What Have You Been Up To?

Ever since October I've been reading like crazy. I've consuming nonfiction books like candy. I've been into books that are about race, racism, racial identity, multi-ethnicity in my life, in my neighborhood, and in churches, the drug war and mass incarceration, and books on ADHD. It's been nourishing my curiosities. These are the books I have read and I recommend them to anyone interested in those topics.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindnedd

More than Just Race

Divided by Faith

United by Faith

Half and Half

The Code of the Streets

Beyond Segregation: Multiethnic Neighborhoods in the United States

Just Passing Through

I believe in putting down roots and stability. My roots in the city go back to the mid-50's and my family did not flee when it was a historically opportune time to leave for many Chicagoans. Chicago was never a way-fare station to my family. My decision to be in Chicago and how to invest my family's lives here is not based on the market. It isn't based on stress on whether my child will get a better education here or somewhere else.
I'm not interested in improving the CPS just for people passing through. I'm not interested in activist parents using clout and money to only improve schools that affect only their children. The CPS, Emmanuel, claim school improvement is for all, but what about the other 86% of students whose families can't raise $100 million dollars for one school. Why such heavy emphasis on improving the schools for families that are waiting for the market to pick up and leave to the suburbs?My son is a third generation CPS student. Put down roots, stay a little, invest time, money, and care into the other neighborhood schools around the city, not just your own.


http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120324/ISSUE01/303249977/special-report-the-parent-trap

True Chicagoan: Pastor Tomas

My aunt's friend, Pastor Tomas, appreciates the storefront church. I like what he has to say about it. "Within the city of Chicago, much can be said about small church ministry in comparison to big church ministry.

For instance: Most of the larger congregations (150 or more) are primarily commuter churches. For fellowship people leave their neighborhoods; driving a distance to fellowship for about an hour or two with others doing same. Storefront churches on the other hand tend to be anchor churches where both the pastor and the members usually live within a two mile radius. From the visiting friend to the invited guest, from the vagabond to the drunks, from the local children to the next door neighbor, from the immigrant to the lost soul, from believers hurt within a big church to the sheepish trying once again to reconnect with God but from a smaller fellowship, small churches receive the few, the special and the unique. Often established in areas where big churches can not locate, because of the lack of parking or space, they tend to remain small but with big hearts.

For all of my pastoral ministry, I have served within storefront churches having membership of less than 150. As either a Senior Pastor or an Associate Pastor, I still walk the streets of the surrounding neighborhood or the local park where I grew up. Though I have a Master's of Divinity degree, I still focus on doing "presence" ministry or just straight-up outreach in Humboldt Park. I believe that doing "church" is a matter of of anchoring - anchoring the local community to the local temple and to its ministries. Though little glamor, economics or prestige is associated with this type of ministry, I still love it!."

A Deadly Weapon

Have you ever met someone who used knowledge as a weapon? Have you even met anyone that used book smarts as a tool to bludgeon you? Have you ever witnessed someone taut their pedigree to subjugate others. Have you ever met someone use logic, wit, and rhetoric to manipulate?

A True Chicago Greeting, Part II

In the last post I reflected on a Chicago greeting based on race. Recently though, another greeting has evolved, particularly in gentrifying neighborhoods or where people have moved that are not, in local's eyes, supposed to be living there. True Chicagoans ask this, how long have you lived here? Now lots of newer residents must clarify how long they have lived in the city.As evidence, see any Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Pilsen, or Bridgeport Everyblock posts.(Do True Chicagoans use this?). I think born and raised is the standard now, for a True Chicagoan.

A True Chicago Greeting

As I sat in a restaurant talking to my friend, who was born and raised in Cincinnati, he asked me if I knew the difference between Chicago and other places across the country, I said, no. He said that in other places, people, upon meeting a stranger,ask you where you are from, in Chicago, upon meeting a stranger, people ask, what are you.

Critical Thinking? You Think Too Much!

Educational theorists argue whether critical thinking can be taught or not. I can tell you this, whether or not it is something that can be taught, I know it can be devalued and if it is innate, it can be suppressed. I spent much of my life, probably until about 26 years old or later filtering my decisions and ideas through the lens of what other people thought. I think valuing and owning your own thoughts and ideas sometimes comes through an emancipation process; realizing you are an autonomous person subjugated and inundated by family,media,opinions, history, context, and fear. I feel like I have become emancipated, but am I really free?