1. White Fear Is Irrational (And Deadly) – Guest post by Nekeisha Alexis-Baker
So let me get this straight: Michael Dunn was not a victim of assault. He was not a victim of a shooting. He acted irrationally — aka insanely, stupidly and crazily — by shooting into a vehicle filled with Black teenagers and killing Jordan Davis, all because he didn’t like the volume of the music in their car. And yet, somehow, his lawyer manages to construe this incident as one in which Dunn was [.....]
Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from the upcoming book by Sherman Smith entitled, "Heaven or Las Vegas?" He has chosen to write in the style known as "gonzo" which was created by journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson. Gonzo is an experimental style of journalism where reporters involve themselves in the action to such a degree that they become central figures of their stories. In this particular section Smith utilizes this style to discuss how habits and behaviors can become institutionalized and ingrained into society and the [.....]
Choosing the right Bible for the purposes of reading and studying can be one of the most difficult tasks for Christians. Many Christians come from traditions where a particular translation was used without any explanation as to why. Many Christians also come from traditions where the reasons for other translations even existing were never discussed. For example, I grew up in the African Methodist Episcopal Church reading from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. I could barely understand the Old English in which it was written. I [.....]
Last week, actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman was found dead of an apparent heroin overdose in his New York city apartment. My favorite film of his is the movie, Doubt. Set in a blue collar Catholic community in Brooklyn, NY in 1964, the film explores various ways in which our lives can be affected by uncertainty. Hoffman plays a progressive Catholic priest who is suspected of having an inappropriate relationship with a young Black boy. There are a number of factors such as race, national turmoil (assassination of JFK), [.....]
So I heard a story the other day at church that I want to share with the rest of you. Some of you may have heard it before and some of you may have not. I've changed it a little to fit my liking, but the story has been told a number of different ways.
A teacher took out a crisp $20 bill and held it up before her class and asked the class to raise their hand if they wanted this $20 bill. The whole class [.....]
1. Why I Celebrate Black History Month
February is Black History Month. I have to admit that before a few years ago, I didn’t really celebrate this in any real way, besides giving it some cursory acknowledgement. But now, I actively celebrate this month, both in my personal life as well as in the life of the church. I don’t do so because it’s the right thing for an educated person to do, or in an attempt to pander to political correctness. Nor do I do this [.....]
Recently I've been trying to find a way to do more blogging for The Ghetto Monk and to be honest for a while I was really uninspired. That is until I had what I believed to be a grand idea for the blog. The idea is to start a photo journal of pictures that I think either inspire, influence, or define my walk as a Christian. These pictures will be accompanied by my explanation of the picture and what it means to my walk. So, here is the [.....]
The Ghetto Monk is a home for contemplative thought from the young, spiritual, radical, and ratchet.