ALL Black Lives Matter
July 23 | 2020
I’d like to share some things I’ve been pondering in regard to the Black Lives Matter organization (prompted by a class I’m auditing on Race & American Christianity)…
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/engage!
Okay…
If, for you, the BLM org is wrong in some aspects (i.e. its critique of hyper-capitalism, positioning 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/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?! Or have you always supported sexual harassment? 🤨
These are my first questions, not to be a jerk, but because I want to point out the inconsistent, contradicting standards at play when it comes to the leaders/causes you might deem legit, valid, or worth making excuses for.
I want to point out the “performance” around purity here: how “moral purity” comes in handy when it suits one’s own purpose (i.e. against BLM), but doesn’t hold weight in criticism against someone who might be a means to one’s own desired end (i.e. Trump).
Double-standards and mental gymnastics like this^ can remain invisible and unnamed inside of our “echo-chambers.” So, I want to do my part to call out what I 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 America have ALWAYS been misrepresented and criticized as anti-American, extremist, communist, etc.? 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? I really don’t think it’s about communism (an economic system most of us know very little about)! I think 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…
I want you to see the historical parallels — the continuity of suspicion/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.
What I hope you will also begin to understand is the “why” behind the org, in terms of the intersecting identities of the Black and LGBTQ women who are at the helm of its leadership:
These women have experienced the dangers of hyper-capitalism, sexism, racism, and homophobia first hand — and are therefore leading DIFFERENTLY than most white, straight, men (this alone can feel scary/threatening to some).
They are leading out of their belief that for all Black people to really 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 out-right 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 I 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 (and white people, in general) 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 really 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, social media, etc.)?
- 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 😜
Shout out to Race and American Christianity and Prof. Julian Cook @ Houghton College
