Mary Church Terrell Quotes

Mary Church Terrell was born the same year that the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, and she died two months after the Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education. In between, she advocated for racial and gender justice, and especially for rights and opportunities for African American women. Selected Mary Church Terrell Quotations †¢ And so, lifting as we climb, onward and upward we go, struggling and striving, and hoping that the buds and blossoms of our desires will burst into glorious fruition ere long. With courage, born of success achieved in the past, with a keen sense of the responsibility which we shall continue to assume, we look forward to a future large with promise and hope. Seeking no favors because of our color, nor patronage because of our needs, we knock at the bar of justice, asking an equal chance. †¢ I cannot help wondering sometimes what I might have become and might have done if I had lived in a country which had not circumscribed and handicapped me on account of my race, that had allowed me to reach any height I was able to attain. †¢ Through the National Association of Colored Women, which was formed by the union of two large organizations in July, 1896, and which is now the only national body among colored women, much good has been done in the past, and more will be accomplished in the future, we hope. Believing that it is only through the home that a people can become really good and truly great, the National Association of Colored Women has entered that sacred domain. Homes, more homes, better homes, purer homes is the text upon which our have been and will be preached. †¢ Please stop using the word Negro.... We are the only human beings in the world with fifty-seven variety of complexions who are classed together as a single racial unit. Therefore, we are really truly colored people, and that is the only name in the English language which accurately describes us. †¢ It is impossible for any white person in the United States, no matter how sympathetic and broad, to realize what life would mean to him if his incentive to effort were suddenly snatched away. To the lack of incentive to effort, which is the awful shadow under which we live, may be traced the wreck and ruin of score of colored youth. †¢ Seeing their children touched and seared and wounded by race prejudice is one of the heaviest crosses which colored women have to bear. †¢ Surely nowhere in the world do oppression and persecution based solely on the color of the skin appear more hateful and hideous than in the capital of the United States, because the chasm between the principles upon which this Government was founded, in which it still professes to believe, and those which are daily practiced under the protection of the flag, yawn so wide and deep. †¢ As a colored woman I may enter more than one white church in Washington without receiving that welcome which as a human being I have the right to expect in the sanctuary of God. †¢ When Ernestine Rose, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Susan B. Anthony began that agitation by which colleges were opened to women and the numerous reforms inaugurated for the amelioration of their condition along all lines, their sisters who groaned in bondage had little reason to hope that these blessings would ever brighten their crushed and blighted lives, for during those days of oppression and despair, colored women were not only refused admittance to institutions of learning, but the law of the States in which the majority lived made it a crime to teach them to read. Quote collection assembled by Jone Johnson Lewis.

Purple Hibiscus And Things Fall Apart - 1135 Words

Hugh Prather, an American writer, once said â€Å"Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes.† Change is an inevitable part of being human. As we grow we meet and discover new ideas and people, that change our thinking. For the most part, change happens in very small amounts in life, but there are times at which one single event can lead to great personal development or downfall. In the novels Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, change of physical and social interactions and environments leads to change in personal beliefs. However, while Purple Hibiscus portrays change as a beneficial transformation, Things Fall Apart argues that change is undesirable. In Purple Hibiscus,†¦show more content†¦Nwoye does not like this treatment, and he longs for freedom. This freedom comes for him when the evangelists arrive. The evangelists are very accepting, as they take in the osu, outcasts from the clan. They off er salvation along with freedom, which Nwoye has been searching for for a long time. However, because of Nwoye’s action, Okonkwo disowns him. Later, when Obierika goes to visit Okonkwo, he finds that â€Å"Okonkwo [does] not wish to speak about Nwoye.† Moreover, Okonkwo tells his other children that â€Å"if any one of [them] prefers to be a woman, let him follow Nwoye† (Achebe, 172). Okonkwo then asks himself how he could have â€Å"begotten a woman for a son† (Achebe, 153). According to Okonkwo, Nwoye has become weak because he has joined another religion. Since Okonkwo believes he is the most masculine man in Umuofia, it is unbearable that his child turned out to be such a failure. This unbearable change in his family creates a ripple effect of events that become worse and worse for Okonkwo. Okonkwo becomes furious, kills a messenger, and then commits suicide in order to avoid being captured by the white men. Okonkwo cannot accept the evangelists, as they have made him lose his power and control over the community and his son. The change in Okonkwo’s life is negative as it makes Okonkwo desperately look for solutions, although there are none. His internal struggle with change leads him to kill another human and himself out of inability to doShow MoreRelatedThings Fall Apart And Purple Hibiscus Essay1257 Words   |  6 Pagescharacters in novels Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and the novel Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, are controlled by their beliefs, and irrationally act upon them. Adichie and Achebe effectively utilizes a plot events, to simultaneously exalt damage, created by the assertion of religious beliefs onto others. Forcing religion or personal beliefs onto others creates turmoil, as illustrated by both authors, shattering relationship s or a consanguinity. Throughout Things Fall Apart, Achebe utilizesRead MoreThings Fall Apart And Purple Hibiscus Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesThe Nigerian novels, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, examine the intricate lives of characters and their family dynamics. Okonkwo, from Achebe’s novel, is a powerful man from the village of Umuofia, and Beatrice, from Adichie’s novel, is a submissive and abused wife. Despite Okonkwo and Beatrice both killing a family member, Okonkwo commits this act out of cowardice and fear of being viewed as weak, whereas Beatrice poisons Eugene as an act ofRead MoreThe Conflict Between Tradition And Western Influence On Nigeria1665 Words   |  7 Pagesthese words. The west african country of Nigeria has proven itself to be a successful and enduring land. As the English began exploring and colonizing the land grounded in tradition and folklore, Nigeria effectively adapted and grew. Even when torn apart, Nige ria has pulled itself back together and grown stronger. There are many aspects to Nigeria’s culture that are worth considering. But one aspect of Nigeria has proven itself to be rich, transformative, and long-lasting: literature. Nigeria has producedRead MoreThemes Explored in Purple Hibiscus2095 Words   |  9 Pages1) Five major issues explored in purple hibiscus are; domestic violence, oppression, religion, education and love. 2a) Adichie uses a narrative point of view to explore the theme of domestic violence. The book is narrated in the first person by a 15 year old who is directly affected by domestic violence. Because of her young age she is quiet honest and this allows her to paint a great picture to the audience of the brutal abuse that Eugene bestows upon his family. This is as a result of her sensitiveRead MoreReligion Is A Way Of Life Essay2254 Words   |  10 Pagesmeant to take on the spirituality of the Zulu religion†. African writers such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie had also presented Christianity as the main religion for their character as it replicates the behaviour of their character. For example; â€Å"In purple hibiscus†, Adichie presents her character â€Å"Eugene† as a â€Å"devote Christian† who became over religious till he became â€Å"fanatical† to the extent that he would â€Å"beat his children† for not being religious or for involving the mselves in â€Å"ungodly or heathen†Read MoreVampire Diaries61771 Words   |  248 Pagesbig quince tree Matt and the guys climbed up to crash my birthday slumber party two years ago. This is my bed, my chair, my dresser. But right now everything looks strange to me, as if I dont belong here. Its me thats out of place. And the worst thing is that I feel theres somewhere I do belong, but I just cant find it. I was too tired yesterday to go to Orientation. Meredith picked up my schedule for me, but I didnt feel like talking to her on the phone. Aunt Judith told everyone who calledRead MoreIgbo Dictionary129408 Words   |  518 Pagesvocabularies are based on the same list that Thomas uses in his Specimens of languages from Southern Nigeria (1914), in which he gives lists from 26 dialects of Igbo and closely related languages. Part V (1914) consists of Addenda to IboEnglish dictionary; apart from corrections to Part II, this volume adds a large amount of material from the Asab a dialect. In general, Thomass material is extensive, but inadequately transcribed and analysed. The CMS mission at Onitsha undertook the collection of a considerable

Romeo and Juliet Diary Entries Essay Essay Example For Students

Romeo and Juliet Diary Entries Essay Essay My time has come, I knew it would come soon, I am soon to be married. I dont know what to do or what to think. When I was told the news my life flashed before my eyes, I saw myself in a loveless marriage, sitting at home in old clothes, slaving over a hot stove all day and looking after the children, what kind of a future is that? Getting married is an honour, because it shows you are wanted and the older you are the less likely you are to get married and your parents will have to look after you. I dont want to disappoint my parents, but I truly feel marriage, at this stage in my life, is not what I want. I am not ready to make such a commitment. The man I am meant to marry Im to meet at this party my father is throwing. I am supposed to like him, what happens if I dont? Even if I like him, I certainly dont want to marry him. My father, I think, will give me some say in the matter, after all it is my life and he is meant to love and respect me. My nanny is more like my mother, my mother and father werent around much when I was growing up and I feel a really strong bond between the nanny and I and she will support me whatever I choose, if I get to choose. This party is going to be the worst yet, Im not even bothered about what Im going to wear. Also I cant enjoy myself because I know soon I could be married, possibly to someone who is not right for me. Come to think of it I know nothing about this man, how is the marriage supposed to last anyway? HELP! I can hear my mother calling, got to go. Juliet Capulet Dear Diary, Romeo, Romeo, I am in love with Romeo, not with the man my dad picked, Paris. Romeo is my ideal man, he is fit and has a really nice personality. We just click, we can talk to each other with ease. I know it is true love, when I go near him my heart goes wild and a strange sensation comes over me and I cannot bear to be away from him, even if he is a Montague. Romeo and I met at my dads party and he took my breath away. I probably spent less than five minutes in Pariss company, I was too busy making eyes at Romeo. Glowing in the distance he was, he was wearing Levi jeans and an Armani shirt and he glided over to me and we started dancing, no words were spoken, it was as if we could read each others minds and we fell in love. The party turned out better than I expected, the food was delicious and the drink divine. The decorations were lovely and the place looked really welcoming. There was a wonderful atmosphere. There was a big turn out, all the family were there and friends of the family and so on. The music was upbeat and everyone was dancing the night away, including me, well actually not all of it! Romeo and I shared more than one kiss that night and from the time my lips touched his I committed an act of betrayal, because my family and his family have deep hatred for each other and have done for many years. I dont care, its my life and even though I love my family, I love Romeo as well and I cant imagine life without either of them. Maybe our marriage will bring the two families together. Just a few minutes ago Romeo and I had a deep, meaningful conversation. He loves me and like me doesnt care what our families feel for each other, its what is in our hearts that count for something. Romeo thinks Im an angel, that has blessed the earth with my presence and I think he is my knight in shining armour, come to whisk me away into eternal bliss. During our conversation my nanny called for me, her and my mother wanted to know my decision about Paris and I said, see what develops. That short chat made me realise that marriage is for me, if I met the right person and that is Romeo. I am willing to commit myself to Romeo and he is willing to commit himself to me, Till death us do part. Our families at first will probably go absolutely mental and there is bound to be more fighting between the two families, arguing within the families, sadness, anger and a sense of betrayal, but they will have to get over it, accept it and trust us. We are going to get married secretly and break the news once it has been cleared up that Im not going to be marrying Paris and everyone has settled down, Love can conquer all. Juliet Capulet Dear Diary, God, he is the one person you supposedly can turn to in times of misery, well I think even God has turned his back on me. My life is messed up and its like Im falling into a black hole and there is no way to end the pain and anguish I am suffering. Glorious fireworks is what I saw when I married Romeo, yes I went through with the marriage. The moment I married Romeo will be the most special memory I will ever possess. I am really, truly grateful to the vicar for risking everything to marry us. Devastating news came to me via my nanny, that same day and it broke my heart in two. My nanny was mucking about with me at first and I thought my husband was dead, my heart stopped, can you imagine your heart stopping? Its a horrible thought isnt it? Then I thought Tybalt and Romeo were both dead, and then I came to learn that Tybalt was dead and Romeo was his killer. Extreme feelings of sadness and anger quickly rushed to my brain, like a lion pouncing on its prey. I felt like I was betraying Tybalt by having these feelings for Romeo, but I was upset about Tybalt as well. In 'Romeo and Juliet' there is anger, grief, hatred, love, fear, despair, passion and violence EssayMy head is full of queries, what if it is poison and I dont wake up? What if I forget where I am? What if I freak out surrounded by dead bodies and Tybalt who is barely dead? What if. what if I I wake up to find Romeo and the vicar are not there. If I dont do it I will have to marry Paris and there will be another web of lies spun, this potion can save me from that. No I cant take it, what if things go wrong? I couldnt bear not being able to see Romeo ever again. Romeo, Romeo, I have do it for him, to give us some kind of future, what if Tybalt haunts him? My hand is moving the bottle towards my lips, I would just like to say Im sorry for all the trouble I have caused, but I have to what is necessary for me and my love, Romeo to be together. God bless you xxxxxxxxxx. Juliet Montage P.S Unfortunately this is not Juliet writing, it is the vicar and I know the real cause behind the disastrous deaths of Juliet and her one and only true love Romeo. It all started when I married Romeo and Juliet, all I wanted was to make them happy and I also thought maybe it would stop the families feuding. It was not that simple for Juliet because her father was determined that she was to marry Paris, he obviously didnt know she was already married. When Juliet came to me for help I just couldnt turn her down, her mom, dad and her nanny had disowned her and I couldnt do the same, desperation showed in every nook and cranny of her face, so I devised a plan. Juliet, as it explains in her diary, had to take a potion to make her appear dead, so she wouldnt have to go through with the arranged marriage to Paris. Queries were running through Juliets head and mine but I tried my hardest to reassure her as much as possible. I was responsible for getting a message to Romeo informing him of the events, however Romeo was not informed of the events because the man who was sending it wasnt allowed out the town, because of a fatal disease that was being spread across the country. Breathless I arrived at the tomb, I had to get there quickly because of Juliet, and I stumbled across Paris and what I saw was Paris with an open wound in his side, lying in a puddle of blood, dead and I was deeply shocked and when I went in what was there was 100 times worse. Romeo was lying there clutching a bottle in his hand, dead and my heart skipped a beat. Looking across at Juliet I thought you poor soul. Peaceful and sweet Juliet looked lying there, to think when she wakes up her whole world will be turned upside down. Juliet starting stirring and she woke up light-headed. Feeling extremely anxious I rushed over and was trying to get her out of the tomb, for her own good, but Juliet was just sitting there asking for Romeo and every time she did my deepest sympathy went out to Juliet. Managing to get Juliet up I was pulling her gently to urge her out and she was responding slowly and then she saw it, Romeo lying dead and she went into a traumatised and confused state. Hearing voices I went into panic mode and I wanted Juliet to come, I suggested she could live in a convent, what was I thinking? I ran, ran for my life and left Juliet behind. How could a leave a thirteen-year-old girl in such a place? How could I leave her surrounded by dead bodies? That would be distressing for anybody, let alone a young girl, it brings me to tears. Selfishness that what it was, I was trying to save my own skin and I hate myself for it. It is all my fault, maybe if I hadnt of married Romeo and Juliet, maybe if I didnt give Juliet that potion, maybe if I didnt encourage them, maybe if I just told the truth, maybe, maybe, maybe, if only I thought of all this before and maybe they wouldnt be dead. I deserve whatever is thrown at me. I have been false-hearted and deceitful and my soul will never be the same again. Im not worthy of Gods forgiveness. Im a murderer, I left a thirteen-year-old girl to kill herself, for my own inexcusable, selfish reasons. Im a vicar, someone you can trust, someone you can go to in your hour of need, well Romeo and Juliet done that and I messed up their lives, they are dead, dead, I cant get over it. Statues are being put up to honour the lives of the young lady and the young man, who fell in love despite their families hatred for each other and died showing their love for each other. Also the Capulets and the Montagues have made peace, the deaths of their precious Romeo and Juliet has reunited them. Their memory will live on forever RIP.

The Canterbury Tales A View Of The Medieval Christian Church Essay Example For Students

The Canterbury Tales: A View Of The Medieval Christian Church Essay SUBJECT: English 243 TITLE: The Canterbury Tales: A view of the Medieval Christian Church In discussing Chaucers collection of stories called The Canterbury Tales, an interesting picture or illustration of the Medieval Christian Church is presented. However, while people demanded more voice in the affairs of government, the church became corrupt this corruption also led to a more crooked society. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as just church history; This is because the church can never be studied in isolation, simply because it has always related to the social, economic and political context of the day. In history then, there is a two way process where the church has an influence on the rest of society and of course, society influences the church. This is naturally because it is the people from a society who make up the church .and those same people became the personalities that created these tales of a pilgrimmage to Canterbury. The Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England was to take place in a relatively short period of time, but this was not because of the success of the Augustinian effort. Indeed, the early years of this mission had an ambivalence which shows in the number of people who hedged their bets by practicing both Christian and Pagan rites at the same time, and in the number of people who promptly apostatized when a Christian king died. There is certainly no evidence for a large-scale conversion of the common people to Christianity at this time. Augustine was not the most diplomatic of men, and managed to antagonize many people of power and influence in Britain, not least among them the native British churchmen, who had never been particularly eager to save the souls of the Anglo-Saxons who had brought such bitter times to their people. In their isolation, the British Church had maintained older ways of celebrated the major festivals of Christianity, and Augustines effort to compel them to conform to modern Roman usage only angered them. When Augustine died (some time between 604 and 609 AD), then, Christianity had only a precarious hold on Anglo-Saxon England, a hold which was limited largely to a few in the aristocracy. Christianity was to become firmly established only as a result of Irish efforts, who from centers in Scotland and Northumbria made the common people Christian, and established on a firm basis the English Church. At all levels of society, belief in a god or gods was not a matter of choice, it was a matter of fact. Atheism was an alien concept (and one dating from the eighteenth century). Living in the middle ages, one would come into contact with the Church in a number of ways. First, there were the routine church services, held daily and attended at least once a week, and the special festivals of Christmas, Easter, baptisms, marriages, etc.. In that respect the medieval Church was no different to the modern one. Second, there were the tithes that the Church collected, usually once a year. Tithes were used to feed the parish priest, maintain the fabric of the church, and to help the poor. Third, the Church fulfilled the functions of a civil service and an education system. Schools did not exist (and were unnecessary to a largely peasant society), but the Church and the government needed men who could read and write in English and Latin. The Church trained its own men, and these went to help in the government: writing letters, keeping accounts and so on. The words cleric and clerk have the same origin, and every nobleman would have at least one priest to act as a secretary.The power of the Church is often over-emphasized. Certainly, the later medieval Church was rich and powerful, and that power was often misused especially in Europe. Bishops and archbishops were appointed without any training or clerical background, church offices changed hands for cash, and so on. The authority of the early medieval Church in England was no different to that of any other landowner. So, the question that haunted medieval man was that of his own salvation. The existence of God was never questioned and the heart-cry of medieval society was a desire to know God and achieve intimacy with the divine. Leading a life pleasing to God was the uppermost concern, and the wide diversity of medieval piety is simply because people answered the question, How can I best lead a holy life? in so many different ways. Beginning with The Pardoners Tale, the theme of salvation is truly paramount. Chaucer, being one of the most important medieval authors, uses this prologue and tale to make a statement about buying salvation. The character of the pardoner is one of the most despicable pilgrims, seemingly along for the ride to his next gig as the seller of relics. For myn entente is nat but for to winne,/ And no thing for correccion of sinne, admits the pardoner in his prologue. As a matter of fact, the pardoner is only in it for the money, as evident from this passage: I wol none of the Apostles countrefete:I wold have moneye, wolle, cheese, and whete,Al were it yiven of the pooreste page,Or of the pooreste widwe in a village Al sholde hir children sterve for famine.Nay, I drinke licour of the vineAnd have a joly wenche in every town. In his tale, the Pardoner slips into his role as the holiest of holies and speaks of the dire consequences of gluttony, gambling, and lechery. He cites Attila the Hun with, Looke Attila, the grete conquerour,/ Deide in his sleep with shame and dishonour,/ Bleeding at his nose in dronkenesse. The personification of the deadly sins, along with his story of the three greedy men that eventually perish at the hands of their sin is a distinct medieval device. The comic twist that Chaucer adds to the device, though, is that the Pardoner in himself is as the personification of sin, as is evident from the passages of his prologue. At the conclusion of his tale, the Pardoner asks, Allas, mankinde, how may it bitide/ That to thy Creatour which that thee wroughte,/ And with his precious herte blood boughte,/ Thou art so fals and unkinde, allas?. He then goes on to offer each pilgrim a place. Abnormal Psychology Problem: Excessive Use Of Mari Essay He was the outrider or the person in charge of the outlying property. which lead him to enjoy hunting, fine foods, and owning several horses. Monks renounced all their worldly belongings and by taking vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, joined a community of monks. Their lives were spent in communal worship, devotional reading, prayer and manual labour all under the authority of the abbot of the monastic house. Particular monks often had particular jobs- the cellarer or the infirmarer for example, and these like every aspect of monastic life were laid down in the Rule. Monks were nearly always of noble extraction (one had to have wealth in order to give it up) but could also be given to the monastery as children (called oblates) to be brought up as monks.Hindsight has blurred our vision of the Medieval monk and the result is that the modern Christian mindset has condemned him for his selfish escapism from the world and for his apparent neglect of those who needed Christ outside of the cloister. The Medieval mindset was very different. The monastery was an integral part of the local community it probably owned most of the farming land in the area- and the fortunes of the people in any area were bound up with the spirituality of its monastic house. The monks were on the front line of the spiritual battle-it was they who did battle in prayer for their community, who warded off devils and demons and who prayed tirelessly for the salvation of the souls of those in their community. Rather than being the cowards of Christianity unable to take the strain of living a Christian life in the real world, the monks were like spiritual stormtroopers interceeding for an area against its supernatural enemies in mudh the same way as a local lord in his castle protected an area against its physical enemies. The people gave gifts to both lord and abbot in return for a service. The Pardoner also represents the tradition of faith in respect to the church of his time. The Pardoner is representative of the seamy side of the corrupt church and a broken or twisted (if you will) faith. The faith of a bureaucracy, which is what the church had become. The Pardoner was a church official who had the authority to forgive those who had sinned by selling pardons and indulgences to them. Although, the Pardoner was a church official, he was clearly in the church business for economic reasons. The Pardoner, a devious and somewhat dubious individual had one goal: Get the most money for pardons by almost any means of coercion necessary. A twisted and ironic mind, has basically defined himself through his work for a similarly corrupt church. In contrast, the Plowman has nothing but a seemingly uncomplicated and untwisted faith. The Plowman has the faith of a poor farmer, uncomplicated by the bureaucracy of the church. The Pardoner is probably on this journey because he is being required to go by the church or he sees some sort of economic gain from this voyage, most likely from selling forgiveness to the other pilgrims. The Plowman on the other hand is probably on this voyage because of his sincerity and faith in its purpose. While this was the story of religion at grass-roots level, at the organisational and hierarchical level, the church developed along a different line. It became more organized, more bureaucratic, more legal, more centralized and basically more powerful on a European scale. This process was spearheaded by the papacy and reached its pinnacle under Pope Innocent III in the early 13th Century. He embodied what became known as the papal monarchy a situation where the popes literally were kings in their own world. The relative importance of spiritual and secular power in the world was a constant question in the middle ages with both secular emperors and kings, and the popes asserting their claims to rule by divine authority with Gods commands for Gods people proceeding out of their mouths. The power of the church is hard to exaggerate: its economic and political influence was huge, as its wealth, movements like the crusades, and even the number of churches that exist from this period truly show its greatness. By the early 10th century, a strange malaise seems to have entered the English church. There are comments from this time of a decline in learning among churchmen and an increase in a love for things of this earthly world. Even more of these lax standards had begun a decline in the power structure of the church which included a decrease in acceptable behavior amongst churchmen and a growing use of church institutions by lay people as a means of evading taxes. Christianity affected all men in Europe at every level and in every way. Such distances however, led to much diversity and the shaping of Medieval religion into a land of contrasts. One can also see how mans feelings of extreme sinfulness and desire for God are quite evident in these tales. Still, we are told that history repeats itself because nobody listens to it, but more realistically history repeats itself because man is essentially the same from one generation to the next. He has the same aspirations, fears and flaws; yet the way that these are expressed differs from age to age. This is why each period of history is different. The fact that man is the same yet different is what makes the study of the people who formed the medieval church directly applicable to Christians lives and experiences today.