
June 2021
Juneteenth recognized as a U.S. federal holiday is extraordinary. Black Lives Matter is witness. Inclusive historical recall is essential. June 2021 was a milestone for awareness of the African American condition in our country. It signals a turning point in national consciousness. Juneteenth is a moment to carry forward as a movement with expansive spirit impacting an educational narrative that has too often neglected holistic representation of indigenous peoples and persons of color. Questioning this widely assumed narrative has ignited the Critical Race Theory debate. At this point, the responsibility must rest on the nation’s white population to deconstruct the embedded cultural bias many are not even aware exists. The suspicious glances, dehumanizing comments, and subtle discomfort with “otherness” form a collective web of oppression. Some of it willful, some of it privileged naivete but no less damaging.
The first step toward racial unity is acknowledging the full dimension of historical facts. For some, this will be an uncomfortable but necessary process. Non-action affirms complicity. The next steps are to value cultural diversity and engage in dialog where all voices are seated at the table and heard. However, the white voices should initially do more active listening than speaking to fully internalize the legacy of their cultural heritage. This is not intended as an accusation but, rather, the opportunity to reeducate oneself on behalf of the greater good. Love and respect are the vehicles for sustainable change.
I give this advice to myself. I am a white man identifying as a non-black ally. I am married to a Caribbean woman of color. She is an accomplished professional and devoted to her family. We are blessed with two vibrant children interpreting their worlds through a multicultural prism. As a parent, I have the pleasure and duty to inform myself of what it means to be an African American living in a country still wrestling with slavery’s tragic history and the evolving specter of white supremacy. I reflect deeply on this history and saddened by the generational trauma it continues to foster. I am equally careful to not define a people in undifferentiated terms and only through a stereotype of hardship. It is possible to both honor the past and seed imaginations with positive role models – elevating the underrepresented scientists, architects, teachers, artists, and humble community heroes working quietly in the background. We celebrate each as visionaries in their own unique way.
It is my hope the federal Juneteenth recognition heartens a more robust documentation and subsequent teaching of history. This requires updating textbooks, reorienting lectures, and revisiting timelines. I am an incoming divinity school graduate student and anticipate these changes. I walk with humility and an open mind, eager to listen and represent with passion. I do not consider myself living in two different worlds but living the same life in two different ways. This emphasizes unity over division; a space for both/and vs. either/or. It is an intentional philosophy guided by faith, service, and a welcoming fellowship.
For the Kingdom,
Christopher
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