(NAME-MCE) Easter Egg Hunts- An example of Christian privilege?
Lambert,Ame O
LAMBERT at nwmissouri.edu
Fri Apr 17 09:14:58 CDT 2009
Before I respond to this, let me own my stuff. I am a Christian and a practicing Christian at that-I think it is very important to distinguish between the culture of Christianity and the spiritual practice of Christianity. I recognize that my position as a practicing Christian provides a lens through which I see the world. As a Nigerian, I was also raised in a country that is close to a 50/50 split (Christian, Muslim), with Muslims dominating the north and Christians dominating the south. So I recognize that the lens through which I see the world is strongly shaped by these identities
Now to my response, While I know religious privilege does exist and occurs in many spheres of life, I do not consider an Easter egg hunt to be a spiritually Christian practice. Neither is it a practice celebrated in every country dominated by Christians. We don't do it in Southern Nigeria, an area mostly populated by Christians of various denominations. We know about Easter eggs, because we were colonized by the British, we have cable and Cadburys has an aggressive marketing campaign. I am no historian, but from what I understand, the Easter egg and Easter egg hunt are derived from pagan, Christian and general spring celebration traditions. As a bible reader, I know there is nothing in there that is tied to an Easter egg hunt in any way. I am sure no child who went to the white house got a Jesus book pin or was encouraged that Christianity was good
I believe that people are multidimensional, complex entities comprised of many parts. As a student affairs practitioner and an interculturalist, I work in fields that are quickly recognizing that, in our eagerness to separate church from state and strip anything remotely religious from the public sphere, we have neglected the spiritual needs of young adults whose search for identity and wholeness often includes a spiritual dimension.
This past Easter Sunday, I went to church in the morning where we celebrate the risen Jesus. That evening, I went to the Muslim Students Association dinner. In the morning, I celebrated my faith and beliefs. That evening, I watch a slide show extolling Allah and saying that He has neither partner or son. I received a Quran and a book on Islam. Neither the affirmation nor the rejection of my core beliefs changed them at the end of the day. This is how I grew up- providing space for people to share and celebrate their own faith/s, engage in hearty dialogue and challenge and learn about the beliefs of others. This is a model I believe I have greatly benefited from. When I go to countries where other faiths are dominant, I recognize that their faith has permeated their culture, whether through the choice of when they have their weekend/non work day or flags or whatever else. I ask questions, I learn, I am intrigued and amazed. I am able to celebrate with others whose beliefs I do not share and I believe I am more knowledgeable and have fewer one dimensional or cognitively simple views about religion because of it
In too many circles today, honest conversations about race do not occur. The reasons for this and complex and many and power issues must never be ignored, but I believe one such reason is the blanket of political correctness that too often makes people afraid to say anything because they are afraid of saying the wrong thing. The effect has not been positive. I hope we don't do the same thing with religion.
Ame Lambert
Director of Intercultural Affairs
Intercultural International Center, NWMSU
Union 2060, 800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468
Office (660) 562-1517
Cell (214) 405-2631
Email: Lambert at nwmissouri.edu
Not Everything that is faced can be changed
But
Nothing can be changed until it is faced
-James Baldwin
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Today's Topics:
1. My Solution to the Problem (Blumenfeld, Warren [C I])
2. Upcoming GIS Mapping Workshops (New Urban Research)
3. Re: My Solution to the Problem (Bill Howe)
4. MPI Co-Sponsors Immigration Policy Series in New York
(Anselmo Villanueva)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:56:30 -0500
From: "Blumenfeld, Warren [C I]" <wblumen at iastate.edu>
Subject: (NAME-MCE) My Solution to the Problem
To: <bill at billhowe.org>, <name-mce at nameorg.org>
Message-ID:
<DE1896F17579C0428957BBD81ED583061F4FC1 at exchs015.ats.iastate.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Dear Bill,
Since you asked about my solution to the problem of religous imposition, I suggest that we continue to ensure that we as a nation respect religion by keeping it within the private sphere, where everyone continues to have the freedom to worship or not as they see fit. But I would propose to keep religion out of the public/governmental spheres. Take it off of our currency, delete it from the pledge of allegiance, take it from our public and governmental celebrations and official functions like the presidential inauguration, congressional gatherings, judicial hearings; and keep it out of the commerical sphere--shopping malls, public street decorations, etc. The commercialization of religion not only cheapens religion, but it also imposes religion on others.
Most of the religious hegemony evident in this country is Christian hegemony. The concept of "hegemony" (Gramsci, 1971) describes the ways in which the dominant group, in this case Christians in general and predominantly Protestants, successfully disseminate dominant social realities and social visions in a manner accepted as common sense, as "normal," as universal. The dominant group (in this instance, Christians) reiterates its values and practices while marginalizing and subordinating those who do not adhere to Christian faith traditions.
Based on Peggy McIntosh's (1988) pioneering investigations of white and male privilege, we can, by analogy, understand Christian privilege as constituting a seemingly invisible, unearned, and largely unacknowledged array of benefits accorded to Christians, with which they often unconsciously walk through life as if effortlessly carrying a knapsack tossed over their shoulders. This system of benefits confers dominance on Christians while subordinating members of other faith communities as well as non-believers. These systemic inequities are pervasive throughout the society. They are encoded into the individual's consciousness and woven into the fabric of our social institutions, resulting in a stratified social order privileging dominant ("agent") groups while restricting and disempowering subordinate ("target") groups.
As there is a spectrum of Christian denominations and traditions, so too is there a hierarchy or continuum of Christian privilege based on 1) historical factors, 2) numbers of practitioners, and 3) degrees of social power. In this regard, in a United States context, though the gap in privilege between Christian denominations is apparently shrinking, white Protestant denominations may still have some greater degrees of Christian privilege, relative to some minority Christian denominations, for example, African American, Latino/a, and Asian churches, Eastern and Greek Orthodox, Amish, Mennonites, Quakers, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, adherents to Christian Science, and to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and still in some quarters, to Catholics.
Religion and spirituality are private matters between individuals and families. Religion and religious practices should not be imposed upon those who do not as members of dominant groups may believe. We truly need to separate religion from government, and religion from the public square.
Best,
Warren Blumenfeld
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 07:11:24 -0400
From: "Bill Howe" <bill at billhowe.org>
Subject: Re: (NAME-MCE) U.S. & Christian Privilege
To: "'NAME-MCE - National Association for Multicultural Education
EmailDiscussion Group'" <name-mce at nameorg.org>
Message-ID: <4E24C406F7F843CEA4C229249A750557 at multicul6c1705>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Warren:
What is your "solution" to this "problem"?
-----Original Message-----
From: name-mce-bounces at nameorg.org [mailto:name-mce-bounces at nameorg.org] On
Behalf Of Blumenfeld, Warren [C I]
Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 12:28 PM
To: Blumenfeld, Warren [C I]; name-mce at nameorg.org
Subject: (NAME-MCE) U.S. & Christian Privilege
U.S. & Christian Privilege
by Warren J. Blumenfeld
As spring peers forth from the soil and tree limbs, the annual Easter egg
roll, sponsored by the President of the United States and the First Lady,
thrills elementary and pre-school age children each year, a tradition dating
back to 1879. Introduced by a beautiful rendition by Fergie of the Star
Spangled Banner, this year, Barack and Michelle Obama invited 35,000
children representing 42 states. Also, in school classrooms throughout the
country, students and their teachers dip hardboiled eggs into brightly
colored dyes, and display Easter eggs of pink, yellow, blue, green, red, and
lavender. An excitement wafts through the classroom as students imagine
sharing their treasures with parents or caregivers, as teachers reward the
good work of their charges with delicious gleaming chocolate bunnies.
Many people (most likely the majority) consider these events, played out in
Washington, DC and in some schools in the United States, as normal,
appropriate, and joyous seasonal activities. Upon critical reflection,
however, others experience them as some of the many examples of
institutional (governmental and educational) (re)enforcements of dominant
Christian standards and what is referred to as "Christian privilege," though
presented in presumably secularized forms. They represent some of the ways
in which the dominant group (in this instance, Christians) reiterates its
values and practices while marginalizing and subordinating those who do not
adhere to Christian faith traditions. I ask then, is this country one that
truly separates religion from government? If not, how do we make it so?
Warren J. Blumenfeld is co-editor of Investigating Christian Privilege and
Religious Oppression in the United States, 2009, Sense Publishers
Dr. Warren J. Blumenfeld
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-3192
Office Phone: (515) 294-5931
Office Fax: (515) 294-6206
Home Phone: (515) 232-8230
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:01:29 -0700
From: "New Urban Research" <nur at urban-research.info>
Subject: (NAME-MCE) Upcoming GIS Mapping Workshops
To: <name-mce at nameorg.org>
Message-ID: <022001c9bd2b$0a55ac40$1f0104c0$@info>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hey group,
We're trying to get the word out regarding a couple of upcoming GIS mapping
workshops. The workshops are geared toward beginners who would like to map
demographic information within your communities. Great for Health,
Environmental, Advocacy, Housing, Non-Profit Agencies, etc
Mapping Your Communities: An Introduction to GIS & Community Analysis
April 30/May 1 Phoenix, AZ
May 5/6 New York, NY
May 8 Albany, NY
May 14/15 Chicago, IL
May 14/15 Atlanta, GA
May 19 Dallas, TX
May 21 Houston, TX
May 27/28 Austin, TX
May 29 San Antonio, TX
June 2 Eugene, OR
June 4/5 Portland, OR June 9/10 Kansas City, KS
June 18/19 Raleigh, NC
June 25/26 Indianapolis, IN
July 7/8 Baltimore, MD
July 9/10 Olympia, WA
July 17 Seattle, WA
July 22 Nashville, TN
July 24 Memphis, TN
July 29 Charleston, NC
July 31 Louisville, KY
*These are one-day workshops (8:30am - 4:30pm). Participants choose which
day to attend.
Audience: Beginners, anyone interested in mapping their community.
Focus: This workshop is customized for each location.
This hands-on workshop focuses on teaching the fundamentals of using a
Geographic Information System (GIS) for community analysis. Participants
will learn to create thematic maps with Census data, Geocoding (Address
mapping) and Spatial Queries. Other features of the workshop are learning to
extract Census data and good map layout and design.
For more information about the workshops, please visit
www.urban-research.info
Gina Clemmer
New Urban Research, Inc.
877.241.6576 | www.urban-research.info
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:50:44 -0400
From: Bill Howe <bill at billhowe.org>
Subject: Re: (NAME-MCE) My Solution to the Problem
To: name-mce at nameorg.org
Message-ID:
<d7c555be0904141250y5412bcdjeb2a4c95b5dc60e at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
What do you say to those that claim this is akin to throwing out the
baby with the bathwater? Can we not have an interfaith society where
one does not feel they must keep their faith in the closet? Is it not
possible to enjoy the celebration of all faiths? Some of my best
friends are Yankees fans. I don't root for their team but we share a
love of the sport.
On 4/14/09, Blumenfeld, Warren [C I] <wblumen at iastate.edu> wrote:
> Dear Bill,
>
> Since you asked about my solution to the problem of religous imposition, I
> suggest that we continue to ensure that we as a nation respect religion by
> keeping it within the private sphere, where everyone continues to have the
> freedom to worship or not as they see fit. But I would propose to keep
> religion out of the public/governmental spheres. Take it off of our
> currency, delete it from the pledge of allegiance, take it from our public
> and governmental celebrations and official functions like the presidential
> inauguration, congressional gatherings, judicial hearings; and keep it out
> of the commerical sphere--shopping malls, public street decorations, etc.
> The commercialization of religion not only cheapens religion, but it also
> imposes religion on others.
>
> Most of the religious hegemony evident in this country is Christian
> hegemony. The concept of "hegemony" (Gramsci, 1971) describes the ways in
> which the dominant group, in this case Christians in general and
> predominantly Protestants, successfully disseminate dominant social
> realities and social visions in a manner accepted as common sense, as
> "normal," as universal. The dominant group (in this instance, Christians)
> reiterates its values and practices while marginalizing and subordinating
> those who do not adhere to Christian faith traditions.
>
> Based on Peggy McIntosh's (1988) pioneering investigations of white and male
> privilege, we can, by analogy, understand Christian privilege as
> constituting a seemingly invisible, unearned, and largely unacknowledged
> array of benefits accorded to Christians, with which they often
> unconsciously walk through life as if effortlessly carrying a knapsack
> tossed over their shoulders. This system of benefits confers dominance on
> Christians while subordinating members of other faith communities as well as
> non-believers. These systemic inequities are pervasive throughout the
> society. They are encoded into the individual's consciousness and woven into
> the fabric of our social institutions, resulting in a stratified social
> order privileging dominant ("agent") groups while restricting and
> disempowering subordinate ("target") groups.
>
> As there is a spectrum of Christian denominations and traditions, so too is
> there a hierarchy or continuum of Christian privilege based on 1) historical
> factors, 2) numbers of practitioners, and 3) degrees of social power. In
> this regard, in a United States context, though the gap in privilege between
> Christian denominations is apparently shrinking, white Protestant
> denominations may still have some greater degrees of Christian privilege,
> relative to some minority Christian denominations, for example, African
> American, Latino/a, and Asian churches, Eastern and Greek Orthodox, Amish,
> Mennonites, Quakers, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, adherents
> to Christian Science, and to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
> Saints, and still in some quarters, to Catholics.
>
> Religion and spirituality are private matters between individuals and
> families. Religion and religious practices should not be imposed upon those
> who do not as members of dominant groups may believe. We truly need to
> separate religion from government, and religion from the public square.
>
> Best,
> Warren Blumenfeld
>
> Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 07:11:24 -0400
> From: "Bill Howe" <bill at billhowe.org>
> Subject: Re: (NAME-MCE) U.S. & Christian Privilege
> To: "'NAME-MCE - National Association for Multicultural Education
> EmailDiscussion Group'" <name-mce at nameorg.org>
> Message-ID: <4E24C406F7F843CEA4C229249A750557 at multicul6c1705>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Warren:
>
> What is your "solution" to this "problem"?
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: name-mce-bounces at nameorg.org [mailto:name-mce-bounces at nameorg.org] On
> Behalf Of Blumenfeld, Warren [C I]
> Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 12:28 PM
> To: Blumenfeld, Warren [C I]; name-mce at nameorg.org
> Subject: (NAME-MCE) U.S. & Christian Privilege
>
>
>
> U.S. & Christian Privilege
>
> by Warren J. Blumenfeld
>
>
>
> As spring peers forth from the soil and tree limbs, the annual Easter egg
> roll, sponsored by the President of the United States and the First Lady,
> thrills elementary and pre-school age children each year, a tradition
> dating
> back to 1879. Introduced by a beautiful rendition by Fergie of the Star
> Spangled Banner, this year, Barack and Michelle Obama invited 35,000
> children representing 42 states. Also, in school classrooms throughout the
> country, students and their teachers dip hardboiled eggs into brightly
> colored dyes, and display Easter eggs of pink, yellow, blue, green, red,
> and
> lavender. An excitement wafts through the classroom as students imagine
> sharing their treasures with parents or caregivers, as teachers reward the
> good work of their charges with delicious gleaming chocolate bunnies.
>
>
>
> Many people (most likely the majority) consider these events, played out in
> Washington, DC and in some schools in the United States, as normal,
> appropriate, and joyous seasonal activities. Upon critical reflection,
> however, others experience them as some of the many examples of
> institutional (governmental and educational) (re)enforcements of dominant
> Christian standards and what is referred to as "Christian privilege,"
> though
> presented in presumably secularized forms. They represent some of the ways
> in which the dominant group (in this instance, Christians) reiterates its
> values and practices while marginalizing and subordinating those who do not
> adhere to Christian faith traditions. I ask then, is this country one that
> truly separates religion from government? If not, how do we make it so?
>
>
>
> Warren J. Blumenfeld is co-editor of Investigating Christian Privilege and
> Religious Oppression in the United States, 2009, Sense Publishers
>
>
>
> Dr. Warren J. Blumenfeld
> Department of Curriculum & Instruction
> Iowa State University
> Ames, IA 50011-3192
> Office Phone: (515) 294-5931
> Office Fax: (515) 294-6206
> Home Phone: (515) 232-8230
>
>
>
>
--
Sent from my mobile device
Bill Howe
Asian Pacific American Coalition of CT http://apaact.com/
Personal Website http://www.billhowe.org
Multicultural Dimensions http://www.multiculturaldimensions.org
Travel Blog http://billhowe.org/BillBlog/
Multicultural Education Blog http://billhowe.org/MCE/
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:13:59 -0700
From: Anselmo Villanueva <anselmo.villanueva at gmail.com>
Subject: (NAME-MCE) MPI Co-Sponsors Immigration Policy Series in New
York
To: name-mce at nameorg.org
Message-ID:
<88024d6b0904141413h585ae771sc6c8a9e0add81640 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
The Migration Policy Institute, Women of Color Policy Network at NYU's
Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, the National Council of
La Raza, and NYU Wagner's Alliance of Latino and Latin American Students
presents
*
With Liberty and Justice for All: Immigration Policy Reform in a Down
Economy*
President Barack Obama won over many immigrant and Latino voters by
promising to tackle immigration reform his first year in office. The fragile
economy, coupled with high unemployment rates, have many wondering if the
new Administration will be able to deliver on its promise. With nearly 12
million unauthorized immigrants living and working in the United States,
immigration reform remains a pressing topic of concern for communities and
cities across the country.
This series co-sponsored by the Migration Policy Institute, Women of Color
Policy Network at NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service,
the National Council of La Raza, and NYU Wagner's Alliance of Latino and
Latin American Students will bring together leading scholars, policy
analysts, advocates, and practitioners to discuss the prospects of
immigration reform in a vulnerable economy; raids and detention center
abuses; the impact of immigration on women and families; pathways to
citizenship; and what issues the new Administration should prioritize.
*Shifting Communities:
Race, Immigration and Politics in American Suburbs*
April 23, 2009
Fueled by rising immigration from Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the
Caribbean, US suburbs are undergoing unparalleled demographic and
institutional transformations. Despite these shifts, the socioeconomic and
political implications of recent immigrant and ethnic minority
suburbanization remain severely understudied. In this discussion, UCLA
Assistant Professor Lorrie Frasure will examine factors and influences that
advance or discourage the socioeconomic and political incorporation of
immigrants and ethnic minorities living in American suburban jurisdictions.
MPI Demographer and Senior Policy Analyst Randy Capps will provide opening
remarks.
*Location:* Rudin Family Forum, The Puck Building 295 Lafayette Street, 2nd
Floor, New York, NY 10012-9604
*map*<http://contact.migrationpolicy.org/site/R?i=wYkOY2Z4Jz8kJt08urOWyQ..>
*RSVP:* *http://wagner.nyu.edu/events*<http://contact.migrationpolicy.org/site/R?i=k523ryjainfiqDbXVU97Sw..>
*A Country of One's Own:
Race, Class, Gender and Immigration Policy in the United States
*April 28, 2009
Twenty years ago, fewer than 20 percent of the people crossing the border
illegally were women. Today, women make up 50 percent, or 14 million, of the
US foreign-born population. Of those, an estimated 58 percent are legal
immigrants and as many as 42 percent are unauthorized migrants to the United
States. Unlike their male counterparts, immigrant women are often caught in
a double bind and suffer abuse and violence crossing the borders and on the
job. They also tend to receive inadequate and low wages, have higher family
caretaking demands, and reproductive health care needs. This panel of policy
experts, advocates, and practitioners will focus on strategies for
incorporating the needs of immigrant women and families in immigration
policy at the local, state, and federal levels.
Discussants:
- Irasema Garza, President, Legal Momentum (Moderator)
- Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, Deputy Director, National Latina Institute for
Reproductive Health
- Rinku Sen, Executive Director, Applied Research Center
- Olga Vives, Executive Vice President, National Organization for Women
- Miriam Yeung, Executive Director, National Asian Pacific Women's Forum
*Date:* April 28, 2009
*Time:* 6:00pm - 8:00pm
*Location:* Rudin Family Forum, The Puck Building 295 Lafayette Street, 2nd
Floor, New York, NY 10012-9604
*map*<http://contact.migrationpolicy.org/site/R?i=ggoiH-zPGDo8uqDXvOZBDg..>
*RSVP:* *http://wagner.nyu.edu/events*<http://contact.migrationpolicy.org/site/R?i=OGu4kAr4wIUYiy7vYfjgPQ..>
<http://contact.migrationpolicy.org/site/R?i=bXzMf8YT8ih4MIcTQtBmhg..>
------------------------------
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