Banning Native Mascots, AANHPI Civil Rights History, 988 Transparency
KTF Weekly Newsletter
Hi everyone,
We’re taking a moment to remember George Floyd today. Exactly three years ago, he was still alive, and if Jesus reigned in full, he would have seen the next morning. Our grief is still real, and the work continues in earnest. As Tamice writes about Floyd in her book, “We live in the tension of how things are and how they should be. We can join the mourning of Rizpah and . . . become the heralds of the truth. We have a choice each day to hope even in the midst of travesty.” It is with that grounded hope that we commemorate this day.
And with that reminder, we turn to this week’s recommendations as we seek to leave colonized faith for the kingdom of God.
Sy’s Recommendations
A land conservancy in North Carolina is in the process of transferring about 50 acres of a former plantation to two Black women who want to cultivate sustainable Black-run farms and gardens. Locally, this effort addresses food insecurity while providing employment and community to many. But as this article on the sisters notes, it’s also part of a wider effort to recognize and do something about the many injustices that led to the current racial disparities in US farmland ownership, as well as the complicated relationship Black Americans have with the land their ancestors worked while enslaved. There are complex legal things going on here to, as land trusts around the country figure out how to restrict the use of real estate so that farmers and organizations can afford to purchase and operate it. This is good and worthwhile work that reflects God’s intent to see people and land flourishing together in the name of justice.
This article from the publication Mad in America raises important questions about the “988” hotline the media often tells us to call for mental health first aid. I certainly don’t want to discourage anyone from seeking help that they need, but unfortunately, the organizations that run 988 have been less than clear about how often they rely on involuntary psychiatric incarceration of callers having suicidal ideation, and the numbers could very well be unnecessarily high. Of course, the mental health system always relies on incarceration for people it deems a threat to themselves or others. But too many actors within the system make questionable judgment calls about when to institutionalize. And they almost never take into account how traumatizing incarceration can be for people with mental illness, or how often those people are subsequently afraid to get help when they need it for fear of repeating that experience. Moreover, though 988 says it does not track callers’ phones, local authorities to whom it connects patients with suicidal ideation often do. My point here is that we need much more transparency from this extremely important service because trust and safety are key to its sensitive and critical work.
Earlier this month, disability activist icon Anita Cameron marched in her final protest and announced her retirement from a career of nonviolent direct action that spanned four decades and over 100 arrests. She has fought (and will continue to fight in different ways) for a wide range of disability rights issues. Most famously, she joined the many disabled people over 30 years ago who gathered at the steps of the Capital building, threw aside their canes and walkers, vacated their wheelchairs, and crawled as far as they could up the steps to convince Congress to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act. In a recent interview with disabled journalist Sara Luterman, Cameron discussed her thoughts on the accomplishments of her long career, and the price she paid for speaking out against racism in the disability activism community. I love Cameron’s work, and I hope some of you take the opportunity here to get to know what she’s all about (and then buy her forthcoming book when it’s available).
Jonathan’s Recommendations
The social media feed of Be the Bridge has been an exceptional resource for education during AANHPI Heritage Month. Founded by author and speaker Latasha Morrison, Be the Bridge is committed to racial reconciliation across all ethnicities. Their Facebook page, Instagram feed, and Twitter are great starting points to learn about pillars of Asian American history like Dr. Grace Lee Boggs and Yuri Kochiyama. Dr. Boggs pressed for justice across racial lines in Detroit. Kochiyama’s journey led her to work with Malcolm X, eventually finding herself cradling his head seconds after he was assassinated. Often social media can be a series of fires filling our feeds, but Be the Bridge is much more like an oasis. Give them a follow!
On May 19, Tim Keller, the famous founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church and co-founder of the Gospel Coalition, passed away. He accomplished much in his life. Downstream of his influence and leadership is much fruitfulness. But a slew of groups and individuals hold Keller responsible for promoting Christian leaders and misogynistic or anti-queer ideas that caused their suffering. So I hold grieving his death in tension with acknowledging the negative impact of his life as best I can. This reflection by Dr. Jemar Tisby can ground us in what Keller meant to an individual even as we know the pain he caused. We can heed God’s call to mourn with those who mourn when we encounter those to whom the dead personally mattered. The legacy of this leader is worthy of our contemplation, and his community, our prayers.
As of earlier this month, the use of indigenous names, logos, and mascots is illegal in New York state public schools. The New York Board of Regents instituted the ban on May 3rd, and issued guidance requiring schools to phase out the iconography by the 2024-2025 school year, including any images referencing indigenous culture like feathers, spears, or tomahawks. The National Congress of American Indians supported the ban. The move is a great step in the right direction to remove what is culturally significant or even sacred from our T-shirts, hats,, and jerseys. New York is the latest but not the first to institute a ban like this,. Local backlash is often fierce and racist. I pray that momentum does not waver and fervor does not wane in these efforts to acknowledge the dignity of indigenous people in the US.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
The KTF team