Monday, October 29, 2018

A Tale of Two (Homeless vs. Not) Cities

For about a month, Bronson Park, the main downtown park in my city was the site of a homeless camp that turned into a demonstration.

One hundred folks who were homeless found themselves calling Bronson Park home - complete with tents and coolers.

The Park is directly across the street from City Hall. Where it stood as a daily reminder of the thorny problem of affordable housing.

For the most part, the city kept a hands-off attitude. But as late summer turned into early autumn, the weather necessitated an official response. On August 31st, a representative group of protesters met with city officials and came up with a simple agreement.

The group would move from Bronson Park in exchange for space (concrete, for the most part) in front of an abandoned fire station a few blocks away.

Another part of the agreement was that the city would work with the homeless group to find alternative housing.

But there was a breakdown in communication between the city and the homeless folks. And the city manager said that the city wasn't in a position to offer social services, absolving itself of the issue.

From that point on, the issue of responsibility became a political hot potato which was passed between the city and county government. Each stating they didn't have the resources to provide transitional or permanent housing for those camping out.

So, the city gave the homeless folks a deadline - move out by September 18, or face eviction. That evening came and went, but no action was taken. Instead, the city chose to evict early the next morning - around 7 a.m. - arresting about a dozen people including Shannon Sykes Nehring, the only city commissioner who took a public stand in favor of the protestors, to the point of camping out with them. All of the personal items that the protestors couldn't carry out of the park with them were cleared out by city staff who scooped them up with tractors, then tossed them into dumpsters.

Meanwhile, $259,000 in grants meant to help low-income households in Kalamazoo County went unspent last year. Because the funds were not spent by the end of the fiscal year (September 30) the money went back to the state. And the city decided to disband the local Community Action Board (CAB) which was responsible for allocating these funds, handing back control of the CAB to the state.

Here's what I find interesting about this story:

City removing protestors' belongings 
When it came down to it, both the city and county governments absolved themselves from any responsibility for helping the homeless families and individuals camped in Bronson Park.

But it turns out, that at the same time the protestors were camped in the Park, a significant amount of grant funds went unspent. Probably enough to give each camper $2,500.

My city mirrors many across the US in its lack of affordable housing. (This was one of the main reasons why many campers in Bronson Park came back to it after temporarily living on concrete in front of an abandoned fire station.)

According to RentCafe, the average monthly rent, overall in Kalamazoo, is $890 ($696 for a one-bedroom, $844 for a two-bedroom, $1,083 for three-bedroom.)

According to Zillow, the median value of a home in Kalamazoo County that's on the market is $156,300.

[Here's
the story of one family living one step away from being homeless - a single mom with two children all of whom have been diagnosed with severe mental disabilities. This piece, written by Malachi Barrett, with the Kalamazoo Gazette, noted that there are 125 uninhabitable homes in Kalamazoo.]

During the homeless protest in Bronson Park, a friend of mine noted on his facebook feed that the problem seemed to be "a lack of imagination and love."

Earlier this summer WMUK, the local PBS radio station, ran a segment on their WestSouthwest program that spotlighted Jeremy Cole, who rescues dilapidated homes in Kalamazoo. During the interview, Cole's enthusiasm for renovating distressed houses was readily apparent.

Maybe the county could have a talk with Cole? People like him have the imagination to look at the 125 marginal houses in Kalamazoo not at eyesores that are currently off the tax rolls, but potential homes that could be used to help homeless folks.  Under the management of non-profits these restored homes would become a source of property taxes for the city.

A final word: Although I'm grateful for the media coverage that the local newspaper gave to this story, it was simply inadequate. Part of the inadequacy was reflected in the lack of opinion pieces - the local newspaper is no longer locally owned and does not publish city-focused editorials.

Having such a voice of advocacy would have gone a long way in keeping city and county government officials' feet to the fire.

Photo Credits: Top michiganradio.org; middle 4Search, bottom wwmt.com

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Fannie Lou Hamer & the Right to Vote


Fannie Lou Hamer
The mid-term elections in the US are quickly approaching.

Of course, there have been thousands of opinion pieces written about politics, decency (or the lack of it), the importance of health care (i.e. pre-existing conditions), morality (or its absence) and the like.

But as it happens, I've been struck by the simple fact that seems to over-ride all others: A large number of eligible Americans simply do not vote.

According to the US Census Bureau, only sixty-one percent of eligible voters actually filled out a ballot in the 2016 election.

A few days after the national election, the Washington Post reported that forty-three percent of eligible voters didn't bother. About 100 million people.

While political pundits have been having a field day trying to dissect how the 45th president pulled off an electoral collage upset, the fact remains the current resident of the White House and the resulting administration did it without the input of a significant chunk of America.

This is worth considering because it has consequences for all of us.

If people living in a democracy don't vote, the democracy ceases to function as one.

And the land of E pluribus Unum ("One out of many") can become an oligarchy.

Can we take another look at the 100 million individuals who didn't vote?

The US Census Bureau also reported that close to fifty-nine percent of eligible voters between 30-44 years of age cast a ballot, while only forty-six percent of those 18-29 did so.

Regardless of your political affiliation, these two generations, in particular, need to be engaged to participate in the electoral process.

Overall, it's not good for any democracy to have only sixty-one percent of its people deciding who leads them.

As Ed Kilgore, writing in New York Magazine pointed out, we may never know what exactly caused the upset in the 2016 presidential election, "[B]ut we will be living with the consequences for far longer than even the longest post mortem." 

Fannie Lou Hamer
As happenstance would have it, I've been reading a biography of Fannie Lou Hamer. She grew up in a small town in Mississippi and became a fierce proponent of civil rights. In particular voter registration in the south. Hamer paid a steep price for her advocacy. In June, 1963 she and nine of her peers who were traveling made the mistake of getting off a bus in Winona, MS, coming back from a training out of state.

The county sheriff was waiting for them and they (being black) were arrested for using the washroom and sitting down at a lunch counter. (The federal government had already struck down such segregation in public transportation stations, but this was mostly ignored in the deep South.)

It's no exaggeration to say that Fannie Lou Hamer was beaten almost to the point of death.

Hamer continued her voter registration work and was a leader in the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party - an alternative set up in 1964, to challenge the Mississippi (Democratic) party that was not open to people of color being included in the delegation to their upcoming national convention.

Hamer's testimony before the Democratic National Convention's credentials committee was so powerful that it caused President Lyndon Johnson to hold an impromptu press conference in an effort to force her off the air. (You can Hamer's testimony here.)

What is remarkable about the life of Fannie Lou Hamer is that she was not the only one who put her life on the line to ensure the right to vote. The Freedom Riders in the early 1960s, and many of the early Civil Rights heroes (including Senator John Lewis, Medgar Evers, and Martin Luther King, Jr.) also paid the price for this freedom.

Like Hamer they endured beatings, threats, shootings, and even death.

In light of their sacrifices, how can we not vote on November 6th?

Photo Credit: Fannie Lou Hamer, National Women's History Museum (middle), African American Museum of Culture (bottom), Washington Post (top).

Monday, October 15, 2018

Meet Christian Apologist Lisa Quintana


Lisa Quintana has a master's degree in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. She is Vice-Chair of Communications for Women in Apologetics and teaches apologetics at her home church. Lisa has a blog thinkdivinely.com  and her posts have been widely shared including on The Poached Egg, and the Christian Apologetics Alliance.



You started out your career in broadcast journalism. Then you switched to public relations. Looking back, how did those careers prepare you for pursuing apologetics?

It’s funny when you’re a kid and you dream of what you’ll be when you grow up, and then you find yourself doing something that wasn’t even on your radar. I did dream of being a reporter, but never in my wildest dreams did I see being a Christian Apologist. What the heck does that even mean, anyway? Am I “sorry for my faith?” That’s what I get a lot. When people ask me what I do, I dread answering sometimes. When I answer that I’m an Apologist, most of them usually make some crack as to being “apologetic.” There is a BIG difference.

If there is one thing that I have learned as a Christian, when you submit your will to His, God often takes you places you’ve never could have imagined. Christian Apologetics is one of those places. As I’ve yielded to God’s plans instead of my own, I can see the hand of God directing me from my former career choices to the strategic spot He’s placed me in today. It’s a strategic move of God because my training in reporting and public relations prepared me well to be an Apologist. For instance, I know how to ask good questions and tell a story, and that’s the essence of Apologetics. It’s not merely defending why Christianity is true, but it’s knowing how to ask good questions of other beliefs. Often, I find that most people have not taken much time to evaluate their own worldview, and sadly, most could not tell me why what they believe is true, including many Christians themselves.

People tend to believe something based on their emotions or how it makes them feel. But feelings are not always reliable. Good facts and solid evidence are more reliable. What Christian Apologetics teaches is that Christianity has evidence to back it up. Despite what we hear in some media outlets at times, being a Christian is not about “blind faith” at all. It never was meant to be blind. And that’s why Jesus came: to reveal Himself as the Messiah by doing many miracles; the greatest of these being His Resurrection. These events were witnessed and written down for our benefit, so we can know what happened thousands of years ago.
           

In terms of your spiritual development, what was it like growing up? Did you have a particularly religious life at home?

Growing up in my household, God was rarely mentioned. As small children, my parents took my brother and I to church occasionally, but eventually we stopped going by the time I was in the third grade. My mom tried to teach us about Jesus, but my dad wasn’t interested in it. He said people were hypocrites, and he didn’t want to attend church any longer. Without the support of dad, mom eventually stopped going to church, as well. After that, we pretty much lived as secular humanists and were basically nice people, but not spiritual in any sense.

However, I do remember an Easter message that stuck out in my mind as a child. The pastor had encouraged everyone to wake up on Easter morn and proclaim: “Christ has risen – Hallelujah.” So, I did! My family smiled and nodded, but the rest of that day was all about the Easter Egg hunt and the dinner. Nonetheless, seeds of faith were planted in my soul as a little girl, but they weren’t watered. It wasn’t until many years later that those seeds finally began to take root.



Would you say that you were a spiritually-minded person as a child and teen?

Innately, I always knew there was more to life than what met the eye. I did believe in Jesus as a little girl, but by the time I hit the teens years, I was more interested in New Age spirituality and dipped a bit into the occult. I was drawn to edgy things because I had a rebellious spirit. My family life was dysfunctional, so I think I was acting some of that out by playing with the “dark side.” I played with the Ouija board, got into Astrology, and went to Psychic fairs. Nothing terrible happened to me, other than I became a partier, drinking and smoking lots of pot. I fell in love easily, too, and that left me heartbroken. In all that mess, deep within, I was desperate for meaning… for a sense that life should have a purpose.



When you were 25 years of age, you became a Christian. What motivated your decision?

Brokenness motivated me to seek truth. I was emotionally wounded, and I desired to find the answer to whether this life was all that there was? In college, I met a Christian guy who honored me. Instead of having my head turn towards him and fall in love again, this guy turned my head toward God, and gave me a Bible version/translation I could actually understand. In it, he wrote these words, “Nobody will ever love you more than your Heavenly Father loves you.”

Then, he told me to read the Gospel of John. I had always started to read the Bible in Genesis; consequently, I never got far. Beginning in the first chapter of John was the best thing anyone ever told me! When my eyes fell upon those first few verses: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…” I just knew this was true. Was this the love I was looking for? I suddenly had my eyes open, and knew this was God’s love letter to me! Jesus was calling me to return to that childhood faith that I had left behind as a small girl.



How about the decision to pursue another, advanced, degree, in apologetics?

I had gone back to school to earn an AA in Christian Studies. This degree was a basic overview of the Christian faith, with some Church history and a general survey of the books in Bible. But that degree only whet my appetite for more! I still had unanswered questions, and when I looked at the courses that the Master’s in Apologetics program at Biola offered, I knew those classes would help me answer some more questions.



How would you define apologetics?

The actual word, “apologetics” comes from the original language as written in 1 Peter 3:15, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense (apologia) to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” The word “defense” was translated from “apologia.” It basically means that Christians should be able to make a case for Christ, or give the reasons and evidences that show why Christianity is true.



You’re the ‘Vice-Chair of Communication’s for Women in Apologetics. Why is this organization important to you?

Women need to be learning apologetics for several reasons. First, often women are the primary caretakers of children, and so should be able to not only teach their kids the Bible stories, but tell them WHY it’s true. Plus, if we’re to reach the Muslim world for Christ, some Muslim sects only allow women to speak to other women. Last but not least, as stated in 1 Peter 3:15, it is a biblical encouragement to make a defense for Christ. Peter says “everyone should give the reasons for the hope” within them, and so that includes the ladies!



What sort of work does Women in Apologetics (WIA) do?

We host an annual National Conference featuring all women apologists. We also educate women in this field, and have many resources on the WIA website (womeninapologetics.com). We eventually plan to provide scholarships to women who need financial help to learn apologetics, and plan to host smaller conference throughout the year to continue in educating women in apologetics.


How do you view the inherent tension between faith and logic? Or the difference between a Charismatic expression of faith and the discipline of logic?
           

Is there an ‘inherent tension’? I think that might be an assumption, and it’s one I’d like to dismiss. God is a God of order (1 Cor. 14:33). He created not only the physical laws that govern the universe and all life within it, but He has given us spiritual laws as well. God is a logical being, so it follows that logic and faith are not at odds with one another. Now when it comes to us humans, well that is a different story!

Because God created us with free will, we can use it in ways that are not always so logical ourselves.

I am not sure what you mean by a “Charismatic expression of faith” and the “discipline of logic.” If, by that question, you mean that some Christians express their faith differently, then yes, I certainly agree. It’s great to have diversity of all kinds of people expressing their love for God in ways that are personal to their preferences.

Yet, I have heard of those who say that the intellect can destroy one’s faith, but that’s not true. I have found the opposite to be true; my apologetic studies have only enhanced my faith and have made it theologically deeper than before. Anyway, God commands us to: “…'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your MIND'…” (Just sayin’.)


What have you been up to since graduation! (And congratulations!!!)

Thank you! I have been teaching apologetics classes at my church in Madison, Wisconsin. I also have been blogging at thinkdivinely.com. I also write for the Women in Apologetics (WIA) Newsletter. I wrote a 365-day educational devotional on apologetics for the busy person who wants to learn this stuff but may not have a lot of time. So, I am actively trying to find a publisher for that project. I am also working on a theodicy on suffering (or why God allows it), and working on developing a manual on ‘evangelizing with apologetics’ to be used as a class in local churches.

Monday, October 8, 2018

Are You Angry? Then Vote in the Mid-terms!


The Kavanaugh nomination process is now over. He has now taken a seat on the Supreme Court.

And if Kavanaugh's confirmation made you angry there is something you can do.

Vote.

We are less than a month away from the mid-term elections.

Voter turnout in the US has historically been shamelessly low. In particular mid-term elections.

Before the Kavanaugh hearings, there had been talk about a Blue Wave. Because, typically, mid-term elections don't go well for the party in power.

But this year we can't afford to sit back and hope it happens without our participation.

The Kavanaugh proceedings resulted in significant demonstrations in Washington. Women were understandably upset over the outcome, crowding the hall around Senator Collins' office before her speech and vote that tipped the scales in Kavanaugh's favor.

Now it's time to channel that anger towards the future and the mid-terms.

There is still a very good chance to bring significant change to the House and Senate, despite Republicans feeling emboldened.

Does having an admitted sexual predator as the leader of the Republican party anger you?

Does having members of that same party consistently cowering before his lies, threats and divisiveness anger you?

Then channel that energy and turn it towards the good!

There is still time to learn about the candidates running in your state.

There is still time to become active by simply encouraging your friends and neighbors to vote.

If you are registered to vote but don't know where to vote, find out. 

If you need inspiration, look up the heroes and heroines of the Civil Rights movement and find out about them. Starting with the Freedom Riders of 1961 who risked their lives.

And take a look at this opinion piece written by David Leonhardt in the New York Times.

Concern for motivating people to vote is especially relevant for the younger generation. Leonhardt points out that only sixteen percent of eligible voters between the ages of eighteen and twenty-nine voted in the last mid-term election (2014). But they make up thirty-one percent of the electorate.

They have the potential to help swing this nation in a more compassion, caring direction. But it will only happen if they - along with the rest of us - stay informed, stay positive and vote on November 6th!

P.S. Even the Bible says it's ok to be angry (Psalm 4:4), but it encourages us not to let anger control us. Rather, channel that energy in a positive direction.

Photo Credits: Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com), Focus Pointe Global, Scholastic

Monday, October 1, 2018

Merze Tate Explorers' Club 10th Anniversary!


This interview is with Sonya Hollins, the founder of the Merze Tate Explorers' Club. The Club is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. The mission of the Merze Tate Explorers' Club is to provide young girls of color with opportunities to experience different places (travel) and cultural environments.

Merze Tate
Who was Merze Tate? Can you give us a perspective on her life?

Merze Tate’s legacy includes a bequest of more than a million dollars to her alma mater, Western Michigan University. When she died in 1996, her obituary in the Washington Post noted her work with the U.S. State Department as an expert in Disarmament, being the first African American graduate of Oxford University, and being one of the first African American Fulbright Scholars in India.  When you think of the time of her birth (1905) African Americans were facing devastating Jim Crow segregation, particularly in the South. However, Merze, being raised in Mecosta County, Michigan in a racially diverse farm town where people lived in harmony. Limitations on what she could be based on race, were nonexistent; she could dream big…and she did!

Tate left Mecosta County as a 10th grader and headed to Battle Creek Central High School to complete 11th and 12th grades. She graduated with all A’s, despite living as a maid in the home of a white family for room and board. After high school she went on to Western Normal School (WMU) where she became the first African American to earn a B.A. in Education in 1927 (earning a four-year degree in three years!). While she worked hard and excelled, Jim Crow laws stifled her dream to teach high school in Michigan.

Sonya Hollins, Founder, Merze Tate Explorers
She left Michigan to Indiana where (with the help of Dwight Waldo, president of WMU) she took a job at an all African -American high school founded by the Ku Klux Klan. The KKK established Crispus Attucks High School as a way to segregate high school students. All teachers at the school also were African American; Merze was their first History teacher. During her few years at the school, she created a Travel Club. She took students to Niagara Falls, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. during the Depression Era. Her goal was to expose these students to a world beyond Indianapolis and careers they could strive to obtain outside of the servant roles many of their parents faced.

In 1932, Merze left secondary education to pursue a degree at Oxford University where she became the first African American to earn a degree from that historic university. She already had earned a M.A. from Columbia University through correspondence courses, and had traveled abroad to study a summer in Switzerland. After graduating from Oxford in 1935, she taught college history at African American universities. She retired from Howard University, but not before becoming a Fulbright Scholar in India, expert in disarmament, author of international history books, inventor, photographer, reporter, and world traveler. In 1941 she earned another first as the first African American female to earn a Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University.

Merze is buried next to her parents and siblings in her hometown of Blanchard, Michigan. 

What do you think motivated Merze’s love of education and travel?

I feel Merze was motivated to travel at an early age. It was during her nearly four-mile walks to and from school each day that she gazed through her history books, imagining herself in the exotic lands pictured in the books. Her grandparents were pioneers who came to Michigan from Ohio. When the family left the Left Settlement (her mother’s maiden name), they were leaving behind a legacy of being Underground Railroad conductors who helped countless fugitive slaves escape for a better life. I believe her family encouraged Merze to leave Blanchard to finish school in Battle Creek because they knew it would help her achieve more than her small town could provide. Merze was fearless in seeking out new opportunities without reservation. 

Why is Merze Tate’s example a powerful one? Especially for young girls of color?

Because Merze accomplished so many things during a time when so many limitations were placed on People of Color and women, that they have little excuse to succeed. When they see how, before African Americans could vote, or ride in the front of a bus, or eat at a lunch counter, etc., that Merze defied the odds. Merze didn’t look for anyone to GIVE her any rights. She realized that those in Europe and beyond the U.S. saw her for her talents and contributions, not her color. When girls realize that, while there is still sexism and racism, there are women who defied the odds and succeeded. Because of Merze’s example, girls can use her as a role model and also be fearless in their pursuit of whatever they imagine.

What about the Merze Tate Explorer’s Club? What was your motivation to start the club?

My motivation to begin the (formerly Travel Club) Explorers, was a black and white image of Merze with 40 African American students, headed to Washington D.C. in 1932. When I saw that image in her scrapbooks in the archives at WMU, I was captivated by the faces of Merze and the students. For many of them, that trip would take then farther than some of their parents ever imagined. That trip to Washington D.C., our nation’s capital, would be the defying moment in the lives of many of them. After that trip, they no longer could have excuses as to why they couldn’t travel. After that trip they could not go back to just seeing their own neighborhood as their boundary in life. I wanted to bring that same experience to young girls…a life without boundaries. 

Do you remember the Explorer Club’s first trip? Where did you go? How many travelers went with you?

The first REAL trip outside Kalamazoo for the Explorers was in 2009. We took more than a dozen girls by train to Battle Creek. While the city is only 20 minutes away, to the girls it was an adventure they would never forget. Many of them had never been on a train or to Battle Creek. The experience of learning about the Underground Railroad in Battle Creek while also experiencing the modern-day railroad was a pivotal moment in our organization. We had now stepped out of our city limits…there was no turning back to the places we could go.

Where else have Club members traveled over the years?

Over the years the Explorers have traveled through the path of Merze to her hometown and to Crispus Attucks High School. Students have visited Canada, Paris, France, Versailles, Venice, Florence, Rome, and Hawaii as a group. Individually, girls have traveled the world through study abroad and with families. It was the initial travel bug that the girls caught as part of the Explorers that led to their desire to take on world travel without fear.

Is there any particular trip that stands out in your mind?

The trip that most stands out for me is our trip to Niagara Falls. For me, it was a pivotal point in my life as it came full circle. When I was in the 5th grade, my elementary school teacher took five students to Niagara Falls. It was the first time I had been outside my city! To me, it was like entering another world as I heard people speaking French. Me being able to take girls to a place where I first discovered a new world was surreal. I know many of those girls on the trip had never been to Niagara Falls. To visit a country (near, yet so far) with 25 of their fellow Explorers was more than words can describe.

How has traveling impacted the lives of Club members?

Many of our original Explorers are constantly on a plane headed somewhere. Many have shared of their stories to distant lands; many of which we studied in our organization together. One student mentioned how the game we play to recognize 20 world landmarks in no longer a game, but a goal. I thought that was so profound and smile each time I think about it. 

What has been the biggest impact on you since the Merze Tate Explorers' Club was founded?

I feel the biggest impact on me since the founding of the organization in 2008, was having people reach out to us to interview famous authors, astronauts, ambassadors, and other amazing women leaders in the corporate world. What once seemed like a challenge to get across the importance of exposing girls to the world as travel writers, has come clear for so many…so many in fact that we are being sought out to meet women who are role models. 

How is the Merze Tate Explorer’s Club funded? What would you say to convince a potential donor to support the Club?

When the organization began, it was a grassroots effort. We asked for mostly in-kind support for travel, food, materials, etc. Our first big grant was received in 2009 when the Kalamazoo Community Foundation awarded us $2,000 through a fiduciary. In 2015 we became an official nonprofit. My background as a journalist has helped secure many grants and donations from those who have been inspired by our mission to expose girls to possibilities. 

Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

This has been an amazing journey. As I looked at an exhibit we created to celebrate our 10 years, I couldn’t help but think of all the challenges along the way. However, looking at the smiling faces in the photographs, faces that didn’t care how small of a budget we had, I am glad I obeyed the call from God to create the Merze Tate Explorers. Had I disobeyed that call, so many lives would have been effected. Now, so many lives have changed in so many ways. 

For more information on the Merze Tate Explorers and to make a donation, click here.

Photo Credits: Sonya Hollins

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

Pinocchio: Art Credit, Disney If ever there were a time for a national "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire" award, it's now. And certai...