Footnotes by Jemar Tisby

The ancient Greek thinker Heraclitus gets credit for the phrase, "Character is destiny.” The idea was that what happens to someone is not based on luck, fate, or the gods, but is a result of their character and the choices that follow.

As an ethics professor, I think this idea is correct.

Nowhere is this statement more obviously true than with our president. HIs character is so fixed, so flawed, so predictably negative in its effects.

It drives his daily choices, everything from claiming the Iow…

Coretta Scott King defined the Beloved Community as a realistic vision of an achievable society, where compassion drives political policies.

“When tragedy hit, when I was tested, I found that the fear had left. It had been overcome by faith.“ — Coretta Scott King

“I am much more socialistic in my economic theory than capitalistic.” — Martin Luther King Jr., 1952

“I am convinced capitalism has seen its best days in America. It has failed to meet the needs of the masses.” — Martin Luther King Jr., 1951

“The time has come for an all-out world war against poverty. Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation.” — Martin Luther King Jr., 1964

White Christian nationalism’s ultimate aim is a country remade in its image — hierarchical, male-centered, white-controlled, hyper-conservative, and authoritarian.

“Christian nationalism is a political ideology and cultural framework that seeks to merge American and Christian identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s constitutional democracy.” — Amanda Tyler, BJC

“The strength of the movement is in its dense organizational infrastructure: a closely interconnected network of right-wing policy groups, legal advocacy organizations, legislative initiatives, sophisticated data operations, and media platforms, all working together for common political aims.” — Katherine Stewart, author “Money, Lies, and God”