Day Three: How Far Have We Really Come?
~ UU Metro NY District, "Contemporary Racial Inequity: A Statement of Faith"
Today we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., a man (and in my opinion, prophet) who gave his life to challenging systems of racial injustice, and inspiring others to do the same. Dr. King lived during a time when racial injustice was practiced openly - it was the visual norm of our society. Many argue that things have changed, that such racism and the devaluation, the dehumanization, of people of color is a problem of our past. But is it?
Today we are asked to read a statement from the UU Metro NY District (linked above), released in July after the verdict of the George Zimmerman trial. We are asked to read "Building a New Racial Justice Movement," an article from Colorlines that describes the new work that needs to be done if we are to truly bring healing and an end to systemic racial injustice in our world. There is a call to no longer be afraid to name the injustices we see for what they are, to understand that this fight goes beyond legislation to practices embedded in our social and economic culture, and to embrace the need for solidarity by joining our individual movements into collective action.
The words in this statement and article, their calls for all people to commit themselves to justice, are not new. They are echoes of what has been said by leaders and members of civil rights movements for decades. The need to remain committed is a need that has been voiced time and time again. As part of today's reflection, we are also invited to watch or read Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. His words, in this speech and others, are sadly equally, if not more relevant today. The injustices he describes are still present today, though some may wear a new mask. The "bad check" he speaks of, the "defaulted on" "promissory note" within our Constitution has not yet been rectified.
Racial injustice has not gone away, it has simply found new ways to stay alive, deeply embedded in systems that are framed to "protect." When we see the disparities in income, housing, healthcare, education, criminal prosecution, employment, wealth, it is impossible to deny that there is still much more work that needs to be done. When we see cultural misappropriation in the media, and the subsequent disregard and disrespect for the voices that dare to point out its devaluation of entire peoples, it is impossible to deny that there is still much more work that needs to be done. Work that we as individuals are capable of completing in our everyday lives. Work that we as members of a religious movement are called to pursue if we are to live out the principles of our faith. Work that as a human family must commit ourselves to if we want to heal the divisions that prevent us from being whole.
"But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice." ~ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What are you willing to do to join the movement for change?
Today we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., a man (and in my opinion, prophet) who gave his life to challenging systems of racial injustice, and inspiring others to do the same. Dr. King lived during a time when racial injustice was practiced openly - it was the visual norm of our society. Many argue that things have changed, that such racism and the devaluation, the dehumanization, of people of color is a problem of our past. But is it?
Today we are asked to read a statement from the UU Metro NY District (linked above), released in July after the verdict of the George Zimmerman trial. We are asked to read "Building a New Racial Justice Movement," an article from Colorlines that describes the new work that needs to be done if we are to truly bring healing and an end to systemic racial injustice in our world. There is a call to no longer be afraid to name the injustices we see for what they are, to understand that this fight goes beyond legislation to practices embedded in our social and economic culture, and to embrace the need for solidarity by joining our individual movements into collective action.
The words in this statement and article, their calls for all people to commit themselves to justice, are not new. They are echoes of what has been said by leaders and members of civil rights movements for decades. The need to remain committed is a need that has been voiced time and time again. As part of today's reflection, we are also invited to watch or read Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. His words, in this speech and others, are sadly equally, if not more relevant today. The injustices he describes are still present today, though some may wear a new mask. The "bad check" he speaks of, the "defaulted on" "promissory note" within our Constitution has not yet been rectified.
Racial injustice has not gone away, it has simply found new ways to stay alive, deeply embedded in systems that are framed to "protect." When we see the disparities in income, housing, healthcare, education, criminal prosecution, employment, wealth, it is impossible to deny that there is still much more work that needs to be done. When we see cultural misappropriation in the media, and the subsequent disregard and disrespect for the voices that dare to point out its devaluation of entire peoples, it is impossible to deny that there is still much more work that needs to be done. Work that we as individuals are capable of completing in our everyday lives. Work that we as members of a religious movement are called to pursue if we are to live out the principles of our faith. Work that as a human family must commit ourselves to if we want to heal the divisions that prevent us from being whole.
"But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice." ~ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What are you willing to do to join the movement for change?
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