An example of Christian attitudes to racial inequality Martin Luther King, Jr. An example of Christian attitudes to racial inequality

On your whiteboard: Last time we looked at Bible teachings on equality. How many can you remember? (could be the whole quote, just a little bit, or just a vague recollection of what it was about. Whatever you can remember, jot it down.)

Key Questions: What happened in MLK’s life? How did he respond to these events? What were the key Christian beliefs that supported his approach?

Racial Inequality in America –a very simple summary! During the 17 and 1800s, over 10 million Africans were taken from their homes and shipped to America to be sold as slaves. Slavery ended in 1865. But Black people in America continued to be seen as second- class citizens.

Racial Inequality in America –a very simple summary! In the early 1900s, most public services were segregated. This means there were separate facilities (toilets, drinking fountains, schools, sections of buses, areas of housing) for black and white people, so that they would never have to mix. And the facilities for black people were always much worse.

Racial Inequality in America –a very simple summary! As well as the laws recommending segregation, many white people were outwardly hostile and violent towards black people. This was considered normal, and the police (being white) did nothing to discourage it. The Ku Klux Klan were a white supremacist group who carried out lynchings (public torture and execution) of black people at random, but especially on those who spoke out about racism.

Racial Inequality in America –a very simple summary! During the early 1900s, some black Americans started to get together to protest against this racist treatment. This is known as the Civil Rights Movement. A key example of an early Civil Rights Protester is Rosa Parks, of Montgomery, Alabama. She was sitting in the “coloured” section of the bus. The “white” section was full up. A white man boarded the bus, so the driver ordered Mrs Parks to give up her seat so the white man could sit down. She refused, and the driver called the police who arrested her. This began the Montgomery bus boycott. During Parks’ trial, almost all black people in the town refused to use the bus. Some walked 20 miles to work each day. During the 1950s and 60s, the civil rights movement grew and grew as more black people took a stand against their treatment.

Who was Martin Luther King, and what was his role in the civil rights movement? Read the article on pages 6-7 of your handout. Bullet point the key events in your notes.

MLK’s approach to racism Although many other black people at the time hated white people, and tried to physically fight back against them, MLK’s Christian faith meant that he took a different approach. Take out your notes from the flipped learning task. Fill in your answers on the sheet. Compare with your neighbour and using a green pen, add anything you’ve missed. Look at your answers from the “love your enemies” text. Again, compare and green pen.

Green Pen again – check my notes and add anything you’ve missed… (a) Begin by analysing yourself. See if you can see WHY they hate you. Is it something you’ve done? (b) Discover the element of good in the enemy. There will be some good in there. See within him the “image of God”. No matter what he does, see God’s image there. 2. Love is not liking, it is “goodwill” towards them, refusing to do anything that will defeat them. Love the individual but hate their evil deed. “love men, not because they are likeable, but because God loves them.”

Is MLK’s approach realistic? Imagine you are a black member of MLK’s congregation in 1957. He is telling you to love the KKK member who has lynched one of your loved ones. He refers to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:33-34: You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. According to MLK and Jesus, you should love this person, do whatever you can to help them, and pray for them. Group Discussion: How realistic is this? Could YOU do it?

Very briefly, in your planner, sum up… What happened in MLK’s life? How did he respond to these events? What were the key Christian beliefs that supported his approach?