Saturday, November 12, 2016

Don't forget who you are

It is easy in this work of Social Justice to forget that we are also human, it is easy to get caught up in our own ego sometimes when we think we have a point to win-- but don't forget who you are!

This morning I was on one of my social media accounts and I came across this post that caught my attention.

The post had the following statement:


Now what is noted as "This quoted Tweet is unavailable" might have been removed after my conversation, at least I hope so. But the article that was quoted was written by Monica Potts. It can be found here.

After reading Ms. Potts' article I felt that the individual's tweet was misleading. I don't mind the statement that there in fact could be "white women who overwhelmingly voted for Trump and White Supremacist Patriarchy and [then might now have written pieces] about how they're in danger." But the individual's tweet was misleading in assuming that Ms. Potts was one of them.

So I commented, and made the above assessment. Which turned into the individual becoming defensive. Which continued with me sticking to my point, it is unfair to use that article attributing Ms. Potts specifically as a woman who voted for Trump and White Supremacy. If we can't stand up for people and treating them fairly then we continue to perpetuate where we currently are.

But what broke me was this:

"Here you are doing the work of and for white supremacy"---WOW!
 I'll admit I had to take a breather. That on one blow made me angry, made me defensive, made me want to fire back at him. But instead I chose not to message him back- heck, he asked me not to.

But then he took it a step farther, it was fine I guess, for me to have him addressing me directly, regardless of whether or not it was public but then he did this:

I will own for me being called "white" raises so many of my insecurities. As a young girl, my friends teased me about me "talking white" or being the "whitest Black girl they know." Now I love my friends and I know they meant me no harm but the reality is it still was something I struggled with.

However, his false assumption that I was white was perpetuated by a response (see below) to a previous tweet, where in looking at this entire conversation for me just shows me how far out of being rational his thoughts were.



But here I was in the midst of all of this breaking down because I forgot what is at stake. I broke down because I allowed this stranger to tell me who I was. I let his identity destroy me for a brief moment because I let my ego define me. When in fact I know exactly WHO I am and more importantly WHO I belong to. I am a Christian, who cares about people. I will always care about people. It breaks my heart to see injustice, it brakes my heart to see inequality, but in condemning others


We are called to be Salt & Light. -- We are called to bring out the God-Flavors of the earth. We are called to be light, bringing out the God-Colors in the world. What I did was right, I would again and again stand up for that woman. It wasn't okay for her to be singled out in that manner and even if no one else saw it, it was the right thing to do. But I am also not angry with that individual who is also so misguided in his thoughts that he is literally firing shots at everyone. He was waiting for the attack and I gave it to him. 

I don't know how we get through this, but I can't lose sight of the work I am called to do. I can't lose sight of the fact that even in my anger, hurt and pain, people are on the other side of that. People deserve grace, people deserve love, people deserve the experience of the freedom that I have because of the love that I have for Jesus. People---That's what matters, that's what will always matter. 





No comments:

Post a Comment