Joyce, I remember way back when we first met how you shared a desire for deeper intimacy with God. Your search took you to a place where you were confronted with the ways you were unloving. Several of us, your friends, resisted that self critique. We knew you as a welcoming and joyous spirit. Yet you knew better. You knew the path towards greater wholeness and light began with a journey through darkness. I suspect humility was your companion. That’s the kind of journey CRT can be for us white persons. Are all sinners, as I am sure you agree. But for whites, learning the dynamics of race in the US is a way to expose some darkness that can lead us into an unimaginable light beyond. Michael
Thanks for your comment, Michael. It is good to hear from you. CRT breaks the law of keeping the tennis ball in your own court. :) The tennis ball law states that we do not have the right to speak about other people's motivations. We can speak about other people's actions and we can speak about our own motivations (if we think we even know what THEY are.) We don't get to say that another person's motivation for something is racist. We are not walking in their moccasins. :) [I feel like I should officially "source" the tennis ball law, which I cannot do. It is just some good advice someone gave me once.]
Motivation is not relevant in the study of race. Misunderstandings like this are the reason why we need education on the racial dynamics in this country's past and present. The literature you reference is an attempt to have that dialogue. I've read a few of the books you list in your post. Let me know where in them that you're seeing problematic themes.
Well the problematic themes are the concerns I raised in this article. You say that CRT can lead us "whites" into "an unimaginable light beyond." If there is a post-racism light, how do you know that I and others are not there yet? It seems to contradict the idea that good things can happen with some CRT self-study because they apparently haven't happened to anyone yet. I am Catholic. I believe that when we commit an actual sin and realize it, we can and should go to Confession, say we are sorry from the heart, and receive God's forgiveness. Then we move forward forgiven in joy and stop obsessing about whatever we did wrong. I don't know what religion CRT's "unimaginable light beyond" represents, but no thank you. That said, I do believe there are very racist structural forces at play and I am willing to fight those forces. But I believe those forces are on the radical political left, not in the hearts of all white people. Why is it that in Minnesota non-white people, who are 17% of the population, have 54% of the abortions. If you are pro-abort you would have to say that non-whites have an advantage over whites in that area, which contradicts the CRT narrative. If you are pro-life you might say it looks like there are big organizations who want black babies dead. There is also some really sketchy stuff Bill Gates did to girls in Africa with his "vaccines." Let's fight this real systemic unfairness together. But don't hold me responsible for the sins of other people who "look like me."
I’m not seeing in the CRT literature the themes you present. For instance, not all whites are presented as evil. I sensed that in “Stamped from the Beginning”, Kendi presented William Lloyd Garrison in a favorable light as a white anti-racist of his day. What was your sense? As for doing wrong and asking forgiveness, that’s not the full picture of our anti racism work. It is much more than that. It takes a healthy exploration into the history of race relations and resulting privileges to understand our right response. CRT writers know we’re not responsible for the wrongs done by whites in the past. This is why their educational materials are so important.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the Black community is that they need me to be educated and empowered. I’m neither of these if I’m mired in guilt or think of myself as evil, and they know this and provide us with lessons on it. Some of their material is tough for whites to hear. And some includes outright anger towards whites. I’m convinced that we whites can hear the pain in those stories and retain our dignity, and in doing so, we become a stable force for making informed decisions on how to help dismantle racism.
So white people become a "stable force" for helping black people? Sounds insulting to black people to me. I appreciate your feedback, Michael. Thanks for reading. :)
Joyce, I remember way back when we first met how you shared a desire for deeper intimacy with God. Your search took you to a place where you were confronted with the ways you were unloving. Several of us, your friends, resisted that self critique. We knew you as a welcoming and joyous spirit. Yet you knew better. You knew the path towards greater wholeness and light began with a journey through darkness. I suspect humility was your companion. That’s the kind of journey CRT can be for us white persons. Are all sinners, as I am sure you agree. But for whites, learning the dynamics of race in the US is a way to expose some darkness that can lead us into an unimaginable light beyond. Michael
Thanks for your comment, Michael. It is good to hear from you. CRT breaks the law of keeping the tennis ball in your own court. :) The tennis ball law states that we do not have the right to speak about other people's motivations. We can speak about other people's actions and we can speak about our own motivations (if we think we even know what THEY are.) We don't get to say that another person's motivation for something is racist. We are not walking in their moccasins. :) [I feel like I should officially "source" the tennis ball law, which I cannot do. It is just some good advice someone gave me once.]
Motivation is not relevant in the study of race. Misunderstandings like this are the reason why we need education on the racial dynamics in this country's past and present. The literature you reference is an attempt to have that dialogue. I've read a few of the books you list in your post. Let me know where in them that you're seeing problematic themes.
Well the problematic themes are the concerns I raised in this article. You say that CRT can lead us "whites" into "an unimaginable light beyond." If there is a post-racism light, how do you know that I and others are not there yet? It seems to contradict the idea that good things can happen with some CRT self-study because they apparently haven't happened to anyone yet. I am Catholic. I believe that when we commit an actual sin and realize it, we can and should go to Confession, say we are sorry from the heart, and receive God's forgiveness. Then we move forward forgiven in joy and stop obsessing about whatever we did wrong. I don't know what religion CRT's "unimaginable light beyond" represents, but no thank you. That said, I do believe there are very racist structural forces at play and I am willing to fight those forces. But I believe those forces are on the radical political left, not in the hearts of all white people. Why is it that in Minnesota non-white people, who are 17% of the population, have 54% of the abortions. If you are pro-abort you would have to say that non-whites have an advantage over whites in that area, which contradicts the CRT narrative. If you are pro-life you might say it looks like there are big organizations who want black babies dead. There is also some really sketchy stuff Bill Gates did to girls in Africa with his "vaccines." Let's fight this real systemic unfairness together. But don't hold me responsible for the sins of other people who "look like me."
I’m not seeing in the CRT literature the themes you present. For instance, not all whites are presented as evil. I sensed that in “Stamped from the Beginning”, Kendi presented William Lloyd Garrison in a favorable light as a white anti-racist of his day. What was your sense? As for doing wrong and asking forgiveness, that’s not the full picture of our anti racism work. It is much more than that. It takes a healthy exploration into the history of race relations and resulting privileges to understand our right response. CRT writers know we’re not responsible for the wrongs done by whites in the past. This is why their educational materials are so important.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the Black community is that they need me to be educated and empowered. I’m neither of these if I’m mired in guilt or think of myself as evil, and they know this and provide us with lessons on it. Some of their material is tough for whites to hear. And some includes outright anger towards whites. I’m convinced that we whites can hear the pain in those stories and retain our dignity, and in doing so, we become a stable force for making informed decisions on how to help dismantle racism.
So white people become a "stable force" for helping black people? Sounds insulting to black people to me. I appreciate your feedback, Michael. Thanks for reading. :)