The Origins of African-American Christianity Essay

The Origins of African-American Christianity - Essay Example Traditional Ibo Religion and Culture written by Olaudah Equiano in the book’s first chapter adequately describes the traditional black religion. He specifically narrates the dichotomy of people involved in this ancient tradition. Hence, the account gives the reader an insight about the set-up of the mentioned African religion. Equiano gives an example that in the Ibo religion, places of worship merit no importance. Yet, he briefly explains that the traditional religion has priests and magicians as superiors of their worship. At the same time, the author expounds this information by explaining the multiple tasks of these religious leaders in the form of traditional witch-doctors (Equiano 14-16). Equiano does not only focus on the key personalities in Ibo religion, he also expounds on their beliefs and the rituals that form a specific culture. He narrates the burial culture of the African people and the accompanying beliefs that they incorporate death with poison (Equiano 17-18) . However, the author gives light to Christianity that the blacks had encountered in America. He mentions the belief in God and the injustice that is created with the slave trade (Equiano 18). African Religions in Colonial Jamaica by Bryan Edwards in the book’s next chapter further expounds the traditional African religion in the American colonies in the Caribbean. Once again, this specific segment brings the reader into the context of slavery where the blacks retain the tradition they had come to know in their native African home. The discourse of Edwards in this portion is indeed simple: he shares to the audience the taboo rituals of the African slaves which is predominant in the Christian lands of the American colonies (Edwards 20-23). How important is the second chapter to the first? Edward’s narrative tends to explain the strength of the African tradition and religion that is presented in the first. It is in this part that he details the culture that has been form ed during the height of the slave trade in the Americas. This chapter solidifies the transposition of the African experience unto foreign soils, thus creating an African Diaspora. The third chapter acts as glue to the first and the second because it discusses the eventual conversion of the African slaves to Christianity. Slave Conversion on the Carolina Frontier by Francis Le Jau is to be considered as the most reliable primary source when it comes to the history of black Christianity in the Americas. This particular account divulges Le Jau’s efforts of converting the native and African Americans in South Carolina to Anglicanism, the state religion of the British Colonial Empire. It explains the primary reason of their utter conversion – the opposition to black slavery and the abuses of the planters. The Reverend’s first hand experiences with the converts gave him an initial view of what America would turn into after the British rule – a society of mixed white and black Americans. This chapter also serves as basis for the growth that black Christianity would experience up to the outburst of the American Revolution. As what each chapter has narrated, the reader can see the importance narrative development in the respective authors’

Race and Criminal Justice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Race and Criminal Justice - Research Paper Example The types of crimes that are in the spotlight when racial discrimination is discussed within these quarters matter (Neugebauer, 2000). Researchers have also placed a higher barrier when racism is discussed with the focus of their studies mainly being the black population rather than the reasons why they have been incarcerated. Furthermore, this paper has been researched on the backdrop of the fact that within the past two decades, racism, conscious and unconscious, individual and institutional, has been uncovered in all major criminal justice agencies and more so within the prisons and the police (Bhui, 2008). The purpose of this paper is to conduct a research on how the two, race and the criminal justice system interact and whether there are any undertones that require being addressed from a policy-making point of view. The main method of research will be the use of surveys where ten participants have been identified to participate in this research. The main method used to conduct the survey will dwell both on the oral and the electronic forms to allow for greater elaboration of any unclear sentiments. Confidentiality will be maintained with each participant assured of their privacy. America is one of the most racially diverse nations in the world. However, despite the fact that people feel that racism was fought against and won over after the civil rights movements took issue with the apparent discrimination, many still believe that racism is one of the most rife topics in the country. More so, people have taken an offensive against the criminal justice system where they believe that the American criminal justice system has become a racially biased institution whose main targets are African-Americans (Quigley, 2010). According to the Political Research Associates (2006), roughly 70% of the nearly 2.1 million adult men and women in prison are persons of color. This has led to the conclusion by many that the

Key Events in the Space Race Essay Example for Free

Key Events in the Space Race Essay The 60s were infamous for many rapidly changing aspects pertaining to different topics at the time. The subject of space was one not to be left behind. This decade would be one of the world’s golden ages of extraterrestrial research and every event during this time would be recorded into history. In a period most people know as the ‘Space Race’, the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (USA) would compete for supremacy in space exploration. Most events occurred in this decade, but the period of the ‘Space Race’ itself lasted from the 1957 to 1975. Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite, was launched on October 4th, 1957 by the USSR. Sputnik itself was a polished metal sphere, 23 in. in diameter, with four external radio antennae to broadcast radio pulses. It was sent into an elliptical, low-Earth orbit and provided scientists with information. Its purpose was to measure the density and composition of the upper atmosphere, as well as measuring solar radiation, magnetic fields, cosmic rays, etc. It travelled at about 18,000 mi. per hour, taking 96. 2 minutes to complete each orbit. Signals continued to reach Earth for 22 days until the transmitter batteries ran out of energy on October 26, 1957. Sputnik burned up on January 4, 1958 as it fell from orbit upon reentering Earths atmosphere. It travelled at about 43. 5 million miles and spent a total of 3 months in orbit. Although life had been sent into space before, Yuri Gagarin would be the first human to exit Earth’s atmosphere. He was born on March 9, 1934 in a small village in the Soviet Union called Klushino. The cosmonaut boarded onto Vostok, a craft that consisted of a spherical descent module, 2. meters in diameter, which housed the astronaut, instruments, escape system, and a conical instrument module, containing propellant and the engine system. Upon reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, the cosmonaut would eject from the craft at about 7,000 m. and descend via parachute, while the capsule would land separately. Gagarin’s mission to circle the Earth on April 12, 1961 lasted for 1 hour and 48 minutes. He was only 27 years old at the time and that was the first and last time he went into space, since he was too valued to send on a risky mission again. Gagarin may have been the first human in space, but Alan Shepard became the first American to exit Earth’s atmosphere. He was born on November 18, 1923 in Derry, New Hampshire. Although the flight was originally scheduled for October 1960, delays by unplanned preparatory work meant that this was postponed several times, initially to March 6, 1961 and finally to May 5. On April 12, 1961, Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin had become the first person in space and to orbit the Earth. On May 5, 1961, Shepard piloted the Freedom 7 mission and became the second person, and the first American, to travel into space. The suborbital flight only lasted a mere 15 minutes, but the launch was seen live by millions. While the USSR was showering in fame and glory, ahead of the US in the ‘Space Race’, America’s President John F. Kennedy declared the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending a citizen safely to the Moon before the end of the decade on May 29, 1961. This was announced before a special joint session of Congress. This decision would soon change the world forever in 1969. The Soviet Union left the United States in the dust again when they sent Alexey Leonov, a Russian cosmonaut, to become the first human to conduct a spacewalk on March 18, 1965. He was born on May 30, 1934 in Listvyanka, Kemerovo Oblast, USSR. His walk in space was originally to have taken place on the Vostok 11 mission, but this was cancelled, and the historic event happened on the Voskhod 2 flight instead. He was outside the spacecraft for 12 minutes and nine seconds, connected to the craft by a 5. 35 m. tether. America was humiliated once again in early 1966 as it watched the USSR successfully land the world’s first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. Luna 9 was launched on January 31, 1966 and landed on the Moon’s surface on February 3, 1966. Its mission was to land safely on any planetary body other than Earth and to transmit photographic data back. Signals lasted for 6 days until the last transmission was sent on February 6, 1966. The spotlight was moved from the Soviet Union onto the US for once when the country launched the Apollo 11 mission, an event that would forever change history. The primary objective of Apollo 11 was to complete a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961: perform a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth. The crew consisted of Neil Armstrong as the Commander, Michael Collins as Command Module Pilot, and Edwin Buzz E. Aldrin, Jr. as the Lunar Module Pilot. Apollo 11 was launched on July 16, 1969 and successfully landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Millions of American watched the event live on television. Armstrong set foot on the moon and declared â€Å"That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. † A few minutes later, Aldrin joined him. Together they collected soil samples and took photographs. They stayed on the moon for 21 hours. Many experiments were tested and 22 kilograms of lunar samples were collected. On July 24, the astronauts returned home aboard the command module Columbia, landing in the Pacific Ocean. On August 13, they rode in parades in their honor in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Indeed, the time of the ‘Space Race’ is one not to be forgotten by the world. The Soviet Union and United States must be well acknowledged for all the effort spent on the study of space alone. While the USSR won some battles, the US won others. That, however, will never change the fact that they impacted the world, science, and history today.

Rani Shankar Essay examples -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Rani Shankar As much as I would have liked to continue my engaging research on Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's (issues I hold very dear to my heart), during my preliminary research for the third paper I felt drawn to another, equally interesting, topic. As finals rapidly approach and the idea of graduation becomes more real by day, this new topic seemed to have more personal significance to my life. And so I began research on this topic with purely selfish motivations- to better understand the phenomenon of stress. A relatively new concept involving brain and behavior, Hans Selye first proposed the idea of stress as a normal adaptive syndrome, a fight-or- flight situation, very similar to escape behavior (1). Stress is defined as "the set of all organic reactions to physical, psychic, infectious, or other, aggressions, which are capable to disturb homeostasis" (1). Stress lies at the intersection between personal, social, and economic factors and biology. Although stress is an important, integral part of our existence, there is a point at which it becomes overwhelming and our adaptive responses may break down (2). The breaking point varies from person to person, depending on past experiences, coping responses, and genetics (2). Clearly, socio-economics has a lot to do with the ability to cope with stress over time. We may know of some people that are inherently better able to deal with life's stressors. However, genetic bases for dealing and coping with stress are unknown at this time. Stress, usually used to describe a state of mind, illustrates the important connection between mind and body. Although stress is primarily a neuronal reaction, it's effects reach far past neurobiology. Stress is thought to adversely aff... ...y. Biology 202 1st Web Papers. 1998. Bonnie Kimmel. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/serendip.brynmawr.edu 11. Panic Attacks and Panic Disorders. The Harvard Mental Health Letter. April (I). http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-an06.html 12. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. May 9, 1995. Stress Signs are Often Missed In Victims of Violent Crimes. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-an06.html 13. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Body-Mind Queendom. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/www.queendom.com/ptsd.html 14. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Harvard Mental Health Letter. June (part I), July 1996 (Part II). http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/www.mentalhealth.com Rani Shankar Essay examples -- Biology Essays Research Papers Rani Shankar As much as I would have liked to continue my engaging research on Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's (issues I hold very dear to my heart), during my preliminary research for the third paper I felt drawn to another, equally interesting, topic. As finals rapidly approach and the idea of graduation becomes more real by day, this new topic seemed to have more personal significance to my life. And so I began research on this topic with purely selfish motivations- to better understand the phenomenon of stress. A relatively new concept involving brain and behavior, Hans Selye first proposed the idea of stress as a normal adaptive syndrome, a fight-or- flight situation, very similar to escape behavior (1). Stress is defined as "the set of all organic reactions to physical, psychic, infectious, or other, aggressions, which are capable to disturb homeostasis" (1). Stress lies at the intersection between personal, social, and economic factors and biology. Although stress is an important, integral part of our existence, there is a point at which it becomes overwhelming and our adaptive responses may break down (2). The breaking point varies from person to person, depending on past experiences, coping responses, and genetics (2). Clearly, socio-economics has a lot to do with the ability to cope with stress over time. We may know of some people that are inherently better able to deal with life's stressors. However, genetic bases for dealing and coping with stress are unknown at this time. Stress, usually used to describe a state of mind, illustrates the important connection between mind and body. Although stress is primarily a neuronal reaction, it's effects reach far past neurobiology. Stress is thought to adversely aff... ...y. Biology 202 1st Web Papers. 1998. Bonnie Kimmel. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/serendip.brynmawr.edu 11. Panic Attacks and Panic Disorders. The Harvard Mental Health Letter. April (I). http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-an06.html 12. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. May 9, 1995. Stress Signs are Often Missed In Victims of Violent Crimes. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-an06.html 13. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Body-Mind Queendom. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/www.queendom.com/ptsd.html 14. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Harvard Mental Health Letter. June (part I), July 1996 (Part II). http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/www.mentalhealth.com

Ethical Delimas Facing a Profession Essay

Healthcare professionals often face complex ethical dilemmas in the workplace. These dilemmas often arise when employment obligations conflict with personal beliefs. An ethical dilemma that is becoming more common in the workplace involves emergency contraception. Emergency contraceptives or morning-after pills are a fiery topic. Some pharmacists are refusing to dispense morning-after pills because it is against their beliefs. Imagine yourself in the position of needing this medication. Should the beliefs of the pharmacist outweigh your rights as the patient? For me, the answer would be a resounding no. According to The Code of Ethics for Pharmacists (â€Å"Pharmacist. com,† 1994), adopted by the membership of the American Pharmacists Association October 27, 1994, â€Å"Pharmacists are health professionals who assist individuals in making the best use of medications. This Code, prepared and supported by pharmacists, is intended to state publicly the principles that form the fundamental basis of the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists. These principles, based on moral obligations and virtues, are established to guide pharmacists in relationships with patients, health professionals, and society. † The Code of Ethics further states, â€Å"A pharmacist promotes the right of self-determination and recognizes individual self-worth by encouraging patients to participate in decisions about their health. In all cases, a pharmacist respects personal and cultural differences among patients. A pharmacist avoids discriminatory practices, behavior or work conditions that impair professional judgment, and actions that compromise dedication to the best interests of patients. This guideline clearly states the responsibilities and duties of the pharmacist are to serve the needs of the patient even when doing so contradicts their personal beliefs. In some states, legislators are introducing bills that would grant pharmacists the right to refuse (refusal clauses also known as â€Å"conscience clauses†) to dispense drugs related to contraception on moral grounds. Other state legislators are introducing legislation that would require pharmacies to fill any legal prescription for birth control. NCSL Health Program, 2011) APhA has had a policy supporting a pharmacist’s conscience clause since 1998. APhA’s two-part policy supports the ability of the pharmacist to step away from participating in activity to which they have personal objections—but not step in the way. The Association supports the pharmacist’s right to choose not to fill a prescription based on moral or ethical values. But recognizing the pharmacist’s important role in the health care system, APhA supports the establishment of systems to ensure that the patient’s health care needs are served. â€Å"Pharmacist. com,† 1994) When it comes to ethics or morality, arguments and counterarguments will never cease. If a person’s religious objections to emergency contraception interfere with their ability to do their job, then they shouldn’t be in that profession. Refusing to do your job because your conscience won’t allow it comes with consequences that you must accept. Businesses and society cannot function if people are able to ignore rules, regulations, standards, and laws on the basis of â€Å"conscience† or religious desire.

The New Way Of Economic Stability - 1127 Words

The New World presented numerous challenges for the new English settlers in Virginia. The settlers were in search for financial prosperity through the discovery of gold but their continuous efforts left them empty handed. Time quickly elapsed and their perseverance of searching quickly dwindled. Now, the Europeans needed to establish a concrete way of economic stability. In 1612, John Rolfe, an agriculturalist from Jamestown, introduced a more mild strain of tobacco to the Virginia colony (Brinkley 37). The colonists quickly realized the monetary potential of the crop and began selling it to eager buyers in England. The high cultivation of tobacco in the Virginian colony completely transformed the society as a whole. Growing tobacco†¦show more content†¦The men welcomed all settlers with open arms, promising religious freedom to everyone who would worship as a Christian and also a measure of political freedom. With the use of these incentives they hoped to attract settlers f rom the existing American colonies to avoid the expense of financing future expeditions from England. The initial efforts failed miserably and some of the original proprietors gave up. Anthony Ashley Cooper, one of the proprietors, was persistent on trying to make their system work. Cooper convinced his partners to finance a migration to Carolina from England (Brinkley 49). The first expedition had 300 people on board with only 100 surviving the difficult voyage. After ten years of settling, the people founded a city at the cross between the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, which in 1690 became the colonial capital called Charles Town (Brinkley 50). After Lord Shaftesbury’s death, the proprietors had trouble keeping order and in 1719 the colonists seized control from them. Ten years late, the king divided the region into two royal colonies, North and South Carolina (Brinkley 51). South Carolina developed close connection to the English colony on the island of Barbados early on. For several years, Barbados served as South Carolina’s most important trading partner. During

Anatomy of the Heart Aorta

Arteries are vessels that carry  blood  away from the  heart  and the aorta is the largest artery in the body. The heart is the organ of the cardiovascular system that functions to circulate blood along with pulmonary and systemic circuits. The aorta rises from the left ventricle of the heart, forms an arch, then extends down to the abdomen where it branches off into two smaller arteries. Several arteries extend from the aorta to deliver blood to the various regions of the body. Function of the Aorta The aorta carries and distributes oxygen-rich blood to all arteries. Most major arteries branch off from the aorta, with the exception of the main pulmonary artery. Structure of the Aortic Walls The walls of the aorta consist of three layers. They are the tunica adventitia, the tunica media, and the tunica intima. These layers are composed of connective tissue, as well as elastic fibers. These fibers allow the aorta to stretch to prevent over-expansion due to the pressure that is exerted on the walls by blood flow. Branches of the Aorta Ascending Aorta:  initial part of the aorta that begins from the aortic valve and extends from the left ventricle of the heart to the aortic arch.Coronary Arteries:  arteries branching from the ascending aorta to supply oxygenated blood to the heart wall. The two main coronary arteries are the right and left coronary arteries.Aortic Arch: curved section at the top of the aorta that bends backward connecting the ascending and descending portions of the aorta. Several arteries branch off from this arch to supply blood to the upper regions of the body.Brachiocephalic Artery:  supplies oxygenated blood to the head, neck, and arms. Arteries branching from this artery include the right common carotid artery and the right subclavian artery.Left Common Carotid Artery:  branches from the aorta and extends up the left side of the neck.Left Subclavian Artery:  branches from the aorta and extends to the left side of the upper chest and arms.Visceral Branches:  supply blood to the lun gs, pericardium, lymph nodes, and esophagus.Parietal Branches:  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹supply blood to the chest muscles, diaphragm, and spinal cord.Descending Aorta:  major portion of the aorta that extends from the aortic arch to the trunk of the body. It forms the thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta.Thoracic Aorta (Chest Region):Abdominal Aorta:Celiac Artery:  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹branches from the abdominal aorta into the left gastric, hepatic, and splenic arteries.Left Gastric Artery:  supplies blood to the esophagus and portions of the stomach.Hepatic Artery:  supplies blood to the liver.Splenic Artery:  supplies blood to the stomach, spleen, and pancreas.Superior Mesenteric Artery:  branches from the abdominal aorta and supplies blood to the intestines.Inferior Mesenteric Artery:  branches from the abdominal aorta and supplies blood to the colon and rectum.Renal Arteries:  branch from the abdominal aorta and supply blood to the kidneys.Ovarian Arteries:  supply blood to the female gon ads or ovaries.Testicular Arteries:  supply blood to the male gonads or testes.Common Iliac Arteries:  branch from the abdominal aorta and divide into internal and external iliac arteries near the pelvis.Internal Iliac Arteries:  supply blood to the organs of the pelvis (urinary bladder, prostate gland, and reproductive organs).External Iliac Arteries:  extend to the femoral arteries to supply blood to the legs.Femoral Arteries:  supply blood to the thighs, lower legs, and feet. Diseases of the Aorta Sometimes, the tissue of the aorta can be diseased and cause serious problems. Due to the break down of cells in diseased aortic tissue, the aortic wall weakens and the aorta can become enlarged. This type of condition is referred to as an aortic aneurysm. Aortic tissue may also tear causing blood to leak into the middle aortic wall layer. This is known as an aortic dissection. Both of these conditions may result from atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries due to cholesterol build up), high blood pressure, connective tissue disorders, and trauma.