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We acknowledge that the land on which this diocese is built is the traditional territory of the Paiute, Kawaiisu, Tubatulabal, Yokuts, Chumash, Miwok, Chukchansi, Western Mono, and Me-Wuk people.
Let’s take a moment to honor these ancestral grounds that we are collectively gathered upon and support the resilience and strength that all Indigenous people have shown worldwide.
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Reconocemos que la tierra sobre la que está construida esta Diócesis es el territorio tradicional de los pueblos Piaute, Kawaiisu, Tubatulabal, Yokuts, Chumash, Miwok, Chukchansi, Western Mono y Me-Wuk.
Tomemos un momento para honrar estos terrenos ancestrales en los que estamos reunidos colectivamente y apoyar la resiliencia y la fuerza que todos los pueblos indígenas han demostrado en todo el mundo.
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Friday Reflection
The Bishop's Presidential Address from the 66th Annual Meeting of Diocesan Convention
We acknowledge that this meeting is taking place in the un-ceded territory of California, home to nearly 200 tribal nations. As we begin this meeting, we acknowledge and honour the original inhabitants of various regions, including the Yokuts, Paiute, Miwok, Ohlone, Chukchansi, Western Mono, Me-wuk, Chumash, and the Tubatulabal. A land acknowledgement is a critical step towards working with native communities to secure meaningful partnership and inclusion in the stewardship and protection of their cultural resources and homelands. Let us take a moment to honour these ancestral grounds that we are collectively gathered upon and support the resilience and strength that all indigenous people have shown worldwide.
Hermanas y Hermanos de la Dioceses Episcopal de San Joaquin, es un placer y un placer ofrecerlos; bienvenidos, bienvenidos, tres veces bienvenidos a 66 (sesenta y seis) Convencion Diocesana de EDSJ. Que demos gracias por este espacio santo y este tempo santo esta ora santa ante nosotros.
Translation:
Sisters and Brothers of The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, it is my pleasure and delight to bid you welcome, welcome, three times welcome to the 66th Diocesan Convention of EDSJ. May we give thanks for this holy space and this holy time and this holy play and work before us.
This is my 12th Presidential Address in as many years as your Diocesan Bishop. And, as you very well know, it is my final Presidential Address at our final convention together.
The theme of this 66th Convention for EDSJ is “Called to be… A Community on the ready. (Llamados a ser… Una Comunidad lista.”
Throughout the Gospel’s, Jesus returns again and again, to the theme of being prepared and ready. And this theme is reiterated throughout scripture.
In Matthew 24:44 Jesus says, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at a time when you do not expect him.”
In Matthew 25:13, Jesus says, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
In Luke 12:35-36 Jesus says, “Be ready and dressed. Have your lights burning…”
In 2 Timothy 4:2, we read, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season.”
And in 1 Corinthians 16:13, we hear, “Be watchful and stand firm in the faith.”
It should be little surprise to us who have committed and continue to commit ourselves to living out our baptismal vows and following the way of Jesus, that we encounter this pervasive theme of readiness and preparedness throughout scripture. Living a life, “on the ready” means we are aware and attentive, firstly to God, secondly to the world in which we live, and thirdly to ourselves. It is this attentiveness and awareness which places us in a position of readiness and preparedness for that which is to come, whatever and whenever and Whomever, it might be.
I chose this theme for the 66th Convention because of its central place in our scripture and tradition and also because we as a Faith Community are facing extraordinary transition. The reality is, over our decade-+ together we have done nothing but face significant, often extraordinary transition. And that is no more apparent than as we prepare and ready ourselves for new Episcopal Leadership and the next season before us.
Faithful of EDSJ, please remember, the very best way to ensure preparedness and readiness is to be as present as possible in what and who we have in front of us, at the moment. Oddly enough, being present in the here and now, requires intention and commitment and practice. This focus on the here and now reduces our inclinations to engage in preoccupations and ruminations of the past, as well as speculations and projections on the future. Being present to living fully in the now, affords us the opportunity to engage in and foster a far healthier and holier perspective, a healthier and holier way to see and hear and embrace God, the world in which we live and, and yes, ourselves. Living a life “on the ready” and being a community “on the ready” means we have our hearts and our minds open to that which is occurring at the moment, in real and present time. And all of this means, we will be far less likely to miss Jesus when He shows up. And let us be abundantly clear, He must certainly shows up.
And so, as you’ve heard from me on innumerable occasions, as I am one not necessarily inclined to repeat myself, “remember who you are and to Whom you belong.” And stay alert, be aware, remain attentive, and by all means, for God‘s sake and for our own, be a community on the ready. Because we are, we are most assuredly, Called to be… in this place called EDSJ.
I have so many people to thank and invariably my expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving will not cover all those who warrant said expression. Please know, I am deeply and eternally grateful to all of you for the ways in which you have and continue to follow Jesus, and for the ways in which you have allowed me to walk with you these 12 years.
Thank you to each and every Faith Community throughout EDSJ. Thank you for your faithfulness, hospitality, generosity, love and grace, for your service to your respective communities and the continued ways in which you engage with one another to make EDSJ what it is and what it is becoming.
Thank you to those who participate in ministry through our Diocesan Commissions: SJRAISE, Anti-Racism and Creation Care.
Thank you to our Diocesan Commission on Ministry.
Thank you to those who serve on our governing bodies, the members of Standing Committee and Diocesan Council.
Thank you to Deputies to General Convention and Delegates to our Diocesan Convention.
Thank you to cathedral wardens, treasurer and chapter, cathedral staff and cathedral community.
Thank you to wardens, treasurers, administrators, vestries and bishop’s committees, throughout the diocese.
Thank you Joanne and Mike, our Co-Directors and their staff at our camp and conference center, ECCO.
Thank you Alisa, our Diocesan Bookkeeper.
Thank you Roxann, our Cathedral/Diocesan Administrator.
Thank you Deacon Greg, our Diocesan Treasurer.
Thank you Nelson, our Latino Hispanic Missioner.
Thank you Michael, our Diocesan Chancellor.
And thank you Anna, my/our Canon to the Ordinary.
EDSJ, I cannot possibly fathom walking with any other Diocesan Faith Community as I have these 12 years with you. You have taught me more than I could have possibly anticipated or imagined. And you have shown extraordinary willingness and resilience and faithfulness in taking chances, having a go, and venturing into the unknown, together, with me. You have continued to provide a model of hope and resilience for the rest of the Episcopal Church in the way of becoming the church amid extraordinary change and transition, and showing what it looks like to be a Faith Community resuscitating, recovering and resurrecting. You, EDSJ, are an amazing Holy Experiment and I pray, you will continue to be so.
And above all, please never, ever forget you are ready and you are prepared for that which is to come. And, keep at it. As you have heard, readiness and preparedness is never once-and-for-all, it requires constant care. Again, keep at it!
From Tracy and myself, you lovely, wonderfully Faithful People, we love you and you remain in our hearts and in our prayers.
Bendiciones,
Bendiciones, tres veces
Bendiciones
The Rt Rev David Rice
Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese
of San Joaquin
There is one last thing, please permit me this Postscriptural action. That which you are about to receive is my gift to you as you have been a gift to me. And as you wear it, it it is my deep yearning and hope that as others see you coming they will be introduced to EDSJ and as others see you going, they, too, will be invited to consider how and what and to Whom they are Called to be…
I invite you to wear it with great care, and perhaps remember our time together when you do so.
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66th Annual Diocesan Convention Recap
Election Results:
Diocesan Council
Class of 2028
Deacon Nancy Key, St James Fresno
Jan Dunlap, St Paul's Bakersfield, vice-chair
Joey Soria, St John's Lodi (Member-at-large)
Standing Committee
Class of 2029
Marshall Johnston, St James Fresno Hanford
Rev. Brian Dawson, St Paul's Modesto
Deputies to General Convention, 2027
Lay Deputies
Skylar Carlson, St John's Stockton
Melissa Crider, ECOS, Hanford
Cindy Smith, St Paul's Bakersfield
Candice Gale, St John's Lodi
Lay Alternates
Jan Dunlap, St Paul's Bakersfield
Charlene Martin, St John's Lodi
Fran Bott, St John's Lodi
Claude Muncey, St Francis Turlock
Clergy Deputies
Rev. Betsy McElroy, St John's Lodi
Rev. Luke Martinez, ECOS Hanford
Rev. Nelson Serrano-Poveda, EDSJ Latino Missioner
Rev. Brian Dawson, St Paul's Modesto
Clergy Alternates
Rev. Cn. Anna Carmichael, EDSJ
Rev. Cathy Kline, St Michael's Ridgecrest
Appointments:
Commission on Ministry
Class of 2026, 1 year term Paul Siebuhr, St John's Tulare
Class of 2027, 2 year term Michael Cava, St Paul's Bakersfield
Class of 2029, 4 year term Rev. Luke Martinez, ECOS, Hanford
Anna Pendergrass, St Paul's Visalia
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Join us for a transformative four-week formation series on praying the Daily Office. Through guided Evening Prayer on Zoom, engaging teaching, practical tools, and Q&A, discover the origins, structure, and contemporary practice of this ancient rhythm of prayer—at home and in community. Closed captions available; recordings provided to registrants.
Wednesdays, October 29–November 19, 6:30–8:00 p.m. (Zoom)
Evening Prayer begins at 6:30; teaching follows at 7:00 with time for Q&A.
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Oct 29 – Rite I (Recap Video and Rite I Online Service Example videos availble): Explore the history and practice of the Daily Office, including Morning and Evening Prayer with the BCP calendar and seasons.
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Nov 5 – Rite II (Recap Video and Rite II Online Service Example videos available): Explore the structure and components of the Office: canticles, psalms, lectionary, and seasons, and how they integrate.
- Nov 12 – Enriching Our Worship: Discover resources for personal and family prayer (EOW, hymnody, psalters, apps, websites, and other publications) and consider crafting a simple Rule of Life.
- Nov 19 – Evensong (Plainsong & Music): Experience how music supports prayer; this final session will be in-person at church, and we'll hear examples from the 1982 Hymnal’s service music and learn why we sing the Office. Time will move to approx. 7:00–8:30 pm. The Zoom broadcast will still be available.
Register: Sign up with Michael Cava to receive the Zoom link, reminders, and resources. If you have specific questions about the Daily Office or the BCP you’d like addressed, use the parish Google Form or email Michael, and we’ll do our best to include them during the series.
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Cheers EDSJ: Come on up to wine country and get in the holiday spirit with us!
Enjoy delicious baked goods and festive holiday music while you explore one-of-a-kind handcrafted items and so much more.
10:00 am - 3:00 pm - 1055 N Lower Sacramento Rd
Bring friends & spend the day with us!
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November 16
Bishop Visitation--St Paul's Modesto
Canon Visitation--St James Cathedral
November 17
Lay Preaching 101
6:30pm ZOOM
November 18
Creation Care Commission
7pm ZOOM
November 23
Bishop Visitation--St James Cathedral
Canon Visitation--St James Sonora
November 27 & 28
Diocesan Office Closed for Thanksgiving
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For Federal Workers and Contractors Amid the Shutdown
God of all comfort, who promised through your well-beloved Son to provide for our daily needs, many in this country are fearful as the government shutdown leaves them without pay. We pray for air traffic controllers, scientists, park rangers, and all federal workers who face serious financial insecurity at this time. We give you thanks for the churches, food banks, restaurants, and all who are stepping up to help feed those struggling to make ends meet. God, comfort and strengthen all whose lives and livelihood have been upended and equip our governing authorities to work toward a just and equitable government reopening. We ask this through your Son, our balm and remedy. Amen.
For the Work of COP30 and the Healing of Creation
Creator of all, who calls your people into right relationship with the Earth, we pray for all engaged in the work of international cooperation to confront climate change. As the United Nations 30th climate change conference begins, be present with all who deliberate, and guide them by your spirit of wisdom, goodness, and justice. Prosper the work of negotiation, that nations may find common purpose and courage to act for the sake of your creation. The Earth groans for redemption—strengthen all who labor for the healing of this, our common home. Through Jesus Christ your incarnate Son, who walked this Earth and cared for it with human hands and a loving heart. Amen.
Thanksgiving for Peaceful Elections
O God, our governor, who desires that all your children live in safety, we give you thanks for the recent elections held in peace throughout this nation. Grant that future elections may continue in safety, and that our civic life may be marked by fairness and justice. We pray for those elected this week to public office: Give them wisdom and strength to serve with integrity and compassion. Fill all who govern, and all people of this land, with a love of truth and righteousness for the sake of the common good. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, the source of all truth and righteousness. Amen.
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EPPN in now offering weekly prayers that you can add to your personal and church prayer lists!
To subscribe go to: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/ministries/office-government-relations/eppn-sign-up/
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In my younger years, discernment was one of those gifts that was either very weak in my spirit or was one that I never listened to very well. I am sure we have all heard the saying, a wolf in sheep’s clothing! I feel I was somewhat blind to these wolves! Matthew 10:16 tells us. “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Why I did not hold fast to this scripture growing up, I do not know. As many of you may know, I am known for my different t-shirts and the messages they portray. One of them has this donkey holding up a bible and it reads, “I am old and wise, because God protected me when I was young and stupid”. Thank goodness for this because I really did lack the discernment the Holy Spirit so graciously gave me.
But God is patient with us and continually waits until the right time for us to answer the call he has for us. Hebrews 5:14 tells us, “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Also in chapter 4:12 we read, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” So, I am thankful for God’s patience with me as I took so many years discerning His will for my life. I am also thankful to Bishop Davis when we first met and he confirmed that I was being called to a deeper ministry in the church and I am grateful to the Commission on Ministry when they lead me through the discernment process for my call to the Deaconate.
When asked to serve on COM, I was also hesitant because of the fear that I lacked the discernment to truly know if this is what I am supposed to be doing and is it God calling me. After time in prayer and with the addition of having had hands laid on me by our Bishop, I knew that it was the Spirit that was now leading my life and I had to no longer be fearful of stepping out in faith to do what She was calling me to do. I was drawn by 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace’, and I now seek that peace in making my decisions.
This is now my second term serving on COM and I wanted to share with you not to be fearful when you feel that tug or hear that sweet voice calling you to serve. Yes, it is very important to stop and listen, to discern that it is God calling you and not the world or the flesh getting in your way. Romans 12:2, calls us to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. James tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” So take that time to listen closely and then reach out to those you trust to confirm that they too feel you are being called, because God needs us to be his apostles and spread the good news, especially in this time.
We read throughout scripture that God is calling us. Paul told the Philippians, “It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” We all are called to do this, acting it out to all the world in the specific ways God is calling us to serve. It could be in Lay Ministry or in Ordained Ministry. It is up to us to discern what God is calling us to do.
So I want to end with the message from Proverbs 2:1-5. “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” This is truly what is constantly in my prayers for all of you.
Deacon Cathy Kline serves at St Michael's Ridgecrest
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Several months ago, I had planned to write an educational article. The federal administration enjoys throwing around titles that few people know about, such as The Alien Enemies Act of 1798, the Posse Comitatus Act, and The Insurrection Act of 1807. But then an event occurred that troubled me to the point where I had to change my plans.
The other week I accepted a substitute position in a Merced kindergarten class. In that class, there was a very small boy of Asian descent. Before lunch, he came to me crying. During my investigation to find out why he was crying, I discovered one of his classmates had told him, “Go back to where you came from; you don't belong here.”
Had this been middle school or even high school, it would not have affected me so much, but the thought of this hate coming out of the mouth of a 5-year-old completely threw me. It never occurred to me that I would end up having this conversation with a 5-year-old. It leaves me wondering what this period of history is teaching our children. What happened to the innocence of childhood when a 5-year-old is so filled with hate?
Those of us at SJRAISE—and many in our society—spend a lot of time and money focusing on the deportation of adults. Yet, we forget to see the harm we are doing to our children—children who live in fear of watching their parents being detained or who fear returning home from school and finding their parents gone. Their parents are afraid of leaving the house to shop for groceries or go to church or attend meetings for fear that they are being watched and will be followed and picked up. No one who appears to be of a foreign ethnicity is safe or immune. It does not matter if you have no criminal record. It does not matter whether you came here documented or undocumented. People are picked up at the courthouse trying to go to their immigration hearings, trying to do their best to be here legally. This continual existence of fear and hatred will leave us with a generation permanently marred and wounded. These traumas will stay with our children long after this time in history has passed. It will continue to affect the way these children see the world around them and their place in it. It leaves us to question what type of world we want to leave for our children. How or what can we do to effect the changes that are needed to make the future world a safe place for all? Make it the kind of world we want for all children, regardless of their place of origin.
Deacon Amy Larsen serves at St James Sonora
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A prayer for the season of Pentecost
Holy and Great father, you. Created all things and love all that you created.
Your children are divided and have turned against one another. Many live their lives in fear. As you sent our spirit to teach and comfort the first disciples 0n that first Pentecost we ask today for your spirit. May your spirit touch our leaders filling them with knowledge and compassion. May your spirit touch those in fear filling them with comfort and strength and may it give strength courage to your church to be able to walk in solidarity with those in need. We ask all of this through your son our brother Jesus Christ. Amen.
| KNOW YOUR RIGHTS RED CARDS! | | |
Countdown to Christmas: Thoughtful and Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas
Are you counting down the days to Christmas? Are you looking for that special gift for a loved one who has everything? As the holiday season approaches, many of us are on the lookout for meaningful gifts that show our loved ones we care, while also being mindful of our planet. It's entirely possible to give gifts that are both thoughtful and earth-friendly. Here are some ideas to help you celebrate the season in a sustainable way.
Charitable Giving
Consider making a donation to a charity in someone’s name. Choose organizations that align with the recipient's values, such as those focused on environmental conservation, animal welfare, or social justice. This type of gift can have a meaningful impact far beyond the holiday season.
There are numerous options at the Gifts for Life website. Bonus! You would be supporting the mission of the Episcopal Relief & Development ministry. Check out all the gifts at https://bit.ly/4nsvufW. There's also giving to the Heifer Project, Habitat for Humanity, Solar Cookers International, Hospice, etc. in the giftee's name.
Personalized Plant Gifts
For those with a green thumb or anyone who might enjoy a touch of nature, consider gifting a plant. Choose easy-to-care-for options like succulents or herbs that can thrive indoors. You can even personalize the pot with hand-painted designs or messages to add a personal touch.
Do you have a green thumb? If you grow a variety of herbs, consider getting unbleached tea bags with strings. You can fill them with herbal teas and tie them closed, creating thoughtful gifts that can easily be regifted.
DIY Natural Beauty Products
Create homemade beauty products such as sugar scrubs, bath salts, or lip balms. Using natural ingredients and essential oils, these gifts are not only luxurious but also free from harmful chemicals. Package them in reusable glass jars or tins to enhance the eco-friendly appeal.
Experiences Over Things
Gifting an experience can be more memorable than a physical object. Consider giving a yoga class, a cooking workshop, or tickets to a local event. These experiences often lead to lasting memories and have a lower environmental impact than material gifts.
Handmade Gifts
Tap into your creative side and make something unique. Whether it's knitting a cozy scarf, creating a photo album, or painting a small canvas, handmade gifts are always cherished for the thought and effort involved.
Consider making a quick and delightful treat that a busy loved one would appreciate. A mug cake in a festive mug would be a charming surprise. You might find unique mugs at a second-hand store or even repurpose one from your own collection. Alternatively, think about a soup mix – reusable glass jars filled with all the essentials for a comforting soup would be perfect for a chilly winter evening.
Subscription to Digital Services
Consider gifting subscriptions to digital services such as audiobooks, streaming services, or online courses. These gifts are clutter-free and reduce the need for physical packaging.
Support Local Artisans
Buying from local artisans not only supports small businesses but also reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting goods over long distances. Look for handmade jewelry, pottery, or textiles crafted by local artists.
Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping
While beautiful, traditional wrapping paper is lovely, it can harm our fragile planet. Instead, consider wrapping your gifts with reusable materials like tea towels, cloth napkins, scarfs, or newspapers. This way, the wrapping becomes part of the gift rather than waste. Look up Furoshiki for creative and simple ways to wrap gifts using cloth.
Encourage Re-gifting
Don’t hesitate to let recipients know that it’s perfectly acceptable to re-gift any items you give them. After all, it’s the thought that counts! Encourage others to embrace this idea for their gifts as well.
By choosing earth-friendly gifts, we can spread joy while also caring for our planet. Share your favorite eco-conscious gift ideas with us and inspire others to celebrate a sustainable Christmas. What are your favorite earth friendly presents to give or receive? Share your ideas with us... charlene.i.martin@gmail.com? Let's make this festive season a little greener and a lot more meaningful!
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Resources for Veteran's Day
Looking for ways to expand your reading in honor of Veteran's Day?
Check out these recommendations from the ARC
Torchbearers of Democracy by Chad L. Williams
ISBN: 9780807899359
Publication Date: 2010-09-20
For the 380,000 African American soldiers who fought in World War I, Woodrow Wilson's charge to make the world "safe for democracy" carried life-or-death meaning. Chad L. Williams reveals the central role of African American soldiers in the global conflict and how they, along with race activists and ordinary citizens, committed to fighting for democracy at home and beyond. Using a diverse range of sources, Torchbearers of Democracy reclaims the legacy of African American soldiers and veterans and connects their history to issues such as the obligations of citizenship, combat and labor, diaspora and internationalism, homecoming and racial violence, "New Negro" militancy, and African American memories of the war.
For Their Own Cause by Kelly D. Mezurek
ISBN: 9781631012228
Publication Date: 2016-10-25
The 27th United States Colored Troops (USCT), composed largely of free black Ohio men, served in the Union army from April 1864 to September 1865 in Virginia and North Carolina. It was the first time most members of the unit had traveled so far from home. The men faced daily battles against racism and against inferior treatment, training, and supplies. They suffered from the physical difficulties of military life, the horrors of warfare, and homesickness and worried about loved ones left at home without financial support. Yet their contributions provided a tool that allowed blacks with little military experience, and their families, to demand social acceptance and acknowledgment of their citizenship. Their service did not end when their enlistment was over. After the men of the 27th returned to Ohio, they and their families sought full access to the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and compensatory citizenship rights for their collective sacrifice. Despite their constant battle against racism, this public behavior benefited the men and their families. It also meant that the African American role in the Union victory remained part of local community remembrance and commemoration. As a result, the experiences of these men from the 27th USCT gave the late-nineteenth-century Ohio black community legitimate hopes for access to equal civil and social rights for all. For Their Own Cause is the first comprehensive history of the 27th USCT. By including rich details culled from private letters and pension files, Mezurek provides more than a typical regimental study; she demonstrates that the lives of the men of the 27th USCT help to explain why in the wars that followed, despite the disappointments and increasingly difficult struggle for African American equality that continued for far too many decades after the promise of the three Civil War-era constitutional amendments, blacks in the United States continued to offer their martial support in the front lines and the back.
Sacrificing Soldiers on the National Mall by Kristin Ann Hass
ISBN: 9780520954755
Publication Date: 2013-03-22
For the city's first two hundred years, the story told at Washington DC's symbolic center, the National Mall, was about triumphant American leaders. Since 1982, when the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated, the narrative has shifted to emphasize the memory of American wars. In the last thirty years, five significant war memorials have been built on, or very nearly on, the Mall. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, The National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During WWII, and the National World War II Memorial have not only transformed the physical space of the Mall but have also dramatically rewritten ideas about U.S. nationalism expressed there. In Sacrificing Soldiers on the National Mall, Kristin Ann Hass examines this war memorial boom, the debates about war and race and gender and patriotism that shaped the memorials, and the new narratives about the nature of American citizenship that they spawned. Sacrificing Soldiers on the National Mall explores the meanings we have made in exchange for the lives of our soldiers and asks if we have made good on our enormous responsibility to them.
The Marines of Montford Point by Melton A. McLaurin
ISBN: 9781469605227
Publication Date: 2009-11-05
With an executive order from President Franklin Roosevelt in 1941, the United States Marine Corps--the last all-white branch of the U.S. military--was forced to begin recruiting and enlisting African Americans. The first black recruits received basic training at the segregated Camp Montford Point, adjacent to Camp Lejeune, near Jacksonville, North Carolina. Between 1942 and 1949 (when the base was closed as a result of President Truman's 1948 order fully desegregating all military forces) more than 20,000 men trained at Montford Point, most of them going on to serve in the Pacific Theatre in World War II as members of support units. This book, in conjunction with the documentary film of the same name, tells the story of these Marines for the first time. Drawing from interviews with 60 veterans, The Marines of Montford Point relates the experiences of these pioneers in their own words. From their stories, we learn about their reasons for enlisting; their arrival at Montford Point and the training they received there; their lives in a segregated military and in the Jim Crow South; their experiences of combat and service in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam; and their legacy. The Marines speak with flashes of anger and humor, sometimes with sorrow, sometimes with great wisdom, and always with a pride fostered by incredible accomplishment in the face of adversity. This book serves to recognize and to honor the men who desegregated the Marine Corps and loyally served their country in three major wars.
Freedom Journey by Edythe Ann Quinn
ISBN: 9781438455396
Publication Date: 2015-01-31
The story of thirty-six African American men who drew upon their shared community of The Hills for support as they fought in the Civil War.
Fighting for Hope by Robert F. Jefferson
ISBN: 9781421403090
Publication Date: 2008-11-24
This fascinating history shows how African-American military men and women seized their dignity through barracks culture and community politics during and after World War II. Drawing on oral testimony, unpublished correspondence, archival records, memoirs, and diaries, Robert F. Jefferson explores the curious contradiction of war-effort idealism and entrenched discrimination through the experiences of the 93rd Infantry Division. Led by white officers and presumably unable to fight--and with the army taking great pains to regulate contact between black soldiers and local women--the division was largely relegated to support roles during the advance on the Philippines, seeing action only later in the war when U.S. officials found it unavoidable. Jefferson discusses racial policy within the War Department, examines the lives and morale of black GIs and their families, documents the debate over the deployment of black troops, and focuses on how the soldiers' wartime experiences reshaped their perspectives on race and citizenship in America. He finds in these men and their families incredible resilience in the face of racism at war and at home and shows how their hopes for the future provided a blueprint for America's postwar civil rights struggles. Integrating social history and civil rights movement studies, Fighting for Hope examines the ways in which political meaning and identity were reflected in the aspirations of these black GIs and their role in transforming the face of America.
African Americans and the Gettysburg Campaign by James M. Paradis
ISBN: 9780810883376
Publication Date: 2023-06-14
The Sesquicentennial edition of African Americans and the Gettysburg Campaign updates the original 2006 edition, as James M. Paradis introduces readers to the African-American role in this famous Civil War battle. In addition to documenting their contribution to the war effort, it explores the members of the black community in and around the town of Gettysburg and the Underground Railroad activity in the area.
Disposable Heroes by Benjamin Fleury-Steiner
ISBN: 9781442217874
Publication Date: 2012-10-01
For many soldiers, the end of military service signals a cruel and new beginning. Disposable Heroes illuminates the challenges facing many veterans, particularly African Americans. Rather than finding military service to be a path to equality and upward mobility, these veterans fight just to survive. The book draws on in-depth interviews and national survey data to show the ways America is failing many black veterans today. Author Benjamin Fleury-Steiner shares the remarkable stories of 30 veterans from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. Their words illustrate the ongoing impact of explicit racial oppression such as Jim Crow segregation, white backlash against integration, and racially targeted criminal justice policies. The book traces the persistent role of racial inequalities in African American veterans' lives before service, during active duty, and particularly after military life. Taken together, the stories in Disposable Heroes paint a compelling story of hope, struggle, and survival. Disposable Heroes makes a powerful case for ending America's longstanding "war at home"--enduring unemployment, deficient health care, and substandard housing--that continue to plague many urban African American communities in the United States today, with particular attention to challenges of African American veterans.
Connecticut's Black Soldiers, 1775-1783 by David O. White
ISBN: 0871061198 Publication Date: 2017-12-01
Black soldiers of the American Revolution? Not a credible statement in light of what most Americans have read about the Revolutionary War. We have heard of Casimir Pulaski the Pole, Marquis de Lafayette the Frenchman, and Baron von Steuben the German, but not black participants. Yet, close to 5,000 blacks did fight in the war against the British, and others served as laborers, spies, and guides. The absence in our general histories of their activities in this struggle lies with the misconception that the Afro-American has contributed little or nothing towards the creation of the United States and its subsequent development, for in most studies made of the Revolutionary era, there has been little impulse to search for evidences of service by blacks, except perhaps to note the existence of slavery. Histories of Connecticut have generally treated the Revolution in a similar manner. Few of them have acknowledged the contributions of the black soldier. This is partially true because the story of Connecticut's black participant is one about the regular foot soldier in the Revolution and not about the men who led him into battle or the political leaders who guided the nation. And it is these men who most often fill the pages of our history books. As one phase of the Bicentennial observation, The American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Connecticut has authorized scholars in a wide range of study to write a series of monographs on the broadly defined Revolutionary Era of 1763 to 1787. These monographs appeared] yearly beginning in 1973 through 1980. Emphasis is placed upon the birth of the nation, rather than on the winning of independence on the field of battle.
Videos worth checking out as well...
- American's Black Warriors: From the Revolutionary War to the Spanish-American War, an A&E special
- Black Soldier Blues
- Tuskegee Airmen: Still Flying High
- For Love of Liberty!
- FedFlix: African-Americans in World War II: Legacy of Patriotism and Valor
Deacon Steve Bentley serves at St John's Stockton
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