Lest we lose sight of the organized movements of hate around us (MAP via Southern Poverty Law Center)....or the impact of those who stand against hatred and work on anti-racism in themselves and in their communities (MAP, again from Southern Poverty Law Center).
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Minding Our Motives: Redemption
Cross-posted from Rachel Hackenberg's blog, Faith and Water:
A friend read my "Minding Our Motives" post and recalled a familiar triusm: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
So, if the road of white racism---by which I mean, well-intentioned-but-oblivious white prejudice and acquiescence to systemic racism, as opposed to intentionally hateful acts of discrimination and physical/verbal/emotional violence against non-whites---is in fact a road to hell that is paved with our (well-meaning white folks') good intentions, then what is our salvation from ourselves and from the preferential system in which we are entrenched?
Read more...
A friend read my "Minding Our Motives" post and recalled a familiar triusm: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
So, if the road of white racism---by which I mean, well-intentioned-but-oblivious white prejudice and acquiescence to systemic racism, as opposed to intentionally hateful acts of discrimination and physical/verbal/emotional violence against non-whites---is in fact a road to hell that is paved with our (well-meaning white folks') good intentions, then what is our salvation from ourselves and from the preferential system in which we are entrenched?
Read more...
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Checking Our White "Savior Complex"
In the scramble to send personnel and resources to Haiti, it is important to critically analyze any and all overtones of the privileged "saving" the underprivileged, of the white/Western/wealthy/compassionate nation "rescuing" the non-white/non-American/developing/portrayed-as-self-looting nation---whether those overtones are present in the media or in our own thinking.
This self-critique is particularly important in regards to the children of Haiti. A statement was recently published by a coalition of adoptees of color, Statement on Haiti, emphasizing the need to avoid compounding a Haitian child's trauma by removing him/her from all that is familiar and beloved, and encouraging caution against the assumption that Haiti cannot care for (parent) her own children.
There are ways to help. But we risk repeating the severe mistakes of white American/European imperialism when we rush to rescue without minding our motives.
This self-critique is particularly important in regards to the children of Haiti. A statement was recently published by a coalition of adoptees of color, Statement on Haiti, emphasizing the need to avoid compounding a Haitian child's trauma by removing him/her from all that is familiar and beloved, and encouraging caution against the assumption that Haiti cannot care for (parent) her own children.
There are ways to help. But we risk repeating the severe mistakes of white American/European imperialism when we rush to rescue without minding our motives.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Blog Recommendation
SCOR community:
If you haven't already found the Anti-Racist Parent blog, I highly recommend it (regardless of your parenting status). This recent post, "How to be an anti-racist ally," keeps the important basics of how to be a white anti-racist ally before us in the ongoing Sacred Conversation on Race for Penn Central Conference.
Just a reminder that our next SCOR meeting is scheduled for this coming Thursday, January 7, at 9:30am in Harrisburg at our Penn Central Conference offices.
Blessings in 2010!
If you haven't already found the Anti-Racist Parent blog, I highly recommend it (regardless of your parenting status). This recent post, "How to be an anti-racist ally," keeps the important basics of how to be a white anti-racist ally before us in the ongoing Sacred Conversation on Race for Penn Central Conference.
Just a reminder that our next SCOR meeting is scheduled for this coming Thursday, January 7, at 9:30am in Harrisburg at our Penn Central Conference offices.
Blessings in 2010!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A Bit Political, But True...
Jim Wallis posted this excellent article at Sojo.net today. Take a few minutes to check it out, and then let us know what you think in the comments!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Checklist for Allies
Rachel's post a few days ago linked to this article on the role of allies, and within that article, you'll find a checklist for allies -- what should we as allies be doing on a daily basis?
Just for the sake of having that checklist at our fingertips, I thought I'd pull out that link and have it right here in its own post.
Checklist for Allies Against Racism
Just for the sake of having that checklist at our fingertips, I thought I'd pull out that link and have it right here in its own post.
Checklist for Allies Against Racism
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Sunday Morning Segregation
A recent article in the online magazine The Grio provides insight into the Black-White segregation of American Christians during the Sunday morning church hour, and offers starting points for overcoming the division.
Although I wish that the author, Charlton McIlwain of NYU Steinhardt and The Project on Race in Political Communication, had helped us examine the broader racial/ethnic divide of Sundays mornings -- not just the Black-White divide -- still, an understanding of the Black-White dichotomy often serves as an introductory step toward understanding the impact of racism across a spectrum of racial/ethnic groups.
Although I wish that the author, Charlton McIlwain of NYU Steinhardt and The Project on Race in Political Communication, had helped us examine the broader racial/ethnic divide of Sundays mornings -- not just the Black-White divide -- still, an understanding of the Black-White dichotomy often serves as an introductory step toward understanding the impact of racism across a spectrum of racial/ethnic groups.
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