Go Tell It on the Mountain

Twenty years after the book, John views on racism, religion, society, personal relationships, and sex will be different from twenty years before. John gains more experiences and knowledge, so he will have better understanding of these issues. Most organizations and movements are form in the 1950s. John will become a civil rights activist to fight for equal rights. He will also be fighting for gay rights. The religion awakening occurs in the 1950s. John might form his own religion or becomes agnostic.

He will form organizations and charities to help African American communities. He will rebuild relationships with those that he hates in the past. Racism in 1950s still remained strong, but this issue was heating up. There were many civil unrest at that time. It was the beginning of civil rights movement. Blacks were frustrated the fact that they still haven’t got the equal rights the government promise. John’s past experiences will guide to him the forefront of the movement. In the past, He thought the blacks were inherently inferior than the whites.

For example, he was happy when the white school principle told him that he was a very bright boy, but when his colored neighbor told him he would be a great leader, he was unmoved. If he was able to enroll into college after the book, he probably changed views on blacks. The knowledge that he gain and personal experiences should helped him to piece everything together. In his 34th birthday, he is no longer ignorant. He knows that his race is not inferior than the whites. Poverty, lack of education, limited rights and other obstacles are what stop blacks from moving on and be successful.

This will motivate him to become a civil rights activist to fight for equality. In the book, he didn’t seem to have any negative feelings against his whites. As he grows older, he might develop hatred for whites, because he will suffer more prejudice and racism from whites when he starts to work in the outside world. Religion becomes popular again in the 1950s. Interest in religion was suddenly so high that, a new awakening was born. According to the book, John seems to have interest in religion. He falls asleep and does not concentrate on his religious studies.

He doesn’t want to be a preacher like his dad, Gabriel. He questions the church, because it does things that contradict the ideal beliefs. For example Gabriel is Christian, but he beats his own wife and children. He even stole money from his wife. He’s a hypocrite just like the other ministers in church. During the twenty-four elders meeting revival meeting, the ministers are well-dress, well-fed, and full of themselves more than the holy spirit. The ministers are supposed to be messengers of god that forsaken worldly pleasures to serve the god and people. They even mocked Deborah of her rape.

John will most likely become agnostic, or form his own religion that base on ideal beliefs. Agnosticism is a view that humans currently do not have enough knowledge to justify if beliefs of deities exist or not. If John has kids, he will teach his kids the knowledge of religion, but he will give them the choice to believe it or not. He will not force his kids to believe it like Gabriel did to John. Many religious parents are like Gabriel that only give their kids one-sided views and brainwash them when they are young. They constantly say terms, such as “Christian child”, “Muslim child” or whatever child.

Those child are just kids, of course they will just listen to their parents blindly. The parents already make the decisions for them. John will give his kids the best resources, spent time with each of them, and put all his heart to raise them. Even though he hates his dad, but he will respect some qualities of his dad. He will forgive him, because he realizes that the environment is what creates the monster inside his dad. Gabriel spent his lifetime full with hate, hostility, unfulfilled ambitions and dreams, unrealized hopes and expectations, heartbreak, humiliation, and being demeaned and devalued.

All these factors created all those negative traits. Gabriel could have been successful, but his path was paved by the white authorities and systems. John will visit his dad, and build a better relationship with his dad. Many blacks are in similar situations like John. They are poor, live in ghetto, don’t have enough food, have to deal with whites and many other problems. John will form organizations and charities to donate resources to black communities or other colored communities. He will set up schools for colored people too. He encourages kids to go to school, be who they want to be.

He knows blacks need education in order for them to break the system and pull themselves out of poverty. They can’t change the system if they don’t know how the system works. Schools strengthen the new generations on fighting for equal rights. John wants students to decide who they want to be, instead of letting their parents make the choices for them. Programs will be set up to teach parents how to deal with their kids efficiently and prevent child abuse. LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community) rights movements were the most notable in 1950s. It took place all over the world, not just America.

John acknowledges himself as a homosexual, but may not openly admit it. He didn’t accept his homosexual feelings when he was young. The society caused him to be ashamed of his homosexual feelings. Homosexual was forbidden in communities all over America regardless of what community you live in except gay communities. Discrimination against homosexuals is heating up in 1950s similar to civil rights movement. John may not able to join the gay organizations, because homosexual whites may not accept him. He will form his own colored gay organizations. He loved Elisha; he masturbated in school lavatories thinking of Elisha and older boys.

He might confess his love for him even though he knows Elisha is not gay. John’s life revolves around a society that is full with racism, sexism, and other types of discrimination. He has to go though one of the crucial times of US history. The fact that he is black and gay already has a huge impact on his life during 1950s. The 50s were the time of minorities, such as colored people, and LGBT communities dealing with issues that US government ignored before that time period. He will be at the center of the movement guiding those that are in the similar situations as him.