01/20/2018
This article, “Addressing Racism,” is the seventeenth in the series, "Looking for the right, the good, and the happy" is a response by Irie Price to a question.
"I can't help but recognize the surge of White Nationalism in our country. And, apparent to me are the more covert, but more insidious, forms of racism in our culture and alarmingly showing up in my congregation. I sense a calling to address these dynamics but need suggestions. Can you help me?"
White nationalists are glaring reminders that our country hasn’t overcome racism. We wonder: if such large groups gather publicly, how many more hold biased thoughts privately? And, besides publicly denouncing racism, what should we do about its overt and subtle forms?
Remember that addressing racism requires endurance and a willingness to honestly examine our thoughts, actions, and surroundings. There’s no quick solution that undoes knots of racism that took centuries to form. Still, there a few actions that may help loosen the snarls in our congregations.
Acknowledge Implicit Bias
Jesus famously said that before trying to remove a speck from someone’s eyes, remove the log from your own. This experience can be humbling when it comes to acknowledging our own implicit, or unconscious, biases.
We all have lodged within our brains prejudices we didn’t know existed. They often come rearing their heads when we are angry or scared. Even Desmond Tutu, a black South African who fought against apartheid, discovered his own racial bias. He tells a story of being on a plane flown by two black pilots and, at first, feeling delighted. After a while, though, he began to worry. He wondered, Could these black pilots really fly the plane? Tutu was astonished that he, a black man, had imbibed the message that blacks are inferior -- especially since his life’s work had been dismantling this racist idea.
If Desmond Tutu could have such biases, so can we. Once we acknowledge that we have these thoughts, we can examine how those thoughts affect our actions. Then, change is more possible.
See Color
The phrase “I don’t see color” seems benign enough. It even appears to harken to Paul’s assertion that, in Christ, there is no Jew nor Gentile -- that our dividing lines are made by man rather than God. Though this may be true, “I don’t see color” is an unhelpful statement. You must see color in order to acknowledge that it often determines how we are treated by doctors, schools, the judicial system, and hiring managers. Not seeing color also means not seeing racism.
Examine Language Regarding Worship
Every church community has a unique way of worshipping God, each reverent in its own right. I say this as a reminder to myself and my fellow congregants who use terms like “reverent worship” to mean “quiet worship” or “Western classical music” or “We don’t clap or sway or say ‘Amen’ during worship.”
Exalting Western-style worship above other forms is a subtle form of prejudice, and can feel particularly exclusive for those who grew up in churches with call and response, clapping, and abundant Amens. This is worship, too, and frequently characterizes church for communities of color. If we want church to cease being America’s most segregated hour, we must acknowledge the validity of physically expressive forms of worship.
Seek Diverse Applicants and Hire Them
Because churches tend to hire people they know or who seem familiar, pastoral staffing can unintentionally become homogeneous. Fortunately, seminaries are becoming increasingly diverse. If we want mainline churches to reflect this diversity, hiring committees must expand their pool of applicants. This means going beyond the well-trod paths of the traditional referral system.
A more diverse pastoral staff may attract a more diverse congregational body, and allow more meaningful conversations around race as a whole. With increased diversity, congregations may find it easier to address racism in its many forms.
Irie Price is a Yoga Instructor and Freelance Writer at Irieprice.com and a lay leader at Broadway Baptist Church - Fort Worth, Texas.
