Tag Archives: racism

Remembering the Tulsa 1921 Race Massacre

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Remembering the Tulsa 1921 Race Massacre

Right now in Tulsa, Oklahoma we are commemorating a very dark part of our city and state’s history, the 100th anniversary of the race massacre that took place in Tulsa on May 31st and June 1st of 1921. I was born and raised in the Tulsa area, yet I was never taught about this horrifying event in school. I didn’t learn of this bleak and shameful part of Tulsa’s history until I was an adult. In fact, I was quite ignorant of it. However, I’ve learned that we cannot let our ignorance further perpetuate injustice.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6a (NKJV)

I mentioned last year, that the more I have educated myself on issues of racial injustice and systemic racism, the more my eyes have been opening and the more empathy I have developed. As my empathy has grown, my internal sense of justice has also increased along with my desire to respond to injustice.

Be a part of the conversation of injustice

I didn’t learn about the race massacre because others were silent. As I’ve also stated before on issues of racial reconciliation, my goal is just to be a part of the conversation and to be a voice instead of remaining silent. I never want my silence about issues of injustice to give people the impression that I am somehow a supporter of injustice or racism. Therefore, I feel it is my obligation to speak up and speak out into my sphere of influence.

Silence in the face of evil quote

Deitrich Bonhoeffer on events of the Holocaust

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“To say nothing is saying something. You must denounce things you are against or one might believe that you support things you really do not.” Germany Kent

“In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Silence, apathy, and indifference can be a sin.

“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” James 4:17 (NLT)

Repentance is required

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Practical First Steps Toward Racial Reconciliation

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Practical First Steps Toward Racial Reconciliation

Last week I posted about some of my own recent personal convictions on the issues of racism and social injustice. I didn’t want to overwhelm everyone by being too wordy, so I’m continuing my discussion this week of other things that God is having me work on personally in the realm of racial reconciliation. I’d also like to share some resources with you that have been really helpful for me as and grow, learn, and hopefully make a difference in this area.

As I stated last week, I ask you in advance to please give me grace for any errors in the way I may say this. I may not say the perfect thing in the perfect way. My goal is just to be a part of the conversation and to be a voice instead of remaining silent.

Turn of events

My heart has broken over the past couple of months as horrible events have unfolded very publicly exposing systemic racism. The horrifying shooting of Ahmaud Arbery triggered some very emotional conversation with my teenagers. Then not long after that I was brought to tears watching a video of an emotional delivery driver in my own state of Oklahoma who was detained for nearly an hour by residents in a gated community because of the color of his skin.

I was also completely shocked as I watched the video of Amy Cooper in Central Park calling the police with false claims about Christian Cooper as he was birdwatching. Then I saw the unbelievable footage of the killing of George Floyd. My eyes were being opening to the truth that widespread, systemic, active racism is very much still alive and active today. A fact that, I’m embarrassed to say, I have been ignorant of until recently.

I started spending more significant time in prayer about the issue of racial reconciliation and about my part, my role, and what God was calling me, personally, to do. I feel like God has been giving me steps to take in phases.

Praying about racial reconciliation

If there is one thing that I am, it’s that I’m a prayer warrior. I KNOW prayer is powerful, effective, and produces results.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16 (NIV)

Immediately, I was praying over the situations transpiring in our world. I prayed for so many different areas…direction, revelation, justice, restoration, reconciliation, unity, peace, healing & comfort, empathy, for eyes and ears to be opened, for God’s heart, for repentance, and against evil spiritual forces wreaking havoc. However, most of my prayers revolved around God showing me what my next step was and what I was supposed to do. I wanted God to show me areas where I have failed and need to repent, where I need to grow, and where I need to take a step.

I prayed:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT)

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (ESV)

Slowly and a little at a time, God started showing me areas where I had been blind, ignorant, and wrong. In continuing to pray, I also felt that God showed me that this was one of my roles in racial reconciliation—to continue to prayer earnestly and fervently about the issues and as I saw things arise. God reminded me that my prayers could make a difference. Therefore when any issues arise, I pray.

Then God showed me my next step…to educate myself.

Educating myself about racial reconciliation

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This Is Why Black Lives Matter

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This Is Why Black Lives Matter

This week I thought it might be helpful for me to share my heart and some of my own recent personal convictions on the issues of racism and social injustice (which I will continue next week as well). I ask you in advance to please give me grace for any errors in the way I may say this. I may not say the perfect thing in the perfect way. My goal is just to be a part of the conversation and to be a voice instead of remaining silent.

I’m going to be super honest and transparent. I specifically remember a time a few years ago when the phrase “Black Lives Matter” irritated me a little bit. My instantaneous thought was “All Lives Matter”. However, my perspective has shifted. I NOW accurately see the viewpoint of Black Lives Matter. Whereas before I believe I was ignorant and uneducated in my own limited perspective.

We said Black Lives Matter poster image

Photo credit unknown

I had a misunderstanding of what the phrase meant. It does not mean that black lives matter more than other lives or that black lives are more important. The phrase is merely pointing out a marginalized and oppressed group of people that are suffering injustice. This is not a statement to exclude other lives but merely a statement to focus on the hurting ones.

Analogies

If you know me, you know I love analogies. Recently I’ve seen some really good analogies for this Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter conversation. You’ve probably seen some of these floating around social media. Some of these did play a role in my eyes opening and in my shifted viewpoint.

There was the analogy of a house fire and “all houses matter”.

Then I also heard it as a comparison to going to the emergency room. Everyone in that emergency room matters, but there are some with life threatening injuries or conditions which become priority at that particular time. They will get treated first even though everyone there is important and should be taken care of. In THAT moment there is a higher priority BECAUSE all lives matter.

A scriptural analogy

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