THE DAILY RACE
Teaching Racelessness
Greater
“For the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” ~ First John 4.4, NRSV Greater. Greater is God who is in me than race that is in the world. Greater is God who is in me than racism that is in the world. Greater is God who … Continue reading
Let the life you lead be your own
While I understand that, as Americans, we will be socially color- coded black/ white/ red/ yellow/ brown/ beige and that we should be prepared for the subsequent perceptions, prejudices and stereotypes, I don’t hear anyone challenging the racialized view of human identity. Instead, we accept it without explanation. We live and see ourselves as we … Continue reading
Race Fact #21
Humans, specifically those of African descent, do not derive from apes. It’s a tradition of race not a scientific fact. “In 1699, the web of legend and unverified fact was disentangled by Edward Tyson, whose comparative study of a young ‘orang- outang’ was a masterwork of critical scientific investigation. Throughout his dissection of the chimpanzee, … Continue reading
The God We Don’t Believe In
“‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come … Continue reading
Race Fact #20
Being or rather becoming a white person is not natural or self- evident. “The discovery of personal whiteness among the world’s people is a very modern thing.” ~ W. E. B. Du Bois
Race Fact #19
Race must be defined again and again. It is in so doing that race is not allowed to redefine us. We must continue to remind ourselves of what race is. This will also inform us as to what race is not. If we do not maintain this practice, we will be subjected to its power … Continue reading
Dying Daily to Race
“I die daily.” ~ First Corinthians 15.31 Funerals. No one likes them, right? Well, except for morticians perhaps! And death, like politics and religion, is a subject to be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Whether it is because of the resultant grief, the mystery that shrouds it or fear of our own demise, death is not … Continue reading
Race Fact #17
What are stereotypes? “Stereotypes, however inaccurate, are one form of representation. Like fictions, they are created to serve as substitutions, standing in for what is real. They are there not to tell it like it is but to invite and encourage pretense. They are a fantasy, a projection onto the Other that makes them less … Continue reading
Afraid of who we will become
“For in him, we live, move and have our being.” ~ The Acts of the Apostles 17.28 Why is race so successful? Why is it so convincing, so engrained, so entrenched in who we are? Why is it so difficult to dig it up and to root it out of us? Why do we have such a … Continue reading
How do we know?
“Oh, I know him!” We believe that we know a person because we can remember his name or because he knows ours. But, how much time have we spent with him? How many experiences are shared before we make this judgment? What do we mean when we say that we know someone and how does … Continue reading
