The Kids Are Not Alright (Charlottesville #3)

I need you to do some reflection, my white liberal friends.

How many of you, in your heart of hearts, believe that the Civil War was fought over state’s rights?

How many of you, in your heart of hearts, believe that slavery was dying out at the time the Civil War started?

How many of you, in your heart of hearts, believe that slavery was an inefficient economic system?

How many of you, in your heart of hearts, believe that the Civil War could have been avoided?

How many of you, in your heart of hearts, believe that there were Black Confederates?

In all the discussion around Charlottesville and its aftermath, one of the things that comes through crystal clear is that even most white liberals and progressives don’t see a problem with Confederate statues because you believe many of the myths about U.S. chattel slavery.

Don’t believe me?

How many of you complained when you saw that your child’s (those of you who have children) history/social studies book described enslaved people as “workers” or “immigrants”? Or said anything about the absence of any mention of Reconstruction and the reign of terror that was visited upon African Americans after the Civil War?

or explain why Gov. Cuomo is getting congratulated for this…..

Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson will be removed from the CUNY hall of great Americans because New York stands against racism.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 17, 2017

and yet nobody seems to be asking why were Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson in the CUNY hall of great Americans in the first damn place?

The kids are not alright, my friends. They are getting taught the same white supremacist nonsense that you were taught. And this is why we are STILL debating the validity of CONFEDERATE statues being anywhere.

The kids are not alright, my friends, because you are not alright.

Tiki Torches May Look Funny. This Is No Laughing Matter. (Charlottesville #2)

They surrounded a black church on Friday night, friends.

I know the pictures could cause one to laugh and want to mock them; a group of (mostly) men carrying cheap outdoor accessories. If that’s all they did, that would be one thing.

They surrounded a black church on Friday night, friends.

A group of white people surrounding a black church should send chills down the spine of every person of faith.

Just two years ago, after a white supremacist killed 9 people in Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME in Charleston, there was a string of black church fires across the South. Remember that?

16th Street Baptist was bombed. 4 little girls died.

Black churches have always been a magnet to white supremacist terrorists (back to Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction days)

They surrounded a black church on Friday night, friends. And while it’s funny to think about these people using cheap, outdoor accessories as a way to make a point, they surrounded a black church on Friday night, friends. And the point would have been just as jarring had they used Bic lighters or regular candles.

Tiki torches may look funny. This is no laughing matter.

Have you reached out to your local black churches and ministers today?

Charlottesville Is Why White People Need To Read A Book (or, the Violence of “This Is Not Us”)

I was cursed at birth. My birthday is February 12. So that means I share a birthday with Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. So I was destined to be bitten by the history bug.

Charlottesville.

If you were on social media yesterday, or listened to the news, then you heard/saw a common refrain…..”This is not us.”

Let me tell you something, white people…..

THIS IS US.

THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN US.

And since nobody answered the questions of the quiz I posted a couple of weeks ago, I get to ask them again.

1.  What do I mean when I use the word “redemption”?
(if you think I am talking about the theological term, stop here. You have failed the test.)

2.  Who is Ben Tillman?

3.  What is important about Colfax, Louisiana?

4.  Who are Jefferson P. Long and Robert Smalls?

5.  What did the Civil Rights Cases of 1883 say?

6.  What happened in Memphis May 1-3, 1866?

White people saying “this is not us” is violence. Because this is us. These things have been happening to Black people in this country for time immemorial. Black people have been trying to get white people to understand this for time immemorial.

There were white people surrounding a black church with torches on Friday night.  This is not new.

Clergy were attacked while peacefully standing vigil yesterday. This is not new.

People died yesterday because of the actions of white supremacists. This is not new.

So, white people, I need you to read a book. Start with W.E.B. Du Bois’ “Black Reconstruction in America”. Because you perpetuate violence when you say, “this is not us,” when U.S. history is nothing but this.

more later.

Someday We’ll All Be Free…But That Day Ain’t Today–the Prelude (Ferguson, Unitarian Universalism, and Me)

It’s Anniversary Day.

I was going to try and explain why I’ve been having a crisis of faith in Unitarian Universalism since August, 2014. But I’ve figured out that I can’t really put it into words.

I could talk about how abandoned by institutional Unitarian Universalism we in St. Louis were at the time. But I’ve already done that.

I could talk about the sense of deja vu that has come over me since the NAACP issued their travel advisory for the state of Missouri and faux-woke UUs have started yapping about boycotting GA in K.C. next year. But I just wrote about that.

I probably should write about how we’re quickly approaching the beginning of the 50th anniversary of the Black Empowerment Controversy and wondering if UUs are really ready to reckon with that history. But I have time to get those thoughts into intelligible form.

I can’t do any of those. Because I can’t help thinking about MikeMike. Thinking that he should be 21 and plotting out the rest of his life.

But I’m also thinking about Trayvon. and Tamir. and Sandra. and Rekia. and Aiyanna.

And Eric Garner. John Crawford. Jordan Edwards. Freddie Gray. Walter Scott. Eric Harris. Oscar Grant. Natasha Anderson.

and all the others. too many to name here.

Yet I’m also thinking about Julie. and Sunshine. and Krista. and Barbara. who lived through it all too.

It’s Anniversary Day.

Someday…we’ll all be free. But that day ain’t today.

This Is Just A Little Peyton Place And You’re All Harper Valley Hypocrites

So…UU social media is all aflutter over the NAACP-issued Travel Advisory for the state of Missouri. And, in the way of faux-wokeness with UUs, some are saying that they are thinking about maybe not coming to GA next year in K.C.

[I do find it funny that these faux-woke UUs are talking about avoiding a state that they have been avoiding since Ferguson when we were begging for people to come. But I have come to expect nothing less from UUs.]

ok, let’s start with one fact. The NAACP is NOT (I repeat, NOT) calling for a boycott of the state of Missouri. If they were calling for a boycott, this would be a different issue. This is a travel advisory. And, if you are white, it ain’t about you. It’s about Black people and other people of color.

another fact….the law that the NAACP issued the advisory over is also law in 38 other states. I wish, as a native Missourian, that the NAACP had issued the advisory over the traffic-stop information released by the Attorney General’s office. But that’s neither here nor there.

anyway…back to the faux-woke UUs. Here’s my question:

Did you have any qualms about going to GA in Portland? Or Columbus?

If you didn’t, you are a Harper Valley hypocrite.

UUs of color ALWAYS have to wonder about how we are going to move around in whatever city GA is in. Hell, we have to wonder how FELLOW UUs are going to treat us at GA. This is nothing new for us. And your faux-woke concern over the Travel Advisory is not helpful.

Here’s the next question:

Have you talked to any K.C. organizers (or anybody in Missouri, really)?

If you haven’t, you are a Harper Valley hypocrite.

To express your faux-concern about the Travel Advisory but not have had a conversation with anybody connected to the organizing efforts in K.C. or other places in Missouri shows that your concern is just to make yourself feel better.

So look…if you don’t want to come to GA in K.C., fine. Nobody’s making you come.

But if you are using the NAACP Travel Advisory as your excuse to not come to K.C. but had no problems going to Portland or Columbus, you are nothing but a faux-woke Harper Valley UU Hypocrite.