Nine Ways to Address Racism
When I was young, I remember hearing stories of my mom growing up in Smyrna, Tennessee. She told me one story of her driving to church at night. As she drove by the highway, she passed by a large field full of Ku Klux Klan members carrying torches. She saw around 50 hooded figures standing before a burning cross. Even as a sixteen-year-old white girl, she talked about feeling absolutely terrified. She said she remembers thinking, if I’m this scared, I cannot imagine how scared the black people in the community are. Listening to these stories made me think, “How could this blatant racism occur in the wide open? This sort of thing would never happen today.”
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota was murdered by police officers. Officers responded to a call accusing him of buying cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. For 8 minutes and 46 seconds, George Floyd was pinned down by three police officers – cutting off his air supply. This happened shortly after the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Both were innocent and wrongfully killed. It seems not much has changed since my mom was a kid. Today I am still asking the question, “How could this blatant racism occur in the wide open?” The truth is, blatant acts of racism have been going on this whole time, and it is time for it to end.
Our nation has a long and drawn out history of racism. From slavery, to Jim Crow laws, to continued discrimination that black people experience today. Unfortunately, racism is still alive and well today. But Enough is Enough.
The Book of Disciple of the United Methodist Church describes racism and the ways it is manifested in our world today:
“Racism is the combination of the power to dominate by one race over other races and a value system that assumes that the dominant race is innately superior to the others. Racism includes both personal and institutional racism. Personal racism is manifested through the individual expressions, attitudes, and/or behaviors that accept the assumptions of a racist value system and that maintain the benefits of this system. Institutional racism is the established social pattern that supports implicitly or explicitly the racist value system. Racism, manifested as sin, plagues and hinders our relationship with Christ, inasmuch as it is antithetical to the gospel itself. In many cultures, white persons are granted unearned privileges and benefits that are denied to persons of color. We oppose the creation of a racial hierarchy in any culture. Racism breeds racial discrimination. We define racial discrimination as the disparate treatment and lack of full access and equity in resources, opportunities, and participation in the Church and in society based on race or ethnicity. Therefore, we recognize racism as sin and affirm the ultimate and temporal worth of all persons. We rejoice in the gifts that particular ethnic histories and cultures bring to our total life. We commit as the Church to move beyond symbolic expressions and representative models that do not challenge unjust systems of power and access.”
– From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church
So, you may be asking yourself, “What can I do? How do I respond?”
I don’t have all the answers, but I think this might be a good start.
1. Speak up and Speak out. Now is the time to speak out against racism. The silence of those failing to call out the evils of racism is deafening. You may be thinking, “I don’t need to call out racism. It is already understood.” But here is the thing… It is not understood. We are in a place right now, where you have to speak up and speak out. I recently heard one African American pastor say, “I always grieve when good people do or say nothing.”
2. Listen. Not only do we need to speak out, but we also need to listen to one another. Specifically, we need to listen in order to amplify the black voices in and around our community. Listening to the struggles of our black brothers and sisters will allow us to learn and grow as we strive to address the evils of racism.
3. Stop Changing the Narrative. I recently heard a message from a pastor in Knoxville who said we often change the narrative with two words, “Yeah, but.” For example, at the beginning of our nation’s history someone said, “All men are created equal.” But then someone else came along and said, “Yeah, but not slaves.” When we say, “Yeah, but” we are often changing the narrative. This is not an issue of good people versus bad people. This is an issue of systemic racism. When people say, “I don’t see color,” then we are missing the point. When we “don’t see color” then that means that we are not recognizing the effects that systemic racism has on our black brothers and sisters. We need to stop changing the narrative and call out the evils of racism.
4. Peacefully Protest. One thing that we can do in response to this epidemic of racism is peacefully protest. As Americans, we have the right to protest peacefully which is ensured in the first amendment of the United States Constitution. This is a fundamental and important step in enacting change in our world. Lifting our voices and sharing our presence in the community will allow us to share our message with our leaders and local government. This step is tricky, considering we are still in the midst of a global pandemic. Consider ways you might protest while still keeping your distance and wearing a mask.
And as we engage in protests, it is important for us to remember that the majority of our police offers and law enforcement are trying to do the best that they can to bring about peace, uphold law, and support a sense of positivity in our community. Yesterday I attended a peaceful prayer vigil at the courthouse, and it was heartwarming to hear our mayor, sheriff, and chief of police all speak out against police brutality and the evils of racism. We have both current and past police and law enforcement in our church community, and this is a time to offer support to them as well. We can make it known that our prayers are with our law enforcement and their families during this time as well.
5. Write Your Representatives. In order to enact change, we must let our representatives no that these acts of racism are no longer acceptable. We need to hold our government leaders accountable. We need bold legal reform, and in order to make the necessary changes, we must enable and elect leaders who are willing to bring about that change.
6. Make Your Vote Count. Another way to enact change is through electing folks who will stand up against the evils of racism. Make your vote count by researching candidates and making educated decisions on who you vote for. Often times folks only exercise their votes in Presidential elections, but this is a reminder to exercise your right to vote in local government elections as well!
7. Give to the Cause.
– You can make donations to:
– The Official George Floyd Memorial Fund.
– Nationwide Bail Fund.
– You can sign the Color of Change Petition to end violent policing against black people.
– You can support black owned businesses.
8. Call to Pray. As Christians, we believe in the power of prayer to change things. We can pray for our black brothers and sister who are dealing with the effects of racial discrimination firsthand. We can pray for our government leaders to bring about the necessary change. We can pray for our church and community to take the necessary steps to combat the evils of racism. Together, we can lift our voices to God as we seek to transform this world and spread the love of God.
9. Love God and Love Neighbor. As a community, we can love God by loving our neighbor. God formed humanity out of the dust and breathed life into us. God formed us in God’s own image, and there is sanctity in human life. Together, we are called to treat others with the love of Christ. Black or White. Rich or Poor. Male or Female. Gay or Straight. Republican or Democrat. We are called to love our neighbor, even if they don’t look, act, or think like us.
We are called to live by these words of Scripture: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love. We love because God first loved us. Those who say, “I love God” and hate their brothers or sisters are liars. After all, those who don’t love their brothers or sisters whom they have seen can hardly love God whom they have not seen! This commandment we have from him: Those who claim to love God ought to love their brother and sister also” – 1 John 14:18-21 (CEB).
