What are Reparations? An Analogy

A number of political candidates have been talking openly about the issue of reparations to the African-American community for slavery, Jim Crow laws, redlining and other discriminatory practices. A controversial issue, no doubt.

Many folks do not understand what reparations are and what they are for. Let me offer this analogy to demonstrate why slavery still matters to this day:

A Wrongful Conviction: An Analogy

A person in slavery is like a person wrongfully convicted and sent to prison with a life sentence. 

The Civil War was the trial that finally got him released from jail after 30 years incarcerated. Hallelujah! 

But no one did any subsequent legal work to finish the job. The man is "free" but still lacks voting rights. The prison record still prevents him from getting loans or meaningful work. His record was never completely exonerated or expunged. He is in a messy in-between state--out of jail but still a second-class citizen with no resources to pursue legal action to get his record fully cleaned.

Getting out of jail was only the first step--a huge one, yes, but only the first step toward making the situation right. How about all the therapy it will take to recover from those years of psychological trauma and forced separation from his loved ones? Perhaps his children grew up without a father, so this trauma is multi-generational. 

How about some kind of integration program to get into schools and jobs and to at least attempt to make up for lost time? That's 30 years of lost wages, lost promotions, lost raises, lost work experience and lost money saved for retirement. Instead, this person rotted in jail for 30 years and is now starting off in entry level work, with a stigma and a spotty record he shouldn't have, all doing this with years of trauma to somehow process without adequate community support.

This quote from author Marianne Williamson sums it up nicely:  "If you kick somebody to the ground, you owe it to them to do more than stop kicking," she told New York radio station Hot 97 earlier this month. "You owe it to them to say, 'Here: Let me help you get back up.'

Reparations for slavery and other discriminatory practices are like the work that happens after getting released from jail.

An Analysis

It's outrageous that we have stalled on this so long. We as a nation have clearly wronged a people severely and deliberately. When the Civil War ended, all debts were not paid by a long shot. Dismantling slavery should have been followed by rebuilding, but we all know how flawed "Reconstruction" was. 

We should have gathered as a people, pooled all our resources and did everything possible to redistribute the wealth that African-Americans had generated and help them get a leg up and get the skills to integrate in society--skills they were long denied. Instead, we denied them access to education, access to loans and access to the voting booth. To top it off, white society blamed African-Americans for "personal moral failure" for high rates of poverty. Unbelievable. 

The wealth of the plantation came through the stolen labor of slaves. That wealth should have been divided up. Instead, what they got was second-class citizen status through Jim Crow laws and unofficial second-class citizens status through racism and white privilege which continues to this day. That is NOT how you treat a group of people who we admit we have wronged. Then they get blame on top of that.

Just trying to heal from 250 years of continual forced family separation is an almost unbelievable trauma. Then add on to that denial of voting rights, prohibition from the educational system, from jobs, from getting loans, from getting the GI BIll, the list goes on and on. Instead, what I hear from white folks on my own page is "they should get over it and grow up." Wow. Try unpacking that sentence. Talking down to folks like they are children.

Imagine if I stole your money, invested it and made more from it, and then I tell you to "get over it." Give me my money back--AND the interest you've built off it--and THEN we'll talk about "getting over it" right? Obviously, reparations are much more than giving a check but you get the idea.

The morality is simple:  When you sin, you first confess it. Then you beg forgiveness both of God and of those you have wronged. Then you worked to correct the wrongs that have been done, to the extent that is possible. And then you work to make sure it never happens again.  And then as a final penance, you "pay it forward" sowing seeds of justice and charity to others going forward. This is basic, common sense. It's what adults should be doing.

Imagine a thief breaks into your home. He steals a thousand dollars. When you find him, he tells you: "Just get over it! Why can't you learn to forgive? Why are you playing the victim? Quit discriminating, leave me alone and I'll leave you alone!"  Well... give me my money back and then we can talk about "getting over it"!

Some folks say that any race-based classification is a perpetuation of racism itself. So giving advantages to African-Americans today would be to further racism, in their opinion. They say "you can't use discrimination to combat discrimination." The problem with this logic is that is favors those who already have all the power and wealth leveraged in their favor. These two quotes below dismantle that rationale quite nicely:

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.

― Desmond Tutu

“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe.”

― Elie Wiesel, The Night Trilogy: Night, Dawn, the Accident

A Meditation: Black Lives Matter

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Illustration by Vectorstock, Malchev, Andrew Glencross.

 

By Andrea and Frank Lesko

 

We invite you to join us in a virtual (but real) social media prayer and meditation.

 

We'd like you to get comfortable wherever you are--at your desk, on the subway or at home. And quiet.

 

Put yourself in the presence of God. Or rather, acknowledge that you are already there.

 

We're going to say something, and we'd like you to sit back and think about what comes to your mind when you hear it.

 

Close your eyes and begin to be aware of your breath.

 

Allow your breaths to become deeper and deeper until you can feel them down in your belly. 

 

After a bit, allow your breathing to come back to normal.

 

As you breathe in, imagine your are taking  in peace and love - imagine them as feelings or as words, or however they form in your mind's eye.

 

As you breathe out, imagine your thoughts and worries and preconceptions being exhaled.

 

Sit with this for a few moments - breathing in and out. 

 

Now I am going to give you a phrase. Allow your clear head to simply feel or think whatever comes to mind when you hear it.

 

There is no right or wrong.

 

Just allow your thoughts and feelings to be.

 

The phrase is... Black Lives Matter.

 

Remember to continue to breathe in deeply,

 

And breathe out.

 

***

 

Allow some time to sit with this thought.

 

What comes up for you?

 

How does it feel in your body when you hear the words?

 

Joys, pains, memories.

 

Be aware of any tensions, reflexes, resistance.

 

Suspend any judgments, conclusions or distractions, but take notice if you want to react in that way.

 

Just let the thoughts be. 

 

Try to avoid leaving the topic and jumping elsewhere.

 

This is not about the #BlackLivesMatter movement. 

 

This is not about "All lives matter." 

 

It's just the expression that black lives--in their own right--matter. 

 

Just experience it.

 

***

 

Maybe it's awkward to you,

 

Maybe you want to wiggle away and change the subject.

 

Perhaps your breathing immediately becomes more shallow.

 

Ask yourself where is that coming from?

 

***

 

It's perfectly normal to have biases and prejudices. Even people who believe they are beyond having prejudices probably have some subtle angst or awkwardness in relation to somebody. There has probably never been a human who didn't grow up with some kind of bias against somebody--except Jesus.

 

Whether it's the rednecks in town, the "dumb Polak" down the street, "them Jews", homosexuals, hippies, blacks, you name it.  We all got somebody that we just can't stand... and perhaps hate. If you are in a minority population, you might even pick up the sentiments of the larger population and have a bias against your own group! You can say it's part of human nature. It's tribalism--we stick with our tribe and have an implicit bias against the others.

 

Jesus challenged this continuously through the Gospels. He kept approaching people as fully equal, human persons. It didn't matter if they were rich or poor, popular or unpopular, whether they smelled funny, were sick, or were a member of the "unapproved" groups of the day. He developed quite a reputation for hanging out with "sinners and tax collectors." For a Jewish male to associate with a Samaritan woman, for example, especially someone who was known publically as "sinful," was to incur scandal upon scandal.  It's hard for us to image for us today just how scandalous that was. 

 

That Jesus could do this so consistently, without a hint of prejudice recorded in the Gospel narratives, is perhaps more evidence for his divinity than any other miracle! Humans just have a really tough time with that, and we've never met a person would could do it as consistently and constantly as Jesus did in the Gospel narratives.

 

We can and should be held accountable if we hurt people through our biases and prejudices, but we can at least have some compassion for having them. We inherited many of them. We are soaked in a culture that is full of them, some of them so subtle--yet strong--that we don't even realize we have them. They are just part of the fabric of life--birds fly, fish swim and black people are second class. It can take a lifetime to untangle oneself from a culture rife with them. 

 

There's a paradox. Shaming yourself for these thoughts is not likely to be helpful.  But those are also thoughts that need to be purged and healed so that you can grow into the being God made you to be and that we all can grow together in peace and harmony as one human family.

 

The problem becomes much more urgent when our biases and prejudices are combined with institutional power. This is what we call racism. That's when these prejudices are not just quirks that individual people have, but they are put into practice and damage real people.

 

Police can gun black men and children down in the streets over the most questionable behavior, with almost no consequences whatsoever. Black people go to jail more often--and with harsher sentences--than white people for the same behaviors. When people take to the streets to protest, they are tear gassed and silenced--how dare they speak up and question the way things are! 

 

Even justice-minded white people, who thought racism was yesterday's news, are coming to terms with this.  How did we miss it?

 

***

 

Black lives matter.

 

Black people matter.

 

This is a good thing.

 

Let’s breathe into this thought.

 

If it's a frail idea to you, build it up. Give it roots. 

 

Give it strength.

 

If it is strong, imagine it stronger.

 

***

 

Let's think about the goodness of black people.

 

Created in the image and likeness of God.

 

Who show us something about what God is like.

 

For far too long, they have been treated like their lives don’t matter. Like they don’t deserve time and attention.

 

To quickly change a discussion from “black lives matter” to “all lives matter” only reinforces what many believe in the first place: That black lives do not deserve special time and attention reserved only for them.

 

So let's change that.

 

***

 

When people say, "black lives matter," they are affirming what is rightfully theirs. 

 

They are not demanding it. 

 

They are not asking for your permission.

 

You can’t give them value--their value comes from the Creator. 

 

They are affirming what God said: "And it was good."

 

So very, very good.

 

Black lives matter.

 

***

 

Black lives matter.

 

Say it.

 

Love it .

 

Embrace it.

 

Suspend other thoughts.

 

Suspend the exceptions,

 

The qualifying clauses,

 

Everything else.

 

Just repeat after me:  Black lives matter.

 

Black people matter.

 

This is a good thing, a complete thought all unto itself that doesn't need any qualifiers, exceptions or footnotes.

 

It is a thought whose time has come--it is overdue, in fact.

 

God announced the goodness of black lives at the moment of Creation. We've got some catching up to do.

 

There is a time later to talk about everyone and everything else.

 

Right now, let’s just embrace the thought that black lives matter.

 

Cherish that thought and the people that go with it.

 

Amen.

 

Enough is Enough: Southern Baptists Vote Against Confederate Flag

 

 

The Southern Baptist Convention voted to "repudiate" the use of the Confederate battle flag today. Russell Moore, president of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, wrote this touching piece. The vote was not unanimous, and it was not easy. It had vocal opposition. Make no mistake, though: The resolution still passed with overwhelming support. 

As an outside observer the last two years, I have felt a strong desire of the people of the SBC to put the sins of racism behind them--even if they aren't sure exactly how to do that and if their language around race can be awkward at times. Their efforts, I believe, are sincere. Before the vote today, there was an extended dialogue on racism on the main convention floor--unprecedented in their history as they take the conversation deeper than ever before. The Twitter feed was nearly unanimous in its support for that racism discussion, with only one lone comment expressing exasperation for continued dialogue on the topic--a comment which was ignored by all the rest.

The flag resolution today took real courage, and the SBC should be commended. It will take even more courage as this resolution is implemented in churches and towns all over, as one dissenting voice warned. But they took a giant step forward today.

Those who opposed it said their opposition had nothing to do with racism. Rather, it was based on their right to express their heritage and avoid a never-ending slippery slope of political correctness where everything could potentially come under fire, including the flag of the USA which has also flown on slave ships. Removing every name and every symbol with a negative connotation would not leave much, they argued.

The transformative moment arrived when former SBC president and descendent of Confederate soldiers James Merritt spoke from the floor with leadership and presence. Noting how the flag is often a barrier for evangelization, he said, "All the Confederate flags in the world are not worth one soul of any race." I encourage you to watch it here.

* * *

Imagine you are an African-American walking through an unfamiliar neighborhood at night.

You are alone. Suddenly, a car drives alongside you and slows down. It has a Confederate flag proudly displayed in the back window, perhaps with other aggressive symbols or a gun rack. Your heart starts racing. What do you do? Should you expect to be attacked or will they offer help? You immediately go on high alert. Should you be thinking about ways to escape or defend yourself, or can you just go about your business? You are kicking yourself for being careless and roaming too far into unfamiliar territory--you promise to yourself that if you survive you won't ever go into that part of town again.

There is no luxury to leisurely ponder whether this flag is just an innocent expression of cultural heritage or whether it announces a threat. Your life may be on the line, and you have to react as if it is. You relive this trauma over and over every time you see this flag.

It is precisely in this way that the symbol is itself an act of violence--even when it is just passively hanging in a front yard or in the back of a vehicle.

That's how terrorism works. It's a constant stream of hints, taunts and outright intimidation with the goal of disorienting and destabilizing others--and ultimately limiting and controlling their behavior. It's not just the violence itself that terrorizes, but rather the environment which is saturated with constant suggestions of violence. It often comes in the form of a polite face with a sinister intent. Doubt is dizzying as folks are unsure where and when the next attack is coming and who they can trust.

It may be just an innocent expression of heritage for some folks, but think of the impact it may be having on others.

Just try to put yourselves into the shoes of an African-American person. For decades, this flag has used by the KKK and other hate groups--and continues to be used by them actively in the present day--to terrorize and intimidate an entire race of people.

When people fly that flag, they are continuing to terrorize people who have been through enough. And enough is, by definition, enough.

It's like taking someone for a ride who has just recovered from a terrible car accident and then driving recklessly at high speeds, just for laughs.

It's like inviting a veteran with PTSD over to your house and then unexpectedly setting off fireworks behind him. There is nothing inherently wrong with fireworks, and maybe your family has a long history of using them. But some sensitivity is in order! If that is truly too much to ask, then it begs the question: Why in the world is that too much to ask?

In a twisted way, racist aggression is actually a hidden compliment to black folks--for people to expend that much energy trying to keep others down, they must be completely afraid of what would happen if that other group's full power were expressed. That may be poor consolation to victims of racial terrorism, but it is worth pondering what makes so much of white America so insecure and afraid of real black power. Why else would someone spend so much effort trying to keep another race of people down? It has to be fear.

When Christians refuse to distance themselves from this flag, I have to wonder why.

If you are married, you technically have the right to wear a ring that your previous girlfriend gave you. After all, it's just a part of your heritage and history. You can put it right next to your wedding ring. You can tell your wife that it's just a symbol of the past, "just trust me." But by doing so, you are putting an incredible burden on your wife. That ring is a constant symbol of doubt about where you stand today. It belongs in the far back corner of some drawer that rarely sees the light of day. Or better yet: In a pawn shop.

I have to admit something: When people say they fly the flag just to express their "heritage," I often don't believe them. Or at the very least, I am left unsure. I suspect they could be expressing passive-aggressive racism in disguise. They may say it's not about racism, but they are doing the absolute, complete bare minimum to show that and leaving the door wide open for doubt--as I pointed out earlier, doubt itself is a weapon of terrorism. Maybe some white people are sincere and don't intend that, but whether it's intended or not, it can and does bring that consequence. When someone does the absolute minimum, it is often a form of resistance.

The flag that we refer to as the "Confederate Flag" was a minor battle flag during the Civil War and only rose to prominence afterwards as a symbol of Jim Crow and the KKK. The Confederacy had other, more official flags, and I have never seen any of them flown. Yes, this flag has also evolved over time to be a general symbol of the South, but it's real claim to fame came during Jim Crow and can no longer be separated from that. It is still one of the most popular symbols of hate groups today. It's usage as a symbol of hate and aggression is simply too extensive, too deep and covers the span of too many years. There are plenty of other flags that could be used to celebrate the history of the South that could do a more convincing job drawing a hard line between any racist connotations.

A symbol can have multiple meanings. I understand the argument that people should be able to avoid racism without having to erase their own cultural heritage in the process. But make no mistake, the history of this flag may be forever linked with white supremacist terrorist groups. It can and will bring those other associations along. It can and will continue to re-injure and re-terrorize, just like in the example above of the person walking down the street. Its usage by white hate groups for so many years means that it promotes oppression by its very presence. If you don't like that fact, then please direct your anger to the KKK and others who have tainted the symbol rather than to the people who say that enough is enough and want to put an end to it.

To those who are opposed: Please stop complaining that the "political correctness police" are taking away all your toys. You sound like little boys, and little boys need to grow up and become men. I'm sorry you feel like limiting hate speech is an unbearable burden of tyranny. The truth is you have a tremendous opportunity--such a small act can go a long way toward healing and helping a great multitude of people.

If you feel oppressed by being pressured to give up the flag, just imagine the oppression the African-American community has experienced for hundreds of years--and continues to experience. 

Little boys pout because their toys have been taken away. Grown men have broad shoulders and know they are strong enough and secure enough to ensure that expressing their rights does not come at the expense of others. The irony is that while you are worried that the political correctness police are "oppressing" you, the fact is that you are putting a tremendous burden on your neighbors and, in fact, oppressing them far worse. Let's find a better way for all. Yes, you still have the right to display that flag--but the question remains, why would you given the harm it continues to inflict?

Today, the SBC showed what mature Christians look like. Instead of focusing solely on their "rights," they made the decision that best expresses Gospel compassion, even if that means enduring tension in the community and making a sacrifice. It is, after all, a small price to pay on a long road of repentance and reconciliation. I was there and believe an historic moment took place. Energy shifted in this denomination, perhaps forever. So for all the SBC members who fear they may be losing a part of their heritage, I say: Fear not. You all did a fine job of building on that heritage today and have much more to share than ever. Congratulations!