Marchers, signs, and tent at the March on Washington, 1963, Trikosko, Marion S., photographer Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
From the Editor
“ T H E H E A R T O F J U S T I C E I S T R U T H- T E L L I N G” —BELL HOOKS
How do we dismantle racist systems? This is perhaps the justice question of the ages and one we may never answer or solve in any of our lifetimes, but one that requires all of us to pause, reflect, and ponder. Change of any kind requires much thought, discernment, and strategy. Creating systemic change begins within. It requires an examination of conscience; with difficult questions asked of one’s self and one’s neighbors. Ask any community organizer and they will tell you that creating change is incremental and inevitably arduous, difficult, and tiresome. This issue was perhaps one of the most difficult issues of A Matter of Spirit that I have ever put together. It was indeed tiresome for the mind and spirit. While developing it, amidst the generous commitments our writers made, we received dozens of responses from primarily Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) that they were unable to write. This was not out of a lack of interest, rather out of a lack of capacity, marked by exhaustion and depletion. This ongoing challenge is inspiring IPJC to reflect on how it can more intentionally collaborate with BIPOC writers, activists, and theologians. As the editor, I believe that there is hesitancy among BIPOC writers to collaborate with us, because we are a white-dominant organization. We are learning from this, especially by working to shape articles around what authors are willing to bring and share, rather than fitting them into a pre-determined narrative or form. So despite all of this, why did we produce this issue? There is no other way to move forward than to move forward—this is our work to do. The articles in this issue are words from weary hearts seeking equity, justice, and liberation for themselves, their families, and their communities. They help us to understand the struggle for racial justice throughout history and today, as well as 2
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the important spaces and fronts where this work is necessary. Beginning with the March on Washington and its connection to the current movement for racial justice, a new generation of leaders is stepping in to move us towards racial justice. Racist forces have taken on a new face through a continued unwillingness to tell our history honestly in schools by labeling it “Critical race theory.” Our theology needs reframing and a new reading of scripture that offers clear responsibilities for accomplices. To successfully dismantle racism, we need to continue to pursue interfaith relationships and come together on mutual acts of justice. Lastly, there remains an ever-present need for the Church to come face to face with its complicity in Indian boarding schools and other acts of injustice. All these pieces thread the needle of anti-racism work. After the public murder of George Floyd that sparked a racial reckoning across the United States, articles and posts from BIPOC writers expressed the exhaustion they feel from collective grief and trauma, not only from suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also the ongoing racial pandemic we have in our country. White writers, creators, podcasters, and journalists said they were “listening and learning,” but suddenly the work stopped and it seemed like life went back to normal. Except it did not. Hate crimes and racism did not end overnight. In fact, the FBI reported that in 2021, hate crimes against Asian Americans increased by 70% and hate crimes against Black people increased by nearly 40%.1 The vital work of dismantling racist systems continues. We hope that this issue is unsettling, just as its inception has unsettled us. Samantha Yanity 1
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/30/fbi-says-hate-crimes-against-asian-andblack-people-rise-in-the-us.html