Inspiring Member of Achievement
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
JULY AUGUST 2017 thetheLLaammpplightlighter The Newsletter for Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church A Loving, Caring, Sharing, Serving Congregation CBPC Inspiring Member of Achievement Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church Jesse was born September 21, 1929 in ~ Sunday School 8:45 – 9:45a Clarksdale, Mississippi to Sylvester and ~ Sunday Morning Worship 10a Marie Snulligan. They moved to St Louis ~ Sacrament of the Holy Communion in 1937, where Jesse attended St Louis on the first Sunday of each month Public Schools. 4673 Labadie Avenue, Jesse enlisted in the US Navy on Saint Louis, Missouri 63115 November 15, 1946, and was shipped 314.381.2770 to the Bainbridge, MD Navy Training www.CBPCStL.org Center for 12 weeks of Basic Training. Reverend Clyde R Crumpton, Pastor After completing Basic Training he was assigned to the Boiler Room of the US Navy Training Center Engineering Department in San Diego, California, IN THIS ISSUE as a Fireman First Class. It was very unusual for a Black man to be assigned A Personal Note From the Pastor 2 Jesse Snulligan, our Inspiring Member of Cote Brilliante Activities 5 Achievement to an Engineering Department, due to racial segregation during that time. Most Save the Date 10 Blacks were rated as seamen, cooks or steward mates. In 1948 he was reassigned to the News From the Pews 11 USS Repose (AH 16) Hospital Ship in Tsingtao, China. The USS Repose remained Kid’s Corner 12 at Tsingtao until September, 1948, at which time she sailed for Yokosuka, Japan for Our Sick and Shut-In / Condolences 13 repairs. On September 25, she returned to Tsingtao, where she remained until March Acknowledgements 14 1949 when she sailed for Shanghai, China. Calendar 16 Continued on page 4, Jesse Snulligan A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE PASTOR Greetings, Cote Brilliante family, Our response, “Everything!” Afford- While everyone remembers able healthcare and housing, livable wages, Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, we This Pastor’s Note is in part a education, the right to vote — everything should also realize that since 2015, there response to our National Big Tent Event that is currently being challenged, com- have been over 600 instances in which Conference, which was held on the promised or taken away. James Crowe, Esq a Black civilian was killed by a police campus of Washington University the represents the language and culture that officer or died while in police custody. weekend of July 6th – 8th. The Confer- makes race in America an issue, and keeps We grieve Eric Garner, 12-year-old ence included dinner and dialogue at America divided using the age-old tactic Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Cote Brilliante on that Friday, with of divide and conquer. Sandra Bland, Alton Sterling, and 50 guests from across the country. The As it appears, racism has not gone Philando Castile, to name a few. theme of the conference and topic for anywhere, it just made a wardrobe change. In her book The New Jim Crow, dialogue was, “Race, Reconciliation But God is not about race. Keeping people Michelle Alexander identifies the New and Reform”. divided allows the rich to oppress people Jim Crow in various contexts, such In the panel discussion on that of all races, and in the process get richer. as social, economic, judicial, political, Thursday at Washington University, So when we say “Black Lives Matter” and racial, each demonstrated through I stated that the Presbyterian Church we do not diminish the fact that all lives the effects of mass incarceration. Since 2015, there have been over 600 instances in which a Black civilian was killed by a police officer or died while in police custody. (USA) has been dismantling racism for matter. All lives do matter, whether Black Alexander comments that she “came decades and it is still alive and well. In or White, poor, low-income or middle-class, to see that mass incarceration in the fact, Jim Crow (the name and face of rural, suburban or urban. United States had, in fact, emerged racial discrimination and oppression) And yes, poor, low-income, and as a stunningly comprehensive and is now James Crowe, Esquire. middle class White America is also under well-disguised system of racialized social An example of James Crowe, Esq attack. They, too, have everything to lose. control that functions in a manner was found in the campaign rhetoric of But as long as James Crowe, Esq, (in the strikingly similar to Jim Crow” (p 4). now-President Donald Trump. In his coded language of 45, of the new Attorney “Strikingly similar to Jim Crow” is coded language of “fixing the problem General, and of the new Secretary of what I identify as James Crowe, Esq. with urban America,” he spoke directly Education, among others) makes Black Alexander states that “Arguably to rural White America about Black America the problem, White America can the most important parallel between America: Black America is the problem not see their pockets being picked and their mass incarceration and Jim Crow is that with America. rights and privileges eroding. Nonetheless, both have served to define the meaning Later, Mr. Trump callously our focus is on Black lives, but we support and significance of race in America.” appealed to Black America asking, all lives. God loves all people. She adds, “Slavery defined what it “What do you have to lose?” meant to be Black (a slave), then 2 | Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church INSPIRING MEMBER OF ACHIEVEMENT Jim Crow defined what it meant to be United States. So it is in the interest of thing to which you set in your mind. It is Black (a second-class citizen). Today Black America to wake up, pay attention, Almighty God who gives us the minds to mass incarceration defines the meaning and stay woke. think beyond what we see, the ability to of blackness in America: Black people, Therefore, slavery must be recognized reach the unseen, and the capacity and especially Black men, are criminals. That as the source of racial divide in America and the resources to accomplish those things is what it means to be Black” (p 197). as the foundation of racism and oppression. for which we hope, knowing “hope does By systemic design, this is how We must acknowledge the fact that Black not disappoint” (Romans 5:3-5). Let us White America views Black America: Americans are descendants of American live up to all God has created in us, and as slaves, second-class citizens and criminals. slaves, and are descendants of a people move to a rightful place of love, peace, The history of Black America of God. and prosperity. parallels that of Israel’s story in the Bibli- As a result of Big Tent dialogue and cal narrative. In Genesis 15, God shared fellowship, we must stop trying to dismantle with Abram (Abraham) that his descen- A special “Thank you” to everyone dants will be strangers in a land that is who volunteered and participated in the not theirs, and will be afflicted for 400 Presbyterian Church (USA) National years, after which God will hear their cry It is in the interest Big Tent Event Conference. and bring them out of that enslavement “Thank you” to the Cote Brilliante with great possessions. of Black America Dinner and Dialogue Committee: to God did that with Israel, bringing to wake up, the chairperson and leaders, to those them out of Egypt with the leadership of who cleaned and decorated, to those Moses. As the narrative continues, God pay attention, who provided desserts and served, to our tells Abram that in the fourth genera- young people who served and waited tion (4,000 years after God shares this and stay woke. tables; and to our neighbor who joined with Abram), his descendants will again the committee and worked alongside find themselves enslaved for 400 years. racism. We must recognize racism for what Cote Brilliante members for the success How this relates to Black America it is and what it does, gather our resources, of our Dinner and Dialogue. You made is strikingly similar, particularly with this educate ourselves and rise above. the church look good, you welcomed dialogue between God and Abram taking Racism will not be dismantled. So our guests and you made Cote Brilliante place about 2000 years before Christ, and the Dismantling Racism and Privilege proud. Your hospitality was noted and now we are in a period 2000 years after committees can now be dismantled and overwhelmingly appreciated. Thank you! Christ, totaling 4,000 years. Then we reorganized as Advocacy Committees consider the 400 years of slavery, for justice and equality — economically, God’s Peace & Blessings oppression and racism, 1619 thru 2019. socially, politically, judicially — supporting Accordingly, if this parallel applies the disenfranchised to become significant to Black America (and I truly believe it stakeholders and contributors, as Americans does), as descendants of Abraham through with the rights and privileges of every other Reverend Crumpton his son Ishmael, and as descendants of citizen. American slaves, at some point Black To you, Cote Brilliante, to our America will experience a social and neighbors, and to our community: economic transitioning, and a realign- “You are a great and wonderful people of ment in the racial caste system in the God.” You can have, do, and become any- The Lamplighter | 3 INSPIRING MEMBER OF ACHIEVEMENT Jesse Snulligan Continued from page 1 In May of 1949, Jesse was assigned During his entire Navy career — Navy to the USS Monongahela (AO 42) Oiler, Training Center and service on three ships, Engineering Department. The South he was the only Black person in any of the Pacific assignment included the Islands Engineering Departments.