It’s Way Past Time
+ Grace & Truth Link-Up
Time to Let Go
When I was a teenager, if you asked my favorite book, I’d say Gone with the Wind. Scarlette O’Hara provoked a love/hate feeling for me as the protagonist of the story.
But as time went on, and I got older, and opened my eyes a little wider, I realized Gone with the Wind was no longer my favorite book. Far from it. It stereotyped Black people as tools for white people’s use. It glorified slavery as a way of life in the antebellum south that I never participated in or believed in.
Yet this very week I noticed I still had my very old copy of Gone with the Wind displayed on my living room bookshelf. After all these years of knowing better. Ugh.
I’m replacing it with Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America.
It is one of two books I bought this week from Black authors for #BlackoutBestsellerlist week. The other is The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby. I’ve already started it. And am already being convicted.
It is time, way past time.
What else is it time for?
Time to Change
Corporate America is being jostled out of its slumber, too.
The movie Gone With the Wind was pulled off HBO Max last week.
Also, the companies of Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s Rice, Cream of Wheat, and Mrs. Butterworth’s announced they’ll be rebranding. NASCAR is finally banning Confederate flags at their races.
While banning flags, rebranding products, and replacing books are good starting points, they can’t substitute for the harder work of dismantling racism.
It’s time to press in to change policies to prevent more senseless deaths, to create reforms to end systemic inequality in housing and education and healthcare, and to pass better legislation to ensure a more just justice system.
And it’s time to do the even harder work of weeding out racism in hearts, one by one. Getting to the root of prejudice is work for Jesus and me, for each of us.
It is time, way past time.
What else is it time for?
Time to Celebrate
Today is the day we celebrate Juneteenth.
June 19, 1865, is when Union General Granger told the slaves in Texas that they were now free (even though the Emancipation Proclamation had formally freed them two years earlier on January 1, 1863).
On June 19, 1980, Juneteenth was made a Texas state holiday. New York and Virginia are making progress for the same.
Even though Juneteenth is not currently a national holiday, 47 of our 50 states observe it to some degree (all but Hawaii, North Dakota, and South Dakota). Last year the Senate passed a resolution to make it a national holiday; the House has yet to approve it.
Companies, communities, and churches across America acknowledge Juneteenth in various ways, including the National Football League and Twitter. This year even Jeff Bezos of Amazon sent a letter to his employees to use the holiday to reflect, learn, and support each other.
But today is also a day, like every day, we can ask God to clean out the nooks and crannies where prejudice may still hide. To purify our hearts of all racism and pride. And to fill us with grace and love for every person, everywhere.
It is time, way past time.
Today’s Featured Post
Today’s featured post for the Grace & Truth Linkup is by Shelbee, Maybe It’s Time We Listen.
She writes about the past two weeks,
“I feel like someone stole my rose colored glasses. Ripped them right off my face, threw them to the ground, and stomped on them until they were nothing but a pile of shattered plastic. But I think I probably deserved it. I have been hiding behind those things for my entire life.”
“I have no idea where to start. But those who have been the victims of these injustices, they might have some ideas where to begin. I think maybe it’s time we listen to them.”
Read all of Shelbee’s post here at her blog, Shelbee on the Edge.
Then add your own links below.
Now Let’s Link Up!
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enterWhat have you had to let go of?
Please share your thoughts in the comments.
“Getting to the root of prejudice is work for Jesus and me, for each of us.” Amen!
Lisa, thank you for taking the charge to use your voice for change seriously. It’s way past time for a change. Every authentic voice like yours is needed to make it happen.
The revolution is happening…it’s being televised and videotaped for the whole world to see. I’m hopeful…
I’m hopeful, too, Yvonne. I know we’re seen surges for change in the past, but hopefully this time will be a lasting one that will produce much fruit. Lives depend on it. With God’s help, we can continue seeing, repenting, and making a change in our hearts and our culture.
Unfortunately, I loved Gone With the Wind too as a girl. I admired Scarlett’s firey spirit. Of course, I now realize that slavery was glorified in that book and have come to the same understandings as you.
I am currently reading “Stamped From the Beginning”. My son gave me the book for Christmas and I had not gotten around to reading it yet, then I realized I needed to read it NOW.
We all must speak out for justice. I hope this is the time when we really make a change.
I just bought Stamped From the Beginning yesterday but haven’t received it yet. I’m looking forward to it! I know it’s a long book, so I may need to keep you as an accountability partner to stick with it. 🙂 I hope to start it as soon as it comes in. I’m also reading Be the Bridge right now, another great book from an influential voice. I pray you’re right that this time change will really happen and stay!
I appreciate your thoughts on Gone With the Wind as I, too, remember the book as a favorite in my younger years.
It’s so important for us to revisit what we’ve embraced along the way, understand why, and reconsider what we do with what we know now …
We’re always learning, changing, growing. By His grace and His direction …
And that growth often comes out of being uncomfortable. I don’t like being uncomfortable. But I do want to grow. May we all be willing to pay the price necessary for change in our hearts and country. I appreciate your example, Linda!
Thank you for the book recommendations and for bringing light to the changes that need to be made in each of our hearts/
Maree
And there’s so many more books that I want to read. It’s amazing that we have so many beneficial resources to choose from! Thanks, Maree.
This is the first year I have heard about Juneteenth. Hoping it becomes a national holiday. We have a long way to go as a nation and as individuals.
I agree, Theresa; we definitely have a long way to go both individually and collectively. But with the Lord’s help, we can get there. I remain hopeful that we can make systemic change when we all work on it together!
Definitely time to listen to each other and grow in understanding and acceptance – thank you.
Yes, the time is always right for us to listen and grow. We can never do that too much. It reminds me of James 1: be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. Thanks, Sharon.
Lisa, so well said. We grew up not thinking a thing about Gone with the Wind’s racist undertone. Now, we understand and our eyes have been opened even wider to this perspective and mindset that needs to be upturned in our nation. I like to say, “God only created one race…the human race. “
That’s a great saying, Karen. If we could all see each other as part of the same family, we could heal a lot of divides and change a lot of policies.
I did not know about the #blackoutbestsellerlist. Even if I am late I will be looking it up!
It’s never too late to do that, Lauren! I’ve been prioritizing my reading the past couple weeks because there are so many great books that I need to sink my teeth into.
I love that you are using your voice to initiate change. We must all speak out for justice. And about time too.
Happy Wednesday, Lisa
Thanks, Veronica. I know there is so much work to do.
I am having a happy Wednesday–just got some good news that I was waiting for. Hope your day is going well too!
Such a powerful and important message. Thank you so much for featuring my post. I am truly humbled.
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
I appreciate the rawness in your post, Shelbee. If we’d all be that honest and vulnerable, we’d make progress quicker. Thanks for sharing yourself with us.