The Passing of Judy Heumann, the Legacy of Jimmy Carter, the Nature of a Revival
KTF Weekly Newsletter
SUBJECT: The Passing of Judy Heumann, The Legacy of Jimmy Carter, The Nature of a Revival
Hey everyone!
In our Shake the Dust episode last week about our new book, Faith Unleavened, author Tamice Spencer-Helms proclaimed that no matter where we go seeking truth and light, we will find Jesus around every corner. This is an especially helpful thought when our weeks are full of things to celebrate, lament, wrestle with, and interrogate. So with that, on to our resources for the week!
Sy’s recommendations:
We lost a hero this week, and too few people knew her name. Judy Heumann was one of the first people I learned about when I began studying the disability rights movement many years ago. She was heavily involved in the passage of every major piece of disability rights legislation in the US, whether she was staging the longest nonviolent takeover of a federal building in history or serving in high-ranking government positions. She advocated for disability rights across the world as well, working among other things for the passage of the main international treaty on disability rights. She died unexpectedly on Friday from heart complications, possibly related to the polio she contracted as a child. I recommend listening to and learning from her as much as possible. Her podcast, The Heumann Perspective, is a long series of conversations between Judy and disability rights leaders from across the globe. She is one of the main subjects of the Netflix documentary Crip Camp, which we have recommended before. This obituary gives a good overview of her life. You can also watch her TED Talk here. And I would be extremely happy to hear if any of you decided to buy your kids this pull-string, wheelchair-using doll that is named Judy in her honor. It’s also well worth our time to ask why exactly we don’t all know the name of someone whose effect on the lives of untold millions of people was so enormous.
From one hero in the disability rights advocacy world to another, Alice Wong wrote an article recently about her relationship with her care givers. She explains that she is reliant on a home healthcare worker for many basic tasks like getting dressed, washing, and using the bathroom. Sometimes those workers fail to do their jobs, occasionally in extraordinary ways. But she writes she does not fire them or report them to authorities, though she could, because she knows that they are underpaid and vulnerable. Her vision of solidarity led her to understand more about the disproportionately Black, brown, and immigrant women who serve in these home healthcare roles, and her article pushes for the enactment of newly introduced federal legislation that would increase their pay. The piece is an excellent articulation and example of the idea that, as Wong puts it, “My well-being is tied to the well-being of the people who care for me.”
Some of you may have heard about the recent two-week-long, non-stop worship service at Asbury University that many Christians across the internet dubbed a “revival.” It became a bit of a flashpoint for debate online as some questioned the label, and wondered what really constitutes a revival. The most interesting commentary I read about this came from a post with thoughts from three great writers that I’ve mentioned here before: Robert Monson, Trey Ferguson, and Sharifa Stevens. Their questions about the service are grounded in their experience as Black Christians and the history of what has previously passed for the revival of “God’s spirit” in America.
Jonathan’s recommendations:
Our country’s pattern of exploiting vulnerable populations to produce the things we eat, drive, and use every day to clothe and house ourselves is unabating. This investigation by the New York Times makes plain what is often hidden, distant, and easily forgotten. Immigrant children are packing Cheerios and Lucky Charms, building cars, and manning slaughterhouses, often failing or dropping out of school from the sheer exhaustion. And all this while states like Arkansas pass laws to make it easier to hire children without a work permit or confirmation of their age. If we are to leave colonized faith, we must push for an economy that prioritizes and protects the least among us. And we are firmly headed in the wrong direction in many states and localities. Lord have mercy.
John Blake from CNN wrote this powerful piece on the life of our 39th President, Jimmy Carter, who recently entered hospice care. Peanut farmer, Sunday school teacher, and then Commander-in-Chief, Carter rose unexpectedly to prominence to sit in the oval office, but the coalition who put him there then soundly rejected him and his policies. The title of Blake’s article is “Jimmy Carter Embodies the Road Not Taken by Many White Evangelicals,” and that sums up the contextualized legacy of a man that fought staunchly against racism; pressed consistently for women’s rights; and leaned hard into ending poverty, environmental degradation, and housing inequality. All too often, opponents from inside the church successfully silence the voices of those who follow Jesus in a way that pushes against the dominant narrative of white evangelicalism. Carter’s example of unswerving resistance to the Religious Right despite that silencing is one worth our examination and reflection.
“Let’s Talk Endorsements” by Kristin Kobes Du Mez is a detailed and thoughtful post on the world of authors using blurbs to legitimize each other's work. What sparked the post was a couple pastors retracting their endorsements of a book about sex that was misogynistic and patriarchal. Some leaders confessed they did not actually read the entire book. Du Mez points out the theological and capitalistic back scratching that goes on in the world of Christian book publishing. She pushed me to think more about why I choose to write endorsements or not, and about whether I am being true to myself and the faith I profess when I make those decisions. Her piece helps us better discern our intentions behind and the impact of recommending and sharing media.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
The KTF team