Racial Healing and Racial Reconciliation

I remember like it was yesterday. My brother and I had been attending a predominately White Christian school for a couple of years. Up until this time, every Christian school we attended would not allow Black speakers to preach in the weekly chapel. We were in middle school or early high school at Riverdale Baptist School and had been part of an effort (because of our parents and other Black parents in the school) to bring racial healing into the school. On this particular Wednesday, we went to chapel and there was Keith Battle. He was in his early 20s, from the DMV area and preached such an amazing sermon in chapel. Duane and I got home that afternoon and talked so much about how cool it was to see a Black pastor in the chapel of our school. My dad was so excited that he invited him to preach out our church (my dad is the founding pastor of our church and my brother is now the pastor). That was the beginning of an over 30 year relationship with Pastor Keith Battle. Many of his sermons have been a source of spiritual growth for me.

Riverdale Baptist School will always have a very special place in my heart, not because it was perfect, but because it allowed itself to go through the messy process of racial healing. It is one of few Christian schools that continues to thrive, and I believe it is because it has learned to create a space where we can all dwell together in unity and equality. My brother and I and others were part of a journey where we saw the place evolve and heal (and it is still evolving but aren’t we all?). I am still in close relationship with many of the teachers and my classmates. The video below, seeks to share a little more about the evolution that I witnessed at Riverdale Baptist and my perspectives on Racial Healing and Racial Reconciliation. The work we did at RBS was peaceful, yet a consistent force. This is why I am drawn to the civil rights work of the past like with SNCC, because it was through civil discourse, building relationships, working togther and standing togther that change came. Change did not come through violence, anger, bitterness, and overall meanness. RBS went through a similar process and I was part of that. RBS plays a huge part in the hope that I have, because I see what is possible.

When I reflect on my relationship with organizations like CLT (the world already knows that Jeremy Tate is my brother from another mother, like literally), Classical Academic Press (these are my family ya’ll), Great Hearts, the Catholic Church (and may I say the Catholic community has been my source of strength and I am not even Catholic!! Your consistent encouragement on this journey has been a tremendous blessing. Thank you.) and the Orthodox Church (St. Constantine and John Mark Reynolds, oh how I love you) and their leaders, I see what is possible. We may not always agree, but for me a trust is being built as I see a consistent effort to willingly go on this very hard journey towards racial healing. My hope in these organizations are not because I am always invited to speak, but because whether it’s me, Angel Adams-Parham or Aaron Howard, etc., there is a consistent demonstration of communicating to diverse populations “You are welcome here and we see you. We invite you into this work and into this conversation. We will not segregate you or tokenise you, but you ARE equally part of our community.” Within that process of racial healing, as we stumble forward, we are always doing the work of reconciliation too. I value the way these organizations and many of its members create space for the hard conversations that may sometimes be painful, but there is courage to keep pushing forward. Classical education is challenging because it has been held captive by White supremacy for so long. While other Christian spaces are already having these hard conversations, they are also discounting the value of Classical education. My desire to do this work, is deeply rooted in my love for classical education and a love for sincere Christian unity to break through into this space.

I am not going anywhere, and neither will I be silent. Healing will only come through open, honest, and PUBLIC discourse. I am not going to waste my time with those who have already decided to ignore the need to have civil discourse on this topic and are actually fighting against it. That is a waste of my time and energy. As you may notice, I rarely mention those that resist the need to go through this process. I focus on what is possible. I focus on having hope. There is hope! I can see those who want to go on this journey with me and as hard as it may be, I am seeking to draw us together. My prayer is that we will not dig our heels in and refuse to do the work of healing like many organizations are doing, because one day we will have to answer for it and no matter how Godly we think our mission may be, if it is not reflective of the diversity of Heaven (or at least trying to be so), as described in Revelations (let it be done on earth as it is in heaven), we will one day have to stand before the ONE who created ALL of our differences and explain to him why we didn’t do our part to fight for unity in the body of Christ.