We’re back in Legislative season here in Oklahoma, which means it’s time — like clockwork — for this year’s predictable bout of discriminatory bills targeting LGBTQ Oklahomans. You can’t count on state government for much, but you can count on this — if the Oklahoma Legislature is in session, some legislator will try to boost … Continue reading Ignorance, fear and hatred are never the basis of good legislation
Social Justice
Declaring independence from mythological America
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress declared independence from Britain. Two days later, they approved the draft we know as the Declaration of Independence. The document was first presented to the public on July 8, and it wasn’t until Aug. 2 that most of the signatories put their names to the document. We lump … Continue reading Declaring independence from mythological America
Black Lives Matter and the Power of Mary’s Song
I had the opportunity to attend a beautiful and inspiring Black Lives Matter rally at Government Springs Park in Enid, Okla., on Saturday, with my wife Tammy. We have attended several of these events in recent weeks -- a youth march, an NAACP-sponsored march and rally, and a grassroots protest at city hall. All of … Continue reading Black Lives Matter and the Power of Mary’s Song
It’s time to realize the promises of Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a day of celebration, and should be for all Americans. But, for white Americans, Juneteenth also should be a day of penitence, of commitment to change, and of reaching out in empathy and love to those who have been marginalized and oppressed to enable our privilege. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery, and … Continue reading It’s time to realize the promises of Juneteenth
If we want peace, we must listen to the peaceful cries of the oppressed
When violence boils over as the inevitable response to systemic racism and injustice, white Americans rush to dust off quotes and images of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. “Look at King and Gandhi!” cries white America. “They were nonviolent and they changed the world!” There is some truth in that — but only … Continue reading If we want peace, we must listen to the peaceful cries of the oppressed
Riots are the evil fruit of America’s systemic racism
There are prayers we pray and forget, the words falling from our memory faster than incense can rise and dissipate. And then, there are the prayers that stick with us for a lifetime. Sometimes these prayers stick with us because they are connected to trauma, loss or grief. And sometimes prayers stick with us because … Continue reading Riots are the evil fruit of America’s systemic racism
‘Second Chance Month’ highlights need to help inmates successfully reintegrate to society
ENID, Okla. — For men and women coming out of prison, release from custody can be the beginning of a new set of hurdles in life. For many of them, those hurdles end in a return to crime, and to a jail cell. In an effort to highlight the need for more initiatives to help … Continue reading ‘Second Chance Month’ highlights need to help inmates successfully reintegrate to society
Let us continue to see the unseen after this pandemic passes
Who do we see? This question has taken on new meaning, as the upending of society and its norms by the coronavirus has fundamentally changed who we see, and how we see them. I’m talking about more than just who we lay eyes on. I mean: Who do we really see? Who do we see … Continue reading Let us continue to see the unseen after this pandemic passes
Healing America’s multiple personality disorder
America recently passed the 400th anniversary of our nation’s two defining, and contradictory, character traits. It was in July and August 1619 the first democratic assembly convened in what would become the United States. And, it was this week in August 1619 the first shipment of slaves arrived on American shores. The first event was … Continue reading Healing America’s multiple personality disorder
White privilege curriculum goes international
Regional faith leaders in Oklahoma and Kansas have been working for more than three years to foster community conversations around white privilege, and how it plays into issues of racial justice in America. Now, that work is crossing international borders, with a United Church of Christ minister taking the training program to Germany. The Rev. … Continue reading White privilege curriculum goes international