Striving for a Complete Life: The Spiritual Essence of African–Americans’ Food Justice Activism
This essay employs Dr Martin Luther King, Jr’s sermon, “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life”, as an acute lens through which to assess and impart new meanings to African–American activists’ strivings to reach an ideal state of humanness and communal holism as they fulfilled their personal, polit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/11/1361 |
| _version_ | 1797457878025502720 |
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| author | Lynn R. Johnson |
| author_facet | Lynn R. Johnson |
| author_sort | Lynn R. Johnson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This essay employs Dr Martin Luther King, Jr’s sermon, “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life”, as an acute lens through which to assess and impart new meanings to African–American activists’ strivings to reach an ideal state of humanness and communal holism as they fulfilled their personal, political, and spiritual missions in the food realm during the 1960s Civil Rights era and the contemporary food justice movement. Narrative analyses of these Black activists’ personal testimonies convey that their discrete journeys to completeness—what Dr King called the ideal state of humanity in its fullness—were not only facilitated by a divine calling but were also conditioned by the enactment of their Christian faith, particularly in reconciling the affective tolls engendered by their participation in lunch-counter sit-ins and by their quests to help alleviate food insecurity among impoverish populations in the American South. Indeed, when these individuals consciously endeavored to master the three dimensions of a complete life—recognize their agency, honor the interconnectedness of humanity, and seek God’s guidance in doing both—were they able to embody their best selves and demand the realization of a truly democratic nation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:29:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0c15e16e2b1f4e0399d84b00322ef980 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:29:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-0c15e16e2b1f4e0399d84b00322ef9802023-11-24T15:03:42ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-10-011411136110.3390/rel14111361Striving for a Complete Life: The Spiritual Essence of African–Americans’ Food Justice ActivismLynn R. Johnson0Department of Africana Studies, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA 17013, USAThis essay employs Dr Martin Luther King, Jr’s sermon, “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life”, as an acute lens through which to assess and impart new meanings to African–American activists’ strivings to reach an ideal state of humanness and communal holism as they fulfilled their personal, political, and spiritual missions in the food realm during the 1960s Civil Rights era and the contemporary food justice movement. Narrative analyses of these Black activists’ personal testimonies convey that their discrete journeys to completeness—what Dr King called the ideal state of humanity in its fullness—were not only facilitated by a divine calling but were also conditioned by the enactment of their Christian faith, particularly in reconciling the affective tolls engendered by their participation in lunch-counter sit-ins and by their quests to help alleviate food insecurity among impoverish populations in the American South. Indeed, when these individuals consciously endeavored to master the three dimensions of a complete life—recognize their agency, honor the interconnectedness of humanity, and seek God’s guidance in doing both—were they able to embody their best selves and demand the realization of a truly democratic nation.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/11/1361African–American sermonAfrican–American activismcivil rights movementFirst Fruits Farmlunch-counter sit-insfood justice |
| spellingShingle | Lynn R. Johnson Striving for a Complete Life: The Spiritual Essence of African–Americans’ Food Justice Activism Religions African–American sermon African–American activism civil rights movement First Fruits Farm lunch-counter sit-ins food justice |
| title | Striving for a Complete Life: The Spiritual Essence of African–Americans’ Food Justice Activism |
| title_full | Striving for a Complete Life: The Spiritual Essence of African–Americans’ Food Justice Activism |
| title_fullStr | Striving for a Complete Life: The Spiritual Essence of African–Americans’ Food Justice Activism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Striving for a Complete Life: The Spiritual Essence of African–Americans’ Food Justice Activism |
| title_short | Striving for a Complete Life: The Spiritual Essence of African–Americans’ Food Justice Activism |
| title_sort | striving for a complete life the spiritual essence of african americans food justice activism |
| topic | African–American sermon African–American activism civil rights movement First Fruits Farm lunch-counter sit-ins food justice |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/11/1361 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lynnrjohnson strivingforacompletelifethespiritualessenceofafricanamericansfoodjusticeactivism |