Ask Big Dog: January Edition
Marlon "Big Dog" Brown experienced a twenty year run of homelessness, drug addiction, and jail time before Jesus changed his life. By God's grace, he has come to know Jesus and through Jesus he has been sober for 11 years. Marlon began working at SOS in 2004 as an Assistant Construction Director. Big Dog spends his free time serving those who are living the life he used to live. He desires to see individuals find Jesus and leave their destructive lifestyles.
This blog series will be featured the first week of each month. You can follow along with his ministry on his personal Facebook page or his Street Ministry Facebook page.
Question:
Big Dog, anyone that knows your testimony understands that you've experienced extreme racism in your life. I think our society would like to think racism is a thing of the past. Where do you see it still today?
Response from Big Dog:
There is institutionalized racism whether it be in education, churches, a capitalist economy, or places of higher education. There is individualized racism.
Tony Evans, John Piper, Tim Keller, and Tim Wise have all authored books about racism and how they experienced many things that have verified what they've seen in regards to racism.
I can speak of the racism, some things not so serious and almost funny and some life vs. death serious, that I have experienced in my own life:
- I've been beaten and left for dead because I was the first black Mr. Millington Central High School.
- I was assumed to not be interested in attending a Vince Gill concert in Nashville because I was black.
- I've been criticized by other black people for enjoying activities such as scuba diving, four wheel driving, Jimi Hendrix listening.
- Even on a canoeing trip, a drunk white guy said "There's a (N-Word) in a boat." This was 2013. I felt like I had to watch my back.
- I was treated with royalty in other situations for the being the token black guy. I was recruited and given benefits (cash, food, use of cars) for my basketball skills at an all white school. This was not good either. I was not being given true favor as I also got by without being required to meet all the academic standards. Then I ended up being both black and uneducated. Look at the strikes against me.
I could and should write a book about my life and it would show the racism I see still existing today. I would like to hear your comments maybe the ways you see racism, especially those who might disagree with me. Please comment below or email me at marlonb@sosmemphis.org or askbigdog@sosmemphis.org.