Instagram Posts from the Week of August 11, 2019

Headlines and History - August 11, 2019

News stories of police using excessive force are ubiquitous. Disturbing videos and images plaster our screens, whether hand-held or mounted to our walls, threatening to desensitize us to the horrors of injustice. On August 2, 2019, an article by Mary Tuma titled “Austin Police Encouraged to Use Excessive Force?” was featured in The Austin Chronicle. Tuma wrote, “The violence inflicted on Soto-Torres, his attorneys claim, is even ‘worse’ and more excessive than what King suffered. The suit notes that APD and the city had prior knowledge of the abusive history of the officers, but took no action to prevent future incidents and failed to take steps to determine whether the officers were unfit to serve or a danger to others. The city's ‘failures to terminate and/or discipline its officers who continue using excessive force encourages officers to use excessive force when the use of such force is not necessary,’ the suit reads.”

Police brutality in this nation has a past that is painful and prolonged. In a six part series for Eastern Kentucky University, Dr. Gary Potter chronicles the history of policing in the United States from the 1600s to present day. With piercing analysis, Dr. Potter explains the origin and evolution of what we know as the police force while providing answers to questions about the nature and purpose of police.

To be clear, I am against the police brutalizing people, which is not the same as being anti-police. Valuing black and brown lives, and advocating for people to be treated with dignity and respect, is not in opposition to valuing “blue lives.” I will publish a full blog post on the topic of police brutality with recommended resources in early September. Our present is intertwined with and informed by our past. We must face the past so we can heal the future.

*Edited to add: On June 17, 2020, I came across The Redemption Project with Van Jones for CNN. I read the words, “Face the past. Heal the future.” I will no longer use this phrase for my Headlines and History posts beginning in June 2020.

 

#policebrutality #thehistoryofpolicebrutality #slavepatrols #antibrutalitynotpolice #loveyourneighbor #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #lament #repent #repair #facethepast #healthefuture #headlinesandhistory #historyandheadlines #broadeningthenarrative

The History of Policing in the United States, Part 1 by Dr. Gary Potter

The History of Policing in the United States, Part 2 by Dr. Gary Potter

The History of Policing in the United States, Part 3 by Dr. Gary Potter

The History of Policing in the United States, Part 4 by Dr. Gary Potter

The History of Policing in the United States, Part 5 by Dr. Gary Potter

The History of Policing in the United States, Part 6 by Dr. Gary Potter




Podcast Rec - August 13, 2019

Past Listen - The Bible for Normal People: Episode 34: Jen Hatmaker: Changing Your Mind about the Bible: A Survivor’s Guide (Released January 29, 2018)

“I was solidly an adult before I gave myself permission to become a critical thinker about faith, about the Bible, about cultural understandings of all of those things.” - Jen Hatmaker

There are people I am friends with irl who may want to sit me down for an intervention after seeing me recommend this podcast, but I keep thinking about the quote from Rachel Held Evans I shared last week. “I think (the Bible) is strong enough, and I think God's a big enough God to handle my doubts ... it was Job who finally is blessed by God, and it was Job who said, ‘I desire to have an argument with God.’... And it all points to a God and to a scripture that can handle it, that isn't fragile and breakable and always in need of constant defense.”

What podcasts have you listened to recently?

#peteenns #jaredbyas #jenhatmaker #thebiblefornormalpeople #podcast #podcastrecommendation #faith #lovingthebibleagain #loveyourneighbor #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - August 14, 2019

I have the privilege of knowing the person behind today’s account irl. As you can see on her site for Bandy's Notebook, Sequana has "a collection of musical, expositional, and visual expressions winnowed from (her) notebook to yours."

Sequana is gifted and has created some beautiful music that gets stuck in your head and transforms your heart. I am incredibly thankful for her and want to see her flourish in all she does.  

Follow @bandy_that_one_girl, and support her inspiring work.

#bandy #bandysnotebook #newartist #femalerapper #hiphop #music #support #pioneer #community #broadeningthenarrative

Additional Rec - August 15, 2019

In January last year, I watched the video “What Afro-Latinos Want You to Know” on the Pero Like YouTube Channel. I have included several quotes from the contributors to the video.

“We’ve been colonized so poorly that we want to identify with being white so much, not all of us but many of us, that we look down on dark skin.” - Aida Rodriguez 

“You, as a black Latino, have two problems. First, you’re black and get discriminated for being black. Secondly, you’re Latino and get discriminated for being Latino. So you’re a double minority.” - Antonio Curtis

“Your parents are instilling in you that these European features are the most beautiful things. The standard of beauty for them is blond hair and blue eyes.” - Gadiel Del Orbe

Do you have any additional resources for broadening the narrative?

#afrolatinoexperiences #perolike #conversationsaboutrace #endwhitesupremacy #dismantlewhitesupremacy #beautyindiversity #bettertogether #empathy #learning #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Book Rec - Aug. 17, 2019

Current Read- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass

"In August, 1832, my master attended a Methodist camp-meeting held in the Bay-side, Talbot county, and there experienced religion. I indulged a faint hope that his conversion would lead him to emancipate his slaves, and that, if he did not do this, it would, at any rate, make him more kind and humane. I was disappointed in both these respects. It neither made him to be humane to his slaves, nor to emancipate them. If it had any effect on his character, it made him more cruel and hateful in all his ways; for I believe him to have been a much worse man after his conversion than before. Prior to his conversion, he relied upon his own depravity to shield and sustain him in his savage barbarity; but after his conversion, he found religious sanction and support for his slave-holding cruelty. He made the greatest pretensions to piety. His house was the house of prayer. He prayed morning, noon, and night. He very soon distinguished himself among his brethren, and was soon made a class-leader and exhorter. His activity in revivals was great, and he proved himself an instrument in the hands of the church in converting many souls. His house was the preachers’ home. They used to take great pleasure in coming there to put up; for while he starved us, he stuffed them. We have had three or four preachers there at a time" (Douglass, 1845, p.21).

“They attend with Pharisaical strictness to the outward forms of religions and at the same time, neglect the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy, and faith. They are always ready to sacrifice, but seldom to show mercy. They are they who are represented as professing to love God whom they have not seen, whilst they hate their brother whom they have seen” (Douglass, 1845, p.44).

The narrative of Frederick Douglass' life is vital to understanding both the past and present. His words toward those who professed Christ while enslaving neighbors are applicable today for those who claim to love Jesus while their hearts are hardened to the plight of people of color. As I read, I thought of Matthew 7:21-23, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 1 John 3:17-18, Matthew 25:34-40, and Micah 6:8. I long to see all who say, “Lord, Lord” love the least of these, give generously, and seek restorative justice.

What are you reading? 

#currentread #narrativeofthelifeoffrederickdouglass #bookrecommendation #frederickdouglass #narrative #blackauthor #blacknonfiction #blackhistory #history #reading #learning #audiobook #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #lament #repent #repair #broadeningthenarrative

Instagram Posts from the Week of August 4, 2019

Headlines and History - August 4, 2019

It is time for another installment of Headlines and History.

In an article in the Los Angeles Times titled “Segregation Has Soared in America’s Schools as Federal Leaders Largely Looked Away,” Seema Mehta and Michael Finnegan wrote about the debate that took place for Democratic presidential candidates in Miami. The authors also explain the current segregated condition of the nation’s schools and the effects of this problem.

The Teaching Tolerance magazine article “Brown v. Board: Timeline of School Integration in the U.S.” provides a chronological record that traces school integration from 1849 to 2007 in Issue 25 from Spring 2004. Reading the progression from one event to the next allows us to see the connectedness of the past to the present.

Our present is intertwined with and informed by our past. We must face the past so we can heal the future. 

*Edited to add: On June 17, 2020, I came across The Redemption Project with Van Jones for CNN. I read the words, “Face the past. Heal the future.” I will no longer use this phrase for my Headlines and History posts beginning in June 2020.

#segregation #schoolsegregation #segregationtoday #loveyourneighbor #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #lament #repent #repair #facethepast #healthefuture #headlinesandhistory #historyandheadlines #broadeningthenarrative 



Podcast Rec - August 6, 2019

It’s podcast rec day!

Current Listen - For the Love Podcast with Jen Hatmaker: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church with Rachel Held Evans (episode 6 of Series 8: For the Love of Exploring Our Faith from 2018)



“And so it's sort of like the Jewish posture towards scripture is that it's a conversation starter, not a conversation ender. So many Christians kind of come to the Bible like we're looking for ammunition to win a debate, you know? We think there's just one meaning from this story. We have to figure out that meaning and then defend it at all costs. It's kind of this zero sum game.” - Rachel Held Evans


“We try to impose our particular cultural views on marriage and family onto the whole scripture. And frankly, that's actually centering ourselves. I think it's actually a more liberal way of reading the Bible, in the sense of it's more conservative I think to try and understand what was happening in the original moment and context.” - Rachel Held Evans


“I just think the Bible can hold up. I really think it can hold up to our fiercest questions and our hardest questions, and our most significant disagreements. I think it's strong enough, and I think God's a big enough God to handle my doubts ... I mean, it was Job, Job who finally is blessed by God, and it was Job who said, ‘I desire to have an argument with God.’ And it's Jacob who wrestled with God, and wrestled with God until Jacob demands a blessing from God. How many times do we approach the Bible and say, ‘All right, I'm gonna wrestle with this text, and I'm gonna wrestle until I get a blessing, God.’ And it all points to a God and to a scripture that can handle it, that isn't fragile and breakable and always in need of constant defense.” - Rachel Held Evans

“I'll pick a Barbara Brown Taylor quote... she has one, and it's resonating with me for obvious reasons right now. She says, ‘New life starts in the dark, whether it's a seed in the ground, a baby in the womb, or Jesus in the tomb, it starts in the dark.’ And I just have always resonated with that because it's like this reminder that ours is not a God of self-improvement plans and 10 steps. Ours is a God of death and resurrection, and that God can take anything and bring it to life.” - Rachel Held Evans

I first came across the writing of Rachel Held Evans in June 2018 when I found her blog. I dove headfirst into reading her posts from her One in Christ: A Week of Mutuality series from June 2012. She changed everything for me. When I heard about her passing, the first words out of my mouth were, “No! No! No!”, which increased with intensity each time I struggled to release them. I then sat in stunned silence for almost an hour in the living room while my husband kept the kids occupied and prepared dinner. Each time I listen to another podcast she was featured on or read another book by her, I feel waves of emotions all over again because it just isn’t fair for her to be gone when her brilliance and the hope she provided are still desperately needed in these times of darkness and doubt. When I have listened to every interview and devoured every book, I will set about navigating through them all again to glean additional truth and wisdom from the mind and heart of Rachel Held Evans.

What podcasts do you recommend?

#becauseofrhe #rememberingrhe #eshetchayil #jenhatmaker #forthelove #podcast #podcastrecommendation #exploringfaith #faith #hermeneutics #lovingthebibleagain #loveyourneighbor #resurrection #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - August 7, 2019

It’s Wednesday, so I will highlight an account I follow.

I recently discovered the Speaking of Racism Podcast Instagram page. As you can see on the page, Jennifer Kinney hosts a podcast that is “dedicated to honest discussions on race and racism.” I have shared this account with several people and wanted to share it here today.

On July 16th, a quote by Ijeoma Oluo was posted that has been reverberating in my mind ever since. “The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it’s the only way forward.”

Follow @speakingofracism if you aren’t already, and support this important work.

#speakingofracism #podcast #conversationsaboutrace #accounttofollow #antiracist #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #broadeningthenarrative




Additonal Rec - August 8, 2019

Since it is Thursday, this post will be about an additional recommendation I found beneficial on my journey in broadening the narrative.

In January last year, I read “The Asian American Awakening: That Moment When You Realize You’re Not White” by Connie Zhou on the HuffPost site. I have included two quotes from the article below because the narrative and life experience shared by Connie Zhou is powerful, and there’s nothing for me to add.

“It wasn’t until later in life I tried to analyze the situation and came to this conclusion: I was put in that (ESL) program for one reason, I was a shy Asian girl and everyone jumped to the conclusion that I couldn’t speak English.” - Connie Zhou

“Racism isn’t just black and white. In my experience, all my classes about race are taught by a black professor. I remember sitting in one of my media classes discussing race; we had spent weeks on how blacks and whites are portrayed in the media. As my professor went on and on, I sat there wondering when she was going to bring up Asians, Hispanics, or Middle Easterners. Finally, as if God had heard my plea, a thankfully inquisitive student in the front raised his hand, ‘What about Asians?’” - Connie Zhou

Do you have any additional resources for broadening the narrative in conversations about the experiences of Asian Americans in the United States?

#asianamericanexperiences #asianamericanawakening #conniezhou #huffpost #conversationsaboutrace #beautyindiversity #bettertogether #empathy #learning #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Book Rec - August 10, 2019

It’s book post day!

Past Read- I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

“White people can be exhausting. Particularly exhausting are white people who don’t know they are white, and those who need to be white. But of all the white people I’ve met...the first I found exhausting were the ones who expected me to be white” (Brown, 2018, p.11).

"The white Church considers power its birthright rather than its curse. And so, rather than seeking reconciliation, they stage moments of racial harmony that don’t challenge the status quo. They organize worship services where the choirs of two racially different churches sing together, where a pastor of a different race preaches a couple times a year, where they celebrate MLK but don’t acknowledge current racial injustices. Acts like these can create beautiful moments of harmony and good-will, but since they don’t change the underlying power structure at the organization, it would be misleading to call them acts of reconciliation” (Brown, 2018, pp.167-168).

I don’t remember who first mentioned I’m Still Here to me, but I am thankful. I read this book in November last year and posted about it on my personal Instagram page. Here’s what I said then: “I devoured this book in a day and recommend it for all the people. The writing of Austin Channing Brown elicited every emotion and demands action. I am incredibly grateful for her vulnerability and wisdom.” I simply want to urge anyone who reads this to support black women.

What are you reading? 

#pastread #imstillhere #austinchanningbrown #memoir #essentialreading #bookrecommendation #highlyrecommend #reading #learning #supportblackwomen #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative

Instagram Posts from the Week of July 28, 2019

Headlines and History - July 28, 2019

It is time for another installment of Headlines and History.

Emily Tillett wrote an article for CBS News titled “Sheila Jackson Lee Says Reparations Commission would Help ‘Understand the Hurts’ of African-Americans.” In this article, Tillett details an interview with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee about H.R. 40. H.R. 40 is the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposal for African-Americans Act. This bill is currently in the headlines, and there is a lengthy history to the topic of reparations.

In an opinion piece for TIME titled “The House Hearing on Slavery Reparations Is Part of a Long History. Here's What to Know on the Idea's Tireless Early Advocates,” Arica L. Coleman explains earlier efforts for reparations. These include "40 acres and a mule" and H.R. 11119, or the "Ex-Slave Pension Bill."

I published a full blog post on the topic of reparations with recommended resources to explore. Our present is intertwined with and informed by our past. We must face the past so we can heal the future. 

*Edited to add: On June 17, 2020, I came across The Redemption Project with Van Jones for CNN. I read the words, “Face the past. Heal the future.” I will no longer use this phrase for my Headlines and History posts beginning in June 2020.

#reparations #loveyourneighbor #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #lament #repent #repair #facethepast #healthefuture #headlinesandhistory #historyandheadlines #broadeningthenarrative 

Podcast Rec - July 30, 2019

It’s podcast rec day!

Past Listen- Justice In America Podcast Episode 5: Excluded from Democracy (released August 22, 2018)

"You’ve probably said ‘felons.’ We use the words ‘returning citizens’ because we know that individuals who’ve made mistakes are still somebody’s son, daughter, father, and mother, that they are human beings first. So rather than give them a scarlet letter of shame to carry on for the rest of their lives, we decided to change things and started calling them returning citizens." - Desmond Meade

“I always believed that politics played a role in how people not only wind up in prison but what their stay was like. Because every year, year in and year out, we would see all these laws changing and being applied to us, when in fact we weren’t even in the population, in civil society. And it was like, these people are just using us because fear sells. It was selling fear to people.” - Norris Henderson

On Sunday, July 21st, I posted about the connection between the past and the present regarding disenfranchisement laws. I wanted to share this podcast episode because I found it helpful in understanding more about this serious topic that impacts the lives of millions of people.

What podcasts do you recommend? 

#justiceinamerica #josieduffyrice #clintsmith #desmondmeade #norrishenderson #podcast #podcastrecommendation #justice #restorativejustice #disenfranchisementlaws #thehistoryofdisenfranchisement #therighttovote #returningcitizens #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - July 31, 2019

It’s Wednesday, so I will highlight an account I follow.

As you can see on their page, Fight Evil With Poetry Press desires "to intentionally empower diverse groups of creatives to combat the forces of injustice in this world with their unique creative gifts." I first heard about Fight Evil With Poetry when the work of Micah Bournes was recommended to me by a dear friend. This group organized a Books Behind Bars Prison Poetry Drive and published an anthology of incredible poetry. 

Follow @fightevilwithpoetry if you aren’t already, and support this important work.




#fightevilwithpoetry #micahbournes #chriscambell #challengethenarrative #tellthetruth #thefulltruth #andnothingbutthetruth #poetry #fightevilwithpoetry #healing #broadeningthenarrative



Additional Rec - August 1, 2019

Since it is Thursday, this post will be about an additional recommendation I found beneficial on my journey in broadening the narrative.

When They See Us is a mini-series on Netflix that was directed by Ava DuVernay. This series details the stories of the exonerated five: Yusef, Kevin, Antron, Korey, and Raymond. These five boys were falsely accused and incarcerated after an attack in Central Park. 

If you haven’t seen the four episodes yet, I implore you to watch and lament. Don’t rush past the immense and intense feelings that will accompany viewing. It can be overwhelming to know where to begin with joining the movements that are bringing reform to the criminal justice system in the United States. I believe we should start with prioritizing those who have experienced injustice, humbly listening to them before inquiring how we can partner with them to seek the flourishing of our neighbors.   

#whentheyseeus #avaduvernay #yusef #kevin #antron #korey #raymond #theexoneratedfive #justice  #broadeningthenarrative 



Book Rec - Aug. 3, 2019

It’s book post day!

Current Read - The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker

"At core, men are afraid women will laugh at them, while at core, women are afraid men will kill them" (De Becker, 1997, p. 67).

“By pointing his trigger finger at a rock band, James washed away all of the scrutiny that might reasonably have been focused on himself, his family, or even his society” (De Becker, 1997, p. 227).

On the back of the copy I borrowed from the library, there is a quote from the Boston Globe. "A how-to book that reads like a thriller." (#fact) I included this book on the Broadening the Narrative account because my empathy for even the "worst" people somehow increased as I saw myself and my story in the narratives shared by Gavin de Becker. 

What are you reading? 

#currentread #thegiftoffear #bookrecommendation #endviolence  #survivalsignals #intuition #trustyourgut #truefearisagift #unwarrantedfearisacurse #learnhowtotellthedifference #empathy #broadeningthenarrative 

Instagram Posts from the Week of July 21, 2019

Headlines and History - July 21, 2019

It is time for another installment of Headlines and History.

In an article titled “Civil Rights Groups Sue Florida over 'Poll Tax' Law to Restore Felon Voter Rights” from June 28, 2019 by Doha Madani, you can read about a current lawsuit against the state of Florida. The civil rights organizations that filed the suit did so in response to Gov. Ron DeSantis signing a bill that conjures up memories of poll taxes. The bill would make it mandatory for those convicted of felonies to fulfill monetary obligations ordered by the court in order to have their right to vote restored, even though Florida residents voted last year to reinstate voting rights to those who completed their sentences.

In the report “Racism & Felony Disenfranchisement: An Intertwined History,” Erin Kelley for The Brennan Center for Justice details the racist roots of a criminal justice system that actively revokes voting rights. These laws historically and currently disproportionately affect the poor and people of color. 

Our present is intertwined with and informed by our past. We must face the past so we can heal the future. 

*Edited to add: On June 17, 2020, I came across The Redemption Project with Van Jones for CNN. I read the words, “Face the past. Heal the future.” I will no longer use this phrase for my Headlines and History posts beginning in June 2020.

#thehistoryoffelonydisenfranchisement #votersuppression #loveyourneighbor #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #facethepast #healthefuture #headlinesandhistory #historyandheadlines #broadeningthenarrative 



Podcast Rec - July 23, 2019

It’s podcast rec day!

Current Listen- That Sounds Fun Podcast Episode 65: Jo Saxton (released March 1, 2018)

"We talk about being salt and light, and light illuminates things. What are you illuminating about race in your community? What are you illuminating about God’s view of all these things?...What are the pockets of darkness you need to shine a light on in the hearts in your community? Salt is distinctive. It preserves, it protects, it flavors. What flavor do you bring?" - Jo Saxton

“I don’t think we are very good at allowing women to be angry...We attribute anger to dominance or aggression and forget that anger is a secondary emotion to do with fear or pain.” - Jo Saxton

Jo Saxton’s wisdom permeated throughout the episode. I wanted to include five additional quotes, but I narrowed down to two. I am thankful for a friend sharing this with me recently. 

What podcasts do you recommend?

#thatsoundsfunpodcast #anniefdowns #josaxton #podcast #podcastrecommendation #saltandlight #illuminate #honestconversations #conversationsaboutrace #conversationsaboutgender #conversationsaboutemotions #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - July 24, 2019

It’s Wednesday, so I will highlight an account I follow.

Be the Bridge is an organization founded by Latasha Morrison to foster healthy conversations about race. In May 2017, I attended a Be the Bridge gathering for the first time. This one meeting resulted in a domino effect where I devoured every recommended resource. More importantly, empathy was cultivated and nurtured, and I was able to enter diverse relationships better equipped to truly love my neighbors in word and deed.

Follow @beabridgebuilder if you aren’t already, and support the important work of Latasha Morrison and this organization.

#bethebridge #beabridgebuilder #graceandtruth #challengethenarrative #tellthetruth #thefulltruth #andnothingbutthetruth #healthydialogue #conversationsaboutrace #empathy #healing #broadeningthenarrative



Additional Rec - July 25, 2019

Since it is Thursday, this post will be about an additional recommendation I found beneficial on my journey in broadening the narrative.

In 2014, Mellody Hobson delivered a Ted Talk titled “Color Blind or Color Brave?” With personal narrative, statistics, and an abundant amount of grace, Mellody Hobson addresses race and the problems associated with “color blindness.” She offers solutions and is compelling in her call to being “color brave.”

Mellody Hobson’s words are just as persuasive and applicable today, which indicates the presence of work that still needs to be done. It takes less than 15 minutes to listen to this Ted Talk but being color brave is a lifetime commitment.

#colorbrave #notcolorblind #seeandcelebrate #beautyindiversity #diversityinhiring #bettertogether #tedtalk #mellodyhobson #conversationsaboutrace #broadeningthenarrative

Book Rec - July 27, 2019

It’s book post day!

Past Read- Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi

"But no racial group has ever had a monopoly on any type of human trait or gene-not now, not ever. Under our different-looking hair and skin, doctors cannot tell the difference between our bodies, our brains, or the blood that runs in our veins...Black Americans' history of oppression has made Black opportunities-not Black people-inferior. When you truly believe that the racial groups are equal, then you also believe that racial disparities must be the result of racial discrimination...I know that readers truly committed to racial equality will join me on this journey of interrogating and shedding our racist ideas. But if there is anything I have learned during my research, it's that principal producers and defenders of racist ideas will not join us. And no logic or fact or history book can change them, because logic and facts and scholarship have little to do with why they are expressing racist ideas in the first place. Stamped from the Beginning is about these close-minded, cunning, and captivating producers of racist ideas. But it is not for them. My open mind was liberated in writing this story. I am hoping that other open minds can be liberated in reading this story” (Kendi, 2016, p.11).

Stamped from the Beginning is the first book I read on my journey broadening the narrative in August 2017. I checked it out from the local library and had to renew it several times. It is comprehensive and packed with information I wanted to share with Stephen. I continually read multiple pages to him, which hindered my ability to read quickly but enhanced my digesting of this essential work. I highly recommend this book.

What are you reading? 

#pastread #stampedfromthebeginning #ibramxkendi #stamped #essentialreading #bookrecommendation   #highlyrecommend #history #reading #learning #broadeningthenarrative 

Instagram Posts from the Week of July 14, 2019

Headlines and History - July 14, 2019

In continuing with connecting the past and the present on Sundays, it is time for another installment of Headlines and History.

In July 2013, headlines heralded the news of female inmates in California being improperly sterilized. In an article by Bill Chappell for NPR titled “California's Prison Sterilizations Reportedly Echo Eugenics Era,” I read about Kimberly Jeffrey. “Former inmate Kimberly Jeffrey, 43, tells Johnson she resisted the pressure to get a tubal ligation done — pressure that she says came while she was under sedation and strapped to an operating table. ‘Being treated like I was less than human produced in me a despair,’ Jeffrey says.”

A quick search for the history of sterilization of women in the United States yields over four million results. I read the blog post “Unwanted Sterilization and Eugenics Programs in the United States” by Lisa Ko for PBS, which led me to data published by Lutz Kaelber, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Vermont. I was shocked by the statistics for South Carolina.

Our present is intertwined with and informed by our past. We must face the past so we can heal the future. 

*Edited to add: On June 17, 2020, I came across The Redemption Project with Van Jones for CNN. I read the words, “Face the past. Heal the future.” I will no longer use this phrase for my Headlines and History posts beginning in June 2020.

#forcedsterilization #eugenics #thehistoryofeugenics #loveyourneighbor #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #ejicalendar #facethepast #healthefuture #headlinesandhistory #historyandheadlines #broadeningthenarrative 


Podcast Rec - July 16, 2019

It’s podcast rec day!

Past Listen- Truth's Table: The Kids are NOT Alright! (released July 14, 2018)

"Where we are right now, many of us predicted this November 2016… It was a matter of if we were willing to sacrifice that particular neighbor. We made a decision that we didn’t care about brown children... We heard the first speech, y’all. The first speech out of the now President’s mouth denigrated brown people. He came out swinging... Yet people moved forward and said, ‘I’m willing to take that risk.’" -Dr. Christina Edmondson

I am thankful for the prophetic voices of Ekemini Uwan, Dr. Christina Edmondson, and Michelle Higgins of Truth's Table. Subscribe to the Truth’s Table podcast and support the work of these women.

What is the podcast you recommend the most? 

#truthstable #antiracism #podcast #podcastrecommendation #immigration #justice #propheticvoices #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - July 17, 2019

It’s Wednesday, so I will highlight an account I follow.

I posted about Truth’s Table yesterday when I recommended an episode from this convicting and gracious podcast. The women of Truth’s Table are Michelle Higgins, Ekemini Uwan, and Dr. Christina Edmondson. They do not mince words, but they do deliver rebukes in love. They address a variety of topics that are informed by their Christian faith. I am grateful for the standing room that allows me to listen to the wisdom of the women of Truth’s Table.

I had the joy and privilege of meeting Michelle Higgins, Ekemini Uwan, and Dr. Christina Edmondson last October when I attended the Live Podcast Recording at Christ Central Church in Charlotte, NC. They are beautiful and brilliant women who overflowed with kindness and compassion.

Follow @truthstable if you aren’t already, and become a patron through Patreon to financially support the work of Michelle Higgins, Ekemini Uwan, and Dr. Christina Edmondson.

#truthstable #podcast #graceandtruth #challengethenarrative #tellthetruth #thefulltruth #andnothingbutthetruth #supportblackwomen #believeblackwomen #broadeningthenarrative 



Additional Rec - July 18, 2019

Since it is Thursday, this post will be about an additional recommendation I found beneficial on my journey in broadening the narrative.

Being educated through Be the Bridge, as well as other organizations and individuals, has increased my awareness and knowledge regarding the truth about the history of indigenous people in the United States. I am committed to a lifetime of learning how to better love my indigenous neighbors. 

The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture posted convicting and compelling words in their “Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgment.” 

There is not a lack of resources for educating ourselves about past and present realities and injustices. May we live justly in response. 

#acknowledgenativeland #honornativeland #indigenouspeoplearestillhere #justice #challengethenarrative #truthandreconciliation #tellthetruth #thefulltruth #andnothingbutthetruth #repent #repair #bethebridge #beabridgebuilder #broadeningthenarrative



Book Rec - July 20, 2019

It’s book post day!  

Current Read- The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois

"The Nation has not yet found peace from its sins; the freedman has not yet found in freedom his promised land" (De Bois, 1903, p. 6).

The Souls of Black Folk is enlightening and haunting. I hesitate to say more for fear of centering myself. Thank you to my friend Greg Singleton for recommending this book.

What are you reading? 

#currentread #thesoulsofblackfolk #bookrecommendation #webdubois #blackauthor #blacknonfiction #blackhistory #history #reading #learning #broadeningthenarrative