Let’s commit to thinking beyond society’s habit of forgetting our historical pattern of racial prejudice. The trauma of my experience means I won’t forget. The prevalence of racism dictates that neither should you. So please help me as I hold the church accountable to their Anti-Racist development.

Aug 4th marked 4 weeks since I was forcibly asked to leave the grass of the church yard.
Detailed below is my accountability progress since then as well as the first month’s action item.

CHURCH UPDATES;

-Members from St. Paul First Lutheran hosted their 2nd book club Sunday night on Aug 2nd. They are reading “I’m still here; Black Dignity In a World Made for Whiteness” by Austin Channing Brown, a Black woman with a Christian evangelical upbringing. I am not familiar with this work but applaud their intention to learn. They plan to continue these bookclub discussions every other Sunday for the foreseeable future.

-There are 2 factions among members of the congregation. I’m sure you can predict the ideological division; those who feel persecuted, and the newly awoken ally-enthusiasts. That overlap also runs across partisan lines in the ways that you would anticipate.

-As for the church itself, I have not made any efforts to engage directly. Neither have they. Not since I attended their services on July 12th.

-Nor have I heard from the individuals documented within my video.

I’m experiencing my share of trauma, I imagine that they are as well. I can allow time for that. They’re hurting, so I don’t think they should be wrongly persecuted as long as they’re willing to learn how to be kinder to their community. There’s help available if they want it.

-I was informed that a Black minister from Ohio who does conferences on racial bias sensitivity training has been invited to speak to the congregation. I would love to know more about this invited guest to better understand his approach. From what I understand that service will be mandatory for all school faculty, students, & church workers - church congregants are also invited to attend. There will be an opportunity for an open forum & discussion. I choose to grant them privacy as they learn more about themselves among familiar voices they feel safe with. I simply hope they will welcome me to one of these discussions at some point down the road.

-I was invited to join the Public Safety Meeting hosted by Noho neighborhood council, lead by the pastor of the other Lutheran church in the area, Saint Mathew’s (ELCA). I joined the discussion on race & policing and voiced concerns for the unhoused within the community.

Continuing the dialogue is the only way to arrive at solutions to the nation’s existent problems.

ACTION ITEM

In the meantime, I had a thought;

In honor of our one month-iversary relationship with Saint Paul’s First Lutheran church, let’s send them some encouragement on their journey toward AntiRacist success. We can save 2 birds with one stamp by also assisting the ailing national postal system. So, I propose we buy a book of stamps & send postcards with positive cheer and affirmative encouragement. Ideally postmarked by Monday Aug10th, hopefully that will be in time for their next book club. Honestly, when it arrives matters less than the fact that you sent it.

Let’s give everyone at the church something to be proud of as they continue on their AntiRacist path.

Let’s invite them in as we offer our support as a community.