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6BODYOFCHRISTNEWSJANUARY2015MaryEllenDanuserservedourcountryfor12yearsintheUnitedStatesArmyReserveasaMedicalSpecialistandArmyRecruiter.SheisaretiredinsuranceprofessionalandmarriedtoawonderfulmannamedJohnDakota--aretiredMarineofficerandcommercialpilot.SheandherhusbandliveinColorado.Theyenjoytravelingattendingcarracesdiningoutgoingtooutdoorjazzconcertsreadingwalkingandsightseeing.MaryEllengrewupinasmallcountrytownVandaliaMissouriandmovedtoDenverin1977withtheUnitedStatesArmyReserve.ShesaysIcameherefortwoweekstrainingfellinlovewithDenverandmovedhere.MaryEllenhaswrittenabookFreedomtoChooseIsSkinColorReallyanIssuewhichexploresthechallengesofdatingandmarriagerela-tionshipsbetweenpeopleofdifferentskincolorandculturalbackgrounds.Thebookquotescoupleswhopresenttheirexperienceswiththeirfamiliesandsocietysreactionstotheirrela-tionship.Andtheyareopenabouttheirownchallengesastheynavigatethisstill-somewhat-unusualoccurrence.Hermotivationtowritethebookwastoeducatesocietyaboutwhypeoplechoosetodateandmarryoutsidetheirrace.Itgrewoutoftheexperiencesthatsheandherhusbandencounteredwheneverandwherevertheywereoutandabout.Thebookincludesinter-viewswithinterracialcoupleswithoutrevealingtheiridentitiesforthesakeofprivacyandtransparency.MaryEllenpointsoutthatmanyweretaughtracismintheirhome.Racialissueswerentopenlydiscussedtheracessimplydidnotmixinsociety.Sothequestionofinterracialmarriageneversurfaced.Whensomegrewupanddatedandmarriedoutsidetheirracetheparentshavehadtroubleacceptingtheserelationships.Andsomeofthecouplesreporthavingadifficulttimeevenafterbeingmarriedtwothreefourorfiveyears.MaryEllenstressesGodwantsustoloveeverybody.Hedoesntseparateusintogroupsbycolororculture.Imyselfhavenotalwaysbeenacceptingorsupportiveofmixedrelationships.AndIdidntthinkIwouldeverbeinaninterracialmarriagerelationshipmyself.Ihopepeoplewhoreadmybookwillbeabletohaveanopenmindasweexplorethereasonswhypeoplechoosethepeopletheychooseasamateandbemoreacceptingofthosechoices.Ibelievethisbookgivestheoppor-tunityforpeopletothinkoutsidetheboxsaysMaryEllenInanother200yearswewillbeacompletelydiffer-entrainbowofcolorsthanwearerightnow.Hopefullypeoplewillbeabletobehappyforotherswhohavefoundloveevenifitdoesntfallintothepre-determinednorm.FreedomtoChooseisavailableatTheTatteredCoverBookstorelocatedonE.ColfaxAve.LodoandHighlandsRanchthroughherpublishersweb-sitewww.xlibris.comandatwww.amazon.comandwww.barnesandno-ble.com.MaryEllenalsowritesablogandwelcomescommentsaboutthebookatwww.blended-living.com.JeremiahCamaraslatestworkistheproductionofthedocumentaryContradictionsAQuestionofFaithwhichdealswiththesaturationofchurchesinAfrican-Americancommu-nitiesthatexistinthemidstofimpov-erishmentandpowerlessness.HeasksthequestionIsthereacorrelationbetweenhighpraiseandlowproductiv-ityAndifthepresenceofGodalleg-edlydwellswithintheseholyfacilitieswhyarethesurroundingareasladenwithsomanysocietalissuesOriginallyfromCincinnatiOhioMr.Camarawasbaptizedandgrewupinachurch-goingfamilyandattendedTryedStoneBaptistChurchwhichwasthelargestchurchinthecityatthattime.LaterwhenhemovedtoAtlantaGeorgia20yearsagoinlookingattheissuesofthechurcheshenoticedchurchwasbigbusiness.PeoplewouldaskwhereheattendedchurchbeforeevenknowinghisnameandhewonderedwhatthisobsessionwaswithBlackfolksandthisreligiousintoxication.WhileheunderstoodthehistoricalsignificanceofaguidingbeliefanddeepfaithinthenarrativeofBlacklifeinAmericahebelievesthetraditionofusingprayerasthefirstlineofdefenseandrelianceonsupernaturalinter-ventiontosolveproblemsinanageofinformationreflectsapeoplethatareoperatingoutsidethecontextofamod-ernparadigm.HeacknowledgesthattherewasatimewheretheonlyplaceBlackscouldturntowastheinstitutionofthechurch.HowevermaintainshedoesntthinkitwouldbeinherentpropertiesofreligionthathelpedBlacksgainvariousgroundsinAmericabutreligionsabil-itytounitepeopleinfightingacommoncause.UnderstandablysaysMr.CamarathechurchislikeanoldfriendthathasservedBlackswellthroughouttimeswhennothingelsedid.Butdespitethislegacywemustbeopentomeetingnewfriendssuchastheinstitutionoflogicreasonandfreethinking.Hecontin-uesperhapsthemostinsidiouslydev-astatinggenerationalhand-me-downproposalinAfrican-AmericancultureiswhenweareencouragedtolayourburdensinthelapofJesusandtrustthatGodwillprovideallofourneeds.IthinktheliteraladherencetothisBiblicalactionhasnotonlyhelpedtohinderourwilltobeself-reliantbutithasalsocreatedastateofdependencyupondivineinterventionthatisunpar-alleledinmostgroups.IseethatasaprobleminAfricanAmericans.ThedocumentaryContradictionsAQuestionofFaithwithaquestion-and-answertimefollowingwillbepre-sentedinDenveronJanuary17attheCleoParkerRobinsonDanceTheater119ParkAvenueWest.Mr.JeremiahCamaraisalsotheauthorofHolyLockdownDoestheChurchLimitBlackProgressHewasafrequentguestontheMichaelBasenshow.HissecondbookisTheNewDoubtingThomasTheBibleBlackFolksandBlindBelief.JeremiahCamaraMarryEllen1.J.MOSS-GROWNFOLKSGOSPEL2.TRIPLEE-RISE3.FIVEMEN-CHAMPIONS4.FREDHAMMOND-IWILLTRUST5.VASHAWNMITCHELL-UNSTOPPABLE6.YOUTHFULPRAISE-ISEEVICTORY7.MALIMUSIC-MALIIS8.KJ-52-MENTAL9.RACYBROTHERS-HEALOURLAND10.3WINANSBROTHERS-FOREIGNLANDContradictionAQuestionofFaithSkinColorStillanIssueinSocietyCOMMUNITY