We the people of imenti central have been cheated for a long time. Roads are not there, shools are like shanties, waters is now the main sources of the killer diseases due to contamination, pollution, and lack of treatment facilities. Coffee, tea, dairy and horticulture are the main sources of income but exploitation, underpayment,stealing, and sometimes lack of creativity to secure markets has made us the poorest in the region. We have been promised that the area will be supplied with electricity since 1963 but nothing has ever happened. Only lies. Time is up!
We no longer want to be treated as beggars.We no longer want thugs to lead us!We know what we need and how and nobody will ever ever again stop us from going for it. The quasi leaders we have, have been given the mandate in the past but their true identity has been revealed.
Time has come for imenti central to elect a true development oriented leader and minded people.This leader is none other than W Mugambi Arimi. He has proven himself both in Kenya and in America as an astitute, couragious, articurate and virtous leader. He is a doer and a performer.He has all it takes to deliver to his people as he has already demonistrated while in kenya and in America.
Kenyans are hard working and determined people. Our major problem has been hegemonic forces which have been beyond the control of common man. However, this situation has been constantly challenged by those variants Kenyans who have sacrificed even their lives to see Kenyan join other self determining nations. This is not a privilege but a God given right.
ALL KENYA ROADS MUST BE MADE ACCESSIBLE
http://www.maniacworld.com/bulldozer-does-a-stoppie.html
WOMEN IN MINISTRY by Mugambi Arimi
While women have met some goals for inclusion within the United Methodist Church, feelings of exclusion through sexism, classism and racism are very real. Among these social vices sexism has had more damage judging by the ratio of men to women who are Bishops, and the low number of women holding other high positions within the denomination. This can be attributed to the deeply entrenched culture and tradition of patriarchy in the Judeo-Christian heritage from which The United Methodist Church finds its roots. Though this issue has been addressed and documented in the Book of Discipline as witnessed in the following statement, the problem of oppression, dehumanization, discrimination, mistreatment and degradation of women still persist.
Article 161(F) states that: “We affirm with scripture the common humanity of male and female, both having equal worth in the eyes of God. We reject the erroneous notion that one gender is superior to another, that one gender must strive against another and that members of one gender may receive love, power, and esteem only at the expense of another. We especially reject the idea that God made individuals as incomplete fragments, made whole only in union with another. We call upon women and men alike to share power and control, to learn to give freely and receive freely, to be complete and to respect the wholeness of others. We seek for every individual opportunities and freedom to love and be loved, to seek and receive justice, and to practice ethical self-determination. We understand our gender diversity to be a gift from God, intended to add to the rich variety of human experience and perspective; and we guard against attitudes and traditions that would use this good gift to leave members of one sex more vulnerable in relationship than members of another”
This article may sound superb but the reality on the ground is totally different. First, the hierarchy of the United Methodist Church is male dominated and has been perpetuated through wrong socialization which favors male dominated society. This socialization has been so well crafted until some women have come to believe women are never supposed to be leaders in the Church. Those who have seen the light and have truthfully received the truth gospel; which is liberative and incarnational have been in the front line challenging the paradigm under which the gospel has been passed and preserved. In fact some courageous women have challenged the notion of why history and not “herstory”, meaning that all Biblical and Church stories are male oriented.
According to reports from various parts of the globe the Church is male dominated and women have been relegated into the ranks of observers and assigned those duties which end up serving the interests of men. It is really depressing for the Church which was founded under the banners of saving the destitute of the society to turn back and the same things they opposed and accused the Church of England doing. According to the United Methodist Church News Services the following is a true phenomenon in The United Methodist Church.
“More than a century after Anna Howard Shaw became the first woman ordained in the former Methodist Protestant Church, women are still confronting barriers in ministry. Fifteen women religious leaders discussed those barriers and other aspects of being in ministry at the 20th anniversary of Women and the Word. The Anna Howard Shaw Center at United Methodist-related Boston University School of Theology presented the symposium to celebrate women's preaching and leadership. More than 80 people attended this year's event, held March 24-25 with the theme, "Celebrating the Past, Honoring the Present, and Envisioning the Future.” The speakers included pastors, teachers, community leaders and two bishops. They led panels on four themes, focusing on the past, present and future as well as on the power of women to effect change. In the process, they acknowledged their cultural contexts, faith stories and institutional struggles. Shaw herself was no stranger to struggle. Ordained in 1880 by the New York Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church, she was the first woman to have that distinction in a Methodist denomination that would later become part of the United Methodist Church. Earlier, she had been denied ordination in the Methodist Episcopal Church - another forerunner of the United Methodist Church - though that denomination had licensed her to preach in 1871. Several Women and the Word panelists described cultural and institutional barriers they had encountered in ministry. The Rev. Yong Ja Kim, pastor of Rainbow United Methodist Church in Portland, Maine, is the first Korean-American woman to serve a predominantly Korean congregation in her annual (regional) conference. After being refused ordination in the Korean Methodist Church, Kim came to New England to pursue her call to ministry. Her journey has taken her, she said, from a European-male theology to feminist-liberation understandings, a movement she likened to "crossing a Red Sea that I could not return across." "Jesus crossed boundaries all the time, in his multicultural world," Lee pointed out. The United States, she asserted, now faces a test in learning to live as a multicultural society”.
One hundred twenty six years later (126) our pharisaical mentality is still persisting even with the wonderful statements we have engraved in the precious book of discipline. Women are still marginalized, oppressed, dehumanized, and regarded as a second class participant in the UMC.
Denise Johnson Stovall commenting on the 50th anniversary of women in ministry had the following to regarding the state of women leadership in the UMC
“However, I am deeply concerned about the opportunities for women of color to serve. Their options have been far more limited. Also, there is still resistance to women serving large pastorates as well as in the episcopacy." The United Methodist Church has at least 10,000 clergywomen, including elders, deacons, local pastors and retirees, according to statistics. Of those, 800 to 1,000 are ethnic minority clergywomen. Historically, the largest number has been African American. Other ethnic groups include Korean American, Hispanic, Native American, Japanese American, Chinese American and Pacific Islander. Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño of the church's Phoenix Area shares Morrison's concern about the opportunities for women of color in ministry. "My experience as a woman of color in ministry is that unfortunately one faces the discrimination of white racism as well as the sexism of both white persons as well as that of people of color," Carcaño said. "What I have always found curious is that so often the very persons who have most touched our lives through their faith witness are the very same persons who most oppose and are troubled by our call and desire to be faithful," she said. "There is great irony in this. Racism and sexism are so embedded in the world that even in their present subtle and sophisticated forms they are viewed as the normal state of life. "Such sins - for racism and sexism are sins in that they counter God's creative work of making us diverse in color and culture and gender - need to be constantly named for what they are and overcome," she said. The Rev. HiRho Park likens the journey of clergywomen to a race in which success depends on each person's contributions. Park is coordinating the Clergywomen's Consultation, which will bring people from around the church to Chicago in August to celebrate the 50th anniversary. "Making progress in women's ministry is like running the relay," said Park, a staff executive at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. "Each person should receive the baton and run with her best so that when the next one carries it, she will run with the wind of spirit of all women who ran before her.” Year of jubilee "Women have always been preachers in our churches since the beginning," said the Rev. Marion Jackson, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Montclair, N.J. Even before the merger of the denominations that became the United Methodist Church in 1968 - the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren churches - "all were ordaining women," Jackson said.” However, 1956 was the year that women were given full clergy rights" in the Methodist Church, she noted. That milestone was achieved by the Methodist Church's highest legislative assembly, the General Conference. For that reason, 2006 is "our year of jubilee," Jackson said. "In fact, a resolution was made by the 2004 General Conference for all annual conferences to observe this anniversary. All clergywomen within the United Methodist Church should celebrate," said. Jackson, also a former staff member of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. "We can celebrate that women have been appointed to the highest positions of the church," Jackson said. "We have district superintendents and women in Episcopal leadership as bishops. They also serve as general secretaries of four of our general agencies. (But) unfortunately, women are still a minority among lead pastors of large churches (1,000 or more in worship attendance). The struggles in the future are the struggles of the past. “Before they became a presence in the clergy, women were active in lay ministries throughout Methodism's history. "Women took seriously their call to social justice ministry and stood together in opposition to lynching, segregation, and racism within church and society," said Jan Love, top executive of the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries in New York. Love is an example of a laywoman who has served in many roles both in the church and ecumenically. Before becoming chief executive of the Women's Division in 2004, she taught for 22 years at the University of South Carolina. She had served on the Board of Missions, later the Board of Global Ministries, from 1970 to 1976, as well as on the board of directors of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Antireligious Concerns, Church World Service and the World Council of Churches. As head of the Women's Division, she is responsible for administering United Methodist Women, a large-membership organization with chapters in churches around the world. "We know that God can use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things, and as laywomen in mission, United Methodist Women have been accomplishing great things for God for more than 136 years," Love said. “It began with women sending out missionaries to India to meet the needs of women and children there," she said. "It continued with laywomen recognizing needs in their communities at home and organizing to meet those needs through home missionary societies, orphanages, community centers, schools, hospitals and immigrant homes. "Today, women continue the legacy of this work. They educate themselves for mission; they act to change injustices in their local communities, as well as nationally and globally; and they support mission, as it has evolved and changed, which their foremothers began." Fostering conversation M. Garlinda Burton, top executive of the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women, is a living witness to the power of being mentored by strong Methodist women. A native of North Carolina, Burton fondly remembers the dedicated lay service of her mother, Margaret Burton. The daughter said she "was reared in the shadows of the United Methodist Women, who have raised the bar and opened our eyes to a world of multinational, multiracial and multicultural lay voices." "I want to push those dealing with justice issues to foster conversation among men and women of color about gender inequality in personal and professional relationships in the church," Burton said. In addition to being chief executive of the commission, based in Chicago, Burton belongs to a Nashville, Tenn., church. She tells the story of how "the tables were turned" when that congregation learned its pastor, a clergywoman, was accepting another United Methodist appointment. "Our previous pastor was a woman of many gifts," she said. "When it was announced that she was leaving and that our male associate would become senior pastor, one of my 9-year-old male Sunday school students turned to me and said, 'Miss Garlinda, I didn't know men could be preachers!'" She has seen a lot of progress for women in the church, but challenges remain. "We lament at what hasn't happened in the church, but I never experienced a woman pastor until I was an adult and working for the denomination," she continued. "We are raising up a new nation of people who recognize and celebrate the gifts of women as critical to our very definition of church. "At the same time, I still hear people say, 'I don't want a woman pastor or bishop or superintendent or treasurer.' We need to continue to say, in love, that sexist and racist prohibitions are not acceptable.
In the local church, the people who most resist having female clergy are usually the active members, Park wrote in a research study, "Stratification Among Clergy in The United Methodist Church Due to Gender Difference," for postdoctoral work at Boston School of Theology. She cited Patricia M.Y. Chang, author of the article, "Female Clergy in the Contemporary Protestant Church: A Current Assessment," in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, published in 1997. "It is because they are concerned for preserving the church's viability as an organization," Chang wrote. "This concern is from the perception that hiring women clergy will cause tension, decrease of membership and conflict within the church. This leads to the conclusion that if laity have positive experiences with clergywomen, their perception may change." Park agrees with Chang but said one benefit of the denomination's appointment system is that it "grants congregations opportunities to accept female clergy as their pastors regardless of their opinions." "This eliminates some of the initial resistance that clergywomen have to face in the local church level in a decentralized denomination. But this does not mean that clergywomen do not have to deal with resistance once they are accepted into the local congregation." The United Methodist Clergywomen Retention Study, conducted by the Anna Howard Shaw Center at Boston University School of Theology in 2000, resulted from concern about the increasing absence of female clergy in local church ministry. "According to this study, nearly one-third of United Methodist clergywomen in full connection were not serving local churches at the time the survey was conducted," Park said. Some were in other extended ministries, such as serving as hospital chaplains or campus ministers. Moreover, women "were leaving local church ministry at a 10 percent higher rate than male clergy," she said. Serving in the episcopacy Park expects ethnic clergywomen to become more accepted as leaders in the United Methodist Church. "I think it is coming," she said. While the church has an increasing number of Caucasian and African-American women serving as bishops, other cultural groups are not as well represented, if at all. The church has had three Korean-American bishops so far - all men - and no Native American bishops of either gender. If the denomination is going to have a Korean-American woman as bishop, it's going to have to work for it, said Park, a native of Seoul, South Korea. "The whole denomination should strategically work on it to make it happen, since the Korean-American community is such a small number. Without working intentionally, it will not happen. "The Rev. Ha-Kyung Cho Kim, a Korean-American clergywoman, was an Episcopal candidate for the Northeastern Jurisdiction" in 2004, Park continued. "This was the first time that a woman (of Korean heritage) ran for the office in the jurisdiction's history. After she made the withdrawal speech, she turned to the Korean-American clergywomen who were there to support her and said, 'I did this for you younger generations ... somebody had to open the door.'" Added Park: "Maybe in the next quadrennium, somebody may come in through that door." Bishop Violet Fisher, who leads the New York West Area, affirmed the need for ethnic clergywomen in the episcopacy. "I feel it is imperative that the United Methodist Church would continue to affirm the gifts and graces embodied in ethnic clergywomen who serve our denomination well," said Fisher, who is African American. "This would mean we would be more intentional about the election of these women to the episcopacy. "As we celebrate 50 years of women in ordained ministry, let us begin the journey towards this goal in '08. The time is now."
These are the voices from women who are describing what they have been subjected into and what they feel and think can be done. Women have been observed in many from as can be seen from these report but the problem is the lack of nerve and embedded theology which has been used to put women down. So it no longer a secret as Dr Jaclyn Grant has state that “women have been thrice removed. They have been removed on the basis of (a) Class, (b) Race and (d) Sex/gender.” Though the Church would like to pretend that all is fine and well, the truth of the matter is that the bright of discrimination and inequality which favor men, has been transformed into many faces within the church, one being sexism and therefore, the acute disparity in the ratio of men to women in higher positions of leadership in the Church. This phenomenon becomes manifested indirectly in other forms and arenas of leadership e.g. civil authorities because the Church has got a lot of say in other fields of leadership.
When we scrutinize the excuses given for this behavior, it is clear that patriarchy is the many source of this problem. Everything over the years have been interpreted in a way that it puts man at the center of the universe and almost another small god in the affairs of the universe. The Church on the hand has taken little or no steps at all to address the issue of patriarchy and male domination in the Bible and even when some people have made attempts to correct the problem, they have been met with great and hostile opposition which is miss-founded.
According to statistics, Marjorie Matthews was elected the first woman bishop in 1980. Bishop Leontine Kelly became the first African American woman bishop. Bishop Elias Galvan was the first Hispanic to be elected bishop. By 1990, 50 women were serving as district superintendents. Today, twenty two women have become bishops and almost 12,000 clergywomen are serving throughout the United Methodist Church. This is not enough bearing in mind women are the majority in the Church and when the church is always urging civil authorities to be more democratic. These are outright doublespeak and double standards when it comes to matters affecting The United Methodist Ecclesia.
On May 4, 1996 was the 40-year anniversary of granting full clergy rights to women in the Methodist Church. The 1956 General Conference of the Methodist Church declared that “women are eligible for all orders of the ministry and full conference membership.” Ten years later little has changed though it was well articulated in the annals of the boob of discipline and somewhere. Why has it taken so long for women to be granted their God ordained rights? The answer to this question is embedded in the strata of our socialization and false tradition which is founded on partriarchical foundations.
The words "all" and "full" are key in this legislation. This was the first time that women were recognized with full clergy rights by the church as a whole. Exploring the progress of our denomination toward this milestone offers an intriguing look at our history. It is a history dominated with power over paradigm or mentality which needs to be done with once and for all.
In 2004 - The Western Jurisdiction elected the Rev. Minerva Carcaño as the denomination’s first Latina bishop. This made the total of six women elected as bishops, the largest number of women ever elected in a single year. Surely this is unbelievable putting into account the membership and population of Latinos in the USA. We may talk of the oppression of women by the Taliban in Afghanistan and other Muslim countries, but in our own back yards oppression of women is out of proportions. It is always said Christianity is a democratic favoring religion but history is the sure judge. The United Methodist News services continues to report that “Without a doubt, the rich heritage of foremothers such as Anna Oliver, Anna Howard Shaw, Ella Niswonger, Julia A.J. Foote, and Maud Keister Jensen continues to challenge our church to embrace the disciplinary mandate of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women “to a continuing commitment to the full and equal responsibility and participation of women in the total life and mission of the Church, sharing fully in the power and in the policy making at all levels of the Church’s life.” ( 2202, The 1992 Book of Discipline).” Why is it taking so long for the Church to do what is right? This is a social justice issues which should be fully addressed and rectified to make the world what God intended it to be.
Social Justice is a concept that has fascinated philosophers ever since Plato rebuked the young Sophist, Thrasymachus, for asserting that justice was whatever the strongest decided it would be. In The Republic, Plato formalized the argument that an ideal state would rest on four virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. If we really cherish virtue where is our nerve to tackle this social disease which had un fathomable impact on women economically, socially and politically?
Sexism which is founded on the foundations of patriarchy is ripe and thrilling in the UMC even after many promises and attempts to route out this social vice.“The historic General Conference of 1972 made a significant commitment to strengthening the participation of women at all levels of our church. To support this commitment, it created the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women "to foster an ongoing awareness of the problems and issues related to the status of women and to stimulate progress reports on these issues."
The General Conference called for changes about theological, philosophical, and biblical interpretations and understandings about the role of women. It called for increased sensitivity to expectations for the achievement and contributions of women, and the issues of the rights of women. The General Conference further endorsed overcoming rigid sex role distinctions and discriminatory language, images, and practices in our own church life and work.
At that conference, only 16 years after the approval of full clergy rights and privileges for women (1956), the goals called for openness and receptivity for women in the professional ministry and the utilization of men and women in elections and appointments at all levels of the church. Action plans included development of programs, evaluation measures, curriculum, doctrinal studies, and analysis of the particular problems and barriers faced by women.
Sexism like racism and tribalism in other parts of the is entrenched in the Church and it calls for incarnation approach to this reproach which has soiled the Church of Christ. Otherwise, the Church will end up being like any other social club. The liberation mission of the gospel and the Church will be compromised unless deontologisation practice currently being witnessed in the Church is dealt with truthfully .
Then the next question comes in. How can women gain their rightful place in the UMC? The civil right leader Dr Martin Luther King Jr in his “letter from Birmingham Jail” had the following to say “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” So, women should never ever wait to be given what they know very well in a God ordained right. They should demand and fight for it until liberty is fully achieved. They should include in these struggle men who have been liberated and every available tool they can find untill they are finally “free at last”.
If only the many resolutions; which have been put down in many Church conferences could be fully adopted and practiced, then the issues of women being dehumanized and marginalized could be done with once and for all. For example the following is a good example of such documents.
“ADOPTED BY THE 1980 GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE UNITEDMETHODIST CHURCH
Because We Believe
1. That God is the Creator of all people and all are God’s children in one family;
2. That racism is a rejection of the teachings of Jesus Christ;
3. That racism denies the redemption and reconciliation of Jesus Christ;
4. That racism robs all human beings of their wholeness and is used as a justification for social, economic and political exploitation;
5. That we must declare before God and before each other that we have sinned against our sisters and brothers of other races in thought, in word and in deed;
6. That in our common humanity in creation all women and men are made in God’s image and all persons are equally valuable in the sight of God;
7. That our strength lies in our racial and cultural diversity and that we must work toward a world in which each person’s value is respected and nurtured;
8.That our struggle for justice must be based on new attitudes, new understandings and new relationships and must be reflected in the law, policies, structures and practices of both church and state;
WE COMMIT OURSELVES AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A COMMUNITY TO FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST IN WORD AND IN DEED AND TO STRUGGLE FOR THE RIGHTS AND THE SELF-DETERMINATION OF EVERY PERSON AND GROUP OF PERSON. THEREFORE, AS UNITED METHODIST WOMEN IN EVERY PLACE ACROSS THE LAND..
We Will:
UNITE OUR EFFORTS with all groups in The United Methodist Church:
1. To eliminate all forms of institutional racism in the total ministry of the church with special attention given to those institutions which we support, beginning with their employment policies, purchasing practices and availability of services and facilities.
2. To create opportunities in local churches to deal honestly with the existing racist attitudes and social distance between members, deepening the Christian commitment to be the church where all racial groups and economic classes come together.
3. To increase our efforts to recruit women of all races into the membership of United Methodist Women and provide leadership development opportunities without discrimination.
4. To create workshops and seminars in local churches to study, understand and appreciate the historical and cultural contributions of each race to the church and community.
5. To increase local churches, awareness of the continuing needs for equal education, housing, employment and medical care for all members of the community and create opportunities to work for these things across racial lines.
6. To work for the development and implementation of national and international policies to protect the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of all people such as through support for the ratification of United Nations covenants on human rights.
7. To support and participate in the world-wide struggle for liberation in the church and community.
8. To support nomination and election processes which include all racial groups employing a quota system until the time that our voluntary performance makes such practice unnecessary.
In the above document, it is well witnessed that there is acceptance that sin has been committed against women and remedy is needed. However the reality on the ground as witnessed by an equal employment tendencies, and practices against women in both macro and micro cultures within the Church as an organized structure and the believing community at large is a clear indication that the journey towards the full emancipation of women from the Yoke of dehumanization is a long one.
Inclusion, I believe this can be done and beauty can be realized for all of us when women finally arrive where they were intended by their creator to be in the first place.
Article 161(F) states that: “We affirm with scripture the common humanity of male and female, both having equal worth in the eyes of God. We reject the erroneous notion that one gender is superior to another, that one gender must strive against another and that members of one gender may receive love, power, and esteem only at the expense of another. We especially reject the idea that God made individuals as incomplete fragments, made whole only in union with another. We call upon women and men alike to share power and control, to learn to give freely and receive freely, to be complete and to respect the wholeness of others. We seek for every individual opportunities and freedom to love and be loved, to seek and receive justice, and to practice ethical self-determination. We understand our gender diversity to be a gift from God, intended to add to the rich variety of human experience and perspective; and we guard against attitudes and traditions that would use this good gift to leave members of one sex more vulnerable in relationship than members of another”
This article may sound superb but the reality on the ground is totally different. First, the hierarchy of the United Methodist Church is male dominated and has been perpetuated through wrong socialization which favors male dominated society. This socialization has been so well crafted until some women have come to believe women are never supposed to be leaders in the Church. Those who have seen the light and have truthfully received the truth gospel; which is liberative and incarnational have been in the front line challenging the paradigm under which the gospel has been passed and preserved. In fact some courageous women have challenged the notion of why history and not “herstory”, meaning that all Biblical and Church stories are male oriented.
According to reports from various parts of the globe the Church is male dominated and women have been relegated into the ranks of observers and assigned those duties which end up serving the interests of men. It is really depressing for the Church which was founded under the banners of saving the destitute of the society to turn back and the same things they opposed and accused the Church of England doing. According to the United Methodist Church News Services the following is a true phenomenon in The United Methodist Church.
“More than a century after Anna Howard Shaw became the first woman ordained in the former Methodist Protestant Church, women are still confronting barriers in ministry. Fifteen women religious leaders discussed those barriers and other aspects of being in ministry at the 20th anniversary of Women and the Word. The Anna Howard Shaw Center at United Methodist-related Boston University School of Theology presented the symposium to celebrate women's preaching and leadership. More than 80 people attended this year's event, held March 24-25 with the theme, "Celebrating the Past, Honoring the Present, and Envisioning the Future.” The speakers included pastors, teachers, community leaders and two bishops. They led panels on four themes, focusing on the past, present and future as well as on the power of women to effect change. In the process, they acknowledged their cultural contexts, faith stories and institutional struggles. Shaw herself was no stranger to struggle. Ordained in 1880 by the New York Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church, she was the first woman to have that distinction in a Methodist denomination that would later become part of the United Methodist Church. Earlier, she had been denied ordination in the Methodist Episcopal Church - another forerunner of the United Methodist Church - though that denomination had licensed her to preach in 1871. Several Women and the Word panelists described cultural and institutional barriers they had encountered in ministry. The Rev. Yong Ja Kim, pastor of Rainbow United Methodist Church in Portland, Maine, is the first Korean-American woman to serve a predominantly Korean congregation in her annual (regional) conference. After being refused ordination in the Korean Methodist Church, Kim came to New England to pursue her call to ministry. Her journey has taken her, she said, from a European-male theology to feminist-liberation understandings, a movement she likened to "crossing a Red Sea that I could not return across." "Jesus crossed boundaries all the time, in his multicultural world," Lee pointed out. The United States, she asserted, now faces a test in learning to live as a multicultural society”.
One hundred twenty six years later (126) our pharisaical mentality is still persisting even with the wonderful statements we have engraved in the precious book of discipline. Women are still marginalized, oppressed, dehumanized, and regarded as a second class participant in the UMC.
Denise Johnson Stovall commenting on the 50th anniversary of women in ministry had the following to regarding the state of women leadership in the UMC
“However, I am deeply concerned about the opportunities for women of color to serve. Their options have been far more limited. Also, there is still resistance to women serving large pastorates as well as in the episcopacy." The United Methodist Church has at least 10,000 clergywomen, including elders, deacons, local pastors and retirees, according to statistics. Of those, 800 to 1,000 are ethnic minority clergywomen. Historically, the largest number has been African American. Other ethnic groups include Korean American, Hispanic, Native American, Japanese American, Chinese American and Pacific Islander. Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño of the church's Phoenix Area shares Morrison's concern about the opportunities for women of color in ministry. "My experience as a woman of color in ministry is that unfortunately one faces the discrimination of white racism as well as the sexism of both white persons as well as that of people of color," Carcaño said. "What I have always found curious is that so often the very persons who have most touched our lives through their faith witness are the very same persons who most oppose and are troubled by our call and desire to be faithful," she said. "There is great irony in this. Racism and sexism are so embedded in the world that even in their present subtle and sophisticated forms they are viewed as the normal state of life. "Such sins - for racism and sexism are sins in that they counter God's creative work of making us diverse in color and culture and gender - need to be constantly named for what they are and overcome," she said. The Rev. HiRho Park likens the journey of clergywomen to a race in which success depends on each person's contributions. Park is coordinating the Clergywomen's Consultation, which will bring people from around the church to Chicago in August to celebrate the 50th anniversary. "Making progress in women's ministry is like running the relay," said Park, a staff executive at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. "Each person should receive the baton and run with her best so that when the next one carries it, she will run with the wind of spirit of all women who ran before her.” Year of jubilee "Women have always been preachers in our churches since the beginning," said the Rev. Marion Jackson, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Montclair, N.J. Even before the merger of the denominations that became the United Methodist Church in 1968 - the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren churches - "all were ordaining women," Jackson said.” However, 1956 was the year that women were given full clergy rights" in the Methodist Church, she noted. That milestone was achieved by the Methodist Church's highest legislative assembly, the General Conference. For that reason, 2006 is "our year of jubilee," Jackson said. "In fact, a resolution was made by the 2004 General Conference for all annual conferences to observe this anniversary. All clergywomen within the United Methodist Church should celebrate," said. Jackson, also a former staff member of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. "We can celebrate that women have been appointed to the highest positions of the church," Jackson said. "We have district superintendents and women in Episcopal leadership as bishops. They also serve as general secretaries of four of our general agencies. (But) unfortunately, women are still a minority among lead pastors of large churches (1,000 or more in worship attendance). The struggles in the future are the struggles of the past. “Before they became a presence in the clergy, women were active in lay ministries throughout Methodism's history. "Women took seriously their call to social justice ministry and stood together in opposition to lynching, segregation, and racism within church and society," said Jan Love, top executive of the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries in New York. Love is an example of a laywoman who has served in many roles both in the church and ecumenically. Before becoming chief executive of the Women's Division in 2004, she taught for 22 years at the University of South Carolina. She had served on the Board of Missions, later the Board of Global Ministries, from 1970 to 1976, as well as on the board of directors of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Antireligious Concerns, Church World Service and the World Council of Churches. As head of the Women's Division, she is responsible for administering United Methodist Women, a large-membership organization with chapters in churches around the world. "We know that God can use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things, and as laywomen in mission, United Methodist Women have been accomplishing great things for God for more than 136 years," Love said. “It began with women sending out missionaries to India to meet the needs of women and children there," she said. "It continued with laywomen recognizing needs in their communities at home and organizing to meet those needs through home missionary societies, orphanages, community centers, schools, hospitals and immigrant homes. "Today, women continue the legacy of this work. They educate themselves for mission; they act to change injustices in their local communities, as well as nationally and globally; and they support mission, as it has evolved and changed, which their foremothers began." Fostering conversation M. Garlinda Burton, top executive of the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women, is a living witness to the power of being mentored by strong Methodist women. A native of North Carolina, Burton fondly remembers the dedicated lay service of her mother, Margaret Burton. The daughter said she "was reared in the shadows of the United Methodist Women, who have raised the bar and opened our eyes to a world of multinational, multiracial and multicultural lay voices." "I want to push those dealing with justice issues to foster conversation among men and women of color about gender inequality in personal and professional relationships in the church," Burton said. In addition to being chief executive of the commission, based in Chicago, Burton belongs to a Nashville, Tenn., church. She tells the story of how "the tables were turned" when that congregation learned its pastor, a clergywoman, was accepting another United Methodist appointment. "Our previous pastor was a woman of many gifts," she said. "When it was announced that she was leaving and that our male associate would become senior pastor, one of my 9-year-old male Sunday school students turned to me and said, 'Miss Garlinda, I didn't know men could be preachers!'" She has seen a lot of progress for women in the church, but challenges remain. "We lament at what hasn't happened in the church, but I never experienced a woman pastor until I was an adult and working for the denomination," she continued. "We are raising up a new nation of people who recognize and celebrate the gifts of women as critical to our very definition of church. "At the same time, I still hear people say, 'I don't want a woman pastor or bishop or superintendent or treasurer.' We need to continue to say, in love, that sexist and racist prohibitions are not acceptable.
In the local church, the people who most resist having female clergy are usually the active members, Park wrote in a research study, "Stratification Among Clergy in The United Methodist Church Due to Gender Difference," for postdoctoral work at Boston School of Theology. She cited Patricia M.Y. Chang, author of the article, "Female Clergy in the Contemporary Protestant Church: A Current Assessment," in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, published in 1997. "It is because they are concerned for preserving the church's viability as an organization," Chang wrote. "This concern is from the perception that hiring women clergy will cause tension, decrease of membership and conflict within the church. This leads to the conclusion that if laity have positive experiences with clergywomen, their perception may change." Park agrees with Chang but said one benefit of the denomination's appointment system is that it "grants congregations opportunities to accept female clergy as their pastors regardless of their opinions." "This eliminates some of the initial resistance that clergywomen have to face in the local church level in a decentralized denomination. But this does not mean that clergywomen do not have to deal with resistance once they are accepted into the local congregation." The United Methodist Clergywomen Retention Study, conducted by the Anna Howard Shaw Center at Boston University School of Theology in 2000, resulted from concern about the increasing absence of female clergy in local church ministry. "According to this study, nearly one-third of United Methodist clergywomen in full connection were not serving local churches at the time the survey was conducted," Park said. Some were in other extended ministries, such as serving as hospital chaplains or campus ministers. Moreover, women "were leaving local church ministry at a 10 percent higher rate than male clergy," she said. Serving in the episcopacy Park expects ethnic clergywomen to become more accepted as leaders in the United Methodist Church. "I think it is coming," she said. While the church has an increasing number of Caucasian and African-American women serving as bishops, other cultural groups are not as well represented, if at all. The church has had three Korean-American bishops so far - all men - and no Native American bishops of either gender. If the denomination is going to have a Korean-American woman as bishop, it's going to have to work for it, said Park, a native of Seoul, South Korea. "The whole denomination should strategically work on it to make it happen, since the Korean-American community is such a small number. Without working intentionally, it will not happen. "The Rev. Ha-Kyung Cho Kim, a Korean-American clergywoman, was an Episcopal candidate for the Northeastern Jurisdiction" in 2004, Park continued. "This was the first time that a woman (of Korean heritage) ran for the office in the jurisdiction's history. After she made the withdrawal speech, she turned to the Korean-American clergywomen who were there to support her and said, 'I did this for you younger generations ... somebody had to open the door.'" Added Park: "Maybe in the next quadrennium, somebody may come in through that door." Bishop Violet Fisher, who leads the New York West Area, affirmed the need for ethnic clergywomen in the episcopacy. "I feel it is imperative that the United Methodist Church would continue to affirm the gifts and graces embodied in ethnic clergywomen who serve our denomination well," said Fisher, who is African American. "This would mean we would be more intentional about the election of these women to the episcopacy. "As we celebrate 50 years of women in ordained ministry, let us begin the journey towards this goal in '08. The time is now."
These are the voices from women who are describing what they have been subjected into and what they feel and think can be done. Women have been observed in many from as can be seen from these report but the problem is the lack of nerve and embedded theology which has been used to put women down. So it no longer a secret as Dr Jaclyn Grant has state that “women have been thrice removed. They have been removed on the basis of (a) Class, (b) Race and (d) Sex/gender.” Though the Church would like to pretend that all is fine and well, the truth of the matter is that the bright of discrimination and inequality which favor men, has been transformed into many faces within the church, one being sexism and therefore, the acute disparity in the ratio of men to women in higher positions of leadership in the Church. This phenomenon becomes manifested indirectly in other forms and arenas of leadership e.g. civil authorities because the Church has got a lot of say in other fields of leadership.
When we scrutinize the excuses given for this behavior, it is clear that patriarchy is the many source of this problem. Everything over the years have been interpreted in a way that it puts man at the center of the universe and almost another small god in the affairs of the universe. The Church on the hand has taken little or no steps at all to address the issue of patriarchy and male domination in the Bible and even when some people have made attempts to correct the problem, they have been met with great and hostile opposition which is miss-founded.
According to statistics, Marjorie Matthews was elected the first woman bishop in 1980. Bishop Leontine Kelly became the first African American woman bishop. Bishop Elias Galvan was the first Hispanic to be elected bishop. By 1990, 50 women were serving as district superintendents. Today, twenty two women have become bishops and almost 12,000 clergywomen are serving throughout the United Methodist Church. This is not enough bearing in mind women are the majority in the Church and when the church is always urging civil authorities to be more democratic. These are outright doublespeak and double standards when it comes to matters affecting The United Methodist Ecclesia.
On May 4, 1996 was the 40-year anniversary of granting full clergy rights to women in the Methodist Church. The 1956 General Conference of the Methodist Church declared that “women are eligible for all orders of the ministry and full conference membership.” Ten years later little has changed though it was well articulated in the annals of the boob of discipline and somewhere. Why has it taken so long for women to be granted their God ordained rights? The answer to this question is embedded in the strata of our socialization and false tradition which is founded on partriarchical foundations.
The words "all" and "full" are key in this legislation. This was the first time that women were recognized with full clergy rights by the church as a whole. Exploring the progress of our denomination toward this milestone offers an intriguing look at our history. It is a history dominated with power over paradigm or mentality which needs to be done with once and for all.
In 2004 - The Western Jurisdiction elected the Rev. Minerva Carcaño as the denomination’s first Latina bishop. This made the total of six women elected as bishops, the largest number of women ever elected in a single year. Surely this is unbelievable putting into account the membership and population of Latinos in the USA. We may talk of the oppression of women by the Taliban in Afghanistan and other Muslim countries, but in our own back yards oppression of women is out of proportions. It is always said Christianity is a democratic favoring religion but history is the sure judge. The United Methodist News services continues to report that “Without a doubt, the rich heritage of foremothers such as Anna Oliver, Anna Howard Shaw, Ella Niswonger, Julia A.J. Foote, and Maud Keister Jensen continues to challenge our church to embrace the disciplinary mandate of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women “to a continuing commitment to the full and equal responsibility and participation of women in the total life and mission of the Church, sharing fully in the power and in the policy making at all levels of the Church’s life.” ( 2202, The 1992 Book of Discipline).” Why is it taking so long for the Church to do what is right? This is a social justice issues which should be fully addressed and rectified to make the world what God intended it to be.
Social Justice is a concept that has fascinated philosophers ever since Plato rebuked the young Sophist, Thrasymachus, for asserting that justice was whatever the strongest decided it would be. In The Republic, Plato formalized the argument that an ideal state would rest on four virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. If we really cherish virtue where is our nerve to tackle this social disease which had un fathomable impact on women economically, socially and politically?
Sexism which is founded on the foundations of patriarchy is ripe and thrilling in the UMC even after many promises and attempts to route out this social vice.“The historic General Conference of 1972 made a significant commitment to strengthening the participation of women at all levels of our church. To support this commitment, it created the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women "to foster an ongoing awareness of the problems and issues related to the status of women and to stimulate progress reports on these issues."
The General Conference called for changes about theological, philosophical, and biblical interpretations and understandings about the role of women. It called for increased sensitivity to expectations for the achievement and contributions of women, and the issues of the rights of women. The General Conference further endorsed overcoming rigid sex role distinctions and discriminatory language, images, and practices in our own church life and work.
At that conference, only 16 years after the approval of full clergy rights and privileges for women (1956), the goals called for openness and receptivity for women in the professional ministry and the utilization of men and women in elections and appointments at all levels of the church. Action plans included development of programs, evaluation measures, curriculum, doctrinal studies, and analysis of the particular problems and barriers faced by women.
Sexism like racism and tribalism in other parts of the is entrenched in the Church and it calls for incarnation approach to this reproach which has soiled the Church of Christ. Otherwise, the Church will end up being like any other social club. The liberation mission of the gospel and the Church will be compromised unless deontologisation practice currently being witnessed in the Church is dealt with truthfully .
Then the next question comes in. How can women gain their rightful place in the UMC? The civil right leader Dr Martin Luther King Jr in his “letter from Birmingham Jail” had the following to say “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” So, women should never ever wait to be given what they know very well in a God ordained right. They should demand and fight for it until liberty is fully achieved. They should include in these struggle men who have been liberated and every available tool they can find untill they are finally “free at last”.
If only the many resolutions; which have been put down in many Church conferences could be fully adopted and practiced, then the issues of women being dehumanized and marginalized could be done with once and for all. For example the following is a good example of such documents.
“ADOPTED BY THE 1980 GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE UNITEDMETHODIST CHURCH
Because We Believe
1. That God is the Creator of all people and all are God’s children in one family;
2. That racism is a rejection of the teachings of Jesus Christ;
3. That racism denies the redemption and reconciliation of Jesus Christ;
4. That racism robs all human beings of their wholeness and is used as a justification for social, economic and political exploitation;
5. That we must declare before God and before each other that we have sinned against our sisters and brothers of other races in thought, in word and in deed;
6. That in our common humanity in creation all women and men are made in God’s image and all persons are equally valuable in the sight of God;
7. That our strength lies in our racial and cultural diversity and that we must work toward a world in which each person’s value is respected and nurtured;
8.That our struggle for justice must be based on new attitudes, new understandings and new relationships and must be reflected in the law, policies, structures and practices of both church and state;
WE COMMIT OURSELVES AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A COMMUNITY TO FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST IN WORD AND IN DEED AND TO STRUGGLE FOR THE RIGHTS AND THE SELF-DETERMINATION OF EVERY PERSON AND GROUP OF PERSON. THEREFORE, AS UNITED METHODIST WOMEN IN EVERY PLACE ACROSS THE LAND..
We Will:
UNITE OUR EFFORTS with all groups in The United Methodist Church:
1. To eliminate all forms of institutional racism in the total ministry of the church with special attention given to those institutions which we support, beginning with their employment policies, purchasing practices and availability of services and facilities.
2. To create opportunities in local churches to deal honestly with the existing racist attitudes and social distance between members, deepening the Christian commitment to be the church where all racial groups and economic classes come together.
3. To increase our efforts to recruit women of all races into the membership of United Methodist Women and provide leadership development opportunities without discrimination.
4. To create workshops and seminars in local churches to study, understand and appreciate the historical and cultural contributions of each race to the church and community.
5. To increase local churches, awareness of the continuing needs for equal education, housing, employment and medical care for all members of the community and create opportunities to work for these things across racial lines.
6. To work for the development and implementation of national and international policies to protect the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of all people such as through support for the ratification of United Nations covenants on human rights.
7. To support and participate in the world-wide struggle for liberation in the church and community.
8. To support nomination and election processes which include all racial groups employing a quota system until the time that our voluntary performance makes such practice unnecessary.
In the above document, it is well witnessed that there is acceptance that sin has been committed against women and remedy is needed. However the reality on the ground as witnessed by an equal employment tendencies, and practices against women in both macro and micro cultures within the Church as an organized structure and the believing community at large is a clear indication that the journey towards the full emancipation of women from the Yoke of dehumanization is a long one.
Inclusion, I believe this can be done and beauty can be realized for all of us when women finally arrive where they were intended by their creator to be in the first place.
WHEN THE KENYAN ELECTED AND APPOINTED LEADERS SEE THESE CHILDREN, DO THEY FEEL THEIR FEARS?
It is wrong and un patriotic for the kenyan so called leaders to watch these young souls go through a hell they can not understand. It is the moral obligation and duty of all caring and proud Kenyans to say NO to this kind of treatment now and not tommorrow.There is nothing wrong with demanding our God ordained rights and nobody should deter us from those rights. If you have ever looted, grabbed, stolen, or bribed in any way you are the number one enemy of these chidren and the entire pountry of Kenya and no matter how much defense you put, history will judge you harshly.
HERE IS ONE OF OUR GREAT MAU MAU GENERALS WHO SACRIFICED SO MUCH. THIS IS GENERAL NKUNGI
General Nkungi stands tall as one of the great leaders from Meru. He sacrificed his carrier as a primary school headmaster, father and husband and his larger family in order to free many from the yoke of our colonizers. Today, nobody seems to know who this variant worrior is. He is among the un sang worriors and braves sons and daughters of our beautiful Kenya. No other country in the world has ever refused to recognize her history but kenya. Our leaders may colaborate with our former colonizers but history can never be buurried.
Mugambi Arimi is determined to correct this historical mistake and restore the honor and respect which these great liberators of Kenya have been denied by our quasi leaders.
CULTIVATION OF A LEADER
For the last ten year W.Mugambi Arimi has been in American, various people have contributed towards his growth and development but more contribution has been gained through the DBS Sunday school class. Out of this group has come a practical way of relating to the outside world with humility and self sacrifice. This class has been participating in various ways in some projects in Kenya more especially the Mariene Methodist Dispensary, which has been a big blessing and relieve to the people of the area. So, learning, cultation and development has been achieved in a very practical way or what is called theopraxis. All kinds of talents are found in this group and it has been remarkable watching each one of them sharing in thier gifts.
ACTIONS SPEAK ROUNDER THAN WORDS. HERE IS MARIENE METHODIST CLINIC WHICH W. MUGAMBI ARIMI AND OTHER VARIANT SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF MARIENE HELPED BUILD
Patients can now be treated at this clinic which was built and equiped through the concerted efforts of many. Mugambi Arimi did his part through the DBS from SSUMC.
KENYAN COFFEE IN AMERICA COST 15 DOLLARS PER POUND. WHY ARE THE KENYAN FARMERS NOT GETTING AT LEAST ONE DOLLAR PER KILOGRAM?
These are some of the things Mugambi Arimi says a BIG NO!He call this injustice of the highest order.In America he has visited many coffee roasters even with Hon Dr Kituyi(minister of trade) to see what happens to the kenyan coffee in America and the findings were very telling. Back at home our dear Kenyan coffee farmers toil so hard like donkeys to produce the so called black gold, but what do they get in return? Frustration, expolitation, underpayment and lies from our so called Kenyan leaders.Time has come to demand justice and fair play in the matters of trade and tell our so called leaders to quit and go do farming themselves. The only thing they know how to do so well is to steal, lie, loot, grab, and a plethora of other anti-development acts. People of central imenti and the entire country have the power to shape their own destiny without these crooks and collaborators. After visiting many countries in the world where coffee, tea and flowers from Kenya are sold, I have realized how our poor farmers have been denied justice. As a son of coffee and tea farmer, I will never rest untill my people recieves their due share of their sweat.
CAN THE CHURCH IN KENYA SAY THE SAME THING TO THE AFRICANS WHO WERE DEHUMANIZED BY THE CHURCH AND THEIR FELLOW COLONIZERS
The United Methodist Church in the USA
confession to native americans
WHEREAS, the gospel calls us to celebrate and protect the worth and dignity of all peoples; and
WHEREAS, the Christian churches, including The United Methodist Church and its predecessors, have participated in the destruction of Native American people, culture, and religious practices; and
WHEREAS, the churches of this country have not sufficiently confessed their complicity in this evil; and
WHEREAS, the churches have been blessed by having members who are Native Americans as well as by engaging in dialogue with Native Americans who practice their traditional religions; and
WHEREAS, confession of our guilt is a first step toward the wholeness that the churches seek through the ecumenical movement;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the United Methodist General Conference confesses that The United Methodist Church (and its predecessor bodies) has sinned and continues to sin against its Native American brothers and sisters and offers this formal apology for its participation, intended and unintended, in the violent colonization of their land; and
Be it further resolved, that The United Methodist Church pledges its support and assistance in upholding the American Indian Religious Freedom Acts (P.L. 95-134, 1978) and within that legal precedent affirms the following:
1. the rights of the native peoples to practice and participate in traditional ceremonies and rituals with the same protection offered all religions under the Constitution of the United States of America;
2. access to and protection of sacred sites and public lands for ceremonial purposes; and
3. the use of religious symbols (feathers, tobacco, sweet grass, bones, and so forth) for use in traditional ceremonies and rituals.
Be it further resolved, that the General Conference recommends that local churches develop similar statements of confession as a way of fostering a deep sense of community with Native Americans and encourages the members of our Church to stand in solidarity on these important religious issues and to provide mediation when appropriate for ongoing negotiations with state and federal agencies regarding these matters.
Adopted 1992
See Social Principles, § 66; “American Indian Religious Freedom Act”; “Native American History and Contemporary Culture as Related to Effective Church Participation”; “Comity Agreements Affecting Development of Native American Ministries by The United Methodist Church”; “The United Methodist Church and America’s Native People.”
A Charter for Racial Justice Policies in an Interdependent Global Community
Racism is the belief that one race is innately superior to all other races. In the United States, this belief has justified the conquest, enslavement, and evangelizing of non-Europeans. During the early history of this country, Europeans assumed that their civilization and religion were innately superior to those of both the original inhabitants of the United States and the Africans who were forcibly brought to these shores to be slaves. The myth of European superiority persisted and persists. Other people who came and who are still coming to the United States, by choice or by force, encountered and encounter racism. Some of these people are the Chinese who built the railroads as indentured workers; the Mexicans whose lands were annexed; the Puerto Ricans, the Cubans, the Hawaiians, and the Eskimos who were colonized; and the Filipinos, the Jamaicans, and the Haitians who lived on starvation wages as farm workers.
In principle, the United States has outlawed racial discrimination; but in practice, little has changed. Social, economic, and political institutions still discriminate, although some institutions have amended their behavior by eliminating obvious discriminatory practices and choosing their language carefully. The institutional church, despite sporadic attempts to the contrary, also still discriminates.
The damage of years of exploitation has not been erased. A system designed to meet the needs of one segment of the population cannot be the means to the development of a just society for all. The racist system in the United States today perpetuates the power and control of those of European ancestry. It is often called “white racism.” The fruits of racism are prejudice, bigotry, discrimination, and dehumanization. Consistently, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders have been humiliated by being given inferior jobs, housing, education, medical services, transportation, and public accommodation. With hopes deferred and rights still denied, the deprived and oppressed fall prey to a colonial mentality that acquiesces to the inequities, occasionally with religious rationalization.
Racist presuppositions have been implicit in U.S. attitudes and policies toward Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. While proclaiming democracy, freedom, and independence, the U.S. has been an ally and an accomplice to perpetuating inequality of the races and colonialism throughout the world. The history of The United Methodist Church and the history of the United States are intertwined. The “mission enterprise” of the churches in the United States and “Westernization” went hand in hand, sustaining a belief in their superiority.
We are conscious that “we have sinned as our ancestors did;/we have been wicked and evil” (Psalm 106:6, Today’s English Version). We are called for a renewed commitment to the elimination of institutional racism. We affirm the 1976 General Conference Statement on The United Methodist Church and Race, which states unequivocally: “By biblical and theological precept, by the law of the Church, by General Conference pronouncement, and by Episcopal expression, the matter is clear. With respect to race, the aim of The United Methodist Church is nothing less than an inclusive church in an inclusive society. The United Methodist Church, therefore, calls upon all its people to perform those faithful deeds of love and justice in both the church and community that will bring this aim into reality.”
Because we believe:
1. that God is the Creator of all people and all are God’s children in one family;
2. that racism is a rejection of the teachings of Jesus Christ;
3. that racism denies the redemption and reconciliation of Jesus Christ;
4. that racism robs all human beings of their wholeness and is used as a justification for social, economic, and political exploitation;
5. that we must declare before God and before one another that we have sinned against our sisters and brothers of other races in thought, in word, and in deed;
6. that in our common humanity in creation all women and men are made in God’s image and all persons are equally valuable in the sight of God;
7. that our strength lies in our racial and cultural diversity and that we must work toward a world in which each person’s value is respected and nurtured; and
8. that our struggle for justice must be based on new attitudes, new understandings, and new relationships and must be reflected in the laws, policies, structures, and practices of both church and state.
We commit ourselves as individuals and as a community to follow Jesus Christ in word and in deed and to struggle for the rights and the self-determination of every person and group of persons. Therefore, as United Methodists in every place across the land, we will unite our efforts within The United Methodist Church:
1. To eliminate all forms of institutional racism in the total ministry of the Church, giving special attention to those institutions that we support, beginning with their employment policies, purchasing practices, and availability of services and facilities;
2. To create opportunities in local churches to deal honestly with the existing racist attitudes and social distance between members, deepening the Christian commitment to be the Church where all racial groups and economic classes come together;
3. To increase efforts to recruit people of all races into the membership of The United Methodist Church and provide leadership-development opportunities without discrimination;
4. To create workshops and seminars in local churches to study, understand, and appreciate the historical and cultural contributions of each race to the Church and community;
5. To increase local churches’ awareness of the continuing needs for equal education, housing, employment, and medical care for all members of the community and to create opportunities to work for these things across racial lines;
6. To work for the development and implementation of national and international policies to protect the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of all people such as through support for the ratification of United Nations covenants on human rights;
7. To support and participate in the worldwide struggle for liberation in church and community; and
8. To support nomination and election processes that include all racial groups employing a quota system until the time that our voluntary performance makes such practice unnecessary.
Adopted 1980
See Social Principles, § 66A; “Global Racism”; “Elimination of Racism in The United Methodist Church”; “Racial Harassment”; and a number of other resolutions in “The Social Community” dealing with aspects of racial justice.
The United Methodist Church and America’s Native People
Most white Americans are isolated from the issues of justice for the United States’ native people by the lapse of time, the remoteness of reservations or native territories and the comparative invisibility of natives in the urban setting, the distortions in historical accounts, and the accumulation of prejudices. Now is the time for a new beginning, and The United Methodist Church calls its members to pray and work for that new day in relationship between native peoples, other minorities, and white Americans.
The United States has been forced to become more sharply aware and keenly conscious of the destructive impact of the unjust acts and injurious policies of the United States government upon the lives and culture of U.S. American Indians, Alaskan natives, and Hawaiian natives. In the past, the white majority population was allowed to forget or excuse the wrongs that were done to the indigenous peoples of this land. Today, U.S. American Indian and Alaskan and Hawaiian natives are speaking with a new and more unified voice, causing both the government and the American people to reexamine the actions of the past and to assume responsibility for the conditions of the present.
A clear appeal is being made for a fresh and reliable expression of justice. The call is being made for a new recognition of the unique rights that were guaranteed in perpetuity of U.S. American Indians by the treaties and legal agreements that were solemnly signed by official representatives of the United States government. A plea is being raised regarding the disruption of Alaskan and Hawaiian natives who were not granted the legal agreements protecting their culture and land base.
The time has come for the American people to be delivered from beliefs that gave support to the false promises and faulty policies that prevailed in the relations of the United States government with the United States of America’s native peoples. These beliefs asserted that:
1. White Europeans who came to this continent were ordained by God to possess its land and utilize its resources;
2. Natives were not good stewards of the environment, permitting nature to lie in waste as they roamed from place to place, living off the land;
3. The growing white population tamed nature and subdued the natives and thus gave truth to the assumption that the white race is superior;
4. The forceful displacement of the natives was a necessary and justifiable step in the development of a free land and a new country;
5. The white explorers and pioneers brought civilization to the natives and generously bestowed upon them a higher and better way of life.
Rarely are these beliefs now so blatantly set forth, yet they are subtly assumed and furnish the continuing foundation upon which unjust and injurious policies of the government are based.
These beliefs, in former times, permitted the government, on the one hand, to seize lands, uproot families, break up tribal communities, and undermine the authority of traditional chiefs. On the other hand, the beliefs enabled the government to readily make and easily break treaties, give military protection to those who encroached on native lands, distribute as “free” land millions of acres of native holdings that the government designated as being “surplus,” and systematically slay those natives who resisted such policies and practices.
In our own time, these beliefs have encouraged the government to:
1. Generally assume the incompetence of natives in the management and investment of their own resources;
2. Give highly favorable leasing arrangements to white mining companies, grain farmers, and cattle ranchers for the use of native lands held in trust by the federal government or historically used as supportive land base;
3. Use job training and other government programs to encourage the relocation of natives from reservations or native territories to urban areas;
4. Utilize government funds in projects that are divisive to the tribal or native membership and through procedures that co-opt native leadership;
5. Extend the control of state government over native nations that are guaranteed federal protection;
6. Terminate federal services and protection to selected native nations and further deny federal recognition to others;
7. Engage in extensive and expensive litigation as a means of delaying and thus nullifying treaty rights and aboriginal land claims;
8. Pay minimal monetary claims for past illegal confiscation of land and other native resources;
9. Lump together United States natives with other racial minorities as a tactic for minimizing the unique rights of native peoples; and
10. Punitively prosecute the native leaders who vigorously challenge the policies of the federal government.
The Church is called to repentance, for it bears a heavy responsibility for spreading false beliefs and for unjust governmental policies and practices. The preaching of the gospel to America’s natives was often a preparation for assimilation into white culture. The evangelizing of the native nations often effected the policies of the government.
The Church has frequently benefited from the distribution of native lands and other resources. The Church often saw the injustices inflicted upon native peoples but gave assent or remained silent, believing that its task was to “convert” the heathen.
The Church is called through the mercy of almighty God to become a channel of the reconciling Spirit of Jesus Christ and an instrument of love and justice in the development of new relations between native nations, other minorities, and whites, in pursuit of the protection of their rights.
The United Methodist Church recognizes that a new national commitment is needed to respect and effect the rights of American Indians and Alaskan and Hawaiian natives to claim their own identities, maintain their cultures, live their lives, and use their resources.
The United Methodist Church expresses its desire and declares its intention to participate in the renewal of the national responsibility to the United States of America’s native people.
The United Methodist Church calls its congregations to study the issues concerning American Indian and Alaskan and Hawaiian native relations with the government of the United States; to develop an understanding of the distinctive cultures and the unique rights of the native people of the United States; to establish close contacts wherever possible with native persons, tribes, and nations; and to furnish support for:
1. The right of native people to live as native people in this country;
2. The right of native people to be self-determining and to make their own decisions related to the use of their lands and the natural resources found on and under them;
3. The right of native people to plan for a future in this nation and to expect a fulfillment of the commitments that have been made previously by the government, as well as equitable treatment of those who were not afforded legal protection for their culture and lands;
4. The right of American Indian nations to exercise the sovereignty of nationhood, consistent with treaty provisions;
5. The right of Alaskan natives to maintain a subsistence land base and aboriginal rights to its natural resources; and
6. The right of native Hawaiians to a just and amicable settlement with the United States through federal legislation related to aboriginal title to Hawaiian lands and their natural resources.
The United Methodist Church especially calls its congregations to support the needs and aspirations of America’s native peoples as they struggle for their survival and the maintenance of the integrity of their culture in a world intent upon their assimilation, Westernization, and absorption of their lands and the termination of their traditional ways of life.
Moreover, we call upon our nation, in recognition of the significant cultural attainments of the native peoples in ecology, conservation, human relations, and other areas of human endeavor, to receive their cultural gifts as part of the emerging new life and culture of our nation.
In directing specific attention to the problems of native peoples in the United States, we do not wish to ignore the plight of native people in many other countries of the world.
Adopted 1980
See Social Principles, § 66A; “Confession to Native Americans”; “Toward a New Beginning Beyond 1992”; “American Indian Religious Freedom Act”; “Native American Representation in The United Methodist Church”; “Rights of Native People of the Americas.”
confession to native americans
WHEREAS, the gospel calls us to celebrate and protect the worth and dignity of all peoples; and
WHEREAS, the Christian churches, including The United Methodist Church and its predecessors, have participated in the destruction of Native American people, culture, and religious practices; and
WHEREAS, the churches of this country have not sufficiently confessed their complicity in this evil; and
WHEREAS, the churches have been blessed by having members who are Native Americans as well as by engaging in dialogue with Native Americans who practice their traditional religions; and
WHEREAS, confession of our guilt is a first step toward the wholeness that the churches seek through the ecumenical movement;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the United Methodist General Conference confesses that The United Methodist Church (and its predecessor bodies) has sinned and continues to sin against its Native American brothers and sisters and offers this formal apology for its participation, intended and unintended, in the violent colonization of their land; and
Be it further resolved, that The United Methodist Church pledges its support and assistance in upholding the American Indian Religious Freedom Acts (P.L. 95-134, 1978) and within that legal precedent affirms the following:
1. the rights of the native peoples to practice and participate in traditional ceremonies and rituals with the same protection offered all religions under the Constitution of the United States of America;
2. access to and protection of sacred sites and public lands for ceremonial purposes; and
3. the use of religious symbols (feathers, tobacco, sweet grass, bones, and so forth) for use in traditional ceremonies and rituals.
Be it further resolved, that the General Conference recommends that local churches develop similar statements of confession as a way of fostering a deep sense of community with Native Americans and encourages the members of our Church to stand in solidarity on these important religious issues and to provide mediation when appropriate for ongoing negotiations with state and federal agencies regarding these matters.
Adopted 1992
See Social Principles, § 66; “American Indian Religious Freedom Act”; “Native American History and Contemporary Culture as Related to Effective Church Participation”; “Comity Agreements Affecting Development of Native American Ministries by The United Methodist Church”; “The United Methodist Church and America’s Native People.”
A Charter for Racial Justice Policies in an Interdependent Global Community
Racism is the belief that one race is innately superior to all other races. In the United States, this belief has justified the conquest, enslavement, and evangelizing of non-Europeans. During the early history of this country, Europeans assumed that their civilization and religion were innately superior to those of both the original inhabitants of the United States and the Africans who were forcibly brought to these shores to be slaves. The myth of European superiority persisted and persists. Other people who came and who are still coming to the United States, by choice or by force, encountered and encounter racism. Some of these people are the Chinese who built the railroads as indentured workers; the Mexicans whose lands were annexed; the Puerto Ricans, the Cubans, the Hawaiians, and the Eskimos who were colonized; and the Filipinos, the Jamaicans, and the Haitians who lived on starvation wages as farm workers.
In principle, the United States has outlawed racial discrimination; but in practice, little has changed. Social, economic, and political institutions still discriminate, although some institutions have amended their behavior by eliminating obvious discriminatory practices and choosing their language carefully. The institutional church, despite sporadic attempts to the contrary, also still discriminates.
The damage of years of exploitation has not been erased. A system designed to meet the needs of one segment of the population cannot be the means to the development of a just society for all. The racist system in the United States today perpetuates the power and control of those of European ancestry. It is often called “white racism.” The fruits of racism are prejudice, bigotry, discrimination, and dehumanization. Consistently, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders have been humiliated by being given inferior jobs, housing, education, medical services, transportation, and public accommodation. With hopes deferred and rights still denied, the deprived and oppressed fall prey to a colonial mentality that acquiesces to the inequities, occasionally with religious rationalization.
Racist presuppositions have been implicit in U.S. attitudes and policies toward Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. While proclaiming democracy, freedom, and independence, the U.S. has been an ally and an accomplice to perpetuating inequality of the races and colonialism throughout the world. The history of The United Methodist Church and the history of the United States are intertwined. The “mission enterprise” of the churches in the United States and “Westernization” went hand in hand, sustaining a belief in their superiority.
We are conscious that “we have sinned as our ancestors did;/we have been wicked and evil” (Psalm 106:6, Today’s English Version). We are called for a renewed commitment to the elimination of institutional racism. We affirm the 1976 General Conference Statement on The United Methodist Church and Race, which states unequivocally: “By biblical and theological precept, by the law of the Church, by General Conference pronouncement, and by Episcopal expression, the matter is clear. With respect to race, the aim of The United Methodist Church is nothing less than an inclusive church in an inclusive society. The United Methodist Church, therefore, calls upon all its people to perform those faithful deeds of love and justice in both the church and community that will bring this aim into reality.”
Because we believe:
1. that God is the Creator of all people and all are God’s children in one family;
2. that racism is a rejection of the teachings of Jesus Christ;
3. that racism denies the redemption and reconciliation of Jesus Christ;
4. that racism robs all human beings of their wholeness and is used as a justification for social, economic, and political exploitation;
5. that we must declare before God and before one another that we have sinned against our sisters and brothers of other races in thought, in word, and in deed;
6. that in our common humanity in creation all women and men are made in God’s image and all persons are equally valuable in the sight of God;
7. that our strength lies in our racial and cultural diversity and that we must work toward a world in which each person’s value is respected and nurtured; and
8. that our struggle for justice must be based on new attitudes, new understandings, and new relationships and must be reflected in the laws, policies, structures, and practices of both church and state.
We commit ourselves as individuals and as a community to follow Jesus Christ in word and in deed and to struggle for the rights and the self-determination of every person and group of persons. Therefore, as United Methodists in every place across the land, we will unite our efforts within The United Methodist Church:
1. To eliminate all forms of institutional racism in the total ministry of the Church, giving special attention to those institutions that we support, beginning with their employment policies, purchasing practices, and availability of services and facilities;
2. To create opportunities in local churches to deal honestly with the existing racist attitudes and social distance between members, deepening the Christian commitment to be the Church where all racial groups and economic classes come together;
3. To increase efforts to recruit people of all races into the membership of The United Methodist Church and provide leadership-development opportunities without discrimination;
4. To create workshops and seminars in local churches to study, understand, and appreciate the historical and cultural contributions of each race to the Church and community;
5. To increase local churches’ awareness of the continuing needs for equal education, housing, employment, and medical care for all members of the community and to create opportunities to work for these things across racial lines;
6. To work for the development and implementation of national and international policies to protect the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of all people such as through support for the ratification of United Nations covenants on human rights;
7. To support and participate in the worldwide struggle for liberation in church and community; and
8. To support nomination and election processes that include all racial groups employing a quota system until the time that our voluntary performance makes such practice unnecessary.
Adopted 1980
See Social Principles, § 66A; “Global Racism”; “Elimination of Racism in The United Methodist Church”; “Racial Harassment”; and a number of other resolutions in “The Social Community” dealing with aspects of racial justice.
The United Methodist Church and America’s Native People
Most white Americans are isolated from the issues of justice for the United States’ native people by the lapse of time, the remoteness of reservations or native territories and the comparative invisibility of natives in the urban setting, the distortions in historical accounts, and the accumulation of prejudices. Now is the time for a new beginning, and The United Methodist Church calls its members to pray and work for that new day in relationship between native peoples, other minorities, and white Americans.
The United States has been forced to become more sharply aware and keenly conscious of the destructive impact of the unjust acts and injurious policies of the United States government upon the lives and culture of U.S. American Indians, Alaskan natives, and Hawaiian natives. In the past, the white majority population was allowed to forget or excuse the wrongs that were done to the indigenous peoples of this land. Today, U.S. American Indian and Alaskan and Hawaiian natives are speaking with a new and more unified voice, causing both the government and the American people to reexamine the actions of the past and to assume responsibility for the conditions of the present.
A clear appeal is being made for a fresh and reliable expression of justice. The call is being made for a new recognition of the unique rights that were guaranteed in perpetuity of U.S. American Indians by the treaties and legal agreements that were solemnly signed by official representatives of the United States government. A plea is being raised regarding the disruption of Alaskan and Hawaiian natives who were not granted the legal agreements protecting their culture and land base.
The time has come for the American people to be delivered from beliefs that gave support to the false promises and faulty policies that prevailed in the relations of the United States government with the United States of America’s native peoples. These beliefs asserted that:
1. White Europeans who came to this continent were ordained by God to possess its land and utilize its resources;
2. Natives were not good stewards of the environment, permitting nature to lie in waste as they roamed from place to place, living off the land;
3. The growing white population tamed nature and subdued the natives and thus gave truth to the assumption that the white race is superior;
4. The forceful displacement of the natives was a necessary and justifiable step in the development of a free land and a new country;
5. The white explorers and pioneers brought civilization to the natives and generously bestowed upon them a higher and better way of life.
Rarely are these beliefs now so blatantly set forth, yet they are subtly assumed and furnish the continuing foundation upon which unjust and injurious policies of the government are based.
These beliefs, in former times, permitted the government, on the one hand, to seize lands, uproot families, break up tribal communities, and undermine the authority of traditional chiefs. On the other hand, the beliefs enabled the government to readily make and easily break treaties, give military protection to those who encroached on native lands, distribute as “free” land millions of acres of native holdings that the government designated as being “surplus,” and systematically slay those natives who resisted such policies and practices.
In our own time, these beliefs have encouraged the government to:
1. Generally assume the incompetence of natives in the management and investment of their own resources;
2. Give highly favorable leasing arrangements to white mining companies, grain farmers, and cattle ranchers for the use of native lands held in trust by the federal government or historically used as supportive land base;
3. Use job training and other government programs to encourage the relocation of natives from reservations or native territories to urban areas;
4. Utilize government funds in projects that are divisive to the tribal or native membership and through procedures that co-opt native leadership;
5. Extend the control of state government over native nations that are guaranteed federal protection;
6. Terminate federal services and protection to selected native nations and further deny federal recognition to others;
7. Engage in extensive and expensive litigation as a means of delaying and thus nullifying treaty rights and aboriginal land claims;
8. Pay minimal monetary claims for past illegal confiscation of land and other native resources;
9. Lump together United States natives with other racial minorities as a tactic for minimizing the unique rights of native peoples; and
10. Punitively prosecute the native leaders who vigorously challenge the policies of the federal government.
The Church is called to repentance, for it bears a heavy responsibility for spreading false beliefs and for unjust governmental policies and practices. The preaching of the gospel to America’s natives was often a preparation for assimilation into white culture. The evangelizing of the native nations often effected the policies of the government.
The Church has frequently benefited from the distribution of native lands and other resources. The Church often saw the injustices inflicted upon native peoples but gave assent or remained silent, believing that its task was to “convert” the heathen.
The Church is called through the mercy of almighty God to become a channel of the reconciling Spirit of Jesus Christ and an instrument of love and justice in the development of new relations between native nations, other minorities, and whites, in pursuit of the protection of their rights.
The United Methodist Church recognizes that a new national commitment is needed to respect and effect the rights of American Indians and Alaskan and Hawaiian natives to claim their own identities, maintain their cultures, live their lives, and use their resources.
The United Methodist Church expresses its desire and declares its intention to participate in the renewal of the national responsibility to the United States of America’s native people.
The United Methodist Church calls its congregations to study the issues concerning American Indian and Alaskan and Hawaiian native relations with the government of the United States; to develop an understanding of the distinctive cultures and the unique rights of the native people of the United States; to establish close contacts wherever possible with native persons, tribes, and nations; and to furnish support for:
1. The right of native people to live as native people in this country;
2. The right of native people to be self-determining and to make their own decisions related to the use of their lands and the natural resources found on and under them;
3. The right of native people to plan for a future in this nation and to expect a fulfillment of the commitments that have been made previously by the government, as well as equitable treatment of those who were not afforded legal protection for their culture and lands;
4. The right of American Indian nations to exercise the sovereignty of nationhood, consistent with treaty provisions;
5. The right of Alaskan natives to maintain a subsistence land base and aboriginal rights to its natural resources; and
6. The right of native Hawaiians to a just and amicable settlement with the United States through federal legislation related to aboriginal title to Hawaiian lands and their natural resources.
The United Methodist Church especially calls its congregations to support the needs and aspirations of America’s native peoples as they struggle for their survival and the maintenance of the integrity of their culture in a world intent upon their assimilation, Westernization, and absorption of their lands and the termination of their traditional ways of life.
Moreover, we call upon our nation, in recognition of the significant cultural attainments of the native peoples in ecology, conservation, human relations, and other areas of human endeavor, to receive their cultural gifts as part of the emerging new life and culture of our nation.
In directing specific attention to the problems of native peoples in the United States, we do not wish to ignore the plight of native people in many other countries of the world.
Adopted 1980
See Social Principles, § 66A; “Confession to Native Americans”; “Toward a New Beginning Beyond 1992”; “American Indian Religious Freedom Act”; “Native American Representation in The United Methodist Church”; “Rights of Native People of the Americas.”
W Mugambi Arimi
Life in college can be a lot of fun. While pursuing studies in America, sometime there is that sense of relaxation and sociolization. Life is fun.
NOW YOU ARE TALKING
UK acts tough on shady firms
Story by PAUL REDFERN, NATION Correspondent, London
Publication Date: 03/29/2006
A powerful all-party UK parliamentary group wants London to act immediately against British companies involved with corruption in Africa.
The more than 170-member group's report released today, comes in the wake of massive UK media coverage of the corruption crisis in Kenya.
The emphasis of the report – "The other side of the coin: the role of UK corruption in Africa" – is a three pronged approach calling on the UK government to:
- Rigorously enforce existing laws against international bribery, corruption and money laundering;
- Bring a tough new anti-corruption Bill to parliament before the end of the year;
- Appoint an anti-corruption champion.
Chair of the group, Hugh Bayley says: "Corruption is bleeding Africa to death, and the cost is borne by the poor. The African Union calculates that $148 billion (Sh10.7 trillion) a year is corruptly spirited out of the continent. This is six times what Africa receives in aid.
"Much of the money is banked in Britain or our overseas territories and dependencies and sometimes British citizens or companies are involved in corrupt deals. We want our government to get tough on corruption..."
Mr K. Y. Amoako, former executive secretary to the UN Economic Commission for Africa and a member of the Tony Blair-chaired Commission for Africa says: "This study has proposed very bold actions that, effectively implemented, will make a significant contribution to the fight against corruption – the greatest impediment to investments in Africa.
"I hope it can inspire other countries to examine steps that their governments and citizens can take to tackle the supply side of corruption. While it is the primary responsibility of national governments, regional and civil society in Africa to root out and punish the corruption that damages the continent so badly, it is refreshing and encouraging to see such a candid look at the other side of the coin."
The parliamentary group on Africa decided to carry out an inquiry into corruption and money laundering for four reasons. Firstly, the scale, extent and impact of corruption and related capital flight undoubtedly present a critical obstacle to development in Africa.
Secondly, its 2005 report – "The UK and Africa in 2005: How joined up is Whitehall?" – identified corruption and money laundering as areas which require better policy.
Thirdly, the UK fully endorsed the report of the Commission for Africa which made a number of recommendations on how Western governments can support Africa’s battle against corruption. The UK also chaired the 2005 G8 Summit which committed to take action against graft.
Finally, the issues of corruption and money laundering were raised in consultations with members of the African Diaspora living in the UK.
"The Other Side of the Coin" looks at the responsibility of the UK to combat corruption and money laundering.
It recognises the extent of the problem globally, but focuses on Africa because this is of special interest to the parliamentary group.
Says the report that examines what the UK can do to help African countries fight graft: "(But) we do not excuse corrupt rulers from their ultimate culpability for stealing from their people."
Story by PAUL REDFERN, NATION Correspondent, London
Publication Date: 03/29/2006
A powerful all-party UK parliamentary group wants London to act immediately against British companies involved with corruption in Africa.
The more than 170-member group's report released today, comes in the wake of massive UK media coverage of the corruption crisis in Kenya.
The emphasis of the report – "The other side of the coin: the role of UK corruption in Africa" – is a three pronged approach calling on the UK government to:
- Rigorously enforce existing laws against international bribery, corruption and money laundering;
- Bring a tough new anti-corruption Bill to parliament before the end of the year;
- Appoint an anti-corruption champion.
Chair of the group, Hugh Bayley says: "Corruption is bleeding Africa to death, and the cost is borne by the poor. The African Union calculates that $148 billion (Sh10.7 trillion) a year is corruptly spirited out of the continent. This is six times what Africa receives in aid.
"Much of the money is banked in Britain or our overseas territories and dependencies and sometimes British citizens or companies are involved in corrupt deals. We want our government to get tough on corruption..."
Mr K. Y. Amoako, former executive secretary to the UN Economic Commission for Africa and a member of the Tony Blair-chaired Commission for Africa says: "This study has proposed very bold actions that, effectively implemented, will make a significant contribution to the fight against corruption – the greatest impediment to investments in Africa.
"I hope it can inspire other countries to examine steps that their governments and citizens can take to tackle the supply side of corruption. While it is the primary responsibility of national governments, regional and civil society in Africa to root out and punish the corruption that damages the continent so badly, it is refreshing and encouraging to see such a candid look at the other side of the coin."
The parliamentary group on Africa decided to carry out an inquiry into corruption and money laundering for four reasons. Firstly, the scale, extent and impact of corruption and related capital flight undoubtedly present a critical obstacle to development in Africa.
Secondly, its 2005 report – "The UK and Africa in 2005: How joined up is Whitehall?" – identified corruption and money laundering as areas which require better policy.
Thirdly, the UK fully endorsed the report of the Commission for Africa which made a number of recommendations on how Western governments can support Africa’s battle against corruption. The UK also chaired the 2005 G8 Summit which committed to take action against graft.
Finally, the issues of corruption and money laundering were raised in consultations with members of the African Diaspora living in the UK.
"The Other Side of the Coin" looks at the responsibility of the UK to combat corruption and money laundering.
It recognises the extent of the problem globally, but focuses on Africa because this is of special interest to the parliamentary group.
Says the report that examines what the UK can do to help African countries fight graft: "(But) we do not excuse corrupt rulers from their ultimate culpability for stealing from their people."
LESSONS TO LEARN FROM THE PAST SAGES
"I have a dream that one day, this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."
FREEDOM HERO:
DR. MARTIN
LUTHER KING, JR.
"I HAVE A DREAM"
"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon of hope to millions of Negro slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacle of segregation and the chains of discrimination.
One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our Nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our great republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed to the inalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that has come back marked 'insufficient funds.'
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is not time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy.
Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.
Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
Now is the time to make justice a reality to all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of it's colored citizens. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.
There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds.
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must ever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.
We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.
We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.
We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "for white only."
We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.
No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of your trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by storms of persecutions and staggered by the winds of police brutality.
You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our modern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
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.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and every mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.
With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to climb up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, 'my country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!'
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that, let freedom, ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi and every mountainside.
And when this happens, when we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
RELATED LINKS
Martin Luther King, Jr. Guestbook: read guestbook entries from other My Hero users from around the world, and input your own entry!
The Washington, DC, Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial
The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, is the official, living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of America’s greatest nonviolent movement for justice, equality and peace.
RECOMMENDED READING
I Have a Dream
by Martin Luther King, Jr., James M. Washington (Editor), James Melvin Washington (Editor), Foreword by Coretta Scott King
Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Robert E. Jakoubek
Martin''s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Doreen Rappaport
The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation
by Drew D. Hansen
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Inge Sargent is a Burmese princess devoted to human rights for all. Iqbal Masih was
a brave advocate
for child labor laws. James Reeb risked his own life as a brave civil rights crusader. Jane Akre & Steve Wilson won the 2001 Goldman Environmental Prize for their courageous journalism.
Janet Jagan was
the first female
president of
Guyana. Jessie Daniel Ames worked openly and actively on behalf of racial justice. John Adams worked as hard for peace for the United States as he did for its independence. John Lewis has worked for civil rights for all for over 40 years.
Jose Marti is
considered the
father of Cuba's
battle for
independance. Joseph Ki-Zerbo
works to help
Africans retain
control of their
country's agriculture. Judy Feld Carr secretly helped thousands of Jews escape from Syria. Kofi Annan is an honored freedom
hero and an
AIDS activist.
Malcolm Little known as Malcom X, was a warrior in the fight against racism. Marian Wright Edelman is one of the country's leading advocates for children. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peaceful freedom fighter and civil rights activist Mary Harris Jones
worked to free
children from
industrial slavery.
Medgar Wiley Evers
worked to end
racism in America Mohammad Hatta was a central figure in Indonesia's fight for independence. Mohandas K. Gandhi freed India
from British
oppression through
non-violent protest. Morris Seligman Dees is the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Moses led the Jews from slavery and gave them religious laws. Nellie McClung believed in equal rights for all women Nelson Mandela is
a peacemaker and
a freedom hero. Osceola led the Seminoles in their battle for independence.
Paul Revere risked his life for the freedom of the American colonies. Quaid-E-Azam helped to create the nation of Pakistan. RAWA promote women's rights through non-violent action Rev. James Reeb worked for equal rights for all
Robert F. Kennedy was a voice for the powerless and advocate for human rights. Roger Nash Baldwin A pioneer in the struggle for civil justice. Rosa Parks made history when she refused to sit in the back of the bus. Ruby Bridges
bravely led the way
to desegregation
of schools as a
child.
Sir William Wallace was a freedom-fighter for the Scottish people in the early 1300s. Sojourner Truth born into slavery, worked for the freedom of all. Susan B. Anthony led the early Women's Suffrage Movement. The Dalai Lama is
the religious leader
of Tibet and an
emblem of Tibet's
hopes for freedom.
Thomas Jefferson helped the American Colonies achieve independence from Britain. Thurgood Marshall
was the first
African-American
to serve on the
U.S. Supreme Court. Tiananmen Square discuss freedom and democracy at Tian An Min Square. Vaclav Havel despite censorship, wrote plays that helped keep the hope of freedom alive....
W.E.B. Dubois was a leading 19th century writer and scholar.
Last changed on:1/14/2005 12:35:30 PM
angel | animals | artists | business | child | community | earthkeepers |explorers | faith | family | freedom | lifesavers | literary | musician | peacemakers | poets | scientists | sports | teachers | women | writers
Print-Friendly Version
"I have a dream that one day, this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."
FREEDOM HERO:
DR. MARTIN
LUTHER KING, JR.
"I HAVE A DREAM"
"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon of hope to millions of Negro slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacle of segregation and the chains of discrimination.
One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our Nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our great republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed to the inalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that has come back marked 'insufficient funds.'
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is not time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy.
Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.
Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
Now is the time to make justice a reality to all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of it's colored citizens. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.
There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds.
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must ever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.
We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.
We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.
We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "for white only."
We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.
No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of your trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by storms of persecutions and staggered by the winds of police brutality.
You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our modern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
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.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and every mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.
With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to climb up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, 'my country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!'
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that, let freedom, ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi and every mountainside.
And when this happens, when we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
RELATED LINKS
Martin Luther King, Jr. Guestbook: read guestbook entries from other My Hero users from around the world, and input your own entry!
The Washington, DC, Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial
The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, is the official, living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of America’s greatest nonviolent movement for justice, equality and peace.
RECOMMENDED READING
I Have a Dream
by Martin Luther King, Jr., James M. Washington (Editor), James Melvin Washington (Editor), Foreword by Coretta Scott King
Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Robert E. Jakoubek
Martin''s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Doreen Rappaport
The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation
by Drew D. Hansen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More Featured Freedom Heroes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abraham Lincoln was a U.S president who fought for the abolition of slavery. Angela Davis is a
leader, author, and
professor who has fought for decades
for human rights. Aung San Suu Kyi seeks democracy for Burma. Bill Bradley once a pro-basketball player now is a politician who advocates reform to make America better for all.
CESAR CHAVEZ was a tireless advocate for migrant farm workers. Chief Joseph led the Nez Perce tribe in an effort to keep its homeland. Clara Shortridge Foltz was the first woman to practice law in California. Craig Kielburger
believes kids can
change the world.
Crazy Horse bravely fought for the freedom of the Sioux Nation. Declaration of Human Rights established the basis for human rights beliefs and practices
all over the world. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
"I Have a Dream" was the civil rights speech that moved the world Eleanor Roosevelt
was a champion for
freedom.
Elizabeth Blackwell opened the first medical school for women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a pioneer in the movement for womens rights. Emmeline Pankhurst fought tirelessly for
women's suffrage,
and succeeded. Frances Ellen Watkins devoted her life to speaking out against slavery.
Fred Korematsu bravely protested the Japanese-American internment. George Washington was the first President of the United States. Harriet Tubman organized the Underground Railroad. Inez Milholland Boissevain : a brief but spectacular life dedicated to women's suffrage.
Inge Sargent is a Burmese princess devoted to human rights for all. Iqbal Masih was
a brave advocate
for child labor laws. James Reeb risked his own life as a brave civil rights crusader. Jane Akre & Steve Wilson won the 2001 Goldman Environmental Prize for their courageous journalism.
Janet Jagan was
the first female
president of
Guyana. Jessie Daniel Ames worked openly and actively on behalf of racial justice. John Adams worked as hard for peace for the United States as he did for its independence. John Lewis has worked for civil rights for all for over 40 years.
Jose Marti is
considered the
father of Cuba's
battle for
independance. Joseph Ki-Zerbo
works to help
Africans retain
control of their
country's agriculture. Judy Feld Carr secretly helped thousands of Jews escape from Syria. Kofi Annan is an honored freedom
hero and an
AIDS activist.
Malcolm Little known as Malcom X, was a warrior in the fight against racism. Marian Wright Edelman is one of the country's leading advocates for children. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peaceful freedom fighter and civil rights activist Mary Harris Jones
worked to free
children from
industrial slavery.
Medgar Wiley Evers
worked to end
racism in America Mohammad Hatta was a central figure in Indonesia's fight for independence. Mohandas K. Gandhi freed India
from British
oppression through
non-violent protest. Morris Seligman Dees is the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Moses led the Jews from slavery and gave them religious laws. Nellie McClung believed in equal rights for all women Nelson Mandela is
a peacemaker and
a freedom hero. Osceola led the Seminoles in their battle for independence.
Paul Revere risked his life for the freedom of the American colonies. Quaid-E-Azam helped to create the nation of Pakistan. RAWA promote women's rights through non-violent action Rev. James Reeb worked for equal rights for all
Robert F. Kennedy was a voice for the powerless and advocate for human rights. Roger Nash Baldwin A pioneer in the struggle for civil justice. Rosa Parks made history when she refused to sit in the back of the bus. Ruby Bridges
bravely led the way
to desegregation
of schools as a
child.
Sir William Wallace was a freedom-fighter for the Scottish people in the early 1300s. Sojourner Truth born into slavery, worked for the freedom of all. Susan B. Anthony led the early Women's Suffrage Movement. The Dalai Lama is
the religious leader
of Tibet and an
emblem of Tibet's
hopes for freedom.
Thomas Jefferson helped the American Colonies achieve independence from Britain. Thurgood Marshall
was the first
African-American
to serve on the
U.S. Supreme Court. Tiananmen Square discuss freedom and democracy at Tian An Min Square. Vaclav Havel despite censorship, wrote plays that helped keep the hope of freedom alive....
W.E.B. Dubois was a leading 19th century writer and scholar.
Last changed on:1/14/2005 12:35:30 PM
angel | animals | artists | business | child | community | earthkeepers |explorers | faith | family | freedom | lifesavers | literary | musician | peacemakers | poets | scientists | sports | teachers | women | writers
Print-Friendly Version
"I have a dream that one day, this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."
FREEDOM HERO:
DR. MARTIN
LUTHER KING, JR.
"I HAVE A DREAM"
"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon of hope to millions of Negro slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacle of segregation and the chains of discrimination.
One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our Nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our great republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed to the inalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that has come back marked 'insufficient funds.'
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is not time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy.
Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.
Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
Now is the time to make justice a reality to all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of it's colored citizens. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.
There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds.
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must ever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.
We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.
We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.
We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "for white only."
We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.
No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of your trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by storms of persecutions and staggered by the winds of police brutality.
You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our modern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
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.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and every mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.
With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to climb up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, 'my country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!'
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that, let freedom, ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi and every mountainside.
And when this happens, when we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
RELATED LINKS
Martin Luther King, Jr. Guestbook: read guestbook entries from other My Hero users from around the world, and input your own entry!
The Washington, DC, Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial
The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, is the official, living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of America’s greatest nonviolent movement for justice, equality and peace.
RECOMMENDED READING
I Have a Dream
by Martin Luther King, Jr., James M. Washington (Editor), James Melvin Washington (Editor), Foreword by Coretta Scott King
Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Robert E. Jakoubek
Martin''s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Doreen Rappaport
The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation
by Drew D. Hansen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More Featured Freedom Heroes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abraham Lincoln was a U.S president who fought for the abolition of slavery. Angela Davis is a
leader, author, and
professor who has fought for decades
for human rights. Aung San Suu Kyi seeks democracy for Burma. Bill Bradley once a pro-basketball player now is a politician who advocates reform to make America better for all.
CESAR CHAVEZ was a tireless advocate for migrant farm workers. Chief Joseph led the Nez Perce tribe in an effort to keep its homeland. Clara Shortridge Foltz was the first woman to practice law in California. Craig Kielburger
believes kids can
change the world.
Crazy Horse bravely fought for the freedom of the Sioux Nation. Declaration of Human Rights established the basis for human rights beliefs and practices
all over the world. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
"I Have a Dream" was the civil rights speech that moved the world Eleanor Roosevelt
was a champion for
freedom.
Elizabeth Blackwell opened the first medical school for women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a pioneer in the movement for womens rights. Emmeline Pankhurst fought tirelessly for
women's suffrage,
and succeeded. Frances Ellen Watkins devoted her life to speaking out against slavery.
Fred Korematsu bravely protested the Japanese-American internment. George Washington was the first President of the United States. Harriet Tubman organized the Underground Railroad. Inez Milholland Boissevain : a brief but spectacular life dedicated to women's suffrage.
Inge Sargent is a Burmese princess devoted to human rights for all. Iqbal Masih was
a brave advocate
for child labor laws. James Reeb risked his own life as a brave civil rights crusader. Jane Akre & Steve Wilson won the 2001 Goldman Environmental Prize for their courageous journalism.
Janet Jagan was
the first female
president of
Guyana. Jessie Daniel Ames worked openly and actively on behalf of racial justice. John Adams worked as hard for peace for the United States as he did for its independence. John Lewis has worked for civil rights for all for over 40 years.
Jose Marti is
considered the
father of Cuba's
battle for
independance. Joseph Ki-Zerbo
works to help
Africans retain
control of their
country's agriculture. Judy Feld Carr secretly helped thousands of Jews escape from Syria. Kofi Annan is an honored freedom
hero and an
AIDS activist.
Malcolm Little known as Malcom X, was a warrior in the fight against racism. Marian Wright Edelman is one of the country's leading advocates for children. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peaceful freedom fighter and civil rights activist Mary Harris Jones
worked to free
children from
industrial slavery.
Medgar Wiley Evers
worked to end
racism in America Mohammad Hatta was a central figure in Indonesia's fight for independence. Mohandas K. Gandhi freed India
from British
oppression through
non-violent protest. Morris Seligman Dees is the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Moses led the Jews from slavery and gave them religious laws. Nellie McClung believed in equal rights for all women Nelson Mandela is
a peacemaker and
a freedom hero. Osceola led the Seminoles in their battle for independence.
Paul Revere risked his life for the freedom of the American colonies. Quaid-E-Azam helped to create the nation of Pakistan. RAWA promote women's rights through non-violent action Rev. James Reeb worked for equal rights for all
Robert F. Kennedy was a voice for the powerless and advocate for human rights. Roger Nash Baldwin A pioneer in the struggle for civil justice. Rosa Parks made history when she refused to sit in the back of the bus. Ruby Bridges
bravely led the way
to desegregation
of schools as a
child.
Sir William Wallace was a freedom-fighter for the Scottish people in the early 1300s. Sojourner Truth born into slavery, worked for the freedom of all. Susan B. Anthony led the early Women's Suffrage Movement. The Dalai Lama is
the religious leader
of Tibet and an
emblem of Tibet's
hopes for freedom.
Thomas Jefferson helped the American Colonies achieve independence from Britain. Thurgood Marshall
was the first
African-American
to serve on the
U.S. Supreme Court. Tiananmen Square discuss freedom and democracy at Tian An Min Square. Vaclav Havel despite censorship, wrote plays that helped keep the hope of freedom alive....
W.E.B. Dubois was a leading 19th century writer and scholar.
Last changed on:1/14/2005 12:35:30 PM
angel | animals | artists | business | child | community | earthkeepers |explorers | faith | family | freedom | lifesavers | literary | musician | peacemakers | poets | scientists | sports | teachers | women | writers
FREEDOM HERO:
DR. MARTIN
LUTHER KING, JR.
"I HAVE A DREAM"
"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon of hope to millions of Negro slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacle of segregation and the chains of discrimination.
One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our Nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our great republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed to the inalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that has come back marked 'insufficient funds.'
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is not time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy.
Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.
Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
Now is the time to make justice a reality to all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of it's colored citizens. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.
There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds.
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must ever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.
We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.
We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.
We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "for white only."
We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.
No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of your trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by storms of persecutions and staggered by the winds of police brutality.
You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our modern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
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.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and every mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.
With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to climb up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, 'my country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!'
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that, let freedom, ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi and every mountainside.
And when this happens, when we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
RELATED LINKS
Martin Luther King, Jr. Guestbook: read guestbook entries from other My Hero users from around the world, and input your own entry!
The Washington, DC, Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial
The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, is the official, living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of America’s greatest nonviolent movement for justice, equality and peace.
RECOMMENDED READING
I Have a Dream
by Martin Luther King, Jr., James M. Washington (Editor), James Melvin Washington (Editor), Foreword by Coretta Scott King
Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Robert E. Jakoubek
Martin''s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Doreen Rappaport
The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation
by Drew D. Hansen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More Featured Freedom Heroes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abraham Lincoln was a U.S president who fought for the abolition of slavery. Angela Davis is a
leader, author, and
professor who has fought for decades
for human rights. Aung San Suu Kyi seeks democracy for Burma. Bill Bradley once a pro-basketball player now is a politician who advocates reform to make America better for all.
CESAR CHAVEZ was a tireless advocate for migrant farm workers. Chief Joseph led the Nez Perce tribe in an effort to keep its homeland. Clara Shortridge Foltz was the first woman to practice law in California. Craig Kielburger
believes kids can
change the world.
Crazy Horse bravely fought for the freedom of the Sioux Nation. Declaration of Human Rights established the basis for human rights beliefs and practices
all over the world. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
"I Have a Dream" was the civil rights speech that moved the world Eleanor Roosevelt
was a champion for
freedom.
Elizabeth Blackwell opened the first medical school for women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a pioneer in the movement for womens rights. Emmeline Pankhurst fought tirelessly for
women's suffrage,
and succeeded. Frances Ellen Watkins devoted her life to speaking out against slavery.
Fred Korematsu bravely protested the Japanese-American internment. George Washington was the first President of the United States. Harriet Tubman organized the Underground Railroad. Inez Milholland Boissevain : a brief but spectacular life dedicated to women's suffrage.
Inge Sargent is a Burmese princess devoted to human rights for all. Iqbal Masih was
a brave advocate
for child labor laws. James Reeb risked his own life as a brave civil rights crusader. Jane Akre & Steve Wilson won the 2001 Goldman Environmental Prize for their courageous journalism.
Janet Jagan was
the first female
president of
Guyana. Jessie Daniel Ames worked openly and actively on behalf of racial justice. John Adams worked as hard for peace for the United States as he did for its independence. John Lewis has worked for civil rights for all for over 40 years.
Jose Marti is
considered the
father of Cuba's
battle for
independance. Joseph Ki-Zerbo
works to help
Africans retain
control of their
country's agriculture. Judy Feld Carr secretly helped thousands of Jews escape from Syria. Kofi Annan is an honored freedom
hero and an
AIDS activist.
Malcolm Little known as Malcom X, was a warrior in the fight against racism. Marian Wright Edelman is one of the country's leading advocates for children. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peaceful freedom fighter and civil rights activist Mary Harris Jones
worked to free
children from
industrial slavery.
Medgar Wiley Evers
worked to end
racism in America Mohammad Hatta was a central figure in Indonesia's fight for independence. Mohandas K. Gandhi freed India
from British
oppression through
non-violent protest. Morris Seligman Dees is the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Moses led the Jews from slavery and gave them religious laws. Nellie McClung believed in equal rights for all women Nelson Mandela is
a peacemaker and
a freedom hero. Osceola led the Seminoles in their battle for independence.
Paul Revere risked his life for the freedom of the American colonies. Quaid-E-Azam helped to create the nation of Pakistan. RAWA promote women's rights through non-violent action Rev. James Reeb worked for equal rights for all
Robert F. Kennedy was a voice for the powerless and advocate for human rights. Roger Nash Baldwin A pioneer in the struggle for civil justice. Rosa Parks made history when she refused to sit in the back of the bus. Ruby Bridges
bravely led the way
to desegregation
of schools as a
child.
Sir William Wallace was a freedom-fighter for the Scottish people in the early 1300s. Sojourner Truth born into slavery, worked for the freedom of all. Susan B. Anthony led the early Women's Suffrage Movement. The Dalai Lama is
the religious leader
of Tibet and an
emblem of Tibet's
hopes for freedom.
Thomas Jefferson helped the American Colonies achieve independence from Britain. Thurgood Marshall
was the first
African-American
to serve on the
U.S. Supreme Court. Tiananmen Square discuss freedom and democracy at Tian An Min Square. Vaclav Havel despite censorship, wrote plays that helped keep the hope of freedom alive....
W.E.B. Dubois was a leading 19th century writer and scholar.
Last changed on:1/14/2005 12:35:30 PM
angel | animals | artists | business | child | community | earthkeepers |explorers | faith | family | freedom | lifesavers | literary | musician | peacemakers | poets | scientists | sports | teachers | women | writers
Print-Friendly Version
"I have a dream that one day, this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."
FREEDOM HERO:
DR. MARTIN
LUTHER KING, JR.
"I HAVE A DREAM"
"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon of hope to millions of Negro slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacle of segregation and the chains of discrimination.
One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our Nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our great republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed to the inalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that has come back marked 'insufficient funds.'
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is not time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy.
Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.
Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
Now is the time to make justice a reality to all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of it's colored citizens. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.
There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds.
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must ever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.
We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.
We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.
We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "for white only."
We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.
No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of your trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by storms of persecutions and staggered by the winds of police brutality.
You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our modern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
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.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and every mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.
With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to climb up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, 'my country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!'
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that, let freedom, ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi and every mountainside.
And when this happens, when we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
RELATED LINKS
Martin Luther King, Jr. Guestbook: read guestbook entries from other My Hero users from around the world, and input your own entry!
The Washington, DC, Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial
The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, is the official, living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of America’s greatest nonviolent movement for justice, equality and peace.
RECOMMENDED READING
I Have a Dream
by Martin Luther King, Jr., James M. Washington (Editor), James Melvin Washington (Editor), Foreword by Coretta Scott King
Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Robert E. Jakoubek
Martin''s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Doreen Rappaport
The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation
by Drew D. Hansen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More Featured Freedom Heroes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abraham Lincoln was a U.S president who fought for the abolition of slavery. Angela Davis is a
leader, author, and
professor who has fought for decades
for human rights. Aung San Suu Kyi seeks democracy for Burma. Bill Bradley once a pro-basketball player now is a politician who advocates reform to make America better for all.
CESAR CHAVEZ was a tireless advocate for migrant farm workers. Chief Joseph led the Nez Perce tribe in an effort to keep its homeland. Clara Shortridge Foltz was the first woman to practice law in California. Craig Kielburger
believes kids can
change the world.
Crazy Horse bravely fought for the freedom of the Sioux Nation. Declaration of Human Rights established the basis for human rights beliefs and practices
all over the world. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
"I Have a Dream" was the civil rights speech that moved the world Eleanor Roosevelt
was a champion for
freedom.
Elizabeth Blackwell opened the first medical school for women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a pioneer in the movement for womens rights. Emmeline Pankhurst fought tirelessly for
women's suffrage,
and succeeded. Frances Ellen Watkins devoted her life to speaking out against slavery.
Fred Korematsu bravely protested the Japanese-American internment. George Washington was the first President of the United States. Harriet Tubman organized the Underground Railroad. Inez Milholland Boissevain : a brief but spectacular life dedicated to women's suffrage.
Inge Sargent is a Burmese princess devoted to human rights for all. Iqbal Masih was
a brave advocate
for child labor laws. James Reeb risked his own life as a brave civil rights crusader. Jane Akre & Steve Wilson won the 2001 Goldman Environmental Prize for their courageous journalism.
Janet Jagan was
the first female
president of
Guyana. Jessie Daniel Ames worked openly and actively on behalf of racial justice. John Adams worked as hard for peace for the United States as he did for its independence. John Lewis has worked for civil rights for all for over 40 years.
Jose Marti is
considered the
father of Cuba's
battle for
independance. Joseph Ki-Zerbo
works to help
Africans retain
control of their
country's agriculture. Judy Feld Carr secretly helped thousands of Jews escape from Syria. Kofi Annan is an honored freedom
hero and an
AIDS activist.
Malcolm Little known as Malcom X, was a warrior in the fight against racism. Marian Wright Edelman is one of the country's leading advocates for children. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peaceful freedom fighter and civil rights activist Mary Harris Jones
worked to free
children from
industrial slavery.
Medgar Wiley Evers
worked to end
racism in America Mohammad Hatta was a central figure in Indonesia's fight for independence. Mohandas K. Gandhi freed India
from British
oppression through
non-violent protest. Morris Seligman Dees is the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Moses led the Jews from slavery and gave them religious laws. Nellie McClung believed in equal rights for all women Nelson Mandela is
a peacemaker and
a freedom hero. Osceola led the Seminoles in their battle for independence.
Paul Revere risked his life for the freedom of the American colonies. Quaid-E-Azam helped to create the nation of Pakistan. RAWA promote women's rights through non-violent action Rev. James Reeb worked for equal rights for all
Robert F. Kennedy was a voice for the powerless and advocate for human rights. Roger Nash Baldwin A pioneer in the struggle for civil justice. Rosa Parks made history when she refused to sit in the back of the bus. Ruby Bridges
bravely led the way
to desegregation
of schools as a
child.
Sir William Wallace was a freedom-fighter for the Scottish people in the early 1300s. Sojourner Truth born into slavery, worked for the freedom of all. Susan B. Anthony led the early Women's Suffrage Movement. The Dalai Lama is
the religious leader
of Tibet and an
emblem of Tibet's
hopes for freedom.
Thomas Jefferson helped the American Colonies achieve independence from Britain. Thurgood Marshall
was the first
African-American
to serve on the
U.S. Supreme Court. Tiananmen Square discuss freedom and democracy at Tian An Min Square. Vaclav Havel despite censorship, wrote plays that helped keep the hope of freedom alive....
W.E.B. Dubois was a leading 19th century writer and scholar.
Last changed on:1/14/2005 12:35:30 PM
angel | animals | artists | business | child | community | earthkeepers |explorers | faith | family | freedom | lifesavers | literary | musician | peacemakers | poets | scientists | sports | teachers | women | writers
Print-Friendly Version
"I have a dream that one day, this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."
FREEDOM HERO:
DR. MARTIN
LUTHER KING, JR.
"I HAVE A DREAM"
"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon of hope to millions of Negro slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacle of segregation and the chains of discrimination.
One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our Nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our great republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed to the inalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that has come back marked 'insufficient funds.'
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is not time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy.
Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.
Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
Now is the time to make justice a reality to all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of it's colored citizens. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.
There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds.
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must ever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.
We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.
We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.
We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "for white only."
We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.
No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of your trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by storms of persecutions and staggered by the winds of police brutality.
You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our modern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
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.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and every mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.
With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to climb up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, 'my country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!'
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that, let freedom, ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi and every mountainside.
And when this happens, when we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
RELATED LINKS
Martin Luther King, Jr. Guestbook: read guestbook entries from other My Hero users from around the world, and input your own entry!
The Washington, DC, Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial
The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, is the official, living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of America’s greatest nonviolent movement for justice, equality and peace.
RECOMMENDED READING
I Have a Dream
by Martin Luther King, Jr., James M. Washington (Editor), James Melvin Washington (Editor), Foreword by Coretta Scott King
Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Robert E. Jakoubek
Martin''s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Doreen Rappaport
The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation
by Drew D. Hansen
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More Featured Freedom Heroes
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Abraham Lincoln was a U.S president who fought for the abolition of slavery. Angela Davis is a
leader, author, and
professor who has fought for decades
for human rights. Aung San Suu Kyi seeks democracy for Burma. Bill Bradley once a pro-basketball player now is a politician who advocates reform to make America better for all.
CESAR CHAVEZ was a tireless advocate for migrant farm workers. Chief Joseph led the Nez Perce tribe in an effort to keep its homeland. Clara Shortridge Foltz was the first woman to practice law in California. Craig Kielburger
believes kids can
change the world.
Crazy Horse bravely fought for the freedom of the Sioux Nation. Declaration of Human Rights established the basis for human rights beliefs and practices
all over the world. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
"I Have a Dream" was the civil rights speech that moved the world Eleanor Roosevelt
was a champion for
freedom.
Elizabeth Blackwell opened the first medical school for women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a pioneer in the movement for womens rights. Emmeline Pankhurst fought tirelessly for
women's suffrage,
and succeeded. Frances Ellen Watkins devoted her life to speaking out against slavery.
Fred Korematsu bravely protested the Japanese-American internment. George Washington was the first President of the United States. Harriet Tubman organized the Underground Railroad. Inez Milholland Boissevain : a brief but spectacular life dedicated to women's suffrage.
Inge Sargent is a Burmese princess devoted to human rights for all. Iqbal Masih was
a brave advocate
for child labor laws. James Reeb risked his own life as a brave civil rights crusader. Jane Akre & Steve Wilson won the 2001 Goldman Environmental Prize for their courageous journalism.
Janet Jagan was
the first female
president of
Guyana. Jessie Daniel Ames worked openly and actively on behalf of racial justice. John Adams worked as hard for peace for the United States as he did for its independence. John Lewis has worked for civil rights for all for over 40 years.
Jose Marti is
considered the
father of Cuba's
battle for
independance. Joseph Ki-Zerbo
works to help
Africans retain
control of their
country's agriculture. Judy Feld Carr secretly helped thousands of Jews escape from Syria. Kofi Annan is an honored freedom
hero and an
AIDS activist.
Malcolm Little known as Malcom X, was a warrior in the fight against racism. Marian Wright Edelman is one of the country's leading advocates for children. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peaceful freedom fighter and civil rights activist Mary Harris Jones
worked to free
children from
industrial slavery.
Medgar Wiley Evers
worked to end
racism in America Mohammad Hatta was a central figure in Indonesia's fight for independence. Mohandas K. Gandhi freed India
from British
oppression through
non-violent protest. Morris Seligman Dees is the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Moses led the Jews from slavery and gave them religious laws. Nellie McClung believed in equal rights for all women Nelson Mandela is
a peacemaker and
a freedom hero. Osceola led the Seminoles in their battle for independence.
Paul Revere risked his life for the freedom of the American colonies. Quaid-E-Azam helped to create the nation of Pakistan. RAWA promote women's rights through non-violent action Rev. James Reeb worked for equal rights for all
Robert F. Kennedy was a voice for the powerless and advocate for human rights. Roger Nash Baldwin A pioneer in the struggle for civil justice. Rosa Parks made history when she refused to sit in the back of the bus. Ruby Bridges
bravely led the way
to desegregation
of schools as a
child.
Sir William Wallace was a freedom-fighter for the Scottish people in the early 1300s. Sojourner Truth born into slavery, worked for the freedom of all. Susan B. Anthony led the early Women's Suffrage Movement. The Dalai Lama is
the religious leader
of Tibet and an
emblem of Tibet's
hopes for freedom.
Thomas Jefferson helped the American Colonies achieve independence from Britain. Thurgood Marshall
was the first
African-American
to serve on the
U.S. Supreme Court. Tiananmen Square discuss freedom and democracy at Tian An Min Square. Vaclav Havel despite censorship, wrote plays that helped keep the hope of freedom alive....
W.E.B. Dubois was a leading 19th century writer and scholar.
Last changed on:1/14/2005 12:35:30 PM
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All the log play a major role in enabling the fire to burn
The youth knows they have a leader who cares for them. See the box full of ball?
What a fellowship?
ANA BETU NIMWANKA BATHOME KITHOME KIA KINANDI NIUNTU KITHOMO NIKIO RUIGAI RWA MAA.
One Log does not kindle enough fire
MUGAMBI NI MUGAMBI WA MAA
The what makes a community to grow
Healing is a process that involves the mind, body, and soul. It is Mugambi's mission to heal the sacred body of God's children
IN TERMS OF EDUCATION, MUGAMBI HAS THE BEST AND FROM THE BEST INSTITUTIONS
MUGAMBI ENA KITHOMO KIA KUGANA
ASK THESE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS AND THEY WILL TELL YOU MUGAMBI MEANS WHAT HE SAYS.
St. Joseph's broke all the records during the time Mr Mugambi Arimi was the deputy Principal there. The achieved number 68 in the whole republic.
NO ROADS NO DEVELOPMENT
HAKUNA BARABARA HAKUNA MAENDELEO
ARIMI BA KAHAWA BAKARIWA MARII JA MAA
MUGAMBI ARIMI AND JOHN BUNGEI BEING FLAGED OFF BY THE DEO.
WHEN WE SHELF OUR SELFISHNESS WE CAN TRANSFORM ANY ENVIRONMENT
WHEN WE ARE READY TO BE MOLDED, GOD DOES HIS WORK IN A MYSTRIOUS WAY
DBS HAS PROVIDED THAT MOLDING FOR MUGAMBI
KAUWA KA KENYA POUD IMWE NDENE YA AMERICA NI $15. NIKI UNTU MURIMI ATIRIAGWA KINYA DOLLAR IMWE?
TIME HAS COME FOR SOMEBODY TO STAND ON THE HILL TOPS TO TELL THE WORLD ENOUGH!
TEA FARMERS SHOULD BE PAID THEIR DUES ON TIME AND THE RIGHT PRICE
WHY SHOULD HARD WORKING PEOPLE BE REDUCED INTO BEGGERS? BECAUSE CORRUPTION AND DON'T CARE ATTITUDE HAS PERMEATED EVERY FIBRE OF THOSE INCHARGE
CENTRAL IMENTI BANANAS
WATER FROM MT KENYA WILL BE THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF WATER CONTAMINATION AND SHORTAGE
THIS QUARRY MINER HAS A RIGHT TO HIS EFFORTS AND HARD WORK
AT TABATA QUARRY
WE DON'T NEED THIS
ROADS LIKE THIS ONE IS WHAT WE NEED
NI BARABARA ING'ANA CIINA RAMI?
ELECTRICITY WITHOUT UBAGUZI IS WHAT WE NEED
NIKI UNTU CITIMA CIIKAGIRWA NA KIMENYANO KANA UBAGUZI?
Our young people needs to assured that their futures matters like any other human being
WHY NOT THIS WAY MIGHTY PEOPLE OF CENTRAL IMENTI??
WE SHOULD RISE ABOVE THE LEBEL OF MEDIOCRITY WE HAVE BEEN SUBMERGED INTO ALL THESE YEARS
CORN/MAIZE FROM CENTRAL IMENTI
Mpempe nkunia imwe nandi ni sh1200.
WE NEED TO ANALYZE EACH OF THEM CAREFULLY
WHO IS WHO IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM? These are people who Kenyans have been looking at for leadership. How good have they been? Just check their history of lack of it.
MUGAMBI ARIMI PRESENTING MEDICAL SUPPLIES FROM AMERICA
WENDO BWA MUGAMBI BUTI MWANKA
ARIMI BA MAJANI CHAI BAITAGA NGUGI YA INYA INDI MARII TI JAMAA
FACTORY YA KAUWA YA NGARI
MUREGA GICHURU,KIBIU M'LAIBONI, NA JOHN MARION SORTING COFFEE BEANS
ABUNDI ANGARA MAIGENI BARIENDA BARABARA INJEGA CIAKIMIRIA MAIGA JA GWAKA NYOMBA CIETU NA TOWN CIETU
MUGAMBI KNOWS THE SOLUTION
ARIMI BA NGO'MBE CIA IRIA KINYA BOO BAKARIWA MARIII JAMEGA. Nandi iria kilo imwe ni sh22.
DAIRY FARMERS WILL NEVER BE PAID PEANUTS ANY MORE. IT IS THEIR RIGHT!
THE KENYAN CONSTITUENCIES
RUJI RWA KUNYUA MBERE YA MANTU JANGI JONTHE!!
WATER IS LIFE
OUR ROADS MUST BE GRADED IF NOT TARMACKED
Not country can progress with poor infrastructures. This has been the biggest stumbling block to the industrious and hard working people of Central Imenti. We have been given a raw deal all along because we are thought to sing to other people's tune. We have and can compose our tune by deciding to be self determining
About Me
- KENYA KENYANS HAVE ALWAYS NEEDED
- I LOVE PEOPLE IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR SOCIAL BACKGROUND, CREED, RACE, NATIONALITY, GENDER AND CLASS
AT THE UNITED METHODIST PUBLISHING HOUSE IN NASHVILLE TENESSEEE
A good leader is always learning something new
Mugambi ni mugambi uti uguaa
