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Summary of Articles...
 * Holder Calls U.S. “Nation of Cowards” **

Eric Holder is the first black U.S. attorney general and stated that the United States was a “Nation of Cowards.” He believes that most Americans avoid discussions about race and racial issues. He believes that the work place is very integrated, but Americans are not integrated at all on the weekends, or in their private life. Race issues are still becoming a topic of debate and discussion in America. Obama talked about these race relations and issues during the Democratic primaries. He wanted Americans to break the “racial Stalemate” that has been around for years in America. Holder said, "If we're going to ever make progress, we're going to have to have the guts, we have to have the determination, to be honest with each other. It also means we have to be able to accept criticism where that is justified.” Basically people are not willing to discuss racial issues which cause people to not understand each other and different backgrounds. Without understand America will continue to be stuck in this racial rut and the majority will not understand the minority.


 * No N-Word, But Still Subtle Racial Prejudice **
 * Profiling Targets Black Professionals in Taxis, Car Showrooms, Highways and Hotels **

This article really looks into how black professionals deal with racism everyday in little and big ways. It recalls account of successful black people from the past and present with racism happening for no apparent reason. A recent incident with Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates sparked a lot of discussions and interest. Gates is a prominent Harvard professor that was arrested at his Cambridge home without any good reasons to be arrested. This really showed how black people were being racially profiled, even successful black people. Another example happen to Isaac Ferris, whose Uncle is Martin Luther King Jr. He was dressed casually at a Lexus dealership and was passed up by a lot of salesmen before he could finally get a hold of someone. He had the salesperson say this to him, ‘I don't know if this is really the car for you.' I am not saying it's a cheap car, but the last time I checked, I saw a lot of black people running around with Mercedes and BMWs." This is the kind of stuff that black people deal with on a daily basis and this could go back to the answer of the question, “Does the majority understand the minority?” I believe that this article is proof that the answer to this question is no. This article proves that we have not set aside our differences between races and our differences.

﻿ **DNA pioneer apologizes of race row **

DNA pioneer James Watson apologized for his claim that black people are less intelligent than white people. "I am mortified about what has happened," he said. Professor Watson has attracted criticism for his comments he has made about Africa. He said he is, "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours - whereas all the testing says not really". He has also been quoted saying, "People who have to deal with black employees find this is not true" in regards to them being as intelligent as white people. Many high ranking public official in England had comments in regards to the claims made by Watson. London’s mayor said it was all, "racist propaganda masquerading as scientific fact.” Watson is famous for helping discover the double helix structure for DNA in 1962. He won the Nobel Prize for this discovery. Watson is known for making controversial statements and ideas related to science in the past.


 * The Souls of Black Folk **

This is chapter one of a book written by W.E.B Du Bois. He talks in this article of how the history of the American Negro is a history of strife. He believes that he would not Africanize America because America has too much to teach the rest of the world. He would not change his Negro soul to white Americanism because he believes the Negro blood has a message for the world. He wants a man to be able to be both an American and a Negro. This basically shows how the majority does not understand the minority here in America. Du Bois also uses an example from his childhood where a girl at school would not accept one of his cards. This is where the realization hit him that he was different from others. In America white people, the majority, tend to shut out black people, the minority, for their differences. Even if these differences are just skin color, they are still shut out and treated differently by others.

**Is the Black Church Dead? ** This article looks at problems in the black church and questions whether or not it is dead. New Birth Missionary Baptist is mega church, “with 25,000 members who generously bankroll high-living pastors and high-tech services -- is also emblematic of what many in the African-American communities see as a profound crisis in black Christianity, or even the "death" of the black church. Some people see churches like this as a problem. This church preaches a money centered prosperity gospel that many believe go against the traditional African American church. The traditional African American church believes their faith was built on sacrifice and social justice. Many are concerned with the spreading of this prosperity gospel and believe it could kill the Black Church. Another problem is Pastor Eddie Long, of the Missionary Baptist Church, has had allegations brought against him that he had sexual relationships with four teenagers. The theme for many black churches now is the whole prosperity gospel idea and trying to be wealthy. "They're pastors, but they're really in the Halloween costume of a Fortune 500 CEO. And in the process they're trick-or-treating the people," Jonathan L. Walton, an assistant professor of African-American religion at Harvard Divinity School. Another problem is that black churches are becoming just a facet of people’s lives and not a central organizing principle for their lives.



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