Instagram Posts from the Week of Feb. 23, 2020

Podcast Rec. - Feb. 25, 2020

Current Listen - Unobscured with Aaron Mahnke: “The Refugees” (Released Oct. 24, 2018)

“Whatever you can say about how they were handling the situation, with all of their warrants and examinations and constables carting suspects off to jail, there were real people involved, real lives, real neighbors, real people who they had known for a long time. But now, those people were being turned into something else, something less than human. That’s something we’re all very good at. We always have been if we’re honest about it. People have a knack for isolating certain individuals or cultures and then stripping them of their humanity. When things get rough and a community faces a crisis, it’s the dehumanized who are always the most vulnerable to violence. I know there is a lot about the events in Salem that are singular. They are special and unique and one offs that don’t repeat themselves again. But this, the dehumanizing of the ‘other’ to the point where lives are lost, this is something that’s tragically commonplace to our modern world.”

My knowledge of the events that took place in Salem during the witch trials was shallow. I knew the outcome but not the context and history that informed the outcome. A friend recently told me about the Unobscured podcast, and I have been making my way through Season 1. Aaron Mahnke narrates the episodes, and there are interviews with historians dispersed throughout. While Aaron Mahnke stated in the quote I used above that “people have a knack for isolating certain individuals or cultures and then stripping them of their humanity,” I think a caveat is required. Though someone may desire to isolate individuals and cultures and strip them of their humanity, it is only the privileged and powerful that have the ability to do so. This series on the Salem witch trials provides the context that demonstrates that it was only the privileged that could carry out such egregious acts.

Have you listened to this series?

#aaronmahnke #unobscured #podcast #podcastrecommendation #podcastrec #therefugees #salemwitchtrials #salemmassachusetts #salem #love #loveyourneighbor #history #learning #unlearning #deconstruction #reconstruction #faith #evolvingfaith #faithtransition #spiritualmisfit #learning #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #restorativejustice #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - Feb. 26, 2020

I first heard about The Loveland Foundation through a post by Rachel Cargle. As you can see in The Loveland Foundation IG profile, “Loveland Foundation is committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls.” By visiting the link in the profile, you can learn more about the work of The Loveland Foundation and contribute to the therapy fund.

Follow @thelovelandfoundation if you aren’t already, and financially support the work of the Loveland Foundation.


#thelovelandfoundation #accounttofollow #loveland #lovelandtherapyfund #therapyforblackgirls #therapyforblackwomen #giftoftherapy #mentalhealth #selfcare #love #empathy #equality #reflection #action #loveyourneighbor #seekjustice #socialjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Additional Rec. - Feb. 27, 2020

Additional Rec. - "Captive Audience: A Black Woman’s Reflection on the Sparrow Conference" by DeeDee Roe

“As the conference began, I quickly realized it was overwhelmingly monocultural. Though there were a diversity of leaders, the message was white-centered. Race was intentionally avoided and dismissed. Where the scriptures shared from Ephesians dug deeply to discuss ethnicity, foreigners, and exclusion – the sermons skimmed. When the first night was over, I sent a message to our group. ‘I’m walking away with the distinct feeling that this event isn’t intended for me, but they don’t mind that I’m here.’ It was a consensus. We debated returning the next day and agreed we were still eagerly looking forward to hearing from Ekemini Uwan and Jackie Hill-Perry; that their messages might have something to say about our part in reconciling our divided nation to Christ.”

“Later, Claire Wilkinson was welcomed with thunderous applause. She spoke passionately about the work of IJM confronting perpetrators of police brutality in Kenya. The audience made tearful commitments to partner in her work, tears I knew did not extend to Black victims of police brutality in this nation.”

“Uwan referenced how the lynching of Trayvon Martin jarred many to explore, for the first time, racial identity and racial politics in our country. Every time she said white people, the white woman sitting to my left physically cringed. I could feel her thigh vibrating against mine as she tapped her foot. Uwan continued, ‘Jesus rose, bodily, as a brown-skinned Palestinian God man.’ As pockets of startled murmuring spread across the theater, she reminded us ‘the Gospel is offensive.’ I looked around at my friends. Some were nervous, sunk in their chairs, oppressed by the building tension swallowing the size of the room. Uwan continued, ‘Race is a social construct that was organized around strife, difference, and racial stratification. White people on the top, Black people on the bottom.’ I nodded, even as I could see women shaking their heads no. She taught theology of ethnicity from Revelation 7:9 and that ‘Whiteness is rooted in plunder, theft, enslavement of Africans, and the genocide of Native Americans. Whiteness is a power structure. The thing for white women to do here is divest from whiteness.’ That’s when I saw the first group of white woman walk out. Uwan touched on the recent college admissions scandal, the 2016 presidential election, detention camps in Texas, calling them modern day concentration camps - all products of whiteness.”

“So, what happens to whiteness when Black theology confronts its idols and takes up room in its sacred spaces? It claws for its purse in the darkness, storms quietly out of the theater, and asks to see the manager because it demands someone pay for failing to protect it from conviction and discomfort. When confronted, whiteness crumbles, falls on its face, head and hands breaking off like the statue of Dagon in First Samuel. We see it for what it really is – an idol meant to destroy us.”

“My prayer in sharing is that the theology and teaching of Ekemini Uwan would forever be a sharp rock which shatters the facade of whiteness as goodness and pushes each of us to reclaim our lost ethnic heritages.”

In this article, DeeDee Roe shared her reflections as a Black woman after attending the Sparrow Conference in 2019. I think of this article often as the idol of whiteness is exposed in my own life, seeking to continually participate in the work of dismantling the idea of white supremacy in myself and in institutions, including the Church. I highly recommend reading the article in its entirety.

#additionalrecommendation #recommendation #captiveaudience #sparrowconference #deedeeroe #thewitness #church #community #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #inallinstitutions #faith #evolvingfaith #justice #humanity #empathy #equality #reflection #action #lovegod #loveyourneighbor #love #learning #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative

Instagram Posts from the Week of Feb. 16, 2020

Podcast Rec. - Feb. 18, 2020

***Trigger Warning***

Past Listen - PoliTea podcast: Episode 81: “Normalizing Trump’s Hate Harms Children” (Released May 17, 2018)

“We have covered quite a bit: the attack on food programs and food assistance programs for mothers and children. There are a lot of groups that are participating in the #HandsOffSnap and #ProtectSnap effort, really basically calling out Trump’s regime to cut programs proven to really have a positive effect on and outcomes for pregnant women and their children, and especially since black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to suffer from complications due to birthing and even death.” - Ifeoma

“So in a conversation with sheriffs, Trump decided to say that undocumented immigrants quote, ‘These aren’t people. These are animals.’” - Turquoise

“I remember some folks even tweeting, ‘If I hear sh*thole countries one more time’ and my whole thing was like, I have absolutely no problem introducing myself at events being like, “I am a proud first generation member of a sh*thole country’ because I have to remind people that with all the, whether you invite me to this space or not, this man, with just a couple words, will completely erase your humanity, completely erase it. And in some ways we have to remind ourselves that this is the kind of nation that we’re under, and we need to stop fooling ourselves as to what it is that he’s signaling.” - Ifeoma

“Clint Smith put out a really good tweet that I retweeted that says, ‘Before enslavement Africans were called “apes.” Before the Holocaust Jewish people were called “rats.” Before the Rwandan genocide Tutsis were called “cockroaches.” Calling undocumented people “animals” as the president just did gravely serious. It’s not just an offensive word.’ And that literally encapsulates why I don’t give a f*ck where you fall on the side of the aisle, you can’t let this dude call people any type of animal reference, even if it’s just for the simple fact that we have history that has shown that that has led to the desensitization of a people’s existence, and we don’t even need to leave outside of the United States.” - Ifeoma

"That’s where we’re putting babies. And it underlines the fact that they are committed to removing children from their family. Because the detention centers are overflowing at max capacity so they’re looking for other locations, and what they’re going to do is take children away from their parents and put them in internment camps on military bases. So this is underlining the separation of families, the intentional and deliberate separation of families and then jailing children who have not actually committed a criminal offense." - Turquoise

Have you listened to this episode of PoliTea?

#ifeoma #ify #turquoise #politea #podcast #podcastrecommendation #podcastrec #normalizingtrump’shateharmschildren #immigration #bordercrisis #familiesbelongtogether #closethecamps #dismantlewhitesupremacy #enddehumanization #endracism #endxenophobia #endalldiscrimination #love #loveyourneighbor #history #learning #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #restorativejustice #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Featured Song - Feb. 19, 2020

Featured Song: “Crowded Table” by The Highwomen

“I want a house with a crowded table/And a place by the fire for everyone/Let us take on the world while we're young and able/And bring us back together when the day is done”

“If it's love that we give/Then it's love that we reap/If we want a garden/We're gonna have to sow the seed”

“The door is always open/Your picture's on my wall/Everyone's a little broken/And everyone belongs”

Yes, this is a country song. And yes, I cry when I listen to it. Out of all the songs on The Highwomen album, I listen to “Crowded Table,” “Redesigning Women,” “Highwomen,” and “If She Ever Leaves Me” on repeat. I know that country music isn’t for everyone, but these songs capture beauty, longing, community, strength, dignity, hope, and resilience. I’ve learned to worship in deeper ways as a result of these songs.

#crowdedtable #thehighwomen #brandicarlile #marenmorris #amandashires #nataliehemby #song #featuredsong #community #belonging #aplaceforeveryone #seekjustice #socialjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #dismantlewhitesupremacy #dismantlepatriarchy #dismantleeveryphobia #dismantleallsystemsofoppression #music #faith #evolvingfaith #lovegod #loveyourneighbor #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Book Rec. - Feb. 22, 2020

Current Read- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

“It seemed far more important to him that the white people who were spreading and upholding racism be spared the effects of being called racist than sparing his black friend the effects of that racism...That was when I learned that this was not a friend I could talk to about this really important part of my life. I couldn't be my full self around him, and he would never truly have my back. He was not safe. I wasn't angry, I was heartbroken. We couldn't talk about the ways in which race and racism impacted my life, because he was unwilling to even acknowledge the racism that was impacting my life and he was unable to prioritize my safety over his comfort - which meant that we couldn't talk about me” (Oluo, 2018, p.26).

“Systemic racism is a machine that runs whether we pull the levers or not, and by just letting it be, we are responsible for what it produces. We have to actually dismantle the machine if we want to make change” (Oluo, 2018, p.30).

“The concept of privilege makes the world seem less safe. We want to protect our vision of a world that is fair and kind and predictable. That reaction is natural, but it doesn't make the harmful effects of unexamined privilege less real. When somebody asks you to check your privilege they are asking you to pause and consider how the advantages you've had in life are contributing to your opinions and actions, and how the lack of disadvantages in certain areas is keeping you from fully understanding the struggles others are facing and may in fact be contributing to those struggles. It is a big ask, to check your privilege. It is hard and often painful, but it's not nearly as painful as living with the pain caused by the unexamined privilege of others” (Oluo, 2018, p.63).

“As a black, queer, middle-class woman, my queer identity may often be overlooked by anti-racist or feminist movements; my female identity may be overlooked by anti-racist or

queer movements; my black identity may be overlooked by feminist or queer movements; and my middle class identity may well cause me to overlook poor people in all movements. And when that happens, none of them can really help me or many others...How do our social justice efforts so often fail to help the most vulnerable in our populations? This is primarily a result of unexamined privilege. Because of how rarely our privilege is examined, even our social justice movements will tend to focus on the most privileged and most well represented people within those groups” (Oluo, 2018, p.76).

“People of color are not asking white people to believe their experiences so they will fear the police as much as people of color do. They are asking because they want white people to join them in demanding their right to be able to trust the police like white people do” (Oluo, 2018, p.98).

“Microaggressions are a serious problem beyond the emotional and physical effects they have on the person they are perpetrated against. They have much broader social implications. They normalize racism. They make racist assumptions a part of everyday life. The assumption that a black father isn't in the picture reinforces an image of irresponsible black men that keeps them from being hired for jobs. The assumption that a Latinx woman doesn't speak good English keeps her from a promotion. The assumption that a child of color's parents wouldn't have a college degree encourages guidance counselors to set lower goals for that child. The assumption that black people are ‘angry’ prevents black people from being taken seriously when airing legitimate grievances. These microaggressions help hold the system of White Supremacy together, because if we didn't have all these little ways to separate and dehumanize people, we'd empathize with them more fully, and then we'd have to really care about the system that is crushing them” (Oluo, 2018, p.172).

“The model minority myth fetishizes Asian Amcricans - reducing a broad swath of the world's population to a simple stereotype. The model minority myth places undue burdens and expectations on Asian American youth and erases any who struggle to live up to them. The model minority myth erases religious minorities, it erases refugees, it erases queer Asian Americans. The model minority myth gives a pretty blanket for society to hide its racism against Asian Americans under, while separating them from other people of color who suffer from the same white supremacist system. The model minority myth is active racism that is harming Asian Americans, and we need to talk about it” (Oluo, 2018, p.192).

"When you instead shift your focus to getting people of color to fight oppression in a way in which you approve, racial justice is no longer your main goal - your approval is. Find areas of the movement for equality with which you feel confident that the main goal is equality and within which you do not feel that you are violating your principles. Do work there, and where that work coincides with the work of others, join hands. Remember, this isn't about you, and it isn't about the person in the movement that you do not like” (Oluo, 2018, p.208).

“You have to get over the fear of facing the worst in yourself. You should instead fear unexamined racism. Fear the thought that right now, you could be contributing to the oppression of others and you don't know it. But do not fear those who bring that oppression to light. Do not fear the opportunity to do better” (Oluo, 2018, p.224).

Have you read this book?

#currentread #soyouwanttotalkaboutrace #bookrecommendation #bookrec #ijeomaoluo #antiracism #antiracist #injustice #reading #learning #empathy #equality #reflection #action #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #lament #repent #repair #loveyourneighbor #tellthetruth #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative

Instagram Posts from the Week of Feb. 9, 2020

Podcast Rec. - Feb. 11, 2020

Current Listen - Pass the Mic podcast: “The Blood of Jesus is the Bridge, Not My Back" with Ekemini Uwan (Released April 9, 2019)

“An antiracist is about disrupting; it’s about actually breaking down these systems; destroy in order to rebuild...Truth is a hammer...When I’m coming in and I’m speaking the truth about racism, what I’m trying to do is reveal the wickedness of the systems that are in play, but I’m also coming for ideologies, racist ideologies, that people have imbibed and are acting out, in individual ways and in systemic ways.” - Ekemini Uwan

“Racism is a stumbling block. It keeps people away from Jesus, especially in America because white supremacy has been so entangled with Christianity. My job as an antiracist public theologian is to disentangle white supremacy from Christianity. Period.” - Ekemini Uwan

In this episode of Pass the Mic, Tyler Burns and Jemar Tisby spoke with Ekemini Uwan. Ekemini Uwan is a prophetic voice speaking the truth in love as an antiracist public theologian.  Thank you for recommending this episode to me a few months ago @shamelessbibliophile.

#tylerburns #jemartisby #ekeminiuwan #passthemic #podcast #podcastrecommendation #podcastrec #faith #lovegod #loveyourneighbor #love #empathy #equality #learning #reflection #action #community #seekjustice #restorativejustice #racialjustice #socialjustice #racialequity #lovemercy #walkhumbly #antiracism #antiracist #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative


Additional Rec. - Feb. 13, 2020

Additional Rec. - "A Letter to Young Christian Feminists" by Cheryl Bridges Johns

“Sometime back in the 1970’s, when my generation began our own journey toward liberation, we naively believed that by now things would be settled. As children of the modern era, we were schooled in the myth of progress. We became convinced, that just as the Berlin Wall had fallen, the barriers against full inclusion of women in society and the church would one day crumble...We were wrong...Because we believed things would only get better for women, we were not as diligent as we should have been...My generation could not imagine there would be organizations such as The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. We failed to anticipate The Gospel Coalition, John Piper, and the genteel Tim Keller. In the old days people who believed in the subordination of women were inclined to talk about women as inferior to men, referring to us as ‘the weaker sex.’ There was a lot of talk about ‘women knowing their place.’ There was no effort to hide overt prejudice. Now, a newer generation has taken patriarchy and wrapped it in more palatable language like ‘complementarian.’”

“You are right to point out that while your elders read culture with a critical lens, we failed to deconstruct the church’s purity culture. The church has bought into the long standing belief that men, being hormonally driven, get a pass in regards to objectifying and abusing women. This false assumption places an undue burden on women to dress and behave in a manner that does not entice men. The unfair double standard, seen in ‘purity balls’ and ‘purity rings,’ makes it clear to young women they are first and foremost sexual objects. They are objects under their father’s protection until they marry and come under the protection of their husbands. Many of you grew up in this ethos and, as a result, carry a heavy burden of shame. Your mothers’ silence in this matter meant we were complicit in the abuse. I ask your forgiveness, and I commit to join you in addressing this blight upon our churches.”

I read this letter last month and was encouraged by the humility of Cheryl Bridges Johns in owning that her generation didn’t get everything right. It reminds me that there is no way my generation is getting it all right, and there is certainly no way I am getting everything right. Though I was encouraged, it’s so hard to stay hopeful when the Church in the United States as a whole is lagging embarrassingly behind the rest of society here. It’s a stain on the witness of the Church when I can be fully accepted in all of my strength outside of the walls of certain churches but never inside of those walls. It is past time for all women, not just white women, to be able to show up with the whole of who they are celebrated in praise to the God who created such beautiful diversity.

#additionalrecommendation #recommendation #cherylbridgesjohns #alettertoyoungchristianfeminists #antisexist #antisexism #feminist #feminism #whitefeminismisnotfeminism #faith #evolvingfaith #deconstruction #reconstruction #faithshift #justice #humanity #empathy #equality #reflection #action #lovegod #loveyourneighbor #love #learning #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative


Book Rec. - Feb. 15, 2020

Past Read- Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw

“And any debt that folks had incurred during the past six years was erased. These laws ensured that those in society who were intent on getting ahead had to take a break so that the gap between the rich and the poor would be kept to a minimum. It is almost impossible for us to grasp how wildly counterculture (and difficult) this economic practice really was. God's idea for this peculiar people was that there be ‘no poor people among you’ (Deut. 15:4), which was a very different way of life for these former slaves...For the sake of a watching world, God systematically interrupted the human systems that created poverty-releasing debt, setting slaves free, prohibiting usury, and redistributing property. Sounds like a pretty good kingdom, especially compared with the one from which they came and the surrounding Canaanite powers. Sounds like a platform even we could vote for” (Claiborne & Haw, 2008, pp.59-60).

“It's extraordinary that when the Devil said all political power in the world belongs to him and he can give it to whomever he wishes, Jesus didn't dispute the claim; he just flat out refused the offer. He knew well the bitter fruits of this world's power” (Claiborne & Haw, 2008, p.85).

“In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus urged his people to remember the Sabbath laws and their little alternative economic system of sharing, debt cancellation, and land redistribution. Jesus knew that the way out of Rome's grip lay not in appealing to Rome or in trying to overthrow Rome but in resurrecting Yahweh's alternative economy right under Caesar's nose. After the exodus, Israel had practiced God's anti-imperial economy out in the desert, but now Jesus was calling them to practice it right in the middle of Pharaoh's turf” (Claiborne & Haw, 2008, p.90).

“Hitlers don't come from nowhere. Some of the most brutal figures in history have come to power on the back of a silent, apathetic, and often supportive Church” (Claiborne & Haw, 2008, p.203).

“Then Sister Margaret blew the ram's horn (like our Jewish ancestors used to) and we announced ‘Let the celebration begin!’ The people stationed on balconies above the crowd threw hundreds of dollars in paper money, filling the air. Then they dropped banners which read, ‘Stop terrorism,’ ‘Share,’ 'Love,’ and ‘There is enough for everyone's need but not enough for everyone's greed-Gandhi.’ The streets turned silver. Our ‘pedestrians,’ ‘tourists,’ ‘homeless,’ and ‘business people’ began pouring out their change. We decorated the place with sidewalk chalk and filled the air with bubbles. Joy was contagious. Someone bought bagels and started giving them out. People started sharing their winter clothes. One of the street sweepers winked at us as he flashed a dustpan full of money. Another guy hugged someone and said, ‘Now I can get my prescription filled.’ It worked. We had no idea what would happen. We knew it was dangerous, intentionally bringing God and mammon face to face. But this is precisely what we have committed our lives to. It's risky, and yet we are people of faith, believing that giving is more contagious than hoarding, that love can convert hatred, light can overcome darkness, grass can pierce concrete...even on Wall Street” (Claiborne & Haw, 2008, p.312).

Have you read this book? I would love to hear your thoughts.

#pastread #jesusforpresident #bookrecommendation #bookrec #shaneclaiborne #chrishaw #jesusforpresidentbook #reading #learning #reflection #action #seekjustice #socialjustice #economicjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #faith #evolvingfaith #faithshift #spritiualmisfit #deconstruction #faithdeconstruction #reconstruction #yourkingdomcome #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative

Instagram Posts from the Week of Feb. 2, 2020

Featured Song - Feb. 5, 2020

Featured Song: “Fan Mail” by Micah Bournes (@micahbournes) (ft. Propaganda)

“Religious hypocrites white american pastors/Spoke of integrity, purity when they blasted/President Bill Clinton Back in 90 and 8/But support a chauvinistic prideful bigot today/I wonder what they would say if Donald J. was a Democrat/Moral compass point to where the power and the money at/Whitewashed tombs only fools could ignore/How the very same Lord that you claim to adore/Reserved the harsh words for people just like you/Who quoted all the scripture but was blind to the truth”

“Separation of the Church and state is written/In our laws with the freedom of religion/Plus you claim that our nation has biblical foundations/Fascinating, let me ask you somethin’ Christian/If you think a Muslim is your enemy/And your Savior say to love your enemies/Then you ain’t got no excuse and I really am confused/Why you wanna ban Islamic Refugees/If the Bible say you s’pose to love your neighbor/And to be hospitable even to strangers/Tell me why most of your friends got the very same skin/You don’t even know the people you afraid of/The crazy thing about it all to me/Jesus was a Middle-Eastern refugee/Mama Africa embraced him/But America so racist/Baby Jesus woulda been a casualty”

This song, and the entire A Time Like This album, changed me. I am deeply grateful for Micah Bournes speaking truth to power. Click on the hyperlinked song title above to listen to and purchase the album through Bandcamp. 

#fanmail #micahbournes #song #featuredsong #propaganda #atimelikethisalbum #fightevilwithpoetry #politics #seekjustice #socialjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #dismantlewhitesupremacy #dismantleracism #endracism #endracismnow #endxenophobia #endnationalism #endwhitenationalism #endreligiousbigotry #endalldiscrimination #music #faith #evolvingfaith #support #lovegod #loveyourneighbor #love #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative


Additional Rec. - Feb. 6, 2020

Additional Rec. - “50 Years Later, She’s Still at the Library” by Ben Steelman

In early December, my friend Greg texted me about an idea he had for something I could post about on the BtN IG account. While at his grandma’s house, he met Joan Coco. He told me that Joan Coco was the first African-American to work at the New Hanover County Library in Wilmington, NC. Greg also said that Joan Coco was interviewed by her daughter about her experiences and that she had given him a copy of the interview on a CD. He was so kind to let me borrow the CD, and I wish there was a way I could share the interview. Since I can’t do that, I will highlight some of what stood out to me from the interview and included a link above to read more about Joan Coco.

Joan Coco was interviewed by her daughter Cassandra Coco on March 25, 2011. She spoke about her background and early memories in school, growing up during the time of legal segregation, and encountering prejudice. You could hear her joy as she explained that her proudest moment was when her daughter was born and that she is proud of her daughter’s accomplishments. Cassandra Coco expressed pride in how her mom worked two jobs while going to school and was active in her daughter’s school. Cassandra Coco said that regardless of whatever was going on, her mom was there for her and provided encouragement. They reminisced on times when they didn’t have enough food and when they ate meals of rice and beans. Joan Coco gave advice for her daughter who is now raising her own kids saying to always make time for them.

Joan Coco loved working at the library and helping people gain knowledge, and her dream for her daughter is for her to follow her own dreams. During her time working at the library, she began by working in the back at first and moved out front when the library was integrated. She told stories of the racism she experienced, knowledge she gained, how relieved she was each day when she got off work, and one of her first times having to talk about racism with her daughter.

Joan Coco said that the saddest moment of her life was when she had cancer in 2000. She wants to be remembered as the best mother, the best grandmother, for being there for people, for having a door that was always open, and for feeding everybody. Cassandra Coco wants to be remembered as a good daughter, loving and caring mother, good friend, family member who was there when she could be, and phenomenal person. The love between Joan Coco and her daughter Cassandra was evident as I listened to this interview. Also, Joan Coco was 61 at the time of the interview, and I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to soak in her wisdom.

#additionalrecommendation #recommendation #joancoco #cassandracoco #wilmington #wilmingtonnc #family #community #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #inallinstitutions #justice #humanity #empathy #equality #reflection #action #lovegod #loveyourneighbor #love #learning #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Book Rec. - Feb. 8, 2020

***Trigger Warning***

Current Read- 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

“So we passed, handcuffed and in silence, through the streets of Washington - through the Capital of a nation, whose theory of government, we are told, rests on the foundation of man's inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!” (Northup, 1853, p.30).

“All the frowns and threats of Freeman, could not wholly silence the afflicted mother. She kept on begging and beseeching them, most piteously, not to separate the three. Over and over again she told them how she loved her boy. A great many times she repeated her former promises - how very faithful and obedient she would be; how hard she would labor day and night, to the last moment of her life, if he would only buy them all together” (Northup, 1853, p.49).

“Never did the sun move so slowly through the heavens - never did it shower down such fervent and fiery rays, as it did that day. At least, so it appeared to me. What my meditations were - the innumerable thoughts that thronged through my distracted brain - I will not attempt to give expression to. Suffice it to say, during the whole long day I came not to the conclusion, even once, that the southern slave, fed, clothed, whipped and protected by his master, is happier than the free colored citizen of the North. To that conclusion I have never since arrived. There are many, however, even in the Northern States, benevolent and well-disposed men, who will pronounce my opinion erroneous, and gravely proceed to substantiate the assertion with an argument. Alas! they have never drunk, as I have, from the bitter cup of slavery” (Northup, 1853, p.79).

“An hour before day light the horn is blown. Then the slaves arouse, prepare their breakfast, fill a gourd with water, in another deposit their dinner of cold bacon and corn cake, and hurry to the field again. It is an offence invariably followed by a flogging, to be found at the quarters after daybreak. Then the fears and labors of another day begin; and until its close there is no such thing as rest. He fears he will be caught lagging through the day; he fears to approach the gin house with his basket-load of cotton at night; he fears, when he lies down, that he will oversleep himself in the morning. Such is a true, faithful, unexaggerated picture and description of the slave's daily life” (Northup, 1853, p.117).

“Ten years I toiled for that man without reward. Ten years of my incessant labor has contributed to increase the bulk of his possessions. Ten years I was compelled to address him with downcast eyes and uncovered head - in the attitude and language of a slave. I am indebted to him for nothing, save undeserved abuse and stripes” (Northup, 1853, p.126).

“Mistress Epps stood on the piazza among her children, gazing on the scene with an air of heartless satisfaction. The slaves were huddled together at a little distance, their countenances indicating the sorrow of their hearts. Poor Patsey prayed piteously for mercy, but her prayers were vain...The effect of these exhibitions of brutality on the household of the slaveholder, is apparent” (Northup, 1853, pp.181,185).

Solomon Northup, a free man, wrote about the cruelties of being taken into 12 years of toil, agony, and trauma before being reunited with his family. Gone are the romantic depictions of the life of one enslaved on this soil as seen when a whitewashed narrative is told. It’s past time for accurate history books, conversations about slavery that don’t result in white people getting defensive, and reparations for descendants of the enslaved. 

#currentread #12yearsaslave #bookrecommendation #bookrec #solomonnorthup #audiobook #history #slavery #reading #learning #empathy #equality #reflection #action #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #reparations #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative

Instagram Posts from the Week of Jan. 26, 2020

Podcast Rec. - Jan. 28, 2020

Past Listen - Almost Heretical podcast: “To Hell with Hell (Hell Part 2)” (Released March 13, 2019)

Summary: “Where did ‘hell’ come from? What is Sheol? Hades? Gehenna? And who goes to these places (or are they are even places)? In Part 2, Nate and Tim look at several passages in the scriptures to begin analyzing how various authors conceived of what we’ve come to call Hell. We’ll see how our idea of Hell is actually an amalgam of various concepts related to multiple different questions.”

“So Sheol is basically, you’re dying and you’re sort of living on and you’re sort of not. And so in Greek world, you have a very similar concept of the underworld called Hades. And Hades was both the name of the god that apparently ruled over this underworld, and then the place was just given that name. So then you actually have sections both in Revelation and in the New Testament and in Job and in Psalm 88 where it’s almost a direct parallel. There’s a word, abaddon, in Hebrew, and it says there’s an angel of the abyss in Revelation 9:11, there’s an angel of the abyss who acts as king over them named Abaddon, which is just the Hebrew word ‘destruction,’ and his name is Apollyon in Greek, and that same being gets referenced in Job. And it’s basically a replacement to Hades.”

“So the interesting piece is that the Septuagint, which is the original translation from Hebrew into Greek of the first five books, the Torah, of the Hebrew Bible. And then eventually the entire Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek. Well, when it was translated from Hebrew to Greek, not only was the concept of Sheol similar to the concept of Hades, but they just used the word Hades to translate the word Sheol in most places. And then as you probably remember, the New Testament was written in Greek! So in the New Testament, when someone is talking about where you go after you die before God’s judgment, they use the word Hades. It’s used ten times. But here’s the problem: when you read your Bible in English, it says the word ‘hell.’ And it also says the word ‘hell’ when the word ‘Tartarus’ is used, which means something totally different, and it also says the word ‘hell’ when the word Gehenna is used, which is very, very different.”

I am thankful for the Almost Heretical podcast and for everything I still have left to learn.

#natehanson #timritter #almostheretical #podcast #podcastrecommendation #podcastrec #tohellwithhell #hellandheavenseries #hellandheaven #universalism #universalchrist #love #lovingthebibleagain #loveyourneighbor #hermeneutics #contextmatters #culturalcontext #deconstruction #reconstruction #faith #evolvingfaith #faithtransition #spiritualmisfit #learning #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #restorativejustice #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - Jan. 29, 2020

“We never said ‘no white people.’ We just know you shouldn’t be the hero of the story • If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not listening.” You can read these words in the IG profile for the No White Saviors page.

On the No White Saviors website, the phrase “Decolonizing Missions and Development Work” paired with the statements “No White Saviors is an advocacy campaign led by a majority female, majority African team of professionals based in Kampala, Uganda. Our collective experience in the development & aid sectors has led us to a deep commitment to seeing things change in a more equitable & anti-racist direction” explain the work of the No White Saviors campaign. If you click on the linktree link, you will see links to contribute financially to No White Saviors, purchase merchandise, and access articles and videos. 

Follow @nowhitesaviors if you aren’t already, and support the work of the No White Saviors team through PayPal or Patreon as they are “decolonizing missions and development work.” 

#nowhitesaviors #accounttofollow #Kampala #Uganda #decolonization #decolonize #decolonizemissions #decolonizedevelopmentwork #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #accountability #antiracism #antiracist #becomingantiracist #endracism #endracismnow #love #empathy #equality #reflection #action #loveyourneighbor #seekjustice #socialjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative

Additional Rec. - Jan. 30, 2020

Additional Rec. - "Why White Churches Are Hard for Black People" by Isaac Adams

“White churches are hard for black people because many white brothers and sisters don’t work against, much less acknowledge, racism, whether subtle or blatant. Meanwhile, the world readily admits that white supremacy resounds today and that subtle racism skulks in ways more difficult to discern. Some white folk in the church act as if, according to one writer, ‘any mention of “racism” is a racial slur directed at them.’ Responding to this perceived slur, some whites speak only to defend themselves instead of listening to die to themselves; conversation then becomes a tool for imposition—not understanding. Others go mute because of their discomfort or because they don’t know what they don’t know. But the church is to bear one another’s burdens (1 Cor. 12:26). Where are the loving brothers and sisters who want to pick up some weight? In Galatians 2, Peter’s racial prejudices acted against the gospel—not an implication of the gospel but the actual gospel.”

“But some white people hold the institution of the black church in contempt. They accuse its supporters of ‘dividing the body of Christ!’ They don’t realize that when blacks speak of the black church, we’re not just talking about a sociological but a supernatural phenomenon—a bunch of black folk faithfully worshipping God. Some white folk, who decry the black church’s existence, don’t realize that their grandpas, who wouldn’t let blacks worship with their white folk, created the black church.”

“White churches are hard for black people because the hall of faith seems white washed. The theological, historical narrative passed on in white churches and white seminaries often only speaks of white theologians and heroes of the faith. Can we please remember that Augustine was from Africa and spoke of a pervasive depravity long before Calvin? Can we please stop saying Adoniram Judson was the first American missionary when George Liele, a slave born in Virginia, went out 30 years before him? Can we please hear of the faithful black preachers in history and hear them quoted in sermons, too? Can we please not say the American church hasn’t been persecuted when the black church has known extreme persecution—Charleston and arson being the most recent exhibitions?”

In this article, Isaac Adams shared 13 reasons white churches are hard for black people. This was one of the first articles I read on the subject of race and the Church, and I am grateful for the truth in love written by Isaac Adams here. I highly recommend reading the article in its entirety.

#additionalrecommendation #recommendation #whywhitechurchesarehardforblackpeople #isaacadams #church #community #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #inallinstitutions #faith #evolvingfaith #justice #humanity #empathy #equality #reflection #action #lovegod #loveyourneighbor #love #learning #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative