Decolonizing Thanksgiving, Mourning Club Q, Twitter & Disability
KTF Weekly Newsletter
Hey everyone,
This Thanksgiving, we sit with the tension of acknowledging sacred practices of gathering with loved ones to share a meal and give thanks while also mourning the ways that the mythology of our nation is constructed to bless and celebrate a history of land theft and genocide. As children of empire, we must learn to recognize the tendency to couch our violence against others in the language of divine blessing. As citizens of the Kingdom of God, we must learn to repent and grieve with our Indigenous brothers and sisters, further committing ourselves to seek justice and reparations. We hope these resources will challenge and spur you on in that journey.
Jonathan’s recommendations:
In a TV segment titled “How Did We Get Here?” comedian Amber Ruffin breaks down why we celebrate Native American Heritage month and why Thanksgiving is a complex, intentional tactic of erasure. From disease, land theft, war, and broken treaties to child removal, boarding schools, and legal challenges that persist to this day, the genocide of Native American peoples is an ongoing process in this nation. Followers of Jesus must never exchange the truth for a lie, call darkness light, or forsake opportunities to lament and confess. We are to pursue justice and reconciliation lest we preserve a status quo that privileges the wealthy, well-connected, and powerful. This year, as we gather and this month, as we reflect, may we dwell on what’s real and reject myths of White American Folk Religion that force Native people to conform to the lie of whiteness.
If the aforementioned resource asks how we got here, then this TedX talk by scholar, teacher, and First Nations activist, Kevin Lamoureux explains how we can take steps forward towards reconciliation with our Native, First Nations, and Indigenous neighbors. That reconciliation includes the decolonization of land and people. Admittedly, decolonization can bring up fears, tensions, and discomfort but this talk is accessible, engaging, and contextualized regardless of your ancestry. Lamoureux opens with a story of how the drums guided hunting parties home through harsh Canadian winters. In the same way, may we listen for the Holy Spirit to lead us forward towards a more just, kind, and beautiful world.
The notion of Jewish supremacy is foundational to the State of Israel. Editor-at-large for Jewish Currents Peter Beinart explains clearly in this interview with Slate how a far-right coalition is rising to prominence because of embattled, corrupt Benjamin Netanyahu who needs their support to maintain his position as prime minister. This mirrors what is happening in the United States as those who clutch for power use fear and ethnic/racial bias to mobilize voters for their own political gain. Moreover, historically, support for the State of Israel, not the Jewish people or rejection of antisemitism, has been a tenet of American conservative politics. If we are to resist empire in all its forms, that includes resisting the temptation to believe our or any other group’s claim to supremacy.
Suzie’s recommendations:
We mourn the murder of Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, Ashley Paugh, and Raymond Green Vance along with all the victims of the tragic mass shooting at Club Q, a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, this past weekend. While authorities work to confirm the motive behind this senseless violence, it cannot be denied that homophobia and transphobia are prominent forces in our political landscape, particularly in the last election cycle. This LA Times op-ed written in the immediate aftermath of the shooting sheds light on how GOP operatives stoked society’s basest fears in a relentless assault on the LGBTQ community. Those who follow a God of love must refuse to stand for hate.
In 1981, 17-year-old Jamesetta Guy and 15-year-old Sharon Wright shot and killed a San Francisco cabbie in a botched robbery. The presiding judge, Anthony Kline, tried Wright as a minor and sentenced her to eight years in juvie. He ruled Guy to be “unfit” for juvenile court, and she was tried as an adult. Unbeknownst to Kline, due to that decision, she would go on to serve a sentence of 27 years to life. In a remarkable twist of fate, her appeal for release landed on Kline’s docket 40 years later. This moving piece tells the story of a progressive judge confronted by the cruelty of a fatally flawed criminal justice system, and of a woman whose life that system irreversibly marred. As Christ followers who steward power and influence, this story is an invitation to slow down and consider the impact of our everyday decisions and the structures that shape them, however well-intentioned the paths we may pursue.
While many mourn Twitter’s dismantling and potential demise under the leadership of Elon Musk, few have been more deeply impacted than the disabled community. In a world increasingly driven by social media, Twitter has provided a more egalitarian space for disabled users as a platform less defined by visual content and more conducive to accessibility. However, that diversity is now threatened by Musk’s dissolving of the accessibility department and moderating infrastructure, as well as by his own ableist rhetoric, which further empowers and enables discriminatory practices on the platform. This Washington Post article does a good job of highlighting the individuals whose lives and livelihoods have suffered as a result and reinforces the need to advocate for more accessible digital spaces.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
The KTF team