I grew up in a liberal city in the 90s. Color-blindness was the goal for every young white kid. I wrote a letter to the editor in my high school newspaper speaking out against affirmative action. “You’ve told us our entire lives we’re supposed to treat each other like we’re all the same,” I wrote… Continue reading Racial discrimination is not inherently racist
Criticism of the book “White Fragility”
I’ve seen the book “White Fragility” recommended and at the top of so many people’s justice-related reading lists. I’ve already recommended it to one person when our attempts to talk through the general concept of white people being fragile broke down. But! I haven’t read it. And I’ve started to see bubblings of criticism arise… Continue reading Criticism of the book “White Fragility”
Can I Say “Black Lives Matter” if I Don’t Agree With the Official Organization?
Every once in a while I’ll hear someone say, “I don’t feel comfortable saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ or putting up BLM signs because I disagree with the organization.” I don’t have any discomfort with the organization, but I also can’t say that I know everything about it, so I was curious to learn what made… Continue reading Can I Say “Black Lives Matter” if I Don’t Agree With the Official Organization?
Being an Anti-Racist Ally: A resource
I didn’t start hearing the term “ally” until college, when a girl in my dorm identified herself as an “ally”, meaning, “someone who stands for LGBTQ people and their rights.” On one hand, I appreciate the idea of choosing an identify for oneself. “I am someone who chooses to spends energy, money, and relational capital… Continue reading Being an Anti-Racist Ally: A resource
Trying to Figure Out My Post-White-Evangelical Theology
Just a gathering of links I find helping me start to organize my thinking. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CAJZbk_gyqS/?igshid=sijjrvxm7y65 https://twitter.com/austinchanning/status/1273011771066982400 https://twitter.com/mrmedina/status/1273102312563712000/photo/1
I am not racist or antiracist; I act, speak, or think in racist or antiracist ways
I think the biggest thing that I learned from the first two chapters of how to be an anti-racist by Ibram X Kendi is that there’s no such thing as not racist; you’re either racist or anti-racist in any given action. This is very interesting to me because I’m used to people saying, it’s not… Continue reading I am not racist or antiracist; I act, speak, or think in racist or antiracist ways
My Reading List
I’ve been asked a lot lately about what folks can read to learn more about race, justice, ethnicity, etc. so I’ve decided to collect together what I’ve read, what I’m reading, and what I hope to read next. I’ve read a lot of articles and summaries and read very, very few actual books. I’m hoping… Continue reading My Reading List
Please remember my Black son
Note: For context of time, I wrote this post Thursday of last week, after the death of Alton Sterling. The news of Philando Castile’s death broke while I was in the middle of writing it. (This post originally referenced a photo of my family at the top that I’ve since removed. I’ve also changed my… Continue reading Please remember my Black son
“Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” (or, at least, I am)
(title referring to the Avenue Q song “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist“, not necessarily saying everyone’s racist) When I was a freshman in college, well-intentioned but inexperienced in the ways of cross-cultural relationships, I joined an organization called InterVarsity that focuses, among other things, on “racial reconciliation”–working to intentionally bring together people of different races in love and,… Continue reading “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” (or, at least, I am)
First they came for the Black people, and I did not speak out
(title in reference to “First they came …“) It’s the year 2014, in the United States of America, and the people whose entire livelihood is supposed to be the protection of civilians–the keeping of peace, the upholding of our freedoms, the protection of citizens–have donned military garb, weapons, tactics, and ideologies, and are advancing on… Continue reading First they came for the Black people, and I did not speak out