6/8/2020 0 Comments Facing our prejudicesMost mornings I share my own words here. This morning I feel compelled to share the words a beautiful friend of mine shared yesterday.
Years ago, I worked with Regina and Clay Harrington. I've been blessed to follow their lives from a distance since then. I deeply admire their commitment to their Illinois church - Clay is a pastor there - and their loving outreach to the people there and to people around the world. Regina's story pulled at my heart. It made me think deeper about things I've already been thinking about. Here are Regina's words: _______ I’ve been holding this story for 12 years, so today is the day,... As the dedicated and involved father he is, 12 years ago Clay was driving our twin babies, Asiah and Adessa, 15 miles to their daycare early every morning. On one particular morning, he arrived early to the daycare and they had not yet opened. The parking lot was empty. For those who know Clay, you won’t be surprised to hear that he took this opportunity to turn on worship music in the SUV while hanging out with the babies and waiting. You will also not be surprised to imagine him with eyes closed and hands in the air loudly proclaiming his worship to God. You will also not be surprised to know that when another car pulled into the parking lot, he barely noticed and kept on worshipping like he normally would. A few moments later the car returned with police. A white, male officer in the police car. A white woman was “scared” when she came to the daycare. The same daycare our babies had been attending since birth. She was “scared” because a black man in the parking lot was acting “crazy”. I am sure she thought that he needed an intervention, that she may not be safe getting out of the car, that our twins might not be safe, and certainly the daycare wasn’t safe with him in the parking lot. I wonder if I might have thought the same things if I were the only white woman in the parking lot with him and if I had not known him. I was mortified when I heard this. I had wished I was with him. I was mad that white people too often make the worst assumptions about black people. It still bothers me today! Even as a white woman married to a black man, I know I have done this too. For example, I recently had an interaction in a store checkout line with a black man who just by his demeanor and lack of a smile, I assumed he was not friendly nor someone I should engage with. Instead, he engaged me in a conversation while we were waiting and when I realized he wasn’t who I assumed, I was suddenly faced with my own prejudice. What a great guy! As much as I dislike shopping, I am grateful I am not being judged by whether or not I am smiling or appear approachable in a grocery store! But this is what is meant by white privilege. Assumptions that people are bad or up to no good just because you don’t know them and because they are black is a problem all white Americans need to grapple with. The white, male police officer that day, praise God, was not the kind you see in the news these days. He didn’t make him get out of the car, he had a casual conversation, he was respectful, he assumed the best! We all need to work on assuming the best about people!! When things happen like #georgefloyd, I imagine what would have happened if a different kind of officer approached Clay like they approached #georgefloyd. If the officer assumed the worst based on someone’s fear and prejudice would he be alive today? In summary, if you see a black person, assume the best! It just might be a black, future pastor and evangelist who is dangerously crazy for the Lord!
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Robert "Keith" CartwrightI am a friend of God, a dad, a runner who never wins, but is always searching for beauty in the race. Archives
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