Cover Image original caption reads “the power of dancing to soothe the savage breast upon the western plains.” From the New York Public Library Digital Collection. I began this series on things I never understand about anti-racism back in April 2019. In the process of beginning to see my blindspots in regards to race, I have been deeply grieved, but I have also found so much freedom, clarity and humanity. As with whatever I write here, I aim to...
I woke up this morning to a social media feed filled with lament. My Asian-American brothers and sisters in Christ are feeling the weight of a rising tide of racial hatred (with a horrific shooting this week). I have to confess that it took some time for me to slow down and really hear them. In the conversation about racism, we can easily make it an issue of black and white and forget how racism impacts Asians Americans. Raymond...
I had started a lighter, more newsy post for this week . . . and then Wednesday happened. There is much to process and discuss. You might trace the history of white supremacy and voter suppression in this country. You might trace the history of white Christian nationalism in the evangelical church. You might look into the roots of right-wing extremism and internet conspiracy theories like QAnon. You might trace how all these things may have led to a...
Maybe it’s classic American self-importance, but even if you’re not an American, I assume you know we have a big election next week? It’s been divisive and polarizing, to say the least. The rhetoric is heated and scoffing is rampant on both sides. And that’s inside the church (but not mine, necessarily, thankfully)! The most polarizing issues get attention, urgent issues get ignored (school funding reform anyone??!), and issues that shouldn’t be polarizing have been politicized (coronavirus, masks). We’re...
September 10, 2020
all good things•anti-racism•art•books that shape me•Uncategorized
All good things: September
I can’t believe I haven’t checked in since June! It feels like the last few months have been a bit of a time warp. I don’t even think I’ll attempt a detailed recap, but the intervening months included: grocery store sushi, puzzles, exploring streams and rivers, smoothies, books on tape, Minecraft, library books, bike riding, cartoons, attempts at gardening, lots of Hamilton listening, daily naps (for me), and just one emergency dental appointment (which turned out well). My kids...
Grab some coffee or tea and join me for a rundown of some good things I’ve read or watched or learned recently, and also what I’m working on. I hope you find something helpful! Jamie Grace’s Playlist for UnderstandingDo you know Jamie Grace’s music? She’s been speaking a lot about racism lately, and I love hearing from her! She created this playlist “for understanding why a lot of black people feel a lot of things.” Goodness, music sometimes hits...
Hello friends! I know I’ve been quiet this last month since I shared my last screensaver. At first it was coronavirus and having all my children at homem but the last few weeks it has been the protests in our country following the murder of George Floyd on May 25. I’m sure that you’ve followed these events, even if you’re not an American. I have been even more burdened for my country, by our violence and oppression. By our...
Fanny Lou Hamer famously once said that she was “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” I’m thankful to Jemar Tisby (author of The Color of Compromise) for teaching me about her. At the age 42, after working as a sharecropper most of her life, Hamer became a civil rights activist and politician. She was fed up with the violence and injustice and oppression she saw and experienced in Mississippi and decided to do whatever she could, enduring...
"Understanding lynchings, The Great Migration, red-lining has just given me a deeper understanding of where I come from and that’s given me a lot more compassion for everyone’s story. I want every person to have that. There are reasons that we understand the world as we do and those reasons are written and shaped by our country’s history. Knowing our history helps us see the humanity of the world around us and call out any instances of inhumanity that...
