1. A TEACHING MOMENT
Respectfully Submitted
by
Ms. Vicki M. Spears
July 1, 2012
Shaw University Divinity School
Master of Religious Education
RSO 510 Church and Society
Summer Session, 2012

2. “Eeeewwww…..mommy look!” squeaked 10 year old Destiny and 13 year old Treasure as they peered out the car window. “Don’t say
that!” responded their mother taking a quick glance. “But, mommy! Just look at them! Eeeeewwww!” Destiny replied in disgust.
“Destiny, you can’tgo around saying that and calling people nasty. Things aren’t always what they seem!” explained Faith realizing it
was time for a serious,long overdue talk with herdaughters.
A Teaching Moment
While in route to a conference in America’s capitol, Washington D. C., Dr. Faith James
and family find themselves in what seemed to be a not so pleasant neighborhood. The
neighborhood was filled with dark alleys, graphitti-covered abandoned buildings, and shabby
houses with broken glass. While some folks sat on porches and door steps, people from diverse
backgrounds roamed the streets. It seemed as though the family had been riding for hours; it
was dark when the North Carolinian family approached a well-lit, small diner on the corner of
Hope Street and Pleasant Valley.
Although Faith was following the directions printed from Map Quest, some kind of way,
she made the wrong turn and now they were lost. Faith decided she would stop and ask for
help. As they approached the diner, Destiny and Treasure became frightened. Faith kept both
girls close and tightly held their hands. A group of men dressed in dusty overalls sat outside the
diner. As the family got closer to the entrance, Faith realized the men were singing an old blues
ballad by Sam Cooke entitled “A Change Is Gonna Come.”1 Memories flooded her mind as Faith
smiled, greeted the group, and entered the diner with her daughters in hand.
Upon entering the diner, Faith noticed only an elderly couple sitting at the bar and no
other patrons were present. The couple dressed in all white seemed to have an amazing glow
about them. Faith said, “Hello, I am Faith and these are my daughters Destiny and Treasure. We
are in need your help. We are lost and need to find our way to East Justice Street. Will you
1http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=You+Tube+sam+cooke&view=detail&mid=3003326BE420BBEF87AC3003
326BE420BBEF87AC&first=0

3. please give us directions?” The elderly woman replied, “Welcome. Welcome. Baby, you look
worn. Come on in and have a seat. I’ll fetch some drinks for you girls. James, fix them
something to eat. Before we set them on their way, we must make sure they are good and full.
They have a long journey ahead of them. By the way, you can call me Ms. Janie and that is my
husband James.” While Faith, Destiny, and Treasure sat in a corner booth waiting, Faith began
to tell her life story to her daughters.
Dr. Faith James, a successful African American scholar, the director of a subsidiary of
Agape Outreach Ministry, and an alumnus of an Historically Black College and University, lived
in a gated community in rural North Carolina. Her home-schooled daughters were raised
lavishly and were privy to a life other folks could only dream of. Faith was fortunate now, but
life had not always been so kind. At the tender age of 18, Faith fell in love with an older man
who showered her with gifts. Being raised in a single parent home with no father, Faith longed
for affection. This older gentleman came into her life and filled a void that Faith had no idea
existed.
One day, the couple was out on a date and her boyfriend stopped at a store. Faith
stayed in the car while he entered the store. When he came out of the store, the couple
continued on their date. After riding for only a few minutes, the couple noticed blue lights and
was pulled over. Two police officers approached the car and forced her boyfriend out of the
car. Faith watched as the officers brutally assaulted him and accused him of holding up the
store with a gun and shooting the clerk. She could not believe this was happening. She had no
idea he was capable of doing such horrific crime. Actually, he did not. He was just at the wrong

4. place at the wrong time and was identified as someone seen leaving the store around the time
of the crime.
To make a long story short, Faith was arrested also and charged with felony conspiracy,
aiding and abetting, accessory after the fact, whatever they could think of. Although she had
nothing to do with the incident, Faith was guilty by association and from that day forward, her
life spiraled down hill. She was now a victim of the system. Her daughters could not believe
what they were hearing. Choosing her words carefully, Faith continued with her life story. She
explained that she only wanted the best for her daughters, but she realized the sheltered life
that she provided for them left them clueless to reality. They had no idea who they were, what
they were a product of, or their life purpose.
So, she said, “We are living a good life now, but my life hasn’t always been this pleasant.
I’ve had some hard times. I’ve had some ups and downs, more down time than ups, but
through it all, I learned to trust in Jesus.” Thus begins their lesson on positive identity. Faith
explained that in order for her to overcome her past, she had to depend solely on God.
Everywhere she went doors would close in her face until one day, God sent an angel. Faith told
her daughters that she was on the verge of being homeless when she saw a lady reading a book
at the bus stop. When she asked her what she was reading, the lady replied, “Race Matters by
Dr. Cornell West. It’s a must read for all African Americans.”
The next day, Faith made her way to the library and checked out the book. Within two
days, Faith had completed the book. West words sparked something unexplainable in Faith and
she craved for more. West words were forever implanted in her mind. She kept hearing, “We

5. must do better, but only if we muster the vision, courage, and will to do so.” 2 When she
returned to the library her second time, the same lady who was at the bus stop was leaving the
library.
The lady said, “Hi, I see you’ve read Cornel West. Next, I suggest you read Carter G.
Woodson’s The Mis-Education of the Negro.” Faith took the lady’s advice and checked out the
recommended book. Another must-read selection, Faith finished that book in two days as well.
Woodson’s book was an eye-opener for Faith. His words rang in her ears. “When you control a
man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to
stand here or go yonder. He will find his proper place and will stay in it. You do not need to
send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will
cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.”3 The lady had planted a seed
of education in Faith’s spirit and Faith had no idea where she was headed.
Strangely enough, when Faith returned to the library for the third time, she met the lady
from the bus top leaving the library once again. Faith said to her, “Excuse me, ma’am. Thank
you for the book suggestions. May I ask who are you?” The lady replied, “Who I am is not
important, my dear. However, the woman you are to become is very important. Please join me
for a cup of coffee.” The two entered a small diner and enjoyed a refreshing cup of coffee. The
lady told Faith that she was a teacher. She witnessed to Faith and prayed with her. When they
had finished their coffee, the lady invited Faith to join her for service one day at her church and
2 West, Cornel.Race Matters, (New York: Random House Press),1994
3 Woodson, Carter. The Mis-Education of the Negro. (African American Images), 2000

6. gave her the book entitled Steps to Christ by Ellen White.4 Yearning for more time with the lady,
Faith humbly accepted not knowing this was the turning point in her life.
The lady was actually a professor of African American Studies and the founding pastor of
Agape Ministries and Outreach Center, Inc. in rural North Carolina whose mission was simply
“love and evangelizing the world.” Her sermon for the night came from Philippians 4:13 which
reads “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” She planted a seed of love and
encouragement in Faith and incorporated the following scripture in her sermon:
Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God
he created them; male and female he created them.”
Psalm139:14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your
works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Malachin2:10 “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why
do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by
profaning the covenant of our fathers?”
Galatians 3.28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ
Jesus.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it
is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it
is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does
not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
James 1:12 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having
stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the
Lord has promised to those who love him.”
4 White, Ellen G. Steps to Christ.(Tennessee: HarvestineBooks), 2000

7. On that night Faith confessed Christ as her Lord and Savior and decided to join the
church. Her life was never the same after that night. The pastor became her friend, her
confidant, and her mentor and soon Faith found herself pursuing an education at a Historically
Black College and University. Throughout her studies, Faith was introduced to even more
literature, but she admits the literature that had a tremendous impact on her life were the
following.
 Faulcon, Gaddis J. A Winning Generation. (New England: Morris Publishing), 2001
 Warren, Rick. The Purpose-Driven Life. (China: Zondervan), 2003
 Palmer, Parker J. Let Your Life Speak. (California: Jossey-Bass), 2000
 White, Paula. Move On, Move Up. (Zondervan), 2008
 Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. and McKay, Nellie Y. African American Literature 2nd Edition.
(New York: W. W. Norton & Company) 2004
 Maxwell, John C. Be All You Can Be. (Colorado: David C. Cook), 2007
 Maxwell, John C. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, 2nd Edition. (Maxwell Motivation, Inc.),
2007.
Now, Faith has her own personal library, but these books have never collected dust. She
uses them to prepare lesson plans at Agape Outreach Ministry whose mission is to foster a
spirit of love, hope, and encouragement in an oppressed community. The program objectives
are the following:

8. 1. To motivate students to exceed standard expectations and provide
encouragement,
2. To foster a spirit of triumph, and
3. To familiarize students with the barriers of racism and its relation to positive
identity.
The program goals are as follows:
1. To support the personal and spiritual development of student-leaders,
community-leaders, servant-leaders,
2. To assist students with personal growth and spiritual maturity, and
3. To equip students with the capacity for critical and constructive reflection
regarding racism.
The Student Learning Outcomes for the program are as follows:
1. Students will demonstrate a capacity for critical reflection on how their unique
personalities, backgrounds, and gifts and abilities relate to their role as student-
leaders, community-leaders, servant-leaders.
2. Students will know the contributions of African American writers to America and
world cultures and develop a consciousness about and a capacity to reflect on
the issue of racism.
3. Students will demonstrate a sound understanding of racismin America.

9. Faith believes this program is her calling and further explains her position to her
daughters. Racism is defined “as either belief that different racial groups are characterized by
intrinsic characteristics or abilities and that some such groups are therefore naturally superior
to others, or as practices that discriminate against members of particular racial groups.”5 The
controversial issue of racism is patent in the existence of the American society. America,
founded by the 13 British colonies (1607-1733), was inhabited by Caucasians (the whites) and
Africans (the blacks) as well as the Natives (Indians). From the beginning, whites exhibited
dominance over all other races (white supremacy); the Natives were stripped of their land and
heritage6 and the Africans were extradited from their native land and brought to America to
serve as slaves7 (the Atlantic Slave Trade).
In Race Matters, activist Cornel West correlates “slave trade” and “slave labor” to
“American barbarism” and “Jim Crow” and “lynching” to “American terrorism.” “This vicious
ideology and practice of white supremacy has left its indelible mark on all spheres of American
life—from the prevailing crimes of Amerindian reservations to the discriminatory realities
against Spanish-speaking Latinos to racial stereotypes against Asians.”8 American barbarism and
terrorism branded a spirit of oppression and a curse of nihilism in the black folks in America.
However, powerful buffers were created to undermine the spirit and curse and American
barbarism and terrorism ceased. Sadly, the ideology of white supremacy continues and the
spirit and curse imposes identity challenges for black folks in 21st century.
5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism
6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States
7 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_slave_trade
8 Ibid.

10. Faith told her daughters “Although White supremacy practices and principles continue
to plague America and the spirit of oppression and the curse of nihilism cripples minorities,
“deliverance is available.”9 Thus positive identity materializes. She confessed her trials were
meant to make her strong and recited a modern adaptation of an ancient proverb entitled
Know Thyself.
“A person who knows not
And knows not that they know not
Is foolish – disregard them.
A person who knows not
And knows that they know not
Is simple – teach them.
A person who knows not
And believes that they know
Is dangerous – avoid them.
A person who knows
And knows that they know
Is asleep – awaken them
All of these persons reside in you
Know thyself
And to thy self be true.”10
9 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHCD_qlgEDU
10 Browder, Anthony T. Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization,(Instof Karmic Guidance),1992

11. As she finished the quote, Ms. Janie and her husband James came out from the back
with drinks and sandwiches. The girls had become so engrossed in their mother’s story; they
did not notice the smile and wink Ms. Janie gave Faith as she told her story. Ms. Janie was the
lady from the library and Faith was not lost. The building which appeared to be a small diner
was actually a store front church and a subsidiary of Agape Ministries and Outreach Center. She
figured if she told her daughter’s their true destination, she would have received nothing but
opposition. So, she planned this trip with the intentions of introducing her daughter’s to a
cornerstone in her life while planting seeds of love, hope, and encouragement in her daughters.
Her plan worked. The girls took one bite into the sandwiches and said, “Mommy, this is
delicious. I’ve never tasted anything this good.” That was her queue. So, she said, “Ms. Janie,
my girls love your sandwiches. Will you please come over here?” As Ms. Janie approached,
Faith introduced her to Destiny and Treasure. The girls looked with amazement, smiled, then
got up and gave her a big ole grandma hug. They said, “Mommy, so you knew where we were
at? Is this a church?” Ms. Janie explained, “Yes, dear. This is a church. It just looks a little
different from the churches you are accustomed to seeing. One thing I want you to always
remember. Jesus loves you and things are not always what they seem!” The girls giggled
because they remember Faith saying those exact same words before they pulled up to the
diner.
After they finished their meal, the James family continued on their journey. As they
departed the diner, the group of men who appeared threatening when the family first arrived
were singing “We’re a Winner” by Curtisfield Mayfield.11 Destiny and Treasure were filled with
11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HKoOYdhkq0

12. joy as they watched Ms. Janie and her husband James dance and sang while blowing good-bye
kisses. They said, “Mommy, we love you. Can we come back tomorrow?” Faith assured them
that they would return very soon, and if they liked, they could invite some friends. The girls
were ecstatic.
Upon arrival at the National HBCU Conference in Washington D. C., an event she attends
yearly, Faith taught her daughters about the executive order that promotes African American
education, the White House Initiative on HBCUs. On February 26, 2010, President Barack
Obama signed an executive order renewing the White House Initiative on HBCUs whose mission
is “to strengthen the capacity of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to provide
excellence in education.” Initially, President Jimmy Carter signed the executive order over 30
years ago; Executive Order 12232 established a federal program "... to overcome the effects of
discriminatory treatment and to strengthen and expand the capacity of historically black
colleges and universities to provide quality education." 12 This Initiative clearly indicates
America’s recognition of oppressive behavior and the need for worthy education for blacks and
minorities.
Faith adamantly supports education and HBCUs. She strategically planted that seed into
her daughters. While attending the conference, the James family attended a session in which
the president of Shaw University spoke about the history of the university and distributed
books entitled Shaw’s Universe by Wilmoth A. Carter. The theme of her presentation was “A
Dream Come True.” The president delivered a heartfelt presentation about the founder of
12 http://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/list/whhbcu/edlite-index.html

13. Shaw University, Mr. Henry Martin Tupper and the beginnings of a legacy.13 The last night of
the conference before the family retired for the night, Faith and the girls watched an old classic
entitled The Vernon Johns Story. That movie inspired Faith during her undergraduate studies
and she had hoped it would do the same for her daughters. By the end of the conference, the
girls were convinced. They said, “Mommy I want to be a president of an HBCU. I want to help
people.”
Faith was pleased with what she was hearing. Out of it all, she felt the decision to tell
her daughters about her life and to bring them to the conference this year would be their first
step towards positive identity. Not only did the girls learn first-hand about struggle from
someone whom they love dearly, they learned about overcoming barriers and the importance
of education. Struggle, barriers, and education became the core of their existence. Thus
positive identity materialized for another generation of gate-keepers.
13 Carter, Wilmoth A. Shaw’s Universe, (Maryland:D. C. National Publishing,Inc.),1973

14. Works Cited
1. http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=You+Tube+sam+cooke&view=detail&mi
d=3003326BE420BBEF87AC3003326BE420BBEF87AC&first=0
2. West, Cornel. Race Matters, (New York: Random House Press), 1994
3. Woodson, Carter. The Mis-Education of the Negro, (African American Images),
2000
4. White, Ellen G. Steps to Christ. (Tennessee: Harvestine Books), 2000
5. Faulcon, Gaddis J. A Winning Generation, (New England: Morris Publishing), 2001
6. Warren, Rick. The Purpose-Driven Life, (China: Zondervan), 2003
7. Palmer, Parker J. Let Your Life Speak, (California: Jossey-Bass), 2000
8. White, Paula. Move On, Move Up, (Zondervan), 2008
9. Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. and McKay, Nellie Y. African American Literature 2nd
Edition, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company) 2004
10. Maxwell, John C. Be All You Can Be, (Colorado: David C. Cook), 2007
11. Maxwell, John C. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, 2nd Edition, (Maxwell Motivation,
Inc.), 2007
12. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism
13. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States
14. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_slave_trade
15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHCD_qlgEDU
16. Browder, Anthony T. Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization, (Inst of Karmic
Guidance), 1992
17. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HKoOYdhkq0
18. Carter, Wilmoth A. Shaw’s Universe, (Maryland: D. C. National Publishing, Inc.),
1973