I sent this out to my congregation on August 18, 2017 after the white supremacist rally and counter protest in Charlottesville, VA, but it took me a few weeks to post it here.
Was it just last week I wrote about Christians using the Bible to justify war with North Korea? That seems like a year ago, because of what happened in Charlottesville last weekend. I've heard from some of you that you feel overwhelmed by the news, the ignorant comments on social media and cable news, the astounding words of our president which justified the actions of white supremacists. It's a lot, and just like when any terrible news breaks, I'm a supporter of people taking good spiritual care of themselves. Know your limits and when you can't filter out the noise. That being said, I want you to keep thinking about Charlottesville, because there are lessons to learn here.
I've read a lot this week about what happened at Chrlottesville, confederate monuments and more. I know you may have had your fill, but I encourage you to read the following articles and columns. I've tried to pick the ones that were most meaningful and enlightening for me. The reason I want you to take a look at them is because Christianity, specifically white Christians--even more specifically majority white Christian churches who say they are Peace with Justice churches like ours must do our homework--and then we must respond in meaningful ways.
(For those of you who aren't going to click on all the links below, if you only pick one thing to read, pick this one: "6 Things Our White Friends Can Do To Be Better Allies".)
1. I want to make sure you know about the United Church of Christ's involvement in the peaceful counter protest to the white supremacists in Charlottesville. If you missed the e-mail earlier in the week, take a look at these:
- The video below shows why we give. Rev. Traci Blackmon the newly elected Executive Minister for Justice and Witness Ministries for the national UCC represented us in Charlottesville this past weekend. She was one of the keynote speakers at the Friday night prayer vigil that was surrounded by white nationalists bearing torches. The next day she was bearing witness in peaceful protest with other clergy--literally singing "This Little Light of Mine" in front of militia members with machine guns. She was being interviewed on MSNBC (see below) when the security detail for clergy whisked her away from a street corner where brawls in the street broke out. Rev. Blackmon has become a leading voice for civil rights for all people in our country and we get to claim her as a part of the UCC. She is demonstrating that Christianity doesn't have to be a religion of hate. Click here to watch Rev. Traci Blackmon on MSNBC during the protests on Saturday where she is taken away by security in the middle of the interview. Click here to watch Rev. Track Blackmon on MSNBC on Tuesday night responding to President Trump's news conference Tuesday afternoon.
- UCC Pastoral Letter condemns racist violence in Charlottesville, demands equality for all
- Meet the clergy who stared down white supremacists in Charlottesville--a UCC minister in Charlottesville organized the non-violent protest of the clergy
2. The History Behind the Confederate Monuments--they were erected not to commemorate history but as tools of oppression in their day and ours
- This great article includes a chart from the Southern Poverty Law Center that explains when and why Confederate statues were erected. Most of them were erected in times of racial strife--the rise of Jim Crow and the Klan in the early 20th century and from the end of WWII to the Civil Rights Movement. There were not historical monuments but tools of white supremacy.
- "Regime Change in Charlottesville: If you understand why that Civil War statue really went up, the debate over removing it looks a lot different"
- "Baltimore's Confederate Monument Was Never About 'History And Culture'"
- "Why Confederate Monuments Must Fall"
- Does Trump's Slippery Slope Argument About Confederate Statues Have Merit?--excellent refutation of a farcical argument
- "The Monuments Must Go: An open letter from the great-great-grandsons of Stonewall Jackson"
- Descendant Of Gen. Robert E. Lee Says It's Time For His Ancestor's Statues To Come Down--he is a UCC minister too
3. Equating the "Alt Right" with the so-called "Alt Left" is merely a way to excuse white supremacists
- I remain convinced that non-violent protest is the best way to respond to white supremacists. This article, however, shares the experiences of non-violent protesters in Charlottesville, most of them clergy, who feel Antifas and other protesters protected them when the police stood by and let the violence happen.
- President Trump says the 'alt-left' was partly to blame for the violence at Charlottesville. Wait: What's the alt-left?
4. How are WMWP who are Christian to respond to something like Charlottesville?
- Wow! This is an excellent resource written in a concise manner to help WMWP (Well-Meaning White People) like me to know how to be an ally for black people. HINT: it takes more than trying not to be racist (although that's a good start)
- How to Encourage Your (White) Pastor to Speak Out Against White Supremacy--even if your white pastor does speak out there are really good suggestions of what lay people in a church can do
Finally, just in case your interested, KCUR's program Central Standard had a segment on reactions to Charlottesville in KC. At about the 25 minute mark, you can hear a whiny-voices minister from Kansas City named Chase call in to the program.
Grace and Peace,
Chase
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