Weekly Web Roundup (8/27/16)

Photo Credit: chefmaggio

Here are some interesting stories from around the web that I've seen during this past week:

Like Families and Soccer Teams: Church and Parachurch by Brian Strider (The Gospel Coalition)

"Working for a parachurch ministry, on the other hand, is more like playing for a soccer team. Team members are selected, and then they gather to play soccer. They don't gather to receive math tutoring, to brush their teeth, or to care for the elderly. They gather for one purpose and for a limited season: to play soccer. But a family is different. It's broader and deeper. Whether you're adopted or born into one, your family is responsible for your entire nurture, growth, and education. Your family is the group of people you live with and learn to love. The relationships are permanent and all-defining. Though you might be disappointed if your soccer league dissolved, you'd be devastated if your family disappeared."

Wind during river fest sends 1,500 floaters to Canada by Nicole Hayden (USA Today)

My hometown of Port Huron, Michigan made the national news this past week when a large number of people floating on the St. Clair River ended up on the Canadian side of the US/Canada border. Here's the story of what happened.

American Students Are Still Segregated by Income, Race by Kenrya Rankin (Colorlines)

"Fully half of American children live in high-poverty school districts—where more than 75 percent of students quality for free or reduced-price lunch—which leaves them more vulnerable to health crises, violence and subpar facilities. Frequently, these impoverished districts border affluent areas where students are bolstered by the funding that comes from higher property taxes. For “Fault Lines: America’s Most Segregating School District Borders,” researchers analyzed 33,500 individual school district boundaries to see just how economically segregated districts are."

The real history of Native American team names by Erik Brady (USA Today)

"Most damning, Native American children were often taken from their families and sent to boarding schools under an assimilation policy that amounted to cultural genocide. Its motto: “Kill the Indian and save the man.” Students were told not to speak their languages, even to each other. Their long hair was cut short. They were taught reading, writing, arithmetic and — in a form of state-sponsored religion — Christianity. “All of this was taking place outside the view of the average American,” Gover says. “At that time, someone living in Philadelphia — or, more tellingly, in Cleveland or Boston — might conclude there are no Indians anymore. They are gone. And, in fact, that was the objective of federal policy. … So there were a lot of very powerful forces at work to deny Native American people of agency over their own identities and their very lives. And that’s when the mascots emerged.”"

Orlando Health, Florida Hospital won't bill Pulse shooting victims by Kate Santich and Christal Hayes (Orlando Sentinel)

The city of Orlando experienced a horrific tragedy earlier this summer when 49 people were murdered by a gunman at the Pulse nightclub. Since then there have been countless examples of people that have cared for and reached out to the victims, as well their families. Now, millions of dollars in hospitals bills will be forgiven. Bravo to Orlando Health and Florida Hospital.

MTV Decoded Answers The Question ‘Are Hispanic People White?’

Many people are confused about who is considered to be Hispanic or Latino and why these terms are not necessarily interchangeable. In this video, Franchesca Ramsey and Kat Lazo of MTV News 'Decoded' series explain how to understand the racial and ethnic identity of Hispanics and Latinos.

What Is True For The College Freshmen Of 2016?

Photo Credit: thinkglobalschool

Each year at the start of the new school year Beloit College releases what they call the Mindset List -- a list of important facts, events and people which influence the worldview and perspective that this year's college freshmen class brings with them.

This year's list, which is made up for the graduating class of 2020, represents those students who were born in 1998. As you can see, this year's list highlights advances in technology, significant world events, and the many ways that today's college students experience the world differently from their parents.

You can read the complete list here but I've included some entries below that I found particularly interesting:

• There has always been a digital swap meet called eBay.
• Vladimir Putin has always been calling the shots at the Kremlin.
• The Sandy Hook tragedy is their Columbine.
• Cloning has always been a mundane laboratory procedure.
• The United States has always been at war.
• Serena Williams has always been winning Grand Slam singles titles.
• They have never had to watch or listen to programs at a scheduled time. 
• Each year they've been alive the U.S. population has grown by more than one million Latinos. 
• If you want to reach them, you’d better send a text—emails are oft ignored.
• They disagree with their parents as to which was the “first” Star Wars episode.
• NFL coaches have always had the opportunity to throw a red flag and question the ref.
• They have no memory of Bob Dole promoting Viagra.
• A Bush and a Clinton have always been campaigning for something big.
• While chads were hanging in Florida, they were potty training in all 50 states. 
• Deceased men have always been able to procreate.
• They have never seen billboard ads for cigarettes.
• There have always been iMacs on desks.
• Michael J. Fox has always spoken publicly about having Parkinson's disease.

Please remember to pray for the 21 million U.S. college students that are starting classes over the next few weeks. They are part of a changing world...and they also have the opportunity to influence how the world changes.

How To Help A Self-Admitted Prejudiced Person Change

Photo Credit: memotions

One of the biggest challenges we face in our own personal development is dealing with the prejudice we hold in our hearts towards those that are different than us.

Along with that, we also grapple with the knowledge that discussing these issues leads to the possibility of being accused a racist, which is potentially one of the greatest fears that well-meaning white people have.

For those of us that desire to deal with the uneasy places within our hearts, the tension of coming to grips with our prejudice AND the uncertainty of sharing about these dark places inside of us can leave many of us in a place of emotional paralysis, even as we are seeking to change and view others more positively.

On a recent episode of C-SPAN's "Washington Journal", Heather McGee, president of Demos Action, demonstrates a level of grace rarely seen today towards a self-admitted prejudiced person that wants to change. You can watch the interaction here. Please pay particular note to the suggestions that Ms. McGee offers to the caller.

This is a great model of how to enter into the journey of someone that wants to grow in this area but isn't sure how. Beyond the empathy that she demonstrates, the practical suggestions that Ms. McGee offers are quite helpful.

(HT: Black Voices)