Tony Porter TED talk transcript I grew up in New York City,between Harlem and the Bronx.Growing up as a boy, we were taughtthat men had to be tough, had to be strong,had to be courageous, dominating --no pain, no emotions,with the exception of anger --and definitely no fear;that men are in charge,which means women are not;that men lead,and you should just follow and do what we say;that men are superior; women are inferior;that men are strong; women are weak;that women are of less value,property of men,and objects,particularly sexual objects.I've later come to know that to bethe collective socialization of men,better knownas the "man box."See this man box has in itall the ingredientsof how we define what it means to be a man.Now I also want to say, without a doubt,there are some wonderful, wonderful,absolutely wonderful thingsabout being a man.But at the same time,there's some stuffthat's just straight up twisted,and we really need to beginto challenge, look at itand really get in the processof deconstructing, redefining,what we come to know as manhood. This is my two at home, Kendall and Jay.They're 11 and 12.Kendall's 15 months older than Jay.There was a period of time when my wife -- her name is Tammie -- and I,we just got real busy and whip, bam, boom:Kendall and Jay.(Laughter)And when they were about five and six,four and five,Jay could come to me,come to me crying.It didn't matter what she was crying about,she could get on my knee, she could snot my sleeve up,just cry, cry it out.Daddy's got you. That's all that's important. Now Kendall on the other hand --and like I said, he's only 15 months older than her --he'd come to me crying,it's like as soon as I would hear him cry,a clock would go off.I would give the boy probably about 30 seconds,which means, by the time he got to me,I was already saying things like, "Why are you crying?Hold your head up. Look at me.Explain to me what's wrong.Tell me what's wrong. I can't understand you.Why are you crying?"And out of my own frustrationof my role and responsibilityof building him up as a manto fit into these guidelinesand these structures that are defining this man box,I would find myself saying things like,"Just go in your room.Just go on, go on in your room.Sit down,get yourself togetherand come back and talk to mewhen you can talk to me like a --" what?(Audience: Man.)Like a man.And he's five years old.And as I grow in life,I would say to myself,"My God, what's wrong with me?What am I doing? Why would I do this?"And I think back.I think back to my father. There was a time in my lifewhere we had a very troubled experience in our family.My brother, Henry, he died tragicallywhen we were teenagers.We lived in New York City, as I said.We lived in the Bronx at the time,and the burial was in a place called Long Island,it was about two hours outside of the city.And as we were preparingto come back from the burial,the cars stopped at the bathroomto let folks take care of themselvesbefore the long ...

1. Tony Porter TED talk transcript
I grew up in New York City,between Harlem and the
Bronx.Growing up as a boy, we were taughtthat men had to be
tough, had to be strong,had to be courageous, dominating --no
pain, no emotions,with the exception of anger --and definitely
no fear;that men are in charge,which means women are not;that
men lead,and you should just follow and do what we say;that
men are superior; women are inferior;that men are strong;
women are weak;that women are of less value,property of
men,and objects,particularly sexual objects.I've later come to
know that to bethe collective socialization of men,better
knownas the "man box."See this man box has in itall the
ingredientsof how we define what it means to be a man.Now I
also want to say, without a doubt,there are some wonderful,
wonderful,absolutely wonderful thingsabout being a man.But at
the same time,there's some stuffthat's just straight up
twisted,and we really need to beginto challenge, look at itand
really get in the processof deconstructing, redefining,what we
come to know as manhood.
This is my two at home, Kendall and Jay.They're 11 and
12.Kendall's 15 months older than Jay.There was a period of
time when my wife -- her name is Tammie -- and I,we just got
real busy and whip, bam, boom:Kendall and Jay.(Laughter)And
when they were about five and six,four and five,Jay could come
to me,come to me crying.It didn't matter what she was crying
about,she could get on my knee, she could snot my sleeve
up,just cry, cry it out.Daddy's got you. That's all that's
important.
Now Kendall on the other hand --and like I said, he's only 15
months older than her --he'd come to me crying,it's like as soon
as I would hear him cry,a clock would go off.I would give the

2. boy probably about 30 seconds,which means, by the time he got
to me,I was already saying things like, "Why are you
crying?Hold your head up. Look at me.Explain to me what's
wrong.Tell me what's wrong. I can't understand you.Why are
you crying?"And out of my own frustrationof my role and
responsibilityof building him up as a manto fit into these
guidelinesand these structures that are defining this man box,I
would find myself saying things like,"Just go in your room.Just
go on, go on in your room.Sit down,get yourself togetherand
come back and talk to mewhen you can talk to me like a --"
what?(Audience: Man.)Like a man.And he's five years old.And
as I grow in life,I would say to myself,"My God, what's wrong
with me?What am I doing? Why would I do this?"And I think
back.I think back to my father.
There was a time in my lifewhere we had a very troubled
experience in our family.My brother, Henry, he died
tragicallywhen we were teenagers.We lived in New York City,
as I said.We lived in the Bronx at the time,and the burial was in
a place called Long Island,it was about two hours outside of the
city.And as we were preparingto come back from the burial,the
cars stopped at the bathroomto let folks take care of
themselvesbefore the long ride back to the city.And the
limousine empties out.My mother, my sister, my auntie, they all
get out,but my father and I stayed in the limousine,and no
sooner than the women got out,he burst out crying.He didn't
want cry in front of me,but he knew he wasn't going to make it
back to the city,and it was better me than to allow himselfto
express these feelings and emotions in front of the women.And
this is a manwho, 10 minutes ago,had just put his teenage sonin
the ground --something I just can't even imagine.The thing that
sticks with me the mostis that he was apologizing to mefor
crying in front of me,and at the same time, he was also giving
me props,lifting me up,for not crying.
I come to also look at thisas this fear that we have as men,this

3. fear that just has us paralyzed,holding us hostageto this man
box.I can remember speakingto a 12-year-old boy, a football
player,and I asked him, I said,"How would you feel if,in front
of all the players,your coach told you you were playing like a
girl?"Now I expected him to say something like,I'd be sad; I'd
be mad; I'd be angry, or something like that.No, the boy said to
me --the boy said to me,"It would destroy me."And I said to
myself,"God, if it would destroy himto be called a girl,what are
we then teaching himabout girls?"
(Applause)
It took me back to a timewhen I was about 12 years old.I grew
up in tenement buildings in the inner city.At this time we're
living in the Bronx,and in the building next to where I lived
there was a guy named Johnny.He was about 16 years old,and
we were all about 12 years old -- younger guys.And he was
hanging out with all us younger guys.And this guy, he was up to
a lot of no good.He was the kind of kid who parents would have
to wonder,"What is this 16-year-old boy doing with these 12-
year-old boys?"And he did spend a lot of time up to no good.He
was a troubled kid.His mother had died from a heroin
overdose.He was being raised by his grandmother.His father
wasn't on the set.His grandmother had two jobs.He was home
alone a lot.But I've got to tell you, we young guys,we looked up
to this dude, man.He was cool. He was fine.That's what the
sisters said, "He was fine."He was having sex.We all looked up
to him.
So one day, I'm out in front of the house doing something --just
playing around, doing something -- I don't know what.He looks
out his window; he calls me upstairs; he said, "Hey
Anthony."They called me Anthony growing up as a kid."Hey
Anthony, come on upstairs."Johnny call, you go.So I run right
upstairs.As he opens the door, he says to me, "Do you want
some?"Now I immediately knew what he meant.Because for me

4. growing up at that time,and our relationship with this man
box,"Do you want some?" meant one of two things:sex or drugs
--and we weren't doing drugs.Now my box, my card,my man box
card,was immediately in jeopardy.Two things: One, I never had
sex.We don't talk about that as men.You only tell your dearest,
closest friend, sworn to secrecy for life,the first time you had
sex.For everybody else, we go around like we've been having
sex since we were two.There ain't no first time.(Laughter)The
other thing I couldn't tell him is that I didn't want any.That's
even worse. We're supposed to always be on the prowl.Women
are objects,especially sexual objects.
Anyway, so I couldn't tell him any of that.So, like my mother
would say, make a long story short,I just simply said to Johnny,
"Yes."He told me to go in his room.I go in his room. On his bed
is a girl from the neighborhood named Sheila.She's 16 years
old.She's nude.She's what I know today to be mentally
ill,higher-functioning at times than others.We had a whole
choice of inappropriate names for her.Anyway, Johnny had just
gotten through having sex with her.Well actually, he raped her,
but he would say he had sex with her.Because, while Sheila
never said no,she also never said yes.
So he was offering me the opportunity to do the same.So when I
go in the room, I close the door.Folks, I'm petrified.I stand with
my back to the door so Johnny can't bust in the roomand see
that I'm not doing anything,and I stand there long enough that I
could have actually done something.So now I'm no longer trying
to figure out what I'm going to do;I'm trying to figure out how
I'm going to get out of this room.So in my 12 years of wisdom,I
zip my pants down,I walk out into the room,and lo and behold
to me,while I was in the room with Sheila,Johnny was back at
the window calling guys up.So now there's a living room full of
guys.It was like the waiting room in the doctor's office.And
they asked me how was it,and I say to them, "It was good,"and I
zip my pants up in front of them,and I head for the door.

5. Now I say this all with remorse,and I was feeling a tremendous
amount of remorse at that time,but I was conflicted, because,
while I was feeling remorse, I was excited,because I didn't get
caught.But I knew I felt bad about what was happening.This
fear, getting outside the man box,totally enveloped me.It was
way more important to me,about me and my man box cardthan
about Sheilaand what was happening to her.
See collectively, we as menare taught to have less value in
women,to view them as property and the objects of men.We see
that as an equation that equals violence against women.We as
men, good men,the large majority of men,we operate on the
foundationof this whole collective socialization.We kind of see
ourselves separate, but we're very much a part of it.You see, we
have to come to understandthat less value, property and
objectification is the foundationand the violence can't happen
without it.So we're very much a part of the solutionas well as
the problem.The center for disease control saysthat men's
violence against women is at epidemic proportions,is the
number one health concern for womenin this country and
abroad.
So quickly, I'd like to just say,this is the love of my life, my
daughter Jay.The world I envision for her --how do I want men
to be acting and behaving?I need you on board. I need you with
me.I need you working with me and me working with youon
how we raise our sonsand teach them to be men --that it's okay
to not be dominating,that it's okay to have feelings and
emotions,that it's okay to promote equality,that it's okay to have
women who are just friends and that's it,that it's okay to be
whole,that my liberation as a manis tied to your liberation as a
woman. (Applause)
I remember asking a nine-year-old boy,I asked a nine-year-old
boy,"What would life be like for you,if you didn't have to

6. adhere to this man box?"He said to me, "I would be free."
Thank you folks.
Week 3:
3) Important Teachings (2-4 paragraphs)
One of the main teachings of Protestant belief is that they
are all saved by God’s forgiving grace. Protestants also believe
in a all-powerful God who is considered to be perfectly good,
loving, and holy. They also hold the view that Jesus was fully
human and fully divine. Protestants also hold the belief that
human nature was created good, but through the fall became
sinful and fundamentally self centered. However, the
Protestants believe that purpose for the existence of humans is
to glorify God and live a life of service to God and other
humans.
For Protestants there are three fundamental principles
which include; Scripture alone, Justification of faith alone, and
Universal priesthood of believers. Early Protestants had rejected
the Roman Catholic dogma of transubstantiation which is the
teaching that the bread and wine used in the sacrificially rite of
the Mass lose their natural substance by being transformed into
the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ.
7) Denominational Distinctions For each of the five “Mainline “
Protestant denominations, describe one or two facts or
characteristics that distinguish that particular denomination
from the others. (a-e: 1 paragraph each)
c. Methodist- The movement was derived from John Wesley and
Charles Wesley who placed an emphasis on helping the poor
and the average person. The teachings of Methodism focuses on
building the person and the church is considered as its
missionary spirit. The ideals of the sect are put into practice by
establishing institutions that are able to carry out the ideology,
such as with the establishment of hospitals, universities,
orphanages, schools, and other social welfare establishments

7. which is able to follow the command of Jesus to spread the
Good News and serve all people.
d. Presbyterian- The origins of Presbyterian belief are found in
Calvinism. This places a great deal of emphasis and focus on
education and lifelong learning. This includes the continuous
study of the scriptures, theological writings, and understanding
and interpreting the doctrines of the Church. The sect has a
driving principle in the development of standards of
Presbyterian worship as the Regulative Principle of Worship
which specifically outlines that in worship what is not
commanded is considered to be forbidden.
e. Pentecostalism- This denomination in Protestant sect is a
renewal movement within Christianity that places special
emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through
the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The term Pentecostal is
derived from Pentecost, the Greek name for the Jewish Feast of
Weeks. For Christians, this event commemorates the descent of
the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus Christ, as described
in the second chapter of the Book of Acts
Week 5:
Section Two: Other “American-born Christianities”
1) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(Mormonism)
a) Give a brief description of the founder (if any) and the
origins of Mormonism. (1-2 paragraphs)
Joseph Smith, Jr.was an American religious leader who founded
the Latter Day Saint movement, of which the predominant
branch is Mormonism. When he was twenty-four, Smith
published the Book of Mormon; and by the time of his death
fourteen years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of
followers and had founded a religion and a religious culture that
continues to the present. Smith intended to establish the New
Jerusalem in North America, called Zion.
2) Summarize the major beliefs of the following groups: (1-2
paragraphs each)
a) Christian Scientists

8. Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices belonging to
the metaphysical family of new religious movements. It was
developed in 19th-century New England by Mary Baker
Eddy (1821–1910), who argued in her book Science and
Health (1875) that sickness is an illusion that can be corrected
by prayer alone. Christian Scientists see their religion as
consistent with mainstream Christian theology, despite key
differences. In particular they subscribe to a radical form of
philosophical idealism, believing that reality is purely spiritual
and the material world an illusion. This includes the view that
disease is a mental error rather than physical disorder, and that
the sick should be treated, not by medicine, but by a form of
prayer that seeks to correct the beliefs responsible for the
illusion of ill health.
b) Seventh-Day Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian
denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the
original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as
the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second
coming (advent) of Jesus Christ. The denomination grew out of
the Millerite movement in the United States during the middle
part of the 19th century and was formally established in
1863. Among its founders was Ellen G. White, whose extensive
writings are still held in high regard by the church today.
Much of the theology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
corresponds to Protestant Christian teachings such as
the Trinity and the infallibility of Scripture. Distinctive
teachings include the unconscious state of the dead and the
doctrine of an investigative judgment. The church is also known
for its emphasis on diet and health, its "holistic" understanding
of the person, its promotion of religious liberty, and its
conservative principles and lifestyle.
c) Jehovah’s Witnesses
The group emerged from the Bible Student movement—founded
in the late 1870s by Charles Taze Russell with the formation
of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society—with significant

9. organizational and doctrinal changes under the leadership
of Joseph Franklin Rutherford. Jehovah's Witnesses believe
their religion is a restoration of first-century Christianity.
Doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses are established by
the Governing Body, which assumes responsibility
for interpreting and applying scripture.
Section Three: Humanism and Unitarian Universalism
1) Briefly, describe “humanism” in the United States (2-3
paragraphs)
American Humanist Association is an educational
organization in the United States that advances Humanism, a
progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or
other supernatural beliefs, affirms the ability and responsibility
of human beings to lead personal lives of ethical fulfillment that
aspire to the greater good of humanity. Humanism is considered
a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value
and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and
generally prefers critical thinking and evidenceover established
doctrine or faith.
2) Unitarian Universalism
a) What is the primary theological belief of “Universalism”? (1-
2 sentences)
This core doctrine asserts that through Christ every single
human soul shall be saved, leading to the "restitution of all
things" (apocatastasis). In 1793, Universalism emerged as a
particular denomination of Christianity in the United States,
eventually called the Universalist Church of America.
c) Describe the Unitarian Universalist Church (2-4 paragraphs)
The Universalist Church of America was a Christian
Universalist religious denomination in the United States (plus
affiliated churches in other parts of the world). Known from
1866 as the Universalist General Convention, the name was
changed to the Universalist Church of America in 1942. In
1961, it consolidated with the American Unitarian Association
to form the Unitarian Universalist Association. Universalist
congregations tended towards independence and were not easily

10. prone to centralization. They generally met in State
Conventions, which usually had more authority than was vested
in national Conventions. The church had three divinity
schools: Theological School of St. Lawrence University (1856–
1965), the Ryder Divinity School (c. 1885–1913) at Lombard
College, and the Crane Theological School of Tufts University.
Week 6:
8) Briefly describe the two uniquely American Muslim groups
(one is recognized by traditional Islam and one is not
recognized by traditional Islam) (1 paragraph each)
a. American Muslim Mission- Formerly known as World
Community of Islam in the West, but changed its name in 1978
and came into closer relationship with mainstream Sunni Islam.
Led by Warith Deen Muhammad . Largest indigenous Muslim
organization in the United States. Now known as the Muslim
American Society. The aim of the American Society of Muslims
were to establish an Islamic community life (New Africa) in
America and the promotion of a positive image of Al-Islam in
America and the world. Its organized school accreditation,
publications and business ventures relate to Islamic communal
life in America, including the sale and circulation of Halal food.
b. Nation of Islam- Heterodox black religious movement in
America, based on black nationalism. More than 90 percent of
converts are African-Americans. The Nation of Islam was
founded in 1930 by Wallace D. Fard . Elijah Muhammad
assumed leadership in 1934 when Fard mysteriously
disappeared. Muhammad taught that Fard was God, proclaimed
himself God's messenger, and infused Fard's teachings with
black nationalism. The group tried to help blacks develop
economic independence and recover an acceptable black
identity. Its ethic became one of hard work, frugality, avoidance
of debt, self-improvement, and a conservative lifestyle. The
group recruited actively in prisons and ghettoes and urged the
formation of a separate black nation. The movement split after
the death of Elijah Muhammad in 1975 . The branch following
Elijah Muhammad's son Warith Deen Muhammad has moved in

11. the direction of orthodox Sunni Islam. The branch following
Louis Farrakhan has maintained the Black Nationalist and
separatist stances central to Elijah Muhammad's teachings.
Section Two: Diverse Religious “Themes” in Contemporary
American Culture
Briefly describe the following themes or movements:
3) Holiness Christianity (1-3 sentences)
The holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices
emerging from 19th-century Methodism, and to a number
of evangelical Christian denominations who emphasize those
beliefs as a central doctrine. The movement is distinguished by
its emphasis on John Wesley's "Christian perfection" teaching—
the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin, and
particularly by the belief that this may be accomplished
instantaneously through a second work of grace.
4) Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity (1-3 sentences)
Charismatic Christianity is a form of Christianity that
emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, and
modern-day miracles. Practitioners are often called Charismatic
Christians or renewalists. Although there is considerable
overlap, Charismatic Christianity is often categorized into three
separate groups: Pentecostalism, the Charismatic Movement,
and neocharismatic movements.
5) The Religious-Political Right and the Christian Coalition (1
paragraph each)
The Religious Political Right is a term used in the United States
to describe right-wing Christian political factions that are
characterized by their strong support of socially
conservative policies. Christian conservatives principally seek
to apply their understanding of the teachings of Christianity to
politics and public policy by proclaiming the value of those
teachings and/or by seeking to use those teachings to influence
law and public policy. Christian right is an informal coalition
formed around a core of evangelical Protestants and Catholics.

12. Christian Coalition, specifically the faction in the United States
is an organization, which is the successor to the original
Christian Coalition created in 1989 by religious broadcaster and
former presidential candidate Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson
and is a US Christian advocacy group, which includes Christian
fundamentalists, neo-evangelicals and conservative
charismatics.
Week 7:
SECTION ONE: HINDUISM IN AMERICA
7) Explain the following two American-based Hindu
organizations/movements: (one short paragraph for each)
a) Vedanta- Vedanta Movement dates back to 1978, when
revered Late Swami Ranganathananda (who later became the
President of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission) used to visit
Brisbane annually to inspire devotees and spread the words of
Sri Ramakrishna. The objectives of the movement were to:
1. Promote the study, practice and teachings of Vedanta
Philosophy and the concept of Universal Religion as expounded
by Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda.
2. Promote harmony between Eastern and Western thoughts.
3. Set up educational programme for teaching philosophy,
comparative study of religions, cultural, moral and spiritual
education and yoga lessons; and
4. Develop programmes of philanthropic and benevolent nature
to assist the poor, the needy, the aged, the lowly, the afflicted
and the sick in various parts of the world.
SECTION TWO: BUDDHISM IN AMERICA
6) Explain the following two major forms of Buddhism found in
America: (1 paragraph for each)
a) Shin- Shin Buddhism is considered the most widely practiced
branch of Buddhism in Japan. Shinran's thought was strongly
influenced by the doctrine of Mappō, a largely
Mahayana eschatology which claims humanity's ability to listen
to and practice the Buddha-Dharma (the Buddhist teachings)
deteriorates over time and loses effectiveness in bringing
individual practitioners closer to Buddhahood.

13. b) Zen- Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that developed
in China during the 6th century as Chán. From China, Zen
spread south to Vietnam, northeast to Korea and east to Japan.
Zen teachings can be likened to "the finger pointing at the
moon". en teachings point to the moon, awakening, "a
realization of the unimpeded interpenetration of the
dharmadhatu.
1
Worksheet for “Mainline” Protestantism 2