriage would last, I sympathize with Spencer Tracy, the father of the young girls, and what he said toward the close of the film.

EOTO REACTIONS

Robert F Kennedy 

In this EOTO reactions, I will be writing about my one fellow classmate who did their presentation of the assassination of Robert F Kennedy. I picked this topic because this was such a crazy and interesting thing to happen, and there are many articles and information within this topic. RFK was assassinated in 1968 on June 5^th, however reported dead on June 6^TH. A 24-year-old Palestinian man Sirhan Sirhan shot him at the Ambassador hotel in Los Angeles. This happened moments after he won the California presidential primary. Unfortunately, five others were wounded during the shooting. The country at this point was confused and obviously concerned. Within the same year, Martin Luther King JR. was also assassinated, and the Vietnam War was occurring. 

Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy

This was such a tragic story for the USA to hear because he was a very important role model for many. He is known for advocating thr civil rights movement, the fight against organized crime and the Mafia, and involvement in the U.S. foreign policy related to Cuba. He impacted the civil rights movement because he sent 400 federal marshals to protect the Freedom Riders and urged the interstate Commerce Commission to order the desegregation of interstate travel. Kennedy also authored his account of the Cuban Missile Crisis in a book titled Thirteen Days. It was released a year after his assassination. This book describes the meeting held by the Executive Committee, which was the team assembled by US President John F. Below is a picture of his book, Thirteen Days. 

Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Klansville U.S.A. Documentary

This documentary was explained as the civil right movements grew in the 1960s, the long-dormant Ku Klux Klan reemerged with a vengeance. North Carolina was seen as the most progressive southern state, and they saw a boom in the membership of the Klan under leadership od Grand Dragon Bob Jones. In a fast three years, North Carolina grew to 10,000 members, which gave them a nickname, Klansville USA. That is where the documentary title came from.  

I thought this was a very interesting and informative documentary about the Ku Klux Klan. It explored the origins of the Ku Klux Klan, its revival at various points in our country’s history, and how it came to dominate North Carolina in the 1960s. During this time, North Carolina was seen as the most liberal southern state. It was such a dominate force in that state for a period that North Carolina lost its reputation as the Tar Heel State. This documentary also focused on the leader of KKK, which was Bob Jones. It elaborated on his reasons behind his ability to organize his power. 

Klansville U.S.A.

Overall, I enjoyed watching this put together documentary narrated by Oliver Platt. There were vintage film clips, and insightful commentary. In my opinion it provided a good analysis on the KKK, and why this occurred in North Carolina with their given nickname of the Klansville USA. 

EOTO Board of regents vs. Bakke

 Board of regents vs. Bakke Supreme Court Case

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

   I am here to share with you the Board of regents’ vs Bakke Supreme Court case. This was held due to the Equal Protection Clause of the fourteenth amendment and Title VI (6) of the Civil Right Act of 1964 being violated by a university’s admissions policies that used race as a clear and exclusive basis for admission decisions. 

In this instance, Bakke was a white man who applied to the University of California at Davis' medical school. When he applied, the school had available spots and his admissions score was significantly higher than the typical admittee's, but due of the school's racial quota system, his application was turned down. Prior to this, the school used a quota system in which white applicants could only apply for 84 of the 100 openings, with the remaining 16 openings going to people of color. Bakke filed a lawsuit against the school, claiming that the flagrant racial quota system violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and was unconstitutional. 

For affirmative action in the Bakke case, it determines that race could be considered, but the use of a strict quota system was unconstitutional in college admissions decisions. The University of California Davis School of Medicine in 1970 adopted an affirmative active program to create a dual admissions system to increase the number of students admitted who were educationally “disadvantaged.” To this day the Supreme Court has gone back and forth on the constitutionality of affirmative action. 

 

Hazel Scott

Hazel Dorothy Scott was a Trinidad-born American jazz and classical pianist and singer. She was born on June 11, 1920 and died October 2, 1981. She was a vocal opponent of racial discrimination and segregation. She used influence to enhance the portrayal of Black Americans in movies. Hazel’s parents got a divorce and she moved with her mother to New York City. Due to this situation, she got extremely close with her mom, and called her mother, “the single biggest influence in my life.”  

Who was Hazel Scott, the forgotten jazz virtuoso who fought against racial segregation?

When Hazel Scott entered a venue or any other public space and noticed that it was separated based on race, she immediately left. Hazel Scott made her Broadway debut when she was 22 years old. She objected to playing a maid or a prostitute. In a movie, she would only ever play herself.

 

She was among the first artists to include a clause in all her contracts prohibiting her from performing for segregated crowds. Scott attributed her bravery to her mother's role model, a proud and independent woman. Scott's popularity and talent also contributed; by 1945, she was drawing sizable crowds and earning an annual salary of more than $1 million. In the summer of 1950, she made history as the first African American woman to host her very own television show. 

 

The Hazel Scott Show

In the Heat of the Night Reflection

This movie was about Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), the racist police chief of small Sparta, Mississippi, makes an arrest on suspicion of murder of African American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier). Tibbs teams up with Gillespie to find the real killer once he establishes both his own and another man's innocence. Tibbs makes enemies and unusual friends while looking for the truth as their investigation takes them across every societal level of the town.

In the Heat of the Night 

I thought this was a fantastic movie that provided a window for those who do not live within the United States and are complete unaware of the racial issues. The film made a significant contribution to educating viewers of other races about how difficult it was and still is to respect another’s human rights, despite the fact that they share the same planet. 

I also found the title song by Ray Charles to be very interesting. The actors in this movie did an excellent job and helped the film new consistent and fascinating. iT Was a social drama film with powerful and important scenes. 

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Harlan's Dissent in Plessy

In the controversial Plessy v. Ferguson decision, in which the majority used the "separate but equal" test to sustain segregation laws, only Justice John Marshall Harlan dissented. In the historic case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954), in which the Court overturned Plessy and determined that "separate but equal" was inherently unconstitutional and a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, Justice Harlan's immortal dissent became law. 

Plessy v. Ferguson

In The Civil Rights Cases of 1883, Justice Harlan presented a crucial 13th Amendment argument that he reaffirmed in his dissent in the Plessy case, arguing that the amendment accomplished more than just ending formal slavery and involuntary servitude. Additionally, "badges and episodes" of slavery were forbidden. He claimed that the 13th Amendment "declared universal civic freedom in the nation." The anger of Justice Harlan over Plessy was evident. He thought that Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), in which the Court ruled that Black Americans could never become citizens of the United States, would be seen as equally harmful as the Court's decision in Plessy. 

John Marshall Harlan

Justice Harlan's career and life offer numerous lessons, not the least of which is a reminder of the importance of open-mindedness and the readiness to reexamine matters in light of new information and shifting social conditions.

The Lynching of Emmett Till

Emmett Till was a 14-year-old African American from Chicago and took a trip to visit his relatives in Mississippi on August 28, 1955. A few days into his visit, he and a group of friends and cousins went into a nearby store to buy candy. Emmett was later accused of acting “familiar” with the young white female storekeeper. He was reported whistling and flirting with this white woman. He was then murdered for this action four days later. 

 

A timeline of Emmett Till’s accuser’s changing stories

The people that abducted him were the white woman’s husband and his brother. They forced him to take off his clothes while having to carry a 75-pound cotton gin fan to the bank of the Tallahatchie River. These two men beat him to death by gouging out his eye, then proceeding to shoot him in the head. Lastly, they threw his body tied to the cotton gin fan with barbed wire into the river.

Will justice finally be done for Emmett Till? Family hope a 65-year wait may soon be over

Because of this shooting, a movie was produced to expose the racism behind the attack while working to have those involved brought to justice. Obviously this is a true story of Mamie Till-Mobley's relentless pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmet Till. 

    

Till 2022

Brown vs. Board of Education

 The Brown vs. Board of Education went on from December 9, 1952, until May 17, 1954. This was a significant ruling by the U.S Supreme Court establishing racial segregation in public schools in the United Sates is unconstitutional, even if segregated schools are otherwise comparable in quality. When they put the two colors together, the white students after being at school all day go tell their parents how they felt uncomfortable being in the classroom with someone who was a different color. It signaled the end of legalized racial segregation within the schools in the U.S.

Brown v. Board of Education, Second Round

Against segregation in schools

During these times, black students were crowded into a small space in the classroom, whereas white students had plenty of room. Cleary we can see how these students were handled differently from one another. Systems of education were far from being equal and accommodable. Now when it came to school funding, African American students received much less compared to white students. This means that white student's receiver better schooling. Studies and reports have shown that children being separated has no positive effects and instead serves to impede America’s social and economic development. During my classmates presenting, my fellow classmate mentioned how black students used to walk to school pass the white kids walking to theirs and how it lowered their self-esteem. This showed those kids that everyone should have same opportunities.  

The road to school desegregation

Supporting segregated school systems 

No matter what, African Americans are always seen as a minority. Black and white people held radically distant religious beliefs and worldviews. Because the United Sates was a distinct but equal country at the time, white people believed that God wanted them to be apart. This was because they felt that since they were separate since birth, there was no reason for them to ever grow together. Parents of white contended in court that their children would feel alienated if placed in a school with students who are not like them.

Most Americans Say Segregation in Schools a Serious Problem 

Band of Angels Movie

The Band of Angels is a drama film about the Civil War romance between a landowner, a former slave runner, and a Southern belle was shocked to learn her mother was a slave upon her father's death. 

Band of Angels (1957)

Amanda Starr is a character in this movie who is described to be an attractive young, privileged women who lived in Kentucky before the Civil War. Her widower father was an extremely wealthy southern cotton plantation owner. Suddenly, her father dies, and Amanda feels her life has completely gone through loop due to the lies she later finds out about her father. Those lies consist of her father was living off of borrowed money and that her mother was a slave snd her father's mistress. Therefore, Amanda has been sold as property bought by a Louisiana plantation owner. She even attempts suicide when she realizes she will be put up for sale at auction. Even though she got bought from a wealthy gentlemen, she was introduced into a fine house with some unusual servants. 

Amanda Starr Band of Angels

This film actually had a lot of conflict due to people comparing this film with "Gone with the Wind." Band of Angels was proved to be a release failure, both commercially and critically. A lot of people tend to find "Gone with the Wind" a better film, and even gave Band of Angels a nickname. This nickname was, "The Ghost of Gone with the Wind." Now imagine the director of this film and how frustrated it is when he poured his heart and soul into his move production just for it to get shade from others. Obviously with every movie, everyone always has something negative to say and the director knew that. However, this just seemed to be out of control. I personally agree with the public on Gone with the Wind being an overall better film. This is because I thought that movie had a better flow, and overall better cast and plot. 

Rate Clark Gable and Yvonne De Carlo in Band of Angels (1957)

Reflection post for the Trial/EOTO

My fellow classmates presented the reify victory into the concrete language of the law, anti-slavery leaders in Washington drafted the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments (the Reconstruction Amendments), and the states ratified them, they hoped, to put a final period on the end of the sentence.

The Reconstructive Amendments

I learned a lot about the fifteenth amendment. It was passed by congress on February 26, 1869 and was ultimately ratified on February 3, 1870. This granted African American men the right to finally vote. This was a step to equality on the rise after the 13th and 14th Amendments were passed. Even though African Americans legally had the right to vote, many Southern states took discriminatory actions to stop them from voting, such as literacy test, and poll taxes. The 15th amendment was supposed to be the last stop in Reconstruction on the Republican parties end. Although segregation followed, African Americans were finally starting to get a voice. The voting Rights Act of 1965 and then 24th Amendment passed laws against discrimination in these elections. In the end result, African Americans then began to serve in government in state and local offices, congress, and the senate. 

15th Amendment: Constitution and Voting Rights

The next thing I learned about was the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and 1875. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 protected all people in the United States and their civil rights to furnish the means of their vindication. This guaranteed basic economic rights to create contracts, sue, inherit, purchase lease, or own property. Lastly, it guaranteed citizens the right to engage in business and give evidence in court. 

The Civil Rights Act of 1866

Lastly, I learned the Civil Rights of Act of 1875. This act was designed to "protect all citizens in their civil and legal rights", providing for equal treatment in public accommodations and public transportation and prohibiting exclusion from jury service. This granted all Americans, regardless   of race, equal access to all public places. This included places like theaters, hotels, train stations, and restaurants. Another thing this act provided positively set a penalty for anyone who denied equal access for someone else because of race. This resulted in a $500, which was a very good amount of money given the time period. 

About the US Civil Rights Act of 1875

Plessy v. Ferguson (KEY POST for the Trial/EOTO)

In class, we held the Plessy versus Ferguson debate where slavery exploded into all-out civil war in 1861. I was on Plessy's side and argued he should be shown as not guilty. 

Plessy v. Ferguson

Homer Plessy was an American shoemaker and activist, best known as the plaintiff in the United States Supreme Court decision of Plessy versus Ferguson. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a mixed-race man who boarded a train in the "whites only section" in Louisiana where it was against the law. He was arrested, went to court, and Ferguson argued that this was against the Constitution and Louisiana’s separate but equal accommodations for blacks and whites. At the time, there were many who agreed with Ferguson and argued that Plessy was guilty as he intentionally violated Louisiana law. 

No Internet, this is not Homer Plessy. But who is it?

Firstly, Plessy was half black and half white so therefore, why was he seen as a black man and not a white man? There was no specific law for mixed races, even the Louisiana law at the time did not apply to a mixed-race person. This implies that he should have never been arrested because the law did not apply to him. Secondly, Louisiana law implied blacks were inferior giving states the power to make laws that regulate a person’s health, safety, and morals. The Louisiana law gave police the power to determine if the law should be applied in whichever situation they think applies. Why does a state like Louisiana have the right to interpret the Constitution as they want if it is a federal law? Therefore, Louisiana or any other state should not give the right to interpret the Constitution as they like. Thirdly, the Constitution is color blind and does not recognize or distinguish social classes, so the Louisiana Law of “separate but equal” was unconstitutional.

These were the reasons to support the question on why Homer Plessy is not guilty. 

How Homer Plessy and Fellow Creole Activists Challenged Race Itself

Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854

The Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 revoked the Missouri Compromise, created two new territories, and allowed for popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty basically means they allowed the settlers of a federal territory to decide the slavery question without interference from congress. It produced a violent uprising known as “Bleeding Kansas,” as proslavery and antislavery activists flooded into the territories to sway the vote.

The Kansas Nebraska Act 

By 1854 there were 15 slave states, and 19 free states. Kansas revealed it was a free statin January of 1861 only weeks after 8 southern states seceded from the union. 

Kansas Nebraska Act and part realignment

Senator of Stephen Douglas Illinois proposed a bill to organize the Territory of Nebraska, a vast area of land that would become Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, and the Dakotas. He believed the settlers of a territory should decide the slavery question without the opinions from the rest of the world. The bill raised the possibility that slavery could be extended into territories where it had once been banned. The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act induced party realignment and violence, furthering the sectional divide that ultimately erupted in the Civil War. 

Kansas Nebraska Act History

The Frederick Douglas Game (What I learned)

The Frederick Douglas Game introduced me and my classmates to come together and discuss a growing end to slavery and rebuttals in defense of slavery were becoming angrier. In conclusion, this was Americas circa 1845. My other classmates that presented were the defenders of the Constitution which were against slavery and against the government ending it. 

In class during the Town Hall Meeting I gained a lot of knowledge on many different famous people about their opinions on slavery. I learned from one of my fellow classmates about Thomas Jefferson. Something new that I never l known before was that his slaves at the time were in specialized training. The adults would have to help in the house or on the farm, and the kids would have to work in the hailer. In his lifetime Jefferson owned more than 600 slaves. Something absolutely crazing is at one time he owned about 100 slaves that lived on the mountain, and the highest slave population in 1817 was 140. He was very close to almost breaking that record, which is not a good thing. 

A second famous person my fellow classmate presented was John Locke. He supported slavery only as a punishment for a terrible crime for which one’s life could be forfeit. Locke took part in administering the slave-owning colonies. His overall way of thinking on his opinion about slavery was that it is a basic form of human life. Locke expressed that he would be entitled to take his attacker’s liberty if a victim of an assault was entitled to take his life in self-defense.  

Lastly, the third person my fellow classmate educated me on was Samuel FB Morse. He had a strong belief that slavery is not a sin. He was well-known as an active defender of America’s institution of slavery. Samuel defended the institution of slavery without compromise as a part of God’s ordained plan that must not be opposed. 

Gone With the Wind Reflection

 Gone With the Wind Reflection 

This famous movie was made in 1938 and released in 1939 with the winner title of 10 Academy Awards. When released it was extremely popular making it the highest earning film for over a quarter of a century. It was the first color film to win Oscars for Best Picture. The movie mainly filmed in North Little Rock, Arkansas after the book written by Margaret Mitchell. It presented a sentimental view of the Civil War. Gone with the Wind provides a romanticized view of the South during the Civil War. 

Gone with the Wind Plot

Slavery is shown in a positive light and the film is commiserating to the Confederate cause. This movie tells the story of the American Civil War from the perspective of a young southern woman named Scarlett O’Hara. She is in love with Ashley Wilkes but learns that he wants to marry his cousin Melanie Hamilton. Eventually, Ashley returns home on a Christmas furlough and asks Scarlett to take care of Melanie because she is pregnant. Then Melanie went into labor and Scarlett with her servant Prissy had to be there with her when she birthed the child. Lastly, they all had to flee through the city that was on fire. 

Gone with the Wind Summary

Obviously since this was movie was made many years the technology and movie making was a whole different system. So, they only had so much they could work with to try to make look like it did during the period of the war. In today’s world if this was made now it would be a lot more realistic, and imaginable to the audience. In the past 20 years, film production has been changed drastically by the impact of rapidly improving digital technology. The digital age has allowed for now better quality, color, sound, and computer-generated imagery. 

Gone with the Wind film

Harriet Beecher Stowe Speech

 Hello Everyone,   

My name is Harriet Beecher Stowe. The most important things to know about me is that I am an author and an abolitionist. I was born and raised in Litchfield, Connecticut with my older sister Catherine and my brother Henry. I have been lucky enough in my early life where I was able to travel and meet various people which introduced me too other cultures and ways of life. I was always very curious and intrigued by the differences rather than afraid and judgmental as others may easily be. Thanks to my father's line of work. I was also introduced to intellectual   f people and, in listening to their stories, I started to realize that slavery was not something that I could ever stand for. Unfortunately, in 1849, a nightmare that I still have not

recovered from, I lost my son who died in a cholera (collar-ra) epidemic that claimed nearly three thousand lives. After losing him, I started thinking about all the enslaved mothers who had their children sold away from them. How could anyone do that to another human being? This absolutely needs to stop. Why should any person own another person regardless of their color, culture, poverty, etc. There is no excuse for such inhumane behavior. When the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed, which legally forced the Northern States to return runaway slaves, I was absolutely infuriated. Therefore, I wrote my most famous work, Uncle Tom's Cabin, as I wanted this story to influence Northerners to defy the Fugitive Slave Act and not return the runaway slaves to the South. In writing this book, I wanted to educate people on the harsh and painful conditions of the slaves. I wanted the North, as well as other countries, to see the horrible way the South was treating these poor people. I wanted to unveil the ugliness of slavery. When I was fifty-one, I met with President Abraham Lincoln while I was visiting Washington, DC. Lincoln said to me, “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this great War!” I told him I certainly did not start the war, but how my book did emphasize the differences between the North and South. I explained how my book was more of an awakening call for the Northern to realize how unjust slavery was for the first time.  I am also a very devout Christian, and we are taught to love and respect one another, not treat another human being as if they are simply a thing with no feelings, no family, no worth. I used my fame to petition to end slavery. I pushed to tour nationally and internationally, speaking about my book and anti-slavery and donated some of what I earned to help the antislavery cause. I dedicated my life to anti-slavery and hope that you will too. Please think about that poor mother without her child, that father without his child, a wife without her husband, a husband without his wife. Families torn apart and treated with harshness. What if this was you or someone you loved? You can visit a few landmarks that are dedicated to my memory, which makes me very proud.  They are in several states including Ohio, Florida, Maine, and Connecticut. The locations of these landmarks show different stages of my life like where I grew up, and where I wrote my first novel. So, I hope you can visit them some day. Thank you for giving your time of day and I hope you now have a clearer view on why I was an abolitionist and the purpose of everything I have done. 

Links:

https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/harriet-beecher-stowe/harriet-beecher-stowe-life/ 

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/harriet-beecher-stowe 

Bible Team Challenge

Is the Bible for or against slavery? 

Should slavery be banned? Why did slavery even ever exist? Was the bible for or against slavery? This is a question that people have been trying to answer for a long time. Some say that the bible shows that its for slavery and others say that the bible shows that its against slavery. A lot of research has been done to try and prove both sides whether the bible is for or against slavery. There are always two sides to a story so let’s take a look at this from both sides. 

Is the bible against slavery? There are things in the bible that speaks against slavery.  What Does the Bible Say About Anti-slavery? (openbible.info), (Exodus 21:16) “Whoever

steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.” Based on the information found we can see that there were certain parts in the bible that speak against slavery. 

Some may argue that the bible is also for slavery. But, according to What Does the Bible Say About Anti-slavery? (openbible.info), (Colossians 4:1)“Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.” Some may say that based on this information the bible condones slavery. But this verus is letting them know that if they do own slaves and they don’t treat them right reminding them that they have a master in heaven. This was not condoning slavery completely but telling them that they should treat people right. 

 

Another great piece of evidence that can support the bible not coding slavery is according to  Does the Bible Condone Slavery? | Emergence Church - New Jersey (emergencenj.org), “In both the Old and New Testaments, the words used to denote slaves did not necessarily carry the same connotations that we associate with slavery today. Only by understanding the biblical texts and the cultures that produced them can we understand what is being referred to in the Bible.” If you do not understand the biblical terminology then we can’t really compare it to today. These are just a few reasons why some believe that the bible is against slavery. 

 

However, the other side of the story over time has had arguments in favor of slavery based on religion. In the Bible, you can find many different places where it is for slavery. People that argued God protected slavery had a very clear understanding of the New and Old Testament of the Bible. Specifically southern Christians felt slavery, “stands as an institution of God.” 

 Why Did So Many Christians Support Slavery?

Specially in the Ten Commandments slavery is mentioned twice, which reveals that God has acceptance to it (Exodus 20:10,17). Moses was ordered by God that his people can chose to own child slaves, which eventually bequeathed in family heritance. “… but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.” This verse means that no one, not even slaves, should not work or be a servant to your master. Why Did So Many Christians Support Slavery?

Another supporting piece of evidence is in Philemon 12. In this story Paul, an apostle, returned a runaway slave back to his master. “I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you (Philemon 1:12). Paul and Onesimus, the runaway slave, became very close in a short spam. Onesimus became very helpful to Paul, so he wanted to keep him in Rome to help him while being imprisoned. Overall, this was Paul begging to choose forgiveness for the runaway slave, instead of him being commanded to him. 

Bible Ref

In conclusion, religion can argue both sides. The Bible has scriptures that support both sides of the argument. Is the Bible for or against slavery a question that is still being answered? 

Supreme Court

 Supreme Court: Talking about Freedom 

 About the Supreme Court 

If you are like me you might think, why is the Supreme Court even important? Something I learned was at the main entrance to the building of the Supreme Court these words are present, “Equal Justice Under Law.” The purpose of these words is to demonstrate the importance of the Supremes’ Court authorities of the United States. Within the Supreme Court there are documents and functions to help deal human dilemmas. The Constitution allows the Supreme Court official power to make legal judgements or decisions. The Bill of Rights ensures each branch of government recognizes the restriction of its own power. 

 

https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/about.aspx

 

Justices of the United States 

Within the Supreme Court you will find nine members. The Chief Justice of the United States is John G. Roberts, Jr. During his time, he has recommended and executed a refocusing for the Supreme Court. Following him are the associate justices, who are Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barret, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. These associated justices in the Supreme Court are responsible for attending and participating in decision makings. 

 

 

 

How Justices Work 

 

Justices in the Supreme Court hear verbal arguments and make the decisions based on the case they reviewed, then the Court will hear the case. The Justices meet weekly to choose what the court will end up deciding. They tend to receive more than 100 new cases every week. The newly arrived petitions are sent to justices once a week. In every single chamber each justice does their own work. Any of the justices may write a separate decision if they don’t agree with the majority. In the court room the first thing justices do is shake hands with each of the other justices. The purpose of this is to show “that the harmony of aims, if not views, is the court's guiding principle.” In the court room lawyers are allowed 30 minutes to speak arguments. Oral arguments give the opportunity to ask hard questions. Within a few days after hearing arguments justices vote on the case. The law clerks assist in drafting the opinions.  The first draft is four weeks long sent to all nine justices. Revisions may go on for months after that to accommodate different views. 

 

 

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/young_lawyers/publications/after-the-bar/essentials/how-does-the-supreme-court-work/