Education Commons^™

The Tipping Point: A Faith Perspective, Osaro Airen, Lakia M. Scott, Gwendolyn C. Webb, Norvella P. Carter, Patricia Larke, General C. Johnson

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

The Journal of Faith Education, and Community’s (JFEC) Special Issue entitled, "The Tipping Point: A Faith Perspective," features articles written from a first-person point of view and faith perspective. The articles focus on the authors’ feelings, emotions, and/or experiences surrounding critical and impactful diversity-related events (i.e. the horrific death of George Floyd, protests for equity and the eradication of hate, etc.).

The Work Is Within: My Buddhist Faith As I Reckon With Police Shootings & Racial Unrest, Vicki Mokuria

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Based on the author’s life story in which her husband was shot and killed by police officers in front of her and their two young children, she provides a first-person narrative of her experience, linking the ways her Buddhist faith and practice have sustained her over the years. She recounts snippets of her privileged childhood growing up Jewish in the South before meeting and marrying her Ethiopian husband and beginning a family with him, along with beginning their Buddhist practice. Specific aspects of Buddhist philosophy are incorporated in this piece to provide insights into a Buddhist lens on our current …

Close Encounters: Mass Incarceration Tactics, Kevin L. Jones

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

As a Black man living in America, my Christian faith walk began at an early age. Growing up in a suburban environment, I had several encounters with law enforcement that shaped my belief system. These encounters were and still are a stark reminder that Black boys and men are under attack. Policing negatively impacts Black boys and men when compared to other races of people. I realized that I was in their cross hairs and I was almost consumed by the criminal justice system on many occasions. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory, this work focused on the centrality …

Melding Critical Literacy And Christianity: A Three-Layered Response To The Murder Of George Floyd, Elena M. Venegas

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

In this critical autoethnography, I share my three-layered response to the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department in May of 2020. This three-layered response stems from my situated identities (Gee, 1999) as a mother, Christian, and academic. I was not only appalled by the dehumanization of George Floyd by public servants but also by the responses of self-professed Christians to his murder as well as the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests. Such responses, I argue, are rooted in Christian nationalism (Davis & Perry, 2020) and the White supremacy that has long plagued the American …

Teaching Our Black Children To Know Joy, Victoria Carter Jones

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

As a mother of two young Black children, we were faced with a new challenge, brought on by isolation of the pandemic, and the brutality of White supremacy. My daughter (Olivia) was now asking tough questions. Sickness she understood. Even at her age, she knew the importance of hand washing. But racism is a sickness we were not yet prepared to teach her. The purpose of this story is to share my experiences as a mother of a 4-year-old daughter, and how I taught her to have joy, through 1) memorized scripture, 2) exhibiting joy and 3) through prayer, even …

An Open Letter To My White Christian Friend, Norvella Carter

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Abstract

As human beings, our world revolves around relationships. As Christians, we are charged to have positive relationships that can grow into friendships. The importance of friendships is infused throughout scripture, because they allow us to bring others to Christ, encourage and uplift the soul and bear each other’s burdens. Without deep discussions, relationships cannot grow. As an African American, when I consider my friendships, I am finding an emotional need to share my feelings more deeply with White friends, who sincerely want to know the truth about my views on important social ills, particularly racism. Given the state of …

I Can't Breathe: But The Holy Spirit Can, As I Advocate For African American Boys And Men, Gwendolyn C. Webb

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

n/a