both and

Our brains look for simple explanations to complex issues and problems.  Part of the reason we are so polarized in our country is that we as humans have a difficult time living with complexity, tension, and both/and thinking.  We instead tend toward binary or dualistic thinking.  This OR that.   Us vs Them.  

Sometimes, we think that racism will only be defeated by dismantling and creating new structures/systems OR by people taking personal responsibility for their choices and actions.   As if it's an either/or option.  Of course this is not a binary choice but a BOTH/AND.  Systems and structures of injustice need to be emphasized because racism operates in a way that keeps white people from seeing the structural nature of racism and instead to only see in terms of rugged individualism and personal responsibility.  

MLK Jr.'s 2 minute interview on NBC in 1967 addresses this "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality.  

https://www.facebook.com/NBCNews/videos/3057819507571392/

remember

We are encouraged to remember.  To say the names of victims.  To move forward with hope, courage, persistence, and faith.

more courage needed

This mural is outside EJI's Legacy Museum in Montgomery, AL

I invite you to look up and learn more about the tremendous work being done across our country  by EJI (Equal Justice Initiative) 

courage is contagious

I was looking through pictures from my time at the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis in 2018.  These two placards caught my eye:

The struggle has been going on for over 400 years now.  We're seeing increased momentum in the struggle these days and there are people making shifts and leveraging their influence and platforms for justice.  Regardless of whether you and I choose to engage or not, The struggle continues.  Silence and apathy allow for the powers and principalities of oppression and injustice to recreate over and over.  We must WORK and STRUGGLE together to cut a different path forward and create a more loving and just world.  Because of this struggle and the price of freedom, it will take courage, courage, courage!

Read, listen to, talk with someone in the struggle who inspires you by their COURAGE.  We all need this inspiration so that we might takes steps of courage ourselves.  

own it to grow

When we can own our brokenness and depravity, we can begin to grow and transform.  At the National Monument for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, there are rows upon rows upon rows of large iron rectangles hanging.  Each represents a county in the United States where lynchings happened.  Each block has the county and state listed on the top and below are the names and dates of persons lynched in that county.  

Outside of those hanging monuments, duplicates of each iron block lay flat on the ground with an invitation to each county across America to come and pick up their monument as a way to own their history and their contribution in the traumatic narrative of racism and injustice.  Most duplicates remain.  Few have been picked up and taken back to their respective counties.  It is a powerful visual display of how we as humans try to hide and deny our sin due to ego and the fear that we will be exposed and will live forever in weakness and inadequacy, in guilt and shame.  

Christian Scriptures, however, state that "the truth will set you free (John 8:32)," and that "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)" 

What might we as individuals and institutions need to own in the traumatic narrative of racism and injustice so that we can grow and transform?

 

redistribute

I recently listened to Pete Scazzero's Emotionally Healthy Podcast on grieving as a necessary precursor to addressing racial injustice (found here.) In his podcast, Pete spoke of the stages of learning about racism and racial injustice as the following:

1) Awakening, beginning to ask questions, beginning to seek knowledge.

2) Reading, listening to speakers and podcasts, watching videos and documentaries,...input, input, input.

3) The learner begins to put value to this knowledge and topic.  Once a person begins to learn about this, they begin to value this journey.   

4) Once this becomes a value, the person begins to prioritize life and actions around undoing racism.  

5) This stage is about owning this journey and having it live deep in your bones. 

Redistribution is word that often makes people itchy, but perhaps we can look at this concept through the lens of stewardship. When a person or institution begins to move into stages 3 and 4 of this journey, they will begin to value and prioritize anti-racism work and will begin re-examining and re-distributing their resources.  Linking arms in this restoration business of Jesus is a part of our Christian discipleship and our human growth.  

Time, gifts, passions, creativity, relational networks, money...how am I distributing these resources for racial justice, peace, and reconciliation in my community and in the world?   How can we structure our lives and organizations in ways that will value and prioritize healing and justice? 

Along with continued listening to and learning from people of color, consider listing ways you might steward (redistribute) your resources for the work of bringing about healing and racial justice.  

    

resources

I was listening to the Pete Scazzero's Emotionally Healthy Podcast yesterday on grieving as a necessary precursor to addressing racial injustice (found here.) In his podcast, Pete spoke of the stages of learning about racism and racial injustice as the following:

1) Awakening, beginning to ask questions, beginning to seek knowledge.

2) Reading, listening to speakers and podcasts, watching videos and documentaries,...input, input, input.

3) The learner begins to put value to this knowledge and topic.  Once a person begins to learn about this, they begin to put a high value to this journey.   

4) Once this becomes a value, the person begins to prioritize their life around undoing racism.  

5) This stage is about owning this journey and living this journey in your very bones.   

With the pause button pushed in our world due to Covid-19, and with the quick succession of several blatant, public acts of racial injustice (Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Amy Cooper/Christian Cooper), many people who had previously not shown much interest are awakening and seeking education on race and racism.  This is extremely encouraging.  There are so many resources being listed on websites and social media sites. 

The next two resources I want to engage more fully in are:

a) The 1619 Project Written by Nikole Hannah Jones (she's also a fellow graduate of West High, Waterloo!)  Click here to see more.

b) Whiteness Intensive by Be the Bridge author Latasha Morrison.  I think it would be beneficial to learn more about white identity, white superiority, white fragility, white privilege.  Click here to see more.

Here are some books that I have read and found helpful:

One particular video that has been very educational for me has been a lecture given by Dr. Joy De Gruy Leary found here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGjSday7f_8

If you wish to comment below on resources that have been helpful to you, that would be so welcome.