Instagram Posts from the Week of Nov. 10, 2019

Podcast Rec. - Nov. 12, 2019

Past Listen - The Village Church Podcast: #35 - Thabiti Anyabwile on Single-Issue Voting & the 2016 Presidential Election (Released Oct. 6, 2016)

“[Caring about abortion] is not the only thing that comes from the heart of God. That you love your neighbor comes from the heart of God, and failing to do that means you do not have an essential mark of Christian discipleship. That you love your enemy comes from the heart of God. There are lots of things. God has a rather big heart.” - Thabiti Anyabwile

“To boil the whole world down to single-issue voting, or a single-issue voting approach, is not actually to respond to the world as it really is.” - Thabiti Anyabwile

Full disclosure: I did not listen to the last 10 minutes after Pastor Thabiti was no longer being interviewed, so I don’t know what was said during that time. In this episode, Josh Patterson and Pastor Matt Chandler interview Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile. I think this was the first exposure I had to Pastor Thabiti, and I am thankful to the friend who shared this with me. I deeply appreciate Pastor Thabiti’s heart and wisdom.

#thabitianyabwile #markchandler #joshpatterson #thevillagechurch #singleissuevoting #podcast #podcastrecommendation #podcastrec #politics #voting #lament #repent #repair #empathy #equality #listening #learning #justice #socialjustice #restorativejustice #love #loveyourneighbor #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - Nov. 13, 2019

As you can see in his IG profile, Allen Salway is a Diné, Oglala Lakota, Tohono O'odham from the Navajo Nation. He is a student, and his writing has been featured in Teen Vogue and Paper Magazine. He is also an ambassador for DIGDEEP.

You don’t want to miss Allen Salway’s posts, action steps he provides, and fundraisers he features. Click the Linktree link in his profile to see resources and ways to financially contribute.

Follow @lilnativeboy if you aren’t already, and support Allen Salway through Patreon, Venmo, or Cash App.

#lilnativeboy #accounttofollow #supportindigenouspeople #digdeepwater #empathy #equality #reflection #action #loveyourneighbor #checkbiases #checkassumptions #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #decolonize #decolonization #endracism #antiracist #antiracism #becomingantiracist #humanity #learning #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #repent #repair #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Additional Rec. - Nov. 14, 2019

Additional Rec. - “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh

According to the footnote, “This essay is excerpted from Working Paper 189. ‘White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming To See Correspondences through Work in Women's Studies’ (1988), by Peggy McIntosh.” This was one of the first resources recommended to me, but that was in the year 2017. Though 31 years have passed since this essay was penned, the list of 50 conditions that are effects of white privilege remains true; therefore, there is work to be done under the leadership of people of color.

“Thinking through unacknowledged male privilege as a phenomenon, I realized that, since hierarchies in our society are interlocking, there was most likely a phenomenon of white privilege that was similarly denied and protected. As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage.”

“Describing white privilege makes one newly accountable. As we in women's studies work to reveal male privilege and ask men to give up some of their power, so one who writes about having white privilege must ask, ‘Having described it, what will I do to lessen or end it?’”

“My schooling gave me no training in seeing myself as an oppressor, as an unfairly advantaged person, or as a participant in a damaged culture. I was taught to see myself as an individual whose moral state depended on her individual moral will. My schooling followed the pattern my colleague Elizabeth Minnich has pointed out: whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work that will allow ‘them’ to be more like ‘us.’”

“I repeatedly forgot each of the realizations on this list until I wrote it down. For me white privilege has turned out to be an elusive and fugitive subject. The pressure to avoid it is great, for in facing it I must give up the myth of meritocracy. If these things are true, this is not such a free country; one's life is not what one makes it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own.”

“Difficulties and angers surrounding the task of finding parallels are many. Since racism, sexism, and heterosexism are not the same, the advantages associated with them should not be seen as the same. In addition, it is hard to disentangle aspects of unearned advantage that rest more on social class, economic class, race, religion, sex, and ethnic identity than on other factors. Still, all of the oppressions are interlocking, as the members of the Combahee River Collective pointed out in their ‘Black Feminist Statement’ of 1977.”

On Nov. 14, 2018, Rachel Cargle posted on IG, “White women seem to only digest race issues when it is reframed in the light of (white) feminism,” which was the case for Peggy McIntosh. If you are a white woman and Rachel Cargle’s analysis and Peggy McIntosh’s experience are true for you, I am not trying to embarrass or shame you. But maybe you were taught that the “leadership” of men over women was God’s good design and will understand white privilege before you understand male privilege. Regardless of if we see white privilege or male privilege first, we must acknowledge privilege before we can dismantle ALL systems of privilege. If you are a person of color, I know this post didn’t contain anything you didn’t already know, but I want to thank you for reading. I appreciate you and value your insights and wisdom.

#additionalrecommendation #recommendation #whiteprivilege #unpackingtheinvisibleknapsack #peggymcintosh #equality #reflection #action #loveyourneighbor #endwhiteprivilege #endracism #enddiscrimination #checkbiases #checkassumptions #humanity #learning #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #lament #repent #repair #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Book Rec. - Nov. 16, 2019

Current Read - Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber

“While we as people of God are certainly called to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, that whole ‘we’re blessed to be a blessing’ thing can still be kind of dangerous. It can be dangerous when we self-importantly place ourselves above the world, waiting to descend on those below so we can be the ‘blessing’ they’ve been waiting for, like it or not. Plus, seeing myself as the blessing can pretty easily obscure the way in which I am actually part of the problem and can hide the ways in which I, too, am poor and needing care. Seeing myself or my church or my denomination as ‘the blessing’ - like so many mission trips to help ‘those less fortunate than ourselves’ - can easily descend into a blend of benevolence and paternalism. We can start to see the ‘poor’ as supporting characters in a big story about how noble, selfless, and helpful we are” (Bolz-Weber, 2015, p.47).

“It’s weird, but of all the characters in the Gospels who encounter Jesus, the ones who most reliably know who he is are not the religious authorities or even Jesus’s own disciples. They are the demons. The demons always recognize Jesus’s authory. And the demons are afraid...Which is exactly why our demons try to keep us from people who remind us of how loved we are. Our demons want nothing to do with the love of God in Christ Jesus because it threatens to obliterate them, and so they try to isolate us and tell us that we are not worthy to be called children of God. And those are lies that Jesus does not abide” (Bolz-Weber, 2015, p.87).

“This is why being loved, really loved, can sting a little, reminding us of all the times we have loved poorly or not at all, all the ways in which we have done things that make us feel unworthy of real love” (Bolz-Weber, 2015, pp.126-127).

“I imagined Jesus standing there blessing us all because I believe that is our Lord’s nature. Because, after all, it was Jesus who had all the powers of the universe at his disposal but did not consider his equality with God something to be exploited. Instead, he came to us in the most vulnerable of ways, as a powerless, flesh-and-blood newborn...He was God’s Beatitude - God’s blessing to the weak in a world that admires only the strong” (Bolz-Weber, 2015, p.188).

I first heard Nadia Bolz-Weber during the funeral for Rachel Held Evans, and I was captivated by the way she handled the Word of God. I immediately listened to several podcasts she was featured on and then put the book Accidental Saints on hold at my local library. I know that many people in my life would be turned off by some of the language Nadia uses, but I still 100% recommend this book.

#currentread #accidentalsaints #bookrecommendation #bookrec #nadiabolzweber #reading #learning #faithjourney #faithtransition #deconstruction #reconstruction #evolvingfaith #findinggod #inallthewrongpeople #love #lovegod #loveyourneighbor #everyneighbor #becauseofrhe #broadeningthenarrative 

Instagram Posts from the Week of Nov. 3, 2019

Podcast Rec. - Nov. 5, 2019

Current Listen - Almost Heretical: "LGBTQ - The so-called Divine Ideal" (Part 1) (Released May 31, 2019)

“But what I realize is that many of us have been led to assume that what you see in Genesis 1 and 2, just by the nature of its being there, that means this is a snapshot of a) what is the ultimate ideal, it’s the best possible world, and therefore b) that means that’s the world that we have to live into. And I don’t think that’s how the actual text is presenting itself to us.” - Tim Ritter

“One that’s actually expressly stated as God’s restrictions on how the man and woman were supposed to behave was they were supposed to be vegetarians. That’s actually placed there as one of the only rules. They’re told that they’re supposed to eat the plants, the plants were created for them and the animals to eat, and they’re not supposed to eat the animals. So why you have thousands of American Christians eating beef and claiming that heterosexual marriage is a divine ideal that every human being has to uphold to, otherwise they’re sinful - there’s a huge inconsistency there.” - Tim Ritter

“How can we conceptualize that God entrusted us...all of us...entrusted us to rule the world and think that God thinks we don’t have the capacity to make a single ethical choice for ourselves? Paul’s language saying, ‘Don’t you know you will judge angels?,’ is saying, ‘Don’t you know it is your job to make even the highest possible ethical choice with the most severe bearing?’” - Tim Ritter

This episode of Almost Heretical is part 1 in the LGBTQ and the Bible series. Nate Hanson and Tim Ritter discuss what has been called the divine ideal for marriage as they lay a foundation for the next episode in this series and future episodes that address sexuality and gender. 

#natehanson #timritter #almostheretical #podcast #podcastrecommendation #podcastrec #lgbtqandthebible #evolvingfaith #faithtransition #deconstruction #reconstruction #spiritualmisfit #exvangelical #empathy #equality #listening #learning #justice #socialjustice #restorativejustice #love #loveyourneighbor #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - Nov. 6, 2019

As you can see in Latasha Morrison’s IG profile, she is the Founder and President of Be the Bridge (@beabridgebuilder). She is also a speaker and the author of Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation, which was released October 15th. I highly recommend purchasing a copy of this book.

In May 2017, I attended a Be the Bridge meeting and heard about Latasha Morrison. We watched a video in which Latasha explained the reasons and ways Be the Bridge was formed. Latasha has the words “reconciler” and “bridge-builder” in her profile,” and these characteristics are beautifully displayed through her vision and founding of Be the Bridge. I have learned so much from Latasha Morrison, not just about racial justice and reconciliation but about being a better human as she leads the Be the Bridge organization full of wisdom, empathy, and grace. Latasha Morrison’s work has transformed me and continues to transform me. I am deeply grateful for her.

Follow @latashamorrison if you aren’t already, and support the work being done through Be the Bridge.

#latashamorrison #accounttofollow #bethebridge #beabridgebuilder #race #justice #racialhealing #racialequity #racialreconciliation #tellthetruth #healthydialogue #conversationsaboutrace #love #empathy #equality #reflection #action #loveyourneighbor #checkbiases #checkassumptions #learning #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #repent #repair #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Additional Rec. - Nov. 7, 2019

Additional Rec. - “The Combahee River Collective Statement” by the Combahee River Collective

This statement is dated April 1977, but there is still much work to be done under the leadership of black women as the words of the Black and lesbian feminists shared below are still applicable today.

“The most general statement of our politics at the present time would be that we are actively committed to struggling against racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression, and see as our particular task the development of integrated analysis and practice based upon the fact that the major systems of oppression are interlocking. The synthesis of these oppressions creates the conditions of our lives. As Black women we see Black feminism as the logical political movement to combat the manifold and simultaneous oppressions that all women of color face.”

“Black women's extremely negative relationship to the American political system (a system of white male rule) has always been determined by our membership in two oppressed racial and sexual castes.”

“Black feminists and many more Black women who do not define themselves as feminists have all experienced sexual oppression as a constant factor in our day-to-day existence.”

“A combined anti-racist and anti-sexist position drew us together initially, and as we developed politically we addressed ourselves to heterosexism and economic oppression under capitalism.”

“Our situation as Black people necessitates that we have solidarity around the fact of race, which white women of course do not need to have with white men, unless it is their negative solidarity as racial oppressors. We struggle together with Black men against racism, while we also struggle with Black men about sexism.”

“We realize that the liberation of all oppressed peoples necessitates the destruction of the political-economic systems of capitalism and imperialism as well as patriarchy. We are socialists because we believe that work must be organized for the collective benefit of those who do the work and create the products, and not for the profit of the bosses. Material resources must be equally distributed among those who create these resources. We are not convinced, however, that a socialist revolution that is not also a feminist and anti-racist revolution will guarantee our liberation.”

“As we have already stated, we reject the stance of Lesbian separatism because it is not a viable political analysis or strategy for us. It leaves out far too much and far too many people, particularly Black men, women, and children. We have a great deal of criticism and loathing for what men have been socialized to be in this society: what they support, how they act, and how they oppress. But we do not have the misguided notion that it is their maleness, per se—i.e., their biological maleness— that makes them what they are. As BIack women we find any type of biological determinism a particularly dangerous and reactionary basis upon which to build a politic.”

“The major source of difficulty in our political work is that we are not just trying to fight oppression on one front or even two, but instead to address a whole range of oppressions. We do not have racial, sexual, heterosexual, or class privilege to rely upon, nor do we have even the minimal access to resources and power that groups who possess anyone of these types of privilege have.”

“The psychological toll of being a Black woman and the difficulties this presents in reaching political consciousness and doing political work can never be underestimated. There is a very low value placed upon Black women's psyches in this society, which is both racist and sexist. As an early group member once said, ‘We are all damaged people merely by virtue of being Black women.’ We are dispossessed psychologically and on every other level, and yet we feel the necessity to struggle to change the condition of all Black women.”

“If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression.”

“The inclusiveness of our politics makes us concerned with any situation that impinges upon the lives of women, Third World and working people. We are of course particularly committed to working on those struggles in which race, sex, and class are simultaneous factors in oppression.”

“One issue that is of major concern to us and that we have begun to publicly address is racism in the white women's movement. As Black feminists we are made constantly and painfully aware of how little effort white women have made to understand and combat their racism, which requires among other things that they have a more than superficial comprehension of race, color, and Black history and culture. Eliminating racism in the white women's movement is by definition work for white women to do, but we will continue to speak to and demand accountability on this issue.”

“We believe in collective process and a nonhierarchical distribution of power within our own group and in our vision of a revolutionary society. We are committed to a continual examination of our politics as they develop through criticism and self-criticism as an essential aspect of our practice.”


The Black and lesbian feminist writers of the 1977 Combahee River Collective speak for themselves, and I have nothing to add. I recommend reading the statement in its entirety.

#additionalrecommendation #recommendation #combaheerivercollectivestatement #combaheerivercollective #blackfeministstatement #blackfeminists #lesbianfeminists #whitefeminismisnotfeminism #antiracist #antiracism #antisexist #antisexism #endheterosexism #socialism #intersectionality #freedom #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #believeblackwomen #supportblackwomen #equality #reflection #action #loveyourneighbor #endALLdiscrimination #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Book Rec. - Nov. 9, 2019

Past Read - Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

“When I hung up the phone that night I had a wet face and a broken heart. The lack of compassion I witnessed every day had finally exhausted me. I looked around my crowded office at the stacks of records and papers, each pile filled with tragic stories, and I suddenly didn't want to be surrounded by all this anguish and misery. As I sat there, I thought myself a fool for having tried to fix situations that were so fatally broken. It's time to stop. I can't do this anymore. For the first time I realized that my life was just full of brokenness. I worked in a broken system of justice. My clients were broken by mental illness, poverty, and racism. They were torn apart by disease, drugs and alcohol, pride, fear, and anger. I thought of Joe Sullivan and of Trina, Antonio, Ian, and dozens of other broken children we worked with, struggling to survive in prison. I thought of people broken by war, like Herbert Richardson; people broken by poverty, like Marsha Colbey; people broken by disability, like Avery Jenkins. In their broken state, they were judged and condemned by people whose commitment to fairness had been broken by cynicism, hopelessness, and prejudice…It took me a while to sort it out, but I realized something sitting there while Jimmy Dill was being killed at Holman prison. After working for more than twenty-five years I understood that I don't do what I do because it's required or necessary or important. I don't do it because I have no choice. I do what I do because I'm broken, too. My years of struggling against inequality, abuse of power, poverty, oppression, and injustice had finally revealed something to me about myself. Being close to suffering, death, executions, and cruel punishments didn't just illuminate the brokenness of others; in a moment of anguish and heartbreak, it also exposed my own brokenness. You can't effectively fight abusive power, poverty, inequality, illness, oppression, or Injustice and not be broken by it. We are all broken by something” (Stevenson, 2014, pp.288-289).

With the story of Walter McMillian at the center, Bryan Stevenson shares narrative from his own life and work, the life of Walter McMillian, and the lives of others he has represented as a lawyer. The resistance, strength, dignity, and beauty of Bryan Stevenson and those he represented were on full display in this book as our shared humanity was highlighted. Please buy Just Mercy, but I also urge you to financially support the work of the Equal Justice Initiative.

#pastread #justmercy #justmercybook #bookrecommendation #bookrec #bryanstevenson #waltermcmillian #reading #learning #racialhealing #equality #reconciliation #justice #redemption #seekjustice #restorativejustice #socialjustice #loveyourneighbor #endmassincarceration #endthedeathpenalty #rehabilitation #wholehumanhealth #lament #repent #repair #blackauthors #supportblackauthors #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative 

The Reasons I Rallied for Rodney Reed and Lessons Learned

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

I want to begin this post with the reminder that, according to the most recent available research, for every nine people executed in the United States, one innocent person has been exonerated. As Bryan Stevenson has said, we wouldn't accept that rate of error in anything else. Why do we accept it in administering the death penalty? Though Rodney Reed will not be executed on Nov. 20th, there are many people like him who did not have fair trials who are still on death row. Are we moved to compassion and action that seeks justice by this truth?

Now, the main reason I am writing this bonus post is because, as you know, nationwide rallies took place to #freerodneyreed because even though there was a stay of execution, Rodney Reed remains imprisoned without a fair trial. The rallies were meant to highlight the fact that Rodney Reed is still behind bars, and we were advocating for full release and repayment for the over 2 decades of suffering he has experienced.

At the rally in Rock Hill, there were 7 adults present, and while some may think that I would or should be discouraged by that, I’m not. And here’s why. Stephen and I are late in joining the fight for racial justice and equality, and this was our first rally. In addition to it being our first rally, it was the first rally for the other 5 adults who showed up, and I think that is worth pausing to be thankful that 7 first-timers came out, made signs, walked up and down the street, and chanted, “Know justice. Know peace. Help free Rodney Reed. No justice. No peace. Help free Rodney Reed,” while families ice skated at the outdoor covered skating rink downtown and cars passed by with many people slowing down to read the signs. And something I don’t want to diminish is the fact that the 7 children present were able to see an example set by the adults in their lives that we are to care for the oppressed, no matter how old or young we are. Those 7 precious children chanted with us with all their might, and they learned a valuable lesson: they each have a voice that they can use to unite with all the other voices being raised to seek justice.

I also wanted to write about why I participated in this rally. The biggest reason is because I really believe Jesus when He said in Luke 4:18-19, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." I really believe that the good news releases physical captives. I pray the Lord’s prayer and say, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” and I don’t believe there are chains and cages in the kingdom of God. I don’t think there is retributive justice in the kingdom of God. And if those things are not present in the kingdom of God, they have no place here and now.

Also, I really believe Jesus when He calls His followers to identify with the imprisoned when He said in Matt. 25:36 and 40, "I was in prison and you visited me...And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" It is my belief that the way in which Jesus strongly identifies with the imprisoned is enough for me to strongly identify with the imprisoned. I think that since caring for black lives, desiring to abolish the death penalty, fighting to end mass incarceration, and seeking justice that is transformative and restorative are seen as radical and liberal by the white church, this shows how far off the white church is from the heart of God.

Since the days of slavery, the white church has had a disconnect between orthodoxy and orthopraxy regarding what it looks like to really love your neighbor, particularly black neighbors, not just in word but in deed. During Jim Crow, Martin Luther King, Jr. expressed his disappointment for the white moderate and the continual command from the white moderate to wait in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” I also think of Michelle Higgins on a "Mailbag Episode" of Truth's Table saying she is pro-life from womb to tomb, and I think that the only way to truly be pro-life is to care about every life. For so long, much of the white church has boasted of being “gospel-centered” when what this often means is “gospel-only,” as Thabiti Anyabwile explained in the blog post “Only Preach the Gospel?” I don’t want my kids to grow up thinking that attending a rally to support someone who is innocent and unjustly imprisoned is a nice thing to do if they have time but unnecessary for the Christ follower. Standing in solidarity with the marginalized is something I want to model for my kids and anyone else who knows me.

These words are not meant to shame. Latasha Morrison, in her book Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation, wrote that shame and guilt are powerful motivators that keep us from telling the full truth, but it doesn't have to be that way. Austin Channing Brown posted a clip from The Next Question web series where they were speaking with Brené Brown and Brené Brown quoted Audrey Lord saying, "For the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house.” Brené Brown explained that shame is not an effective social justice tool because, though it may motivate temporary change, shame is a tool of oppression, a tool of supremacy. My desire is for love, not shame, to inspire others to join the work that has been happening for centuries to ensure the freedom and flourishing of all people.

I want to close by saying that we also learned some lessons for next time, because there will be a next time to push back against the rampant injustices endured by many. One, we will commit sooner. We wavered between whether or not to organize a rally in Rock Hill or to simply attend the rally in Charlotte. Saturday, the day before, Stephen decided he would organize a rally for Rock Hill. Though we posted on IG and Facebook, and he texted various people, we knew that it was short notice for many. I’m glad he decided to organize a rally in Rock Hill, though, because the Charlotte rally was canceled, so a few people who had originally planned to attend the Charlotte rally came to Rock Hill. The second lesson we learned was that we need to get better connected to organizations and churches that care about social injustices. We thought about the local chapters of Black Lives Matter and the NAACP. We also thought about black churches with members who are rooted in the area and have relationships throughout the city. If we were financially supporting these organizations and were involved, we could have supported someone else who wanted to organize the rally who has more experience and connections in the city. We could have handled some of the social media, purchasing supplies, etc. while placing ourselves under the leadership of black women and men who have the wisdom and insights necessary to plan and assemble a larger rally. We regret how we failed to think of this sooner and want to do better next time.

Thank you for reading my posts. I send so much love to you all. Grace and peace.

#rodneyreed #abolishthedeathpenalty #justiceforrodneyreed #rodneyreedisinnocent #evidencematters #testthedna #justiceforrodneyisjusticeforstacey #blacklivesmatter #endthedeathpenalty #endmassincerceration #justice #restorativejustice #transformativejustice #seekjustive #lovemercy #walkhumbly #raiseyourvoice #loveyourneighbor #lament #repent #repair #empathy #equality #reflection #action #blog #blogger #newblogpost #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative

Instagram Posts from the Week of Oct. 27, 2019

Podcast Rec. - Oct. 29, 2019

Past Listen - Scene on Radio: Episode 32: How Race was Made (Seeing White, Part 2) (Released March 1, 2017)

“We know, for example, since the human genome project, that we are what percentage genetically the same as human beings? 99-point-what? Nine. 99.9 genetically the same. There is more genetic variation in a flock of penguins than there is in the human race. There is more genetic variation within groups that have come to be called races than there is across groups that have come to be called races...Anthropologists finally say, and it is way past due, that race is anthropological nonsense. Is that the same thing as saying it’s not real? No. No, because it’s real. It is powerfully real. It’s politically and socially real. So we need to know, how did we get it. And what we say is, we constructed it.” - Suzanne Plihcik

“And so I basically make the case that [Gomes de Zurara] was the first articulator of racist ideas. And in order for him to articulate racist ideas, he had to basically combine all of the different ethnic groups that Prince Henry was enslaving into one people, and then describing that people as inferior. And so presumably, then, though he did not necessarily speak as much about whiteness, he certainly created blackness. And blackness of course cannot really operate without whiteness.” - Ibram Kendi

“So, most of us have heard the news about the genome project but I don't think it's really sunk in in the culture at all, has it, that we are, for example, that you and I are – I think geneticists think that every human on the planet is no more than 50th cousins with every other human on the planet. We haven't gotten much in the habit of thinking that way, have we?” - John Biewen

“I mean I think that's totally wrong you know but it is confusing, it's like race isn't real biologically but it is very real as a way that society has been structured. The effects of race as a social construct are real. The reason we can't stop talking about it is because we can predict wealth distribution, police killing, all kinds of other sort of life expectancy factors, health issues, based on race, access to schools, because society has been organized around a concept that is not biologically real. And then there's another thing about race to me that's also confusing, which is that we want people to understand race as like this systemic thing, this structural thing, that is in institutions and in patterns of the way rights and resources are distributed, and it's like a structural thing. It's not about just attitudes, like your distant cousin who's a bigot. Right? But we also do use the term racist for that too.” - Chenjerai Kumanyika

In this episode of Scene of Radio, the Seeing White series continues as the history of the invention of race is explained. This episode provides the context for understanding how race was made, why it was made, how it has been used, and how this social construct continues to be used today. Has anyone else listened to this series? I would love to hear your thoughts.

#johnbiewen #chenjeraikumanyika #ibramkendi #suzanneplihcik #nellirvinpainter #sceneonradio #seeingwhite #podcast #podcastrecommendation #podcastrec #howracewasmade #endracism #antiracism #antiracist #endwhitesupremacy #dismantlewhitesupremacy #history #lament #repent #repair #empathy #equality #listening #learning #justice #socialjustice #restorativejustice #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - Oct. 30, 2019

As you can see in the IG profile, “The Witness is a black Christian collective that engages issues of religion, race, justice, and culture from a biblical perspective.”

The mission statement on their website is “We invite you to be part of this diverse collective addressing the core concerns of black people from a Christian frame.” I have learned a plethora of new information through the podcasts and articles, empathy is always fostered, and action steps are often explicitly given. The work of the people who are part of The Witness has transformed me, and I am deeply grateful. 

Follow @thewitnessbcc if you aren’t already, and support the work being done through The Witness.

#thewitness #thewitnessbcc #accounttofollow #religion #race #justice #culture #biblicalperspective #christian #love #politics #empathy #equality #reflection #action #loveyourneighbor #checkbiases #antiracism #antiracist #humanity #learning #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #repent #repair #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Additional Rec. - Oct. 31, 2019

Additional Rec. - “'Sister, Where Did You Go?': The Native American Women Disappearing from US Cities” by Hallie Golden

The topic of missing and murdered Indigenous women is devastating, and it needs to be addressed more in mainstream media and politics. Soon after it was published, “'Sister, Where Did You Go?': The Native American Women Disappearing from US Cities” was shared in the Be the Bridge group I am a part of on Facebook. I will share some quotes below from this article.

“According to FBI figures, Native Americans disappear at twice the per capita rate of white Americans, despite comprising a far smaller population. Research funded by the Department of Justice in 2008 found Native women living on tribal lands are murdered at an alarming rate – more than 10 times the national average in some places. But with nearly three-quarters of American Indian and Alaska Natives living in urban areas, those crimes are not confined to reservations or rural communities.”

“Of 506 cases of missing and murdered Native women the UIHI report identified as having taken place in those 71 cities – a total it admits is a vast underestimate – some were tied to domestic violence, sexual assault, police brutality or a lack of safety for sex workers, but the overall reasons for this epidemic are much broader. At its core, campaigners say, is institutional and structural racism, gaps in law enforcement response and prosecution, along with a lack of data.”

“With arms wrapped around one another, the group gathered in a large circle surrounding McLemore’s family. They then released their messages as two eagles flew overhead and a quartet of women drummed and sang: ‘Sister, sister, I want you to know. You’re so strong and beautiful. I gotta know, where did you go. I think of you every day. Since you’ve gone away.’”

#additionalrecommendation #recommendation #sistersisterwheredidyougo #indigenouswomen #missingindigenouswomen #murderedindigenouswomen #honoringmissingandmurderedindigenouswomen #empathy #equality #reflection #action #loveyourneighbor #endracism #enddiscrimination #endviolence #checkbiases #checkassumptions #humanity #learning #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #lament #repent #repair #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Fun Fact - Nov. 1, 2019

Fun fact 15: My favorite song is “Three” by Sleeping at Last.

When I first heard the song “Three” on the Sleeping at Last Podcast,” I sat in silence as tears slowly trailed down my face. Listening to Ryan O’Neal explicate his reasons for the lyrics and instruments and hearing Chris Heuertz describe the Enneagram type 3 made me feel so seen, known, understood, and loved. There is a song and podcast out for each type, and I think everyone should listen to all of them.

Have you listened to Sleeping at Last’s Enneagram song for your type?

#funfactfriday #funfact #favoritesong #three #sleepingatlast #enneagram #enneagram3 #enneagramsongs #sleepingatlast #sleepingatlastpodcast #ryanoneal #chrisheuertz #empathy #humanity #listening #learning #broadeningthenarrative



Book Rec. - Nov. 2, 2019

Current Read - Blue Rage, Black Redemption: A Memoir by Stanley Tookie Williams

“These memoirs of my evolution will, I hope, connect the reader to a deeper awareness of a social epidemic that is the unending nightmare of racial minorities in America and abroad as well. Throughout my life I was hoodwinked by South Central’s terminal conditions, its broad and deadly template for failure. From the beginning I was spoon-fed negative stereotypes that covertly positioned black people as genetic criminals - inferior, illiterate, shiftless, promiscuous, and ultimately ‘three-fifths’ of a human being, as stated in the Constitution of the United States” (Williams, 2004, p.xvii).

“My cultural awareness was zero. I needed a complete black history course and a thorough deprogramming. I had been duped into believing that all black people were inhuman and inferior, that we had made no contribution to the forward thrust of civilization. Negative black stereotypes were broadcast or implied by the news media, magazines, institutions, television, newspapers, books, and every other medium you can think of...The more I was indoctrinated by lies about my blackness, the more I grew to detest myself” (Williams, 2004, p.39).

"I was a normal child in an abnormal environment" (Williams, 2004, p.43).

"Like some of the urban schools I had attended, Juvey was a warehouse for incorrigible youth where they would vegetate and sink into ignorance and confusion. It also served as conditioning and preparation for a youth's inevitable step toward prison - as though it was a boot camp, training recruits for the next level of armed services. At the facility I learned absolutely zip, but it was very professional in teaching me to be more indifferent and embittered. Some of the dispassionate turnkeys were more diabolical than gang members; they appeared to suffer from mental disorders while taking out their frustrations on us" (Williams, 2004, p.67).

"With each incarceration, there were no life lessons learned. I simply entered into nothing, then was released, having been refined in bitterness and misdirection to slip further toward ruin" (Williams, 2004, p.76).

"The black community generally was blind to it's defiant youth creating increasingly aggressive street gangs. Mislabeled by some as a 'lost generation,' we were instead forgotten prodigies who disappeared, children buried alive in a sandbox. We did what was necessary to exhume ourselves. Though we must share the blame, we were products of a culture that bastardized us" (Williams, 2004, p.85).

"Bonded by our commonality - low economic status - the Crips became my family. I placed Crip above and beyond all else, even my life. Survival in this community meant slim pickings for a black youth such as myself, but as a Crip I could strive to be legendary" (Williams, 2004, p.106)

"If I wasn't undergoing near-death experiences in the gang area then I was clashing with the other maniacal foes, the 'hood cops, who could now identify me on sight. Like other blacks from my neighborhood, it was instinctive for me to run from the cops to avoid harassment, getting set up, brutalized, or killed. I knew that cops had carte blanche to violate my rights or blow me away, which made me nervous. Black people have known for many, many years that some white cops are racist, despite society's bland denials...I had become the cops' prime target. It was a perilous badge of distinction. My mother, aware of the cops' dangerous potential, feared that one day she'd receive a call that cops had murdered me. In South Central it was common for mothers to not only worry about street elements devouring their son, but also to worry about death-by-cop" (Williams, 2004, pp.110-111).

"According to Bob, one cop had said, 'Tookie's kind can never change. He's antisocial, among other things.' That statement was the general consensus of many other cops on the west side but their opinion never mattered to me. I was never antisocial. I was selectively social and refused to socialize with just anybody. The cop's trite statement reminded me of the time when a county 'voodoo' doctor had labeled me as antisocial and a fifteen-year-old revolutionary. Odd, because back then, I couldn't even define revolutionary, yet alone comprehend its concepts. His analysis of me was a typical racist stereotype used to describe every homeboy I knew. Instead of defining me as a defiant teenager, his amateur opinion tagged me as a revolutionary" (Williams, 2004, p.143).

"Though it was hypocritical of me to try to convince them not to live foul when I was living fouler than foul, I tried anyway. It didn't matter that I was unreachable, unsalvageable, and unethical, there was still something inside me that wanted better for them than I had for myself" (Williams, 2004, p.155).

"We had no legitimate dreams or attainable visions, only a cruel future, one capable of poisoning our souls. I never knew Raymond's ambitions, but in our small world, ambitions were rare, and mostly fantasy" (Williams, 2004, pp.233-234).

"It was a felix culpa (fortunate fault) that a citizen with a video camera captured the public flogging. Mainstream society would not have believed the brutal police injustice that black people know all too well" (Williams, 2004, p.277).

"In this setting - authority versus prisoner - the chances of my succeeding in atoning and changing were very slim. But I didn't have to stand alone. Treach and Evil were undergoing the same transition, from thug to thinking black man with a purpose. This is a concept - redemption - that criminologists, prison authorities, psychologists, and law enforcement officers refuse to believe unless the transformation is accomplished under their 'spirit breaking' guidelines" (Williams, 2004, pp.279-280).

"Still, there are racists posing as liberals, conservatives, moderates, and religious folks who believe black men are inferior, are incapable of atonement and an overall change. I know I'm expected to languish in violent stupidity on death row until my execution, but I cannot. This prison environment is not a reflection of me, nor am I addicted to its deadening and vicious manipulations" (Williams, 2004, p.302)

"Although I am on death row, my life has new meaning. I no longer feel as if my existence is of no consequence. It was only natural that in my reawakening and cleansing I discarded the old and adopted the new. With the exception of my mother and Barbara, everybody else had written me off the moment I was sentenced to die. And I was mentally dead up to the precise second I made the conscious decision to redefine and redeem myself. And so... I am alive. The maze that once appeared to have no exit has been forced open for passage" (Williams, 2004, p.304).

"As long as I remain imprisoned, I will continue to be challenged to remain a human being and not a beast. Just because I chose to readjust my thoughts and behavior, the small claustrophobic world of death row did not shift. Death row is constructed for punishment and execution, not for reform" (Williams, 2004, p.306).

"Her soft voice and angelic smile masked the grief of having a son on death row. I know that under the cloak of darkness, back at home, the emotional camouflage disappears as she crumbles into a weeping mother, sharing tears with a huge number of other lamenting mother's throughout South Central, as well as California and the nation" (Williams, 2004, p.321).

My friend Greg asked if I could post about Tookie Williams and suggested I look up his books. Greg explained that Tookie Williams was one of the original founders and leaders of the Crips in California, and he turned his life around on death row after being convicted of murder. My search led me to Blue Rage, Black Redemption: A Memoir. I highly recommend reading this book about the life and transformation of Tookie Williams, who was tragically and unjustly executed on December 13, 2005. Thank you for the recommendation, Greg.

#currentread #bluerageblackredemption #memoir #bookrecommendation #bookrec #stanleytookiewilliams #tookiewilliams #reading #learning #empathy #equality #socialjustice #massincarceration #endmassincarceration #endthedeathpenalty #redemption #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #broadeningthenarrative