A Joint Effort - HIS Plan Organization

Like many, I have been frustrated at the events happening in our country. Some people see an issue while others don’t. I speak out because I believe there is an issue concerning the injustices that have happened to people of color, specifically the Black community. Now, you may not agree with me, but that’s ok. If you have never experience the sting of racism or the effects of the system, it will be difficult for you to understand. I spoke to my friend Jim Hollandsworth, and he shared his frustration with me as well. We are both Christian. We both come from different backgrounds, but our individual stories are intertwined into a greater story. Below, Jim wrote down his thoughts on the current events, as did I. I recently wrote a memo for an online Communication course I took, and I decided to share it here. Before you get to judging, I hope you take some time to process what is happening around our country and what we wrote. There are so many more things to expound on and had we done it, this post would be a book. I hope we can keep the conversation going, pray and see how to find solutions.

Jim Hollandsworth

This shouldn’t be normal.

I often wonder, “What should I do?” I ask this question every time there’s another story about a senseless murder of an African-American man in the US. As a Christian, I believe Jesus values every life equally. However, in today’s world, there are systems in place that show us that we actually don’t value all lives equally. So I want to speak up but I feel inadequate about my ability to speak articulately. I feel like even if I do speak up it won’t make a difference. And I feel scared of what will happen if I do share my true thoughts and feelings.

But this week feels different for some reason. It’s time to speak up, yes, but it’s also time to show up. We’ve talked a lot recently about wanting things to go back to normal but this shouldn’t be normal, should it? Yes, maybe my normal has always been pretty good and if I’m being honest there’s definitely a part of me that wants to go back to that normal. But it’s not right. Normal isn’t good for most people in the world. It’s only been good for people like me. So what do we do?

For me, I’ve thought about this question a lot this week. “What should I do?” Should I just post something on social media and then go back to my normal life? Or is there something else? I think there’s something else. So I asked my friend Juan Terrazas to help me.

Juan’s story is much different than mine. We’re both Christians, we both love the work we do, but our stories are different.

Speaking to my white brothers and sisters who may be asking the same question as me, “What should I do?”, here are some ideas:

1. Listen. Make space in your life to listen to people who are different from you are. Follow them on social media. Buy their books. In fact, you can buy a book about Juan’s story right here and now.

2. Learn. We need to educate ourselves on the history of oppression in this country. Our ancestors oppressed people with black and brown skin and it’s time we acknowledge the systemic racism that’s present today because of our history. You can start by reading this.

3. Call your leaders. Each of us can reach out to our state legislators and ask for change. And calling does work. I know from experience. You can find your state representative and senator here.

https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/change-your-address/

I know for sure that I don’t have all the answers. I feel insecure and scared a lot. But I know it’s time for things to change. And it starts with me. I can’t control what others do but I can control what I do. So today, I’m going to listen, I’m going to learn and I’m going to call and let my voice be heard.

White friends, it’s time we stand alongside (not in front of) our black and brown brothers and sisters in solidarity. It’s time we acknowledge the racist systems in this country that we’re part of without even knowing it. It’s time we take action.

Juan Terrazas

Our Country has been through much racial tension in its history, and we need healing in our land. A few years ago, a movement, called OneRace, was first initiated on top of Stone Mountain, GA in 2017 to denounce racism, where the second wave of the Ku Klux Klan emerged in 1915 after years of being dispersed.

As a forewarning, this memo is not written to blame or make anyone feel guilty. All I am simply seeking is to begin conversations about race in the Church that have been so long ignored. If not now, then when? The Church has been complicit in dividing races, so it is time we address the matter. In the 1600s, Europeans in the Americas used the word “Christian” to describe themselves and excluded the Natives and enslaved people. Separations of races are deep-seated in our country.

There are inequalities in our justice systems. School systems are specific examples. Black Americans who violate rules are at a higher risk of receiving harsher disciplined such as suspension, and which can ultimately lead to convictions, imprisonment, and school drop-outs. School drop-outs have been linked to juvenile delinquency. Laws, such as the Stop and Frisk law, are a form of racial profiling. Young Black and Latino males are at a higher risk to be stopped and frisked by law enforcement according to an article Al Sharpton wrote.

The current events occurring in our nation are undoubtfully heart wrenching as riots are breaking out and businesses are going up in flames. The events we are witnessing did not occur overnight, but there have been domino effects from previous events. George Floyd’s death, at the hands of four Minneapolis policemen, could have been avoided had one fellow officer stepped in to remove officer Derek Chauvin’s knee off Floyd’s neck. Prior to that, Breonna Taylor, an emergency medical technician (EMT) fighting COVID-19 as a frontline worker, was gunned down by police as they forced their way into her house. Prior to that, Ahmaud Arbery, was chased down by two white men who accused Arbery of burglary; he fought for his life as he was shot three times. These are only three of many. Need I mention anymore? Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, John Crawford III, Trayvon Martin, and Philando Castile have lost their lives due to state violence and police brutality.

This past week, I re-read Dr. King’s 1963 letter from the Birmingham jail. As I read it I found several points he made that are relevant to today’s events. I briefly want to touch on two of those points.

First, when Dr. King protested, his methods were to encourage nonviolent protests. He trained people to face the reality of being ostracized. In recent years, Colin Kaepernick, the 49er’s former quarterback, decided to kneel during the national anthem to protest for police brutality against Black American men, but he was condemned and deemed disrespectful. LeBron James spoke up about the challenges of being black, a public figure, and discussed politics as he was interviewed by ESPN. Fox News’ television host, Lauren Ingraham attacked him and said, “Shut up and dribble.” Most recently, Drew Brees, the New Orleans’ Saints Quarterback said it was disrespectful to kneel during the national anthem, and Ingraham defended him by saying he was entitled to his opinion. Was not James entitled to his opinion as well? The kneeling to protest police brutality was peaceful, and the NFL recently offered an apology for not listening to players when they spoke out. If Black Americans were heard a few years ago, we may not be in the situation we are today. I hear many Anglo-Americans saying race relations are not an issue, while Black Americans are screaming at the top of their lungs, “Stop killing us!”
Secondly, Dr. King spoke about the early Church in comparison to how it is now. The Church was strong and full of God’s power, but as for the modern Church, he said, “[t]he contemporary church is so often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. It is so often the arch supporter of the status quo.” Today, I see the Church in a similar stance. This is not to say we have not had progress as a nation, but we are still divided as a people. The Church has been silent in race issues because it refused to stir the pot. The solution for a divided nation is a united Church. If the Church does not unite, it will “be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning” for our century.

It is now more than ever the Church needs to unite and truly become the body of Christ. The purpose of the Cross, as written by the Apostle Paul in the second chapter of Ephesians, was to tear down the wall that separated the Jews and the Gentiles. The Cross not only intended to reconcile men to God but also men to men. Christ Himself prayed that we would become one, and people will know we belong to God only by the way we love another. I speak to you because you are the spiritual leaders of our communities. We are not merely battling flesh and blood but a spiritual battle. My hope and prayer is that we would listen to each other rather than dismiss one another. If one side continues to cry foul, while the other side denies it, we will continue to go in circles. Wake up Church.