2012 Faculty Workshop Testimony

Acts 10:34-35

Early Childhood

• Move from Kansas to Missouri due to a flood
• Experiences as a child in Sunday school and joining the church at age seven
• Initial innocence and early experiences with racism and discrimination

Transition to Adolescence

• Move to an all-white neighborhood and exposure to racial slurs and physical abuse
• Growing sense of shame about his racial identity

Teenage Years and Black Pride

• Impact of the Civil Rights Movement and influential figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X
• Embracing Black pride inspired by James Brown's song "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud"
• Struggles with racial identity and self-acceptance

Military Service and Racial Discrimination

• Joining the United States Air Force and experiencing racial discrimination in Italy
• Wrongful psychiatric diagnosis and mistreatment with Thorazine
• Transfer to Wichita Falls, Texas, and interaction with real criminals in a military hospital

Bitterness and Encounter with Islam

• Discharge from the military and growing bitterness towards white people
• Introduction to the Nation of Islam and its teachings of hate against white people

Encounter with Christianity

• Wife’s involvement in a Bible study and meeting with a Prudential Insurance man
• Realization of the true meaning of being a Christian and the concept of a personal relationship with Jesus
• Conversion to Christianity and understanding the difference between cultural Christianity and genuine faith

Transformation and Commitment

• Transformation from bitterness to forgiveness and love
• Recognition that the true enemy is not people but spiritual forces of evil
• Commitment to serve Jesus Christ and spread a message of love beyond racial and gender boundaries
• Gratitude for the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream and testify to God’s faithfulness

*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.