I honor those who have the courage to have the hard conversations, who are willing to do the soul searching, who are brave enough to admit when they see the scars of racism within themselves. I know it is scary. I know pride causes all of us to resist doing the work to bring change, but those who are courageous enough, I honor you.
When I was in 3rd grade, I had a teacher who found herself working for a Christian school that was vigilant in holding on to its White supremist ways. Even though she too was White, I remember her advocating for us and how she tried to hold the school leadership accountable for the way it treated Black students. I remember her troubled look on her face when she sat at her desk, but then I remember the love with which she looked at me and the rest of us who felt unwelcomed in a place that was supposed to reflect the love of God. She really believed that she was supposed to reflect that boundless love of God and she did in every way. She played with us, affirmed us and made every single child in that classroom, no matter the shade of our skin, feel God’s love. Then she was fired. I can still see her tears.
We knew she got fired for standing up for us. It is the common and cowardly way that some White people, tend to address those who stand against racism. They usually silence them. There was a time when lynchings and other terrorism were used to cancel those voices. Now, those in power try to find ways to remove those who raise their voices to declare that racism is still present. If this is you, I want you to know that you are a coward and one day all of the effort you put into silencing the cries for justice, will come to nothing and your prideful heart will be exposed. The truth will always prevail.
My prayer is that even if the world continues to fight against bringing real healing, that the church of God will come together to remove the sin stain of racism. My prayer is that people will listen to the cries of those who want healing. My prayer is that people will be humble enough not to get offended by or dismissive of these cries, but that they will realize that listening takes nothing away from your place in the world, but instead it solidifies your place in the heart of God.
There are those who will do more work to hide the need to address racism, than just humbling themselves enough to have the hard conversation, to listen and to take ownership of the personal responsibilty to build a bridge. I have been fighting this battle since I was very young and one thing I learned is that running away from the hearts of stone that fight against authentic healing, does not work. In staying here (staying on the wall like Nehemiah), unmoveable, unshakeable, speaking the truth in love, loving unconditionally, and taking up the space, a light shines that can draw a remnant together that is kindred in the desire to heal our church, our communities, our schools, our universities and our souls. My prayer is for the coward, who seeks to save themselves, more than healing the brokenhearted, that either they repent or be humbled by the God who gave his life for the WHOLE world.
Dr. Anika T. Prather 