August 9, 2015 marked the one year anniversary of the shooting death of Michael Brown, Jr by a Ferguson, Missouri police officer. Brown's death became a catalyst for fueling the movement for racial justice that spread across the country. The street protests, highway shutdowns and die-ins reflect the ways in which activists expressed their outrage and called attention to the unjust killings of unarmed black men and women. The movement demanded that the public "wake up" and #staywoke to racial injustice. #BlackLivesMatter became more than a slogan or hashtag, but a resounding call to consciousness and a demand to value black lives as much as others.
In my new book Ferguson & Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community (Chalice Press, 2015), I have gathered the voices of Ferguson area clergy and young activists that have called for our community to "wake up" and #staywoke to racial injustice. As the first book launched in a series with Chalice Press and the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE), it has provided a platform for me to share these stories and inspire others to faithful action in the face of Ferguson, Baltimore, Charleston and so many similar events in our history. It is because of organizations like FTE that faith leaders and young people exploring their purpose are supported and empowered to build beloved communities and create justice for all God's people through leadership in the church and society.
I interviewed more than two-dozen clergy and young activists that helped fuel the movement for racial justice in Ferguson, and listened to their stories about what and why they did what they did. For the clergy, they described this work as a fundamental expression of their faith, and not just an addendum. The young, Millennial activists told me about how they saw the clergy operate in ways they'd never personally seen before -- as activists themselves in the movement for racial justice. They explained how the church came to them within the community rather than demanding the community go inside the church itself.
People around the globe have seen the images of tanks and tear gas, but Ferguson & Faith brings to life the stories of courage and hope that contain seeds of possibilities that, if nurtured, can serve us well into the future. Most importantly, it reminds us that if we are to create a world where black lives truly matter, we must remain awake to the fact that there is a Ferguson near you. The issues of racial injustice and police brutality awakened by the shooting death of Michael Brown are not only present in Ferguson, but around the country.
The stories in Ferguson & Faith challenge the reader to consider the ways there are "Fergusons" nearby. Many who live in predominately racially homogeneous communities may feel that racial injustice is not an issue for them or does not relate to them. For example, I interviewed a pastor who sought to "awaken" her affluent, predominately white congregation to the reality of racial injustice against people of color in their wealthy suburban community. She invited one of the congregation's own families to share their personal story of racial injustice during one particular Sunday service. Pastor Krista Taves told me the story:
A teenage Cambodian adopted by a white single mother...This young woman has gone through hell being a person of color in Chesterfield. I asked if she would tell the story of what she has experienced to help bring the message home for the congregation. She called her testimony 'The County Brownie - Death by 1,000 Cuts.' Her mother also gave a testimonial called 'White Soccer Mom.' She talked about her feelings of helplessness and rage at not being able to protect her daughter. The tears in that service were unbelievable. That's what brought it home. The relationship they had with the family brought it home. I asked the congregation 'What is our response to this?' Because this is here. What's happening in Ferguson is here too. It is in our backyard. It is in our homes. It is in our schools. It is on our streets. It is in our malls...How are we going to stand together as a community? (Ferguson and Faith, p. 147)
In this example, the congregation was "awakened" by the testimonies of people they knew and loved. However, some congregations and communities do not have one person of color within to share their stories. Therefore, it is incumbent upon those communities to widen their search to neighboring communities to truly learn about the experiences of those who are black, brown and otherwise. We need to listen to their stories, and believe them. Just because members of a predominately white community do not "see" acts of racial injustice, doesn't mean they don't exist.
The lived experiences of black and brown people suffer and prove otherwise, and our stories need to be not only heard, but also believed. Faith communities should lead the way in calling for the hearing, telling and believing of these stories -- and demand that corrective action follow. Racial justice will become a reality when black lives are truly valued as much as all other lives, and we no longer see the exasperating wealth gaps, prison incarceration rate gaps, education gaps, and racial profiling -- to name a few. Black lives matter to God, and our faith demands they matter to us all.