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People of Providence: Selected Quotations on Black People From r er as hat is it about African Americans that gives them incredible resil- PEOP s ience and talent? What is the secret of their passion, insight and zx W love of life? A mere 25 generations ago the ancestors of modern- day African Americans were in cruel chains of slavery. Yet today Blacks excel cWWW L PEOPLE OF in every area of society, including the White House. In spite of the ravages of Wqw slavery, the setbacks of Reconstruction, the dark decades of Jim Crow and in- E OF rt stitutional racism, still they rise. u The factors behind African American progress are the topics of research PROVIDENCE and speculation. In this twelfth volume of the QuoteBook Series, People of P i Providence, Ellen G. White—author, pioneer, leader and one of the found- R o o ers of the Seventh-day Adventist movement—sheds priceless insights on the OVIDENCE p source of the African American’s power: God! It was, and still is God’s love, deliverance and providence that undergird the faith and fortitude of the black elected l saga. Artfully Ellen White affirms challenges and examines the dimensions of S kj the black race from a spiritual perspective. Quotations on Regardless of your ethnicity, as you read these powerful words you will be hfzxW Black People cv inspired to reach your God-given potential. from the Writings of B A Ellen G. White OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY K o 2010 QuoteBook Series Office of the President E 7000 Adventist Boulevard, NW • Huntsville, Alabama 35896 R EDITED BY (256) 726-7000 DELBERT AND SUsan BAKER www.oakwood.edu Education • Excellence • Eternity BENJAMIN BAKER PEOPLE OF PROVIDENCE o Selected Quotations on ii Black People from the Writings of Ellen G. White o EDITED BY DELBERT AND SUsan BAKER BENJAMIN BAKER i Produced 2010, Oakwood University Publishing Office, Huntsville, Alabama Printed at Review and Herald Publishing Association, Hagerstown, Maryland This collection of quotations was edited by Delbert W. Baker, Ph.D., President of Oakwood University Susan M. Baker, D.Sc., Physical Therapist and Faculty at Oakwood University Benjamin J. Baker, Ph.D. Candidate, Howard University All texts are quoted from the New King James Version (NKJV), unless otherwise stated. Quotations are credited to the original author or source except where source information is unavailable. Cover design, book design, and layout: Howard Bullard Advisory and Proofreader Committee: B. Cleveland, A. Greene, D. Millet, L. Moncur, M. Solomon, J. Watkins, M. Warren Typeface: Garamond Premier Pro , Copperplate, Lubalin Graph This volume,People of Providence, is the twelfth in the 101 Oakwood University Graduate QuoteBook Series prepared annually for Oakwood University graduates. QuoteBook copies are complimentary. Other QuoteBook titles include: Lives with Impact (2009); Life Stories (2008); A Place Called Oakwood (2007 Special Edition); The Universal Lesson Book (2006); Powerful Traits for Christian Leaders (2005); Healthy Habits (2004); The Help-Yourself ListBook (2003); The Coping Workbook (2002); The Success Workbook (2001); The Satisfaction of Service (2000); Thoughts for the Journey (1999). All of the above QuoteBooks may be found in digital form on the Oakwood University website in the GoldMine section. ii iii Oakwood University Aim: Education • Excellence • Eternity • Motto: Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve • Vision: Oakwood University graduates are leaders in service to God and humanity. • Mission Statement: Oakwood University, a historically Black Seventh-day Adventist Institution of higher learning, provides quality Christian education that emphasizes academic excellence; promotes harmonious development of mind, body, and spirit; and prepares leaders in service for God and humanity. ThisQuoteBook was partially underwritten by Adventist Risk Management of Silver Spring, Maryland 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904 (301) 680-6800 iv Official Names of Oakwood: Oakwood Industrial Training School (1896) Oakwood Manual Training School (1904) Oakwood Junior College (1917) Oakwood College (1943, unaccredited) Oakwood College (1958, accredited) Oakwood University (2008) v vi Dedication To the faithful pioneers and retired persons of all ethnicities around the world who supported the mission of the black work and Oakwood University. Great is your reward in heaven. Matthew 5:12 vii Letter to Graduates Dear Graduate and Reader, Maya Angelou’s powerful words sum up the African American experience: “The night has been long, The wound has been deep, The pit has been dark, And the walls have been steep.” Then she ends with those now famous and remarkable words: “The ancestors remind us, despite the history of pain. We are a going-on people who will rise again. And still we rise.” A mere 25 generations ago, the ancestors of modern-day African Americans were in the cruel chains of slavery. Yet today we excel in every area of society and have lived to see an African American president and first family in the White House. Each graduate is living the dream for what our ancestors gave their blood, sweat and tears. We ask that you, as one of these graduates, carry high the torch of service and the rich Oakwood legacy. This is the twelfth QuoteBook and the content argues that it may be one of the most important. In these quotations Ellen White unlocks the secret of the incredible blessings of the African American race. She reasons methodically and convincingly that God freed the African slaves with a specific purpose in mind and that as a people we owe everything to God, His purpose and providence. As the editors of this fascinating volume, Susan, our son Benjamin (an OU gradu- ate), and I challenge you to reach high to make your mark in society; and, ultimately to meet in the earth made new. Go with God, President and Mrs. Delbert W. Baker May, 2010 viii Monument to Service (Oakwood University Campus) ix x Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................... xxii I. AFFIRMATIONS ............................................................................................ 2 1. Eternal Worth ......................................................................................................... 4 2. Broad Potential ....................................................................................................... 4 3. Both Rescued .......................................................................................................... 4 4. Available Gifts ........................................................................................................ 5 5. Best and Highest ................................................................................................... 5 6. Precious Jewels ......................................................................................................... 5 7. Rugged Resilience ................................................................................................... 6 8. Exceptional Workers ............................................................................................. 6 9. Given Wisdom ........................................................................................................ 7 10. Superior Natural Intelligence ............................................................................ 7 II. AFRICA ......................................................................................................... 8 11. Great Work .......................................................................................................10 12. Opening Doors ................................................................................................11 13. Adaptable Workers ...........................................................................................11 14. Heaven Ready .....................................................................................................12 xi 15. Same Heaven ........................................................................................................ 12 16. Ethiopia Stretching Hands ................................................................................. 13 17. Missionary Outreach ........................................................................................... 13 18. Sabbath Observed ................................................................................................ 14 19. Exemplary Models ............................................................................................ 15 20. Jamaica Advantages ........................................................................................... 15 III. NOTABLE PERSONS .............................................................................. 16 21. Simon of Cyrene—Sympathies ....................................................................... 18 22. Simon of Cyrene—Providence ....................................................................... 18 23. Ethiopian Eunuch ............................................................................................ 19 24. Apollos—Able Defender ................................................................................. 21 25. Joseph in Egypt—Witness ............................................................................... 22 26. Moses in Egypt—Leader ..................................................................................... 23 27. Zipporah—Ethiopian Wife .............................................................................. 24 28. Ethnic Differences ..........................................................................................
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