I don’t usually say much (at least publicly/on social media) at the epicenter of these events, although there is usually plenty to say. I’ve had a half dozen or so serious conversations recently, mostly with a few of my white brothers, regarding the latest no-indictment decision and the reactions from the black community. These were conversations that were safe to go “all in” and not be guarded about what was said. Those have been very helpful for me. Much of those conversations involved me explaining the difference between change (how far we’ve come as it relates to freedom for blacks in the USA) and equality (the large gap that STILL exists between white and brown people). My humble (white) friends listened as I related what it means (from my perspective) to live with black skin in this country, and that meant a lot to me even though we had sharp disagreements regarding how we should interpret the latest developments in Ferguson.
As far as my thoughts on the no-indictment decision, the shooting still seems fishy and unjustified. Those are my honest initial thoughts. That’s before I apply the counterweight of 1) I wasn’t there 2) I’m not law enforcement 3) there is a great deal of mistrust (on my end) of law enforcement and the specific handling of this case from minute one and 4) in the absence of trust, “facts” aren’t facts, all testimony is suspect and the narrative that I naturally lean toward (Mike Brown was unjustly shot and killed) get’s confirmed at every turn.
I’ve read some of Ed Stetzer’s stuff and found it helpful for an influential white voice to say things (regarding white privilege and the need to listen more and speak less at a critical time like this) that both ring true and that don’t come off as pandering. I could say all of what Ed has said, but it has a different ring coming from a black brother. I appreciate his (and other’s) willingness to speak up.
I’m not quick to sound off on this stuff as it unfolds because I value being thoughtful and measured in my approach on sensitive matters. I also think that the stuff that I’ve read on my newsfeeds range from being very thoughtful to very ridiculous, with very few falling anywhere in the middle. The bigger part of this is that I realize that my real platform is the pulpit as I stand before my congregation and not social media. I usually reserve my address to them for when I’m physically standing in the pulpit. I’m trying to help them show restraint and exercise good judgment in the public/social media space, realizing that much of our opining is uniformed and will most certainly be either grossly misunderstood or just add to the noise. Our message and mission, as I see it, are too important to squander our voices on social media rants at a time when emotions and tempers will usually prevent objective and thoughtful digestion of even our most carefully worded thoughts.
For me, this stuff is really raw and as a guy in my position (pastoring an intentionally diverse congregation, being a black pastor in a largely white movement, and being a part of and having deep affection for the black community), I really try to be very careful about what I put into the public space. There is always an awful lot at stake.
These are just a few of my thoughts. I welcome any input or feedback.
A Few of My Thoughts on Ferguson:
Geno – Nice to meet you, and thanks for putting your voice into the conversation for us in this space. It’s hard, isn’t it, to stand in front of the same images that everyone can see, and yet see them so differently. We see through the prisms of personal experience, culture, family, community, tradition, training, and gut-reaction. There are so many lenses.
I love and appreciate what you shared here…
“I’ve had a half dozen or so serious conversations recently, mostly with a few of my white brothers, regarding the latest no-indictment decision and the reactions from the black community. These were conversations that were safe to go “all in” and not be guarded about what was said. Those have been very helpful for me.”
Today, at work, four of us were standing by the window on the second floor of the building where I work, and one of my workmates asked — “So what do you all think of this whole Ferguson thing?” I was the only man (white). The other three were women (white). About 100 feet away were three African-American women. They all seemed happy at work this week, and were their typically engaging and lovable selves — but they were not there with us, at the window, chiming in. I thought about that as we were talking, and my internal thoughts were… “It would be a very different conversation if they were here.” But then I could not imagine how to get them into the conversation. Then, just before I went home I was reading a story about Brown’s robbery of the convenience store when a long-time staff member (An African American man) came up behind me to ask me what I was reading, and I quickly closed the browser and responded with – “Oh, hey man — hey, I heard it’s your birthday.” Then the conversation turned to his birthday.
Everyone in our group (all of us white) pushed the racial component of this story to the bottom of our framework for understanding it. That is, we didn’t start with — “A black person was shot by a white police officer.” My starting place was “A young man who had just committed a crime got into an altercation with a police officer and lost.” Another person in our group started with “It’s another evidence of police brutality.” Not even my (all-white) group could agree on which frame belonged around the image we could all see, and what (to stick with the picture metaphor) title we would give the photograph.
Is it systemic racism?
Is it white man kills black man?
Is it police brutality?
Is it criminal behavior ends badly for criminal?
Is it murder?
What?
Everyone seems to have a stake in the answer. Every one of the above frames seems inappropriate to me in some way.
And the frames around the riot images are just a tough.
I think there are so many strands that it can seem like a gnarled ball of string that you can’t get untangled. Where do you start? How do you get to the point where everyone can ask their questions and share their perspectives without the dialogue process getting forestalled by anger and frustration?
I think your post, and your example are a good starting place in the ThinkTheology forum. I would love it if we could see this conversation expand below — and outward.
More than that, I wish I knew how to talk to the three ladies in the finance team. I wish I knew how to talk to the warehouse manager. I don’t know if they wish they knew how to talk to me. We are all very good at talking about this when we’re apart — but we suck at doing it together.
Hey brother, I haven’t been on this page since the original post was put up. I’m just now seeing your comment (thanks, Luke).
In short, I think that if you’re not having conversations on difficult topics like culture and racism before stuff like Ferguson and the Eric Garner situation happens, then I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s no comfort level to go there during these major crises.
The other part of this is that people (in general) have two things working against them in cases like this:
1) We aren’t building real relationships. We aren’t dealing with real stuff. Nearly everything we’re dealing with (with each other) is superficial. We’re not taking risks in relationships, we’re not asking hard questions, we’re not really being vulnerable. Because of this, we’re never (or hardly ever) breaking the ice. (this is especially true at church and at work)
2) We’re pretty chicken. I should say we’ve learned to be cowards (no offense). We all are guilty of this. After all, this (race0 stuff is pretty touchy. I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if you had turned around from your computer terminal and answered your AA (African American) co-worker honestly and said “honestly, brother, I’m torn on this. I realize that I’m a white dude and I don’t get all of this, but help me understand your perspective on this.” How do you think that would have gone?
I don’t know your co-worker and maybe the two of you have some history on this that makes him an unsafe place to have that dialogue, but that’s probably no the case. As an AA that regularly finds myself in situations where I’m the only one or one of very few AAs, I’m often asked my opinion and perspective. It gets annoying sometimes but I realize that the alternative is far worse- someone assuming they know what I think or someone (non-black) trying to be an expert on the black experience and pain in ways that are inappropriate. I usually eager to share my perspective, listen to theirs and I always respect the fact that someone asked what I thought.
I think that this issue requires both courage and kindness – in equal measure. We all tend to tilt one way or the other. Because of this I’m grateful for the multicultural spaces I’m in. The spaces that are void of superficial mingling, but instead filled with different folks that do serious life with one another. We have history, we are friends, we discuss the tough stuff along with the not so tough stuff, we debate and argue and value each other’s perspectives. we often have sharp disagreement, but we’ve spent time cultivating a culture of candor and a safe place to opine and disagree. All of that involves intentionality and great RISK.
The Facts of both cases make both of them extremely poor case studies in race relations. All of the racial tension was completely driven by the media.
1.) In Ferguson, there is clear indication that Brown’s friend committed perjury and all the forensic evidence backs up Wilson’s story. The media perpetuated this “hands up” myth from the beginning which is plain nonsense.
2.) In New York, what people SHOULD be protesting is the absolutely insane level of taxation and enforcement. Garner was not put in a chokehold and did not die of asphyxiation. The people of New York continually vote in Nanny-state Mayors like Bloomberg and Cuomo that want to regulate people into fitness. Garner was on that street in violation of the law precisely because the voters of New York put him there. The police were ordered to increase enforcement of that tax because of the money the city could collect in fines. Garner chose to resist arrest, even if he did not resist violently he still did not cooperate, and with a man that big a certain level of force has to be applied.
Neither situation happened because of the color of anyone’s skin. You can find similar cases involving white suspects, and you can find black officers that have been accused of the same kinds of things who have been cleared. The only reason these things are seeing the light of day is because certain segments of our society (progressives) want to cause social unrest to justify radical reductions in freedom. You’ll notice how quickly Eric Holder’s Justice Department ran to get Federal fingers involved in both cases.
The only common thread in both cases is massive amounts of misinformation and inadequate fact checking by media sources.