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Let justice flow
February 17, 2009
After seeing the election of Barack Obama as president, PLU student Maurice Eckstein was filled with the promise of America’s opportunity.
“I am overwhelmed to be here in the now,” he said.
Last week, as part of Black History Month the ASPLU Diversity Director spoke at Chapel and hit on themes of remembering past offenses, tolerating differences and at last learning to interact without reservations of faith, color, ethnicity or sexuality.
“United, let us remember that all of our history is important,” Eckstein said.
As a country, people have faced harder times than most who are alive ever have. It’s time to be united in finding justice in the world, he said.
The bible verse Eckstein reflected on was Amos 5:24.
“Let justice flow down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
“Now more than ever we need justice to flow,” Eckstein told the assembled congregation.
As someone who came from Trinidad, Eckstein said he has experienced many firsts in America.
One he reflected on was a winter train trip he took to Minnesota. On the Amtrak the dining cart was a common area. There was an old gentleman sitting in the dining cart and being somewhat sociable, Eckstein sat down and began talking to him.
The old man had been an engineer and was curious what Eckstein planned to do with his life.
“He said ‘he made this country what it is,’” Eckstein said.
And he wanted to know how Eckstein planned to continue what his generation had started.
When he told the old man he was planning to be in communication the old man scoffed at Eckstein’s aspirations and said “He should get a real job.”
Eckstein asked what the old man’s children did. He told him one was and engineer and another was a doctor. Both of which are profession that help shape this country, the old man said.
Eckstein asked the old man, “But are they happy?”
The old man was surprised by the question and seemed dazed and slightly angered by the question. The Amtrak staff stood nearby, almost bracing for the question to erupt into a heated argument or worse, a physical confrontation.
But Eckstein just sat back and calmly faced the situation by explaining his question. He thanked the old man for all he and his family have done in shaping this country and it is because what they have done he can be whoever he wants to. Even if it’s not a “real job.”
It is with that hopefulness that Black History Month is celebrated, Eckstein said. Everyone has prejudices and the troubling fact of racism still exists, but by building on the history that exists and the will that is harbored, this world can take strides toward a united history and a just world.
Throughout the month events and discussions will take place on the PLU campus in hopes of building upon those themes and creating a true and honest dialogue.
Black History Month Schedule of events
Join the dCenter, ASPLU, SIL, Admissions, Black Student Union, Clubs and Orgs, Aliyah Jewish Club, Garfield Book Company, Saxifrage, Harmony, and Lute Explosion! as they host PLU's Second Annual Black History Month! Events will be happening all month.
February 18
• Poetry Slam with Saxifrage starting at 7 p.m. in the NPCC.
• Brown Bag Lunch with Beth Kraig at 12:30 p.m. in the dC.
February 19
• Black/Jewish Relations: A Discussion Panel about the interesting and tenuous relationship between African Americans and Jews in America from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Regency Room.
• Invisible Children documentary showing at 8 p.m. in the Cave.
February 20
• Taste of Tacoma to Steffie's Caribbean. Sign up in the dCenter, leave at 5:15 p.m. from the dC.
February 22
• Taste of Faith at Roosevelt Heights Church of God in Christ. Sign up in the dC, leave at 10:30 a.m. from the admissions parking lot.
February 23
• Black, Christian, Homophobic?: A Panel Discussion from 6:30 to 8 p.m. room 133 in the UC.
February 24
• Brown Bag Lunch on the Rise of Obama starting at noon at the Garfield Book Company.
February 26
• Brown Bag Lunch on the Contributions of Black Women starting at noon at the Garfield Book Company.
February 27
• Chapel with Melannie Cunningham at 10:20 a.m. in Lagerquist Concert Hall at MBR.
• Carnival will include a themed dinner at 4:30 p.m. in the UC. There will be a parade and fire artists at 7 p.m. in Red Square. Carnival events will start at 7:30 p.m. in Lagrequist Concert Hall.
• Black and Gold Dance starts at 9:30 p.m. in the Cave.
Campus Voice Editor Chris Albert compiled this report. Comments, questions, ideas? Please contact him at ext. 8691 or at albertct@plu.edu. Graphic from the Diversity Center.
Last week, as part of Black History Month the ASPLU Diversity Director spoke at Chapel and hit on themes of remembering past offenses, tolerating differences and at last learning to interact without reservations of faith, color, ethnicity or sexuality.
“United, let us remember that all of our history is important,” Eckstein said.
As a country, people have faced harder times than most who are alive ever have. It’s time to be united in finding justice in the world, he said.
The bible verse Eckstein reflected on was Amos 5:24.
“Let justice flow down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
“Now more than ever we need justice to flow,” Eckstein told the assembled congregation.
As someone who came from Trinidad, Eckstein said he has experienced many firsts in America.
One he reflected on was a winter train trip he took to Minnesota. On the Amtrak the dining cart was a common area. There was an old gentleman sitting in the dining cart and being somewhat sociable, Eckstein sat down and began talking to him.
The old man had been an engineer and was curious what Eckstein planned to do with his life.
“He said ‘he made this country what it is,’” Eckstein said.
And he wanted to know how Eckstein planned to continue what his generation had started.
When he told the old man he was planning to be in communication the old man scoffed at Eckstein’s aspirations and said “He should get a real job.”
Eckstein asked what the old man’s children did. He told him one was and engineer and another was a doctor. Both of which are profession that help shape this country, the old man said.
Eckstein asked the old man, “But are they happy?”
The old man was surprised by the question and seemed dazed and slightly angered by the question. The Amtrak staff stood nearby, almost bracing for the question to erupt into a heated argument or worse, a physical confrontation.
But Eckstein just sat back and calmly faced the situation by explaining his question. He thanked the old man for all he and his family have done in shaping this country and it is because what they have done he can be whoever he wants to. Even if it’s not a “real job.”
It is with that hopefulness that Black History Month is celebrated, Eckstein said. Everyone has prejudices and the troubling fact of racism still exists, but by building on the history that exists and the will that is harbored, this world can take strides toward a united history and a just world.
Throughout the month events and discussions will take place on the PLU campus in hopes of building upon those themes and creating a true and honest dialogue.
Black History Month Schedule of events
Join the dCenter, ASPLU, SIL, Admissions, Black Student Union, Clubs and Orgs, Aliyah Jewish Club, Garfield Book Company, Saxifrage, Harmony, and Lute Explosion! as they host PLU's Second Annual Black History Month! Events will be happening all month.
February 18
• Poetry Slam with Saxifrage starting at 7 p.m. in the NPCC.
• Brown Bag Lunch with Beth Kraig at 12:30 p.m. in the dC.
February 19
• Black/Jewish Relations: A Discussion Panel about the interesting and tenuous relationship between African Americans and Jews in America from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Regency Room.
• Invisible Children documentary showing at 8 p.m. in the Cave.
February 20
• Taste of Tacoma to Steffie's Caribbean. Sign up in the dCenter, leave at 5:15 p.m. from the dC.
February 22
• Taste of Faith at Roosevelt Heights Church of God in Christ. Sign up in the dC, leave at 10:30 a.m. from the admissions parking lot.
February 23
• Black, Christian, Homophobic?: A Panel Discussion from 6:30 to 8 p.m. room 133 in the UC.
February 24
• Brown Bag Lunch on the Rise of Obama starting at noon at the Garfield Book Company.
February 26
• Brown Bag Lunch on the Contributions of Black Women starting at noon at the Garfield Book Company.
February 27
• Chapel with Melannie Cunningham at 10:20 a.m. in Lagerquist Concert Hall at MBR.
• Carnival will include a themed dinner at 4:30 p.m. in the UC. There will be a parade and fire artists at 7 p.m. in Red Square. Carnival events will start at 7:30 p.m. in Lagrequist Concert Hall.
• Black and Gold Dance starts at 9:30 p.m. in the Cave.
Campus Voice Editor Chris Albert compiled this report. Comments, questions, ideas? Please contact him at ext. 8691 or at albertct@plu.edu. Graphic from the Diversity Center.