The old “sticks and stones” adage was meant to inspire courage within the African American community in the 1860’s. The African Methodist Episcopal Church wanted their congregation to stand up against tyranny and unjust laws. However, it became a denial of truth when talking about the damage words alone can cause. Have you ever been wronged — especially with words? Words are the first volley of violence when a person or group of people have felt mistreated, misunderstood, or mislead. The opposition to building the wall in Nehemiah was real, but there is another side of the story.