ALL Black Lives Matter
Photo by Jessica Felicio
I’d like to share some things I’ve come to understand about the Black Lives Matter organization through a class I’m auditing on Race & American Christianity (credit to Prof. Julian Cook at Houghton College for most of these insights). Before I dive in, let me just warn you…you’re probably not going to like this one. But, I do hope you still read and engage!
Okay…
If, for you, the BLM org is wrong in some aspects (i.e. its critique of hyper-capitalism, support of LGBTQ+ people, broad definition of “family”)…I must start by asking: When did “moral purity” or “complete agreement” become a non-negotiable for who or what you align yourself with?
Like, why didn’t the same requirement apply (for at least 81% of you) when it came to voting Trump into office?
Have you considered that there might be inconsistent, contradicting standards at play when it comes to the leaders or causes you deem legit, valid, or worth making excuses for?
“Moral purity” often comes in handy when it suits one’s own purposes (against BLM), but interestingly doesn’t hold the same weight in criticism against someone who might be a means to one’s own desired end (Trump). Double standards and mental gymnastics can remain invisible and unnamed inside of “echo chambers,” so, I want to do my part to call out what I (am being taught to) see:
That is, a contradictory application of ethics,
a.k.a. hypocrisy,
a.k.a. a tool of oppression.
Alright, next…
Did you know that Black liberation movements in the US have ALWAYS been misrepresented and criticized as anti-American, extremist, and communist? Black leaders have ALWAYS been dismissed, discredited, and demonized for going “too far, too fast.”
Side note: Where do we get off making communist ideology the “unforgivable sin” in our sin ranking anyway, while racism, oppression, and violence carry on unchecked? You can be sure this is NOT about an economic system (that most of us know very little about) at all! It’s a fear-mongering and scapegoating DIVERSION — ultimately, an excuse to stop listening.
Rosa Parks, for example, was seen by many as an unAmerican extremist. Fears surrounding communism prevented many people from associating with anything that looked like “revolution,” including Civil Rights. Integration itself was considered part of a communist agenda!
Whether accusations and fears like these were rooted in any reality, they were certainly successful in giving white people plenty of excuses to dismiss the Civil Rights movement, and NOT LISTEN to Black leadership (including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.).
What I’m getting at:
We need to be able to see the historical parallels — the continuity of suspicion and accusations toward Black leaders and movements — and be willing to look again.
. . .
If you disagree with aspects of the BLM organization, fine. I’m not trying to persuade you otherwise (I get that you CAN support the movement without the organization — yada yada). What I’m proposing, though, is that you disagree respectfully, without outrageous accusations and insults, and without writing people off who DO support the organization.
I hope you will also try to understand the “why” behind the org, in terms of the intersecting identities of the Black and queer women who are at the helm of its leadership. These women have experienced the dangers of hyper-capitalism, sexism, racism, and homophobia firsthand and are therefore leading DIFFERENTLY than most cishet, white men (this alone can feel scary or threatening to some).
They are leading out of their belief that for all Black people to be free from oppression, all Black people (in their complex, intersecting identities) must be given dignity, freedom, and safety from violence. This HAS TO INCLUDE people of varying gender identities and sexual orientations — if, for no other reason, THEY are the ones most at risk of violence, murder, and suicide (Black trans women have a life expectancy of only 35!)! But ALSO because LGBTQ+ people deserve dignity, life, and freedom just like you or I! ❤
Put in those terms, I hope you can care a bit more, find some humanity, and not outright reject this emergency movement to defend some of the most vulnerable and at-risk humans in America. And maybe even feel a sense of pride in the rising generation of BIPOC leaders, who are dreaming big dreams for a more just and equitable world!
And even if you can’t, I hope these points have disrupted your assumptions a bit and given you a different perspective (maybe that of your child or coworker).
. . .
In Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” he shares how he sees tension, confrontation, and crisis as CONSTRUCTIVE forces for revealing things long-ignored, and opening the doors of wider dialogue and negotiations.
In my experience, white evangelicals strongly dislike and take great pains to avoid discomfort and tension. I think we wrongly believe that tension is a force of DEstruction (to be afraid of) when it is actually a force of CONstruction (for our betterment). We shouldn’t be running away, but leaning in — critically engaging with all that is being revealed.
A few “CONstructive” questions to end on:
Are you in dialogue with people who are suffering racial injustices (not just the monologue of your echo chamber)?
Are you listening to their stories, their pain (this could even be via books, podcasts, or social media)?
Are you believing and trusting THEIR sense of what needs to be done?
Are you willing to rethink the “script of suspicion” passed down to you — including stances, leaders, and movements you may have pre-judged or misunderstood?
If you can answer “yes” to all of those questions, I will happily accept your comments 😜
