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How Did James Cone Impact The Civil Rights Movement

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Can you imagine living through the Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the 1950’s and 1960’s? A substantial portion of Americans may not have been born till decades after that era, but James Cone was in his twenties during the thick of the movement that saw significant tension and violence overwhelm the nation. However, he also saw the beginnings of greater equality and respect towards African Americans that continues to evolve today. Cone was born in Arkansas in 1936, and found great interest in theology as a young adult. One can only imagine how his life would have been impacted by the emerging black leaders of that time, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Several years after he earned his Ph.D. from Northwestern …show more content…

Not long ago, black Americans could not vote, use the same facilities as white people, and nor did they have any sort of voice in politics. Cone’s focal points may come across as strong and almost radical, but he is not wrong. While conditions continue to get better for black Americans, structures developed over history that still seem to prevent full equality and respect from ever being achieved. Cone is trying to show the light at the end of the tunnel exists, but this light can only be reached through a black …show more content…

In fact, we should all be willing to agree that the physical color of Jesus’ skin should really not be of significant concern. It almost seems as though things would be better if Jesus’ skin color were completely unknown, so a world full of different people would have nobody to relate it directly to. Rather, Cone seeks to provide an identity for the historical message of Jesus Christ that relates to the social location of black people. Without this identity, Cone argues that Jesus is not relevant to the black community (Cassidy 151). Cone said, “White conservatives and liberals alike present images of a white Jesus that are completely alien to the liberation of the black community” (Cone 111). What is so shocking is the complete hostility that blacks face for suggesting the idea of Jesus Christ having black skin when Jesus was not even the white American we tend to see in most churches across the United States today. Again, Cone is not suggesting a Jesus with colored skin, but the intense criticism and anger about the thought of Jesus actually being black raises concern. I agree with the author on the idea that African Americans may have nearly nothing to draw from white Jesus other than his message, and Cone argued that this version of Jesus does not show the true message of Jesus anyway. Therefore, his metaphor about Jesus being black begins to make

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Christena Cleveland’s article, “Why Jesus’ Skin Color Matters”, makes it a point to analyze who Jesus was historically and its connections to his, for lack of a better term, white washing throughout history. Firstly, it targets the main perception Americans and Europeans would have of Jesus, and that is his appearance. Jesus’ face can be found anywhere, from medieval depictions in art, in artwork hung up in Church, and even in the candle section of stores at times. Implictaclly, when thinking of Jesus you will think about a white man with his hair parted in the middle. However, Cleveland brings up this was not always in the case.

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James Cones believe it is important for people of color to take a stance on this view, because if not, it contaminates the minds of blacks in which their lord and savior looks just like people who victimize them.

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To him the whiteness in God dehumanize the oppressed (blacks) and that peace for blacks will only come once white “become black with God” (Cone, 1990, 65). In disagreement, black people need to move forward and cease reliving in the past, because in doing so black people are making themselves out to be a bitter victim. This way of thinking is only bringing more fuel to intensified black’s uncontrollable rage. Cone’s solution to embrace black theology as the proper imitation of God will only bring more rifts in society. Peace is only possible if black people stop playing the victim (let go of their anger) and whites recognize the oppressed, so the two can come together to find a common ground so all may

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