“You Can’t See Me,” Trump Arrested, the Juarez Fire
KTF Weekly Newsletter
Hi everyone!
Did you know that Tamice Spencer-Helms, the author of our newest book Faith Unleavened, has her own podcast now? It’s called Life after Leaven, and it’s about how we should live in the wake of toxic Christianity—how to pick up “the shattered fragments of a faith we used to know.” It’s a direct follow-up to the book, and we know you’ll love the deep and powerful discussions Tamice has with her guests! Check it out here! And don’t forget to subscribe to her Substack,
.And now, on to our highlights for the week!
Jonathan’s Recommendations:
Two administrative bodies of the Vatican disavowed the Doctrine of Discovery last week, continuing the Catholic Church’s formal recognition of its atrocities against indigenous peoples. The doctrine was a heresy that provided the theological underpinning for the abuse and violence that European colonial powers perpetrated around the world, and baptized that exploitation in the name of Jesus. This talk by Mark Charles explains how the doctrine became a core principle of the Catholic Church’s global expansion, and then made its way into Protestantism. He also connects the doctrine to present-day politics, and outlines how the church can resist the persistent temptation to idolize power. We pray for repentance and movement toward justice from all the institutions that leverage this doctrine to colonize and violate.
Dozens of immigrants died last week in a migrant detention facility in Juarez, Mexico, protesting the detestable conditions. The detainees set fire to mats in the facility, not imagining that the blaze would get out of control and officials would leave the building without attempting to rescue anyone. It is tempting to isolate a tragedy like this without taking into account recent history surrounding the US-Mexico border. In a segment for The Daily Show, guest host John Leguizamo explains the context of border politics, including popular misconceptions about fentanyl trafficking and undocumented immigration. Leaving colonized faith includes mourning the deaths of vulnerable people like those in the Juarez detention center, and resisting racist talking points that fuel the implementation of prejudiced policies.
The book The Sum of Us: How Racism Hurts Everyone by Heather McGhee has now been adapted for young readers. Drawing on her personal and professional experience, McGhee makes the argument that the racist stories America tells itself harm—and always have harmed—everyone, including white people. McGhee notes that narratives white people have historically pushed about race involve a zero-sum game, pitting communities against one another and perpetuating racial hierarchy. Leaving colonized faith must include resisting the idea that when the oppressed are set free, freedom and opportunity decrease for others. In the era of banning books about race for kids, this is one that should be widely read. If nothing else, we have to remember that, as many have said, if Black children are old enough to experience racism, white children are old enough to learn about it. And McGhee will teach them in ways that break down barriers and create broad solidarity.
Sy’s recommendations:
Since the beginning of the pandemic, disability rights advocates have maintained that widespread COVID-19 infection would be a mass disabling event requiring a long-term, systemic response from policy makers. As this excellent article from the Nation reports, millions now suffer the effects of long COVID and receive inadequate care. Many of them have contracted myalgic encephalomyelitis, one of a handful of chronic illnesses whose symptoms healthcare professionals often dismiss as psychosomatic because the diseases are not well-understood, and the patients are disproportionately female. The article explains the strategies of long COVID patients who are drawing on the work and history of AIDS activists to push for clinical and research funding, as well as improved community care. The piece also does a good job of explaining how this activism is integral to the goals of the larger disability rights movement.
I’m sure many of you saw Twitter explode this week after NCAA women’s basketball star Angel Reese Did some minor trash talking during the March Madness championship game. The important point about the online reaction was that nobody criticized the other team’s star player, Caitlin Clark, when she used the exact same taunt two games earlier in the tournament, but a ton of people condemned Reese (to put it mildly). Reese is Black, and Clark is white, so a lot of conversation about double standards ensued. But the best part was the response from Reese herself. She clearly named the hypocrisy, dismissed it out of hand, and made it clear how happy she was to have won, dedicating her victory to Black girls who are “unapologetically” themselves. Read all about the whole incident here. But also read Pastor Trey Ferguson’s reflection on Reese’s joy and incredible ability to let go of people’s perceptions of her—even when she should never have to deal with those perceptions in the first place.
Donald Trump surrendered himself to the NYPD on Tuesday to face arraignment on 34 felony counts related to illegal hush money payments he allegedly made to women with whom he had affairs. This prompted wild accusations from Republicans of government corruption and double standards, including an assertion that Trump’s arrest was as unjust as those of Nelson Mandela and Jesus. So I was thankful for the grounding work this piece does to put Trump’s arrest in a different context: that of the roughly 31,000 people arrested for felonies in NYC each year. The article interviews several people about their prolonged and dehumanizing arrest and arraignment experiences, comparing them to the merely 2-hour-long affair that Trump faced without handcuffs or a mugshot. On the occasions that some accountability makes its way into the lives of rich and famous people, it is easy for many to forget the everyday cruelty visited upon those more vulnerable. But we have to always continue to question why we accept some things as the status quo while we find others remarkable.
Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next week!
The KTF team