Race in America (David Maxwell & Laura Cheifetz, Editors) -- A Review
RACE IN AMERICA: Christians Respond to the Crisis.
Edited by David Maxwell and Laura M. Cheifetz. Foreword by Otis Moss III. Introduction
by Mary Gene Boteler. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2021. Xvii +
152 pages.
Racism
has been called America’s “original sin” that led to the genocide of much of
the Native American population and was expressed in the chattel slavery of
persons brought to this continent from Africa. It has been expressed in laws
that denied Asians either the opportunity to immigrate or achieve citizenship
in the United States. It has been expressed in way Latinos/as—a community of
peoples, many of whom trace their ancestry to a time before much of the
Southwest was part of the United States—have been treated. The ramifications of
this original sin of racism remain with us to this day as racism is on the
rise. Many of us, perhaps naively, hoped that the election of Barack Obama
would usher in a post-racial age. Unfortunately, racism remains a scourge on
our land. We’ve seen it play out in various ways in recent years, coming to a
head during the final year of Donald Trump’s term, when a racial reckoning
coincided with a global pandemic. The aftereffects remain with us even after
the end of the Trump presidency.
Even as
attempts are made to build relationships, educate against racism, and reform institutions,
change has proven to be slow and arduous. Indeed, the names Trayvon Martin and
Michael Brown gave birth to the “#BlackLivesMatter” movement, but we keep
adding names to the list. We’ve seen Islamophobia present for some time, and
now we’re seeing the rise of anti-Asian violence in the wake of the COVID-19
pandemic. All of these realities remind us that there is much work to be done. Claiming
to be “color-blind” is not the answer.
As a
white male Christian, reading books about race and racism isn't comfortable.
Neither is acknowledging white privilege. Yet, whether asked for or not,
certain privileges have been accorded to me that are related to the color of my
skin. By acknowledging that these privileges exist I put myself in a better
position to stand as an ally with those whose ethnicity and race exclude them
from these privileges. It is important to understand that these privileges have
little to do with economics and everything to do with color.
As an
ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) I am expected
to participate in anti-racism training. This training is designed to sensitize
clergy to the realities just mentioned so that we can help our congregations
move forward toward being anti-racist communities. Educating ourselves to these
realities is important, and there is an increasing number of books and
resources that help us in this regard. One of these books is Race in America, which is itself a revision of a book that appeared in 2016 with the title
Race in Post-Obama America: The Church Responds. That book was edited by
David Maxwell and appeared right as President Obama’s term was ending and
before Donald Trump’s presidency began. This edition is again edited by David
Maxwell along with Laura Cheifetz who joined him in editing this edition. While
the original edition drew upon ten contributors, this edition has thirteen.
They write as members of a committee, so identities are largely hidden.
Therefore, the book represents a conversation among a group of people with a
shared concern for the church and the broader world. One of the contributors,
the Rev. Mary Gene Boteler, writes in the introduction that the book is
especially poignant for white Christians living in the United States so that
they might "read, discuss with others, and initiate or continue a plan of
action to confront racism" (p. xvi-xvii). The book both educates and calls
the reader to action.
The
book is divided into three parts. Part one defines and recounts racism in five
chapters. The first chapter provides definitions of terms used in the book.
That chapter is followed by one that explores the relationship of the Bible to
racism. This is followed by two chapters that explore the “White and Nonwhite
Binary.” These two chapters take a look at the history of the United States
through the lens of whiteness. That is, who qualifies as white and what that
means for how we live in this nation. These two chapters replace three chapters
that look at U.S. history. This first part closes out with a chapter on
“Trumpism.” Obviously, this chapter is new, but it is also informative. It
speaks to how the illusion of racial progress symbolized by Obama’s election
was broken by the election of Donald Trump and the surge in white identity
politics. Each of these chapters reminds us that while progress has been made
at points, we are far from reaching any real post-racial age.
If Part
I offers definitions and recounts history, Part II focuses on the realities of
racism today. There are four chapters in this section. The first chapter
explores the relationship between colonialism, immigration, and assimilation.
Chapter seven focuses on police brutality and the Black Lives Matter Movement,
which was born before Trump but took the lead in the protests that followed the
death of George Floyd. Chapter 8 focuses on the role of social media, which has
played both a positive and a negative role in the current crisis. It has been
used to promote hate and bigotry and to organize responses. The authors do a
good job of lifting up both the benefits and the challenges posed by social
media regarding the continuing racial divide in America. The final chapter in
this section is titled “Do Segregated Churches Imply Racism?” The authors agree
with Martin Luther King’s declaration that the reality that eleven o'clock on
Sunday is the most segregated hour of the week, and that this reality is a sign
of racism. However, they aren’t sure that integrated worship is a true salve
for the problem of racism in America if we continue with a melting pot vision
of assimilation in which we all adopt the worship practices of the majority
culture. While truly integrated worship is to be welcomed, a case can be made
for, at least at this moment, the continuing existence of ethnic churches. But
if we do move toward multi-cultural worship it needs to be more than simply a
reflection of the dominant culture's preferences without allowing for other
expressions to exist. So, in place of the melting pot, a better image for
integrated worship is that of the salad, where distinctive elements are present
and celebrated! We have a long way to go before this reality is widespread.
Part
three is titled “What to Do?” In chapter ten, a word is addressed to white
people like me by contributors who are white. This chapter addresses the
challenges of white supremacy and white privilege. It serves to remind us that
racism is more than prejudice. It is systemic. We who are white often miss the
signs. It is telling that 80% of white youth and young adults don't like
talking about race and assume that they live by a color-blind code. So, what do
we do? The authors provide us with eight excellent suggestions for how we who
are white can address white privilege and work toward the elimination of
racism. Among these include recognizing our privilege, along with educating
ourselves as to what this means, and then speaking up and showing up. This
chapter is not a comfortable read, but then it's not supposed to be. Finally,
in chapter 11, we turn to the church's response. While we may want to quickly
move toward a color-blind beloved community, they tell us that there must be
justice before there can be reconciliation. That will take a lot of work. It
means addressing questions of reparations and looking at how we engage in
mission. The authors conclude that "racism is hard-wired into this country
from its founding and then through its constitution and religious, social,
economic, and political life. Undoing it will take more than reading a book or
going to one protest. But change and transformation and hope are also in the
DNA of the Christian Disciple" (p. 134). Addressing the challenge won't be
easy, but this should not deter us or lead to complacency. That is not an
option.
Race
in America is, as you might expect, a tough read. While the chapters
challenge and educate us as to the realities of our times, the current
political situation reminds us that we have a long way to go before we achieve
something like the Beloved Community envisioned by Dr. King. It’s important to
remember that the goal is not to become color-blind. That is because the idea
of color-blindness negates the wonderful diversity that is humanity. So,
instead of pursuing that goal, the authors—and there is significant diversity
among the contributors to the book—invite us to respect and celebrate our
diversity. If we do that then we can become a community that exemplifies the
motto out of the many we are one. One can only hope that there will be no need
for a third edition of the book. But, for that to be true, we have a lot of
work to do.
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