A Mother's Prayer: by Ralphetta Aker McClary, Ruling Elder Washington Shores Presbyterian Church

image Art in the Christian Tradition: Copyright © 2024 Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries, Vanderbilt University

used Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial use

Growing up in the church, I always looked forward to Christmas and the celebration of the Birth of Jesus.  In Sunday school, we learned of the angels’ proclamations, the journey to Bethlehem, there being NO room in the Inn, the Virgin Birth in a manger with all the animals, the coming of the Wise Men and presentation of gifts and the escape to Egypt.  As I matured, so has my understanding of the importance of Advent. 

Today, we rush through this season and often overlook the story of Mary and her faith, love and hope. This Advent season, we should pause and meet Mary again, as she expectantly waits and prepares for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ at Christmas.  Her pronouncement of liberation and justice for her and our broken world, ended the silence of oppression, and ushered in a season of Holy Change, grounded in faith and rooted in prayer.  With the Mother of Jesus our Anti-racism statement, joins Mary by ending the silence of our time.

In every depiction of this great story, we find Mary in the Nativity of Christ kneeling by the cradle of her new baby boy, in a humble and submissive state.    Yet, the angel’s declaration in Luke 1:28-30 “You have found favor with God”, informs us that Mary was a woman after God’s own heart, who was obedient to the teaching of her Lord Yahweh.  In kneeling, Mary demonstrates that which she already knows, that the child she has delivered is deserving of respect and loyalty, for her son Jesus is the promised King.

How can I make such a profound statement of Mary’s knowledge of her son? Her own words in Luke 1:46-55, historically titled “The Magnificat” or “Mary’s Song” demonstrates she was a woman of God who voices her faith in Yahweh the God of her ancestry.  Few of us know more than the opening verses Luke 1:46-48 ~
“46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,”
 
This opening phrase is pleasant to our ears and portrays Mary as a meek and mild mother, obedient to God’s direction.  Mary is the humble girl for whom God the Almighty is doing great things, God is holy and will bless those who fear him.

“49     for the Mighty One has done great things for me--
    holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.”
A favored woman of God! Then comes this her pronouncement of God’s plan to be carried out through her son.  In Luke 1:51-55, she states:
“51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

As I read these words again, I see Mary in a new light.  Less of a scared, obedient, teenager and more like a woman~~ a mother; one with a deep understanding of God’s love.  One who knew the directive of Micah 6:8 and who profoundly understood the teaching of Isaiah 53:1-12. Another look at this passage reveals Mary, a mother of faith intent on reorienting and dismantling unjust systems. 

This is a Mary for our 21st Century world.  She is a mother who, even before the manger, knew the pain of loss and the sacrifice she would face. She is a mother who was in prayer for her son before His birth and even in the manger, still on her knees. I recall the old Negro spiritual~~”My mother prayed for me, got down on her knees and prayed for me.  I’m so glad she prayed, I’m so glad she prayed for me.” Mary prayed for Jesus; in the same way, Jesus prayed for the world.

Mary knew the work assigned to her Son.  She knew He would scatter those who are proud in their minds, speak to bring down rulers lift the humble, and teach us to fill the hungry with GOOD THINGS and the rich, He sent them away empty. Mary’s words are the longest words spoken by a woman in the New Testament.  The words of Mary’s Magnificat rebuke the arrogance of the proud, who think that power is their sovereign right. Mary is a mother who demonstrates loyal and steadfast love, both in her words and actions.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and theologian who was executed by the Nazis, called the Magnificat, “the most passionate, the wildest, one might even say the most revolutionary hymn ever sung.” The poor and oppressed people of color, and all who are followers of Christ should reclaim Mary’s Song and see Mary not as a silent figure in a nativity scene, but as a voice for those who are vulnerable – physically (to include skin color), economically,  and socially (to include class and gender). 

Mary’s prayer/mantra is a demonstration of courage. While she was poor, unmarried, pregnant, and likely a young woman of color, she shared her own story, in a society that devalued women. Mary is the embodiment of God showing up, right here, in the midst of real people in the real world. Hers is not some ancient irrelevant story.  Mary disrupts our business-as-usual. God seems especially concerned for the oppressed while too many wrestles with the fact that God loves everyone equally. When we share the vantage point of black, indigenous, people of color, many of the myths that perpetuate a system that plunders the poor who are disproportionately people of color are exposed.

In our statement on Racial Injustice, we affirm that “racism” is a sin and we expound on the belief that Jesus has destroyed the myths and idols of systemic racism and oppression so that we are freed to love and serve one another with no-strings attached; to love with the love we have all been freely given.  This is the hope Mary was expressing; a hope that declares that the Spirit of God is living among us.
​
This Advent season, we can wait with hope on the promise of the coming Christ child and know the fulfillment of His kingdom on earth as we await His second coming. Mary’s words give us hope—in them we hear a witness to faith, see a demonstration of love and hope for what is and is to come.  In her words we are able to find God in a place where God may seem to be absent. We, along with the mothers of Emmitt Till,  Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Abrery, and countless others, including Jesus, who have been unjustly killed, can stand and lift our voices with Mary, for in this Advent season, there is faith, there is love, and there is eternal hope.

Before His Time: Henry T and Harriett V Moore

“BEFORE HIS TIME”

By Larry Colleton, Ruling Elder, Washington Shores Presbytery and, Member, Anti-Racism Committee (ARC)

 As the Anti-Racism Committee (ARC) met via Zoom over the previous 16 months, many thoughts and more importantly many bible verses have come to me and caused me to pause.  A pause to contemplate and discern.  One such passage is Ephesians 6: 12. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

In the Central Florida Presbytery (CFP) Statement on Racial Injustice, racism is declared a sin.  Specifically, a sin against God and against humanity. Further, it asserts that racism tells a lie about God and about what God intends for humanity because racism falsely claims that some are less than others.

In his book, “Before His Time”, author Ben Green describes the life of Harry T. Moore, a civil rights martyr who, along with his wife, Harriette, were assassinated by racists in December 1951.  Moore was born in 1905 in Houston, Suwannee County, Florida.  The book chronicles Moore’s life as a boy to leadership of the Florida State Conference of the NAACP.  It also tracks his establishment of the Progressive Voters’ League in the 1940’s. 

Harry T. Moore’s life and legacy have been a major part of my thoughts as the Anti-Racism Committee developed the CFP Statement on Racial Injustice. Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore’s sacrifices have continued to be ever present with me during the Committee’s development of the following:  a) policy and training on anti-racism for CFP; b) an Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) statement of support (due to increased attacks, including mass murder, on the AAPI community); and c) the drafting of a Mission Statement for the ARC.

Harry T. and Harriett V. Moore encountered what Ephesians enlightens and informs us about.  Their struggle and that of the Black community and other marginalized communities at that time was against rulers and authorities. Those in elected positions on the local and state level in Florida did not see Blacks as equal to whites in any manner.  Florida was not alone.

Regrettably, this was America’s view as well.  Moore as leader of the Florida State Conference and the Progressive Voters’ League worked tirelessly for equal protection under the law, voting rights(over 100,000 Blacks had been registered) and equal pay for Black teachers.

On Christmas, 1951, the Moore’s 25th wedding anniversary, a bomb was planted under the Moore’s home--specifically under the bedroom of the Moores.   Harry Moore died that night.  His wife died on January 3, 1952 one day after the funeral of her husband.

In the four months leading up to his murder, Harry Moore was confronted with terror across the state of Florida.  There had been a number of dynamite bombings that included a Black housing project, Jewish synagogues, Catholic churches, a new Black high school and an ice cream shop in Orlando that had refused to provide separate service windows for blacks and whites. 

On November 6, 1951, Sheriff Willis McCall of Lake County shot two handcuffed and shackled Black men, Sammy Shepherd and Walter Irvin (2 of the Groveland 4). Shepherd was killed but Irvin survived.  Moore demanded that the Governor suspend Sheriff McCall and direct the Attorney General to investigate the shooting.  Moore was dead seven weeks later.

In Micah 6:8, the question is asked as to what does the Lord require of us.  The answer is a simple one—“to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with God.”  This is what Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore did.  Far too many Christians in their day remained silent and some were complicit in this state sponsored terrorism.  Today, the ARC and the CFP have committed to act for racial justice, equality and respect for all people.

The poet Langston Hughes wrote this poem to honor and remember Harry T. Moore:
          Florida means land of flowers.
          It was on a Christmas night
          In the state named for the flowers
          Men came bearing dynamite …..
         
          It could not be in Jesus’ name,
          Beneath the bedroom floor,
          On Christmas night the killers
          Hid the bomb for Harry Moore
         
          It could not be in Jesus’ name
          The killers took his life,
          Blew his home to pieces
          And killed his faithful wife …
 
          It seems that I hear Harry Moore.
          From the earth his voice cries,
          No bomb can kill the dreams I hold--
          For freedom never dies!
​
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  2 Timothy 4:7

Moore's Legacy Central Florida Presbytery

Celebrating the Life of Mary McLeod Bethune

 

Celebrating the Life of Mary McLeod Bethune

The historic unveiling of Civil Rights’ activist, educator, and presidential advisor, Mary McLeod Bethune in statue in the Capitol's National Statuary Hall is truly momentous. Of the one hundred statues in residence, this latest addition means that nine are now of women and Bethune is the first African American memorialized in statue in the hall. The state of Florida commissioned and presented it, replacing the statue of Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith, on July 13, 2022. Carved by Nilda Comas, this imposing replica of white marble is the first statue sculpted by an artist of Puerto Rican descent. Replete with symbolism paying homage to Dr. McLeod Bethune’s lifelong work championing rights for people of color through educational opportunities, she is depicted at 70 years old and wearing academic garb. A pile of books stacked behind her reference her last will and testament leaving: love, a thirst for education, faith, racial dignity, hope, peace, and courage. A park near Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach will eventually have a bronze replica from one of the models Comas produced for the marble statue.[1]

For those who are not familiar with Bethune, she was a daughter of formerly enslaved people,  and her contribution to our nation is a truly remarkable legacy. In an interview about her life Bethune recalls her first encounter with racial trauma.  She called it her first real wound.  She recalls, “I think possibly the first and real wound I could feel in my soul and my mind was the realization of the dense darkness and ignorance I found in myself  – when I did find myself with the seeming absence of a remedy.  What I mean by that was the recognition of the lack of opportunity.  I could see little white boys and girls going to school ever day, learning to read and write...I found myself often yearning all along for the things that were being provided for white children.” [2]
 
This only provided her with a driving motivation to learn to read.  The opportunity presented itself to her in the form of a mission teacher that had come from Maysville, South Carolina.  She told her parents of a Presbyterian church that had set up a mission school for Black children to enroll.[3]  Bethune exhibited a spirit of generosity as a child and she often gave away her things to those in need.  This continued with the lessons that she received at the school.  She recounts how she would give other children whatever she had learned that week, whether it was poetry, readings, or songs.  “I would give to them as I got.”[4]  When asked about what the majority of the white community thought about the school, she replied, “they thought it was folly, that we do not need an education and that our part was to do chores on the farm.[5]
 
Bethune made a profession of faith and joined the Presbyterian Church. She attended Scotia Seminary and then the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.[6]  After she graduated, Bethune tells about meeting a pastor from the Presbyterian Church in Palatka Florida. She told him of her desire to start a school in connection with the church. In Palatka she started this community school while working in jails and at the town sawmills.  She stayed there for five years before setting out to the town of Daytona Beach to set up another school. She tells of one of the dreams she had.  She was standing on the bank of the St. John's River and had to cross that river but could not find a way to get across.  As she pondered she turned around and saw a great army of young people, all coming towards her.  Someone then gave her a book and said to her, “before you cross that river, you must take this book and register the names of all those young people that you see there in the distance.”  A friend later interpreted her dream this way, “this means that you are to build a great work for young people and that many years will be spared you yet to lead them on.[7]

Starting her school presented many challenges including feeding the children under her care.  She tells of a certain day when they needed food, that morning in their assembly she prayed and asked God to supply their need.  She explains, “he knew what we needed and you know before we got through singing our last hymn, a man drove up in his wagon with a load full of vegetables and potatoes and food stuff that a friend had sent over.”  One of the little girls added, “Mrs. Bethune prayed for food and here is a man with a wagon full.”  “That is the kind of faith that sustained the school.”[8]
 
Bethune was also very active in voting rights.  In 1920, she used her school as a place to energize and organize the community to vote.  She held night classes to help people pass literacy tests required for voting.  Before the vote took place, the KKK had orchestrated a power outage at the school and confronted Bethune.  While they surrounded the school, 150 black students came out and sung, “be not dismayed what e'er the tide, God will take care of you.”  Undeterred, the next day, Bethune arrived at the polls and encouraged voters in line in what would be a record turn out for African American woman.[9]
 
In the interview about her life, Bethune went on the record saying, “I thank God for the Presbyterian church and from whom so many little county schools were begun.” [10]  When we see her statue, we should not only reflect on her singular extraordinary life but also of the role that the Presbyterian church played, as just one of the many influences in advancing human rights.  The call to advance the rights of those discriminated against in our society is still a pressing need, may we draw inspiration from her story to continue the work God has called us to.

[1]Nyamekye Daniel, “Pivotal Moment: Statue of Mary McLeod Bethune Is the First Black Figure in U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall State Collection” Atlanta Black Star. July 16,

[2]Interview with Mary McLeod Bethune 1940; Florida Memory; State Library and Archives of Florida.  https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/333794   p3

[3]Ibid., p5

[4]Ibid.,p11

[5] Ibid.,p14

[6] https://www.biola.edu/talbot/ce20/database/mary-mcleod-bethune

[7] Ibid.,p30

[8] Ibid.,p30

[9] Ashley N Robertson, “Mary McLeod Bethune in Florida: Bringing Social Justice to the Sunshine State. History Press.  P38. 

[10] Interview with Mary McLeod Bethune 1940; Florida Memory; State Library and Archives of Florida.  https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/333794   p14

Sources

Nyamekye Daniel, “Pivotal Moment: Statue of Mary McLeod Bethune Is the First Black Figure in U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall State Collection” Atlanta Black Star. July 16, 2022. 

https://atlantablackstar.com/2022/07/16/pivotal-moment-statue-of-mary-mcleod-bethune-is-the-first-black-figure-in-u-s-capitols-national-statuary-hall-state-collection/
 
Interview with Mary McLeod Bethune 1940; Florida Memory; State Library and Archives of Florida.  

https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/333794 
 
Ashley N Robertson, “Mary McLeod Bethune in Florida: Bringing Social Justice to the Sunshine State. History Press.

Anti-Asian American and Pacific Islands (AAPI) Hate and Violence Overture

 

This year, Presbyterians will again meet in our General Assembly to do the work of the church.  This year, our Presbytery is sending a few commissioners, below are a list of the delegates and their responsibilities:

Here is our complete list of commissioners and advisory delegates and their committee responsibilities:

• Erika Rembert Smith: Addressing Violence in the USA (Moderator); (June 22-26).  Erika is also on the Business Referrals committee.
• Cris Heceta: Mid-Councils (June 20-23)
• Jody Mask: Immigration (June 26-30)
• Juan Montanez: Moving Forward/Vision 2020 Committee (June 29 – July 3)
• Samira St. Clair-Husbands: Standing Rules of the General Assembly (June 26-30) 

(Information provided by the Central Florida Presbytery)

Presbyterians meet to consider important work that the church undertakes, as part of that work overtures are adopted, motions passed, and important actions are funded.  One of those areas is advocating for issues in our society such as hate and violence towards Asian-Americans and Pacific Islands Americans.  (AAPI).  According to the FBI, a shocking 73% increase in hate crimes was reported against Asian Americans, an incredible disproportionate increase.  What is even more troubling, is that given that these number relies on law enforcement agencies reporting these accurately to the FBI, and hate crime reporting is not mandatory, these numbers may be higher (Sakshi Venkatramn: NBC news)

Asian Hate Crimes Rose 73%

The following is an overture that will be placed before the assembly regarding efforts to respond to AAPI hate by the church.  This is undertaken in the spirit of loving our neighbor and turning the tide against hate crimes, as scripture tells us, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

General Assembly 225 
Commissioner Resolution on Anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Hate/Violence
June 17, 2022

Resolution

That the 225th General Assembly (2022) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):

Condemn and denounce all acts of violence and hate against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), and especially against the AAPI elderly.

Condemn the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s inability or unwillingness to lead on addressing anti-AAPI racism that has perpetuated attitudes and perspectives leading to the unequal, unjust and ungodly treatment and murders of racialized minorities, including the AAPI communities.

Commit to tearing down the idols of nationalism, misogyny, and xenophobia in the church through race- and gender-conscious discipleship [1] that includes, but is not limited to, education on the diversity of the AAPI communities, AAPI issues, anti-AAPI bias, the fetishizing of AAPI women, and AAPI histories of oppression and resistance, including U.S. colonialism and militarism across Asia and the Pacific.

Commend the Stated Clerk for his statement, “We See You Among Us” (March 2021), expressing the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s solidarity with its Asian siblings and standing against anti-Asian hate.

Commend the Presbyterian Mission Agency and its Office of Public Witness for its statement decrying racism against Asian Americans and calling for acts of hate against them to stop (March 2021). 

Direct the Presbyterian Mission Agency and the Office of Public Witness to support the work of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders which is driving a whole-of-government agenda to advance equity, justice and opportunity for these communities. 

Direct the 225th General Assembly (2022) to ask that the U.S. Department of Justice fully implement the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and demand that all federal agencies review and revise policies that define hate crimes in ways that better account for acts of racism as seen in Atlanta, Buffalo, El Paso, etc. and support legislation aimed at protecting those who are being targeted by acts of hate and domestic terror.

Direct the Office of General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency to affirm the work and statements of other denominations, including the National Council of Churches, the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, the American Baptist Church, and other faith-based organizations.

Call upon the Racial Equity Advocacy Committee and other advisory committees, as appropriate, to monitor and track the actions at all levels of the Presbyterian Church (USA) which will enact and implement the actions called for in this resolution and provide a report to the 226th General Assembly (2024).

Call upon its congregations and mid-councils to actively combat anti-AAPI racism by preaching and teaching against such racism.

Call upon its members, congregations and mid-councils to invite, empower, and hire AAPI ministry leaders who understand the complexities of U.S. racism to speak into the ways they can respond to anti-AAPI racism, misogyny, and Christian nationalism in holistic and long-term ways; listen to AAPI stories of discrimination, marginalization, racism, and racialization, in larger U.S. society and in the church; and include AAPIs in initiatives that impact communities of color.

Encourage its members, congregations and mid-councils to seek to understand the ways that the “model minority” myth pits the AAPI community against other communities of color in ways that discourage solidarity among them, perpetuates the false notion that racial inequities and barriers can be overcome at the individual rather than systemic level, and discounts the harm that the AAPI communities face and minimizes the needs of the AAPI communities when they emerge. 

Encourage its members, congregations and mid-councils to seek to understand the ways the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype casts Asian Americans as a racial problem and as a “perilous other” in ways that led to insidious racial microaggressions and brazen forms of anti-Asian violence.

Encourage its members, congregations and mid-councils to stand in solidarity with the AAPI communities by:

• Advocating that their state governments invest in combating anti-AAPI hate and violence as well as addressing racial inequities that continue to harm AAPI communities.

• Advocating that their state and local governments require all public schools and agencies to provide culturally-competent mental health services and resources for AAPI youth and their families. 

• Advocating that their state governments require their public schools to include education about Asian American studies, such as the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act enacted by the State of Illinois.

• Advocating that their state governments institute public education programs and initiatives to combat harassment and violence against AAPI women and other vulnerable populations in public spaces, including streets and public transit, such as bills proposed in California [2].

• Supporting AAPI businesses and enterprises that are disproportionately and negatively impacted by COVID-19 as well as AAPIs in the workplace who are unfairly targeted and discriminated against.

• Support the work of Stop AAPI Hate, the Asian American Christian Collaborative, and other AAPI organizations who seek to empower and equip individuals, organizations and churches for faithful action to address anti-AAPI racism. 

Rationale

Beloved Community, the gospel is clear and the words of Jesus Christ are unambiguous: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” These words are fully and firmly grounded in the belief that all people are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), are deserving of love and respect, and therefore our faith compels us to support the flourishing of every human being, paying particular attention to those who are marginalized, oppressed, and suffering (Ex. 22:22; Is. 1:17; Ps. 82:3). 

This means actively seeking to ensure that all, including the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, thrive. We must commit in earnest to actively dismantle generational and systemic prejudice, suspicion, and hatred of the AAPI communities. Although we are speaking in the present, seeking a new future, these issues are profoundly evident in our past. 

“In recent years, there has been a resurgence of racially motivated violence directed against Asians in the United States…An alarming number of cases of racially motivated muggings, beatings, armed assault, shootings, verbal abuse, and vandalism have been reported..”

These words came from a resolution on Racially Motivated Violence Against Asians in America, which was adopted by the 197th General Assembly in 1985, following the vicious murder of Vincent Chin, a Detroit Chinese American. Two white auto workers thought Chin was Japanese, and while blaming him for the success of the Japanese auto industry the two white men, using racial slurs, began beating him with a baseball bat. Chin died of his injuries days later. The two assailants pleaded guilty to manslaughter, were ordered to pay $3000, and served three years probation with no jail time. In response to criticism the white judge who sentenced the killers wrote “These weren’t the kind of men you send to jail… You don’t make the punishment fit the crime; you make the punishment fit the criminal.” [3]

Twenty-six years later, a 21 year-old white male massacred eight people, six of whom were Asian women in Atlanta, on March 16, 2021. In the wake of the Atlanta massacre, many issued statements condemning this hateful action, mourning the loss of life and expressing outrage over the violence. Despite the shooter having been reported to yell, “I’m going to kill all the Asians!” and to place the blame for killing people on his “sex addiction,” the white captain of the sheriff’s department paraphrased what the killer told investigators about his motives, saying "he was pretty much fed up and kind of at the end of his rope, and I guess it was a really bad day for him and this is what he did." [4] The shooter was a professing Christian. He was reported to love “guns and God,” an alliance often documented to be associated with Christian nationalism. 

The Atlanta massacre was a link in a long chain of hate and violence experienced by those of Asian descent in the United States. Historically, Asian people have been tagged as the so-called “Yellow Peril”. Communities of Chinese settlers were frequently scapegoated for a variety of ills and burned down. [5] The Chinese were the first group to be excluded from immigration to the US on the basis of ethnicity and race in 1882 by the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which was not repealed until 1943. Filipino American laborers were discriminated against and violently attacked during the 1920s and 1930s. 120,000 persons of Japanese descent, including American citizens, were unjustly incarcerated during World War II, many of whom lost homes, businesses, and farms as a result. Asian Americans were demonized as the enemy, regardless of their ethnic origin, during the wars in Korea and Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. South Asian Americans of diverse ethnicities (including but not limited to India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh), suffered violence and discrimination alongside Middle Eastern Americans after 9/11. 

Asian Americans have also been stigmatized as perpetual foreigners and outsiders, treated with interpersonal racist violence and systemic anti-immigrant policies. Asian women in America are particularly targeted through racialization and sexualization, which in turn has led to their mass objectification, exoticization, and fetishization. 

From March 19, 2020 to December 31, 2021, a total of 10,905 hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) persons were reported to Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition which tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. From 2020, reported hate incidents increased by 339 percent in 2021. According to the Asian American Christian Collaborative, harmful tropes of “yellow peril” continue to be perpetuated by the news, with portrayals of Asians, Asian food, and Asian customs as unsafe and unwelcome. Early in the pandemic, the COVID-19 virus was characterized as the “Chinese Virus”, which stoked fear and discrimination and violence against Asian Americans. Many Asian Americans have been told to ”go back to where they came from.” Asians have been spit on, coughed at, shoved, and stabbed. Youth have been bullied, being called “Covid” or “Coronavirus,” and the elderly have been killed. 

In response to the surge of anti-Asian hate incidents, numerous organizations, including the Presbyterian Church (USA), have issued statements of solidarity with Asians and Asian Americans. The Stated Clerk, Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, issued a statement in March 2021, “we see you among us, and our spirits and our prayers are with you… Just as the PC(USA) stands against every other form of hate and stands for God’s love and justice shown to us by Jesus Christ, we also stand against hatred toward those of Asian descent.” The Presbyterian Mission Agency through its Office of Public Witness, also issued a statement in March 2021 decrying anti-Asian racism and offering specific actions to stop hateful actions against Asian Americans. 

Asian American clergy and elders within our own denomination have spoken to their lived experience, and called for solidarity. The Rev. Byeong-Ho Choi, Moderator of the National Caucus of Korean Presbyterian Churches (NCKPC), said of the Atlanta attacks, “This is a hate crime. Racial discrimination is heavily embedded in our country and society.” At the same time, Choi called for a reconciliation and unity rather than building hate for one another, and for the church to be the place of hope, healing, forgiveness and love.

Asian American moderators and vice-moderators of previous General Assemblies spoke in March 2021 [6], “Our AAPI forbearers have endured, have suffered, and have been made to bear countless incidents of micro- and macro- aggressions every single day, the caricaturing and stereotyping of being “model minorities,” of “exotic Orientalism,” of derogatory names, of being silenced, or assuming that our silent reflections and thoughtful meditations are somehow indications of acceptance or complacency. We ask you to listen to the stories of our AAPI siblings. Don’t speak, don’t explain, don’t theologize. Just listen. Receive our voices, hear us, hear our stories, hear our struggles.” 

Following the Atlanta massacre, the U.S. Congress passed the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, which aims to make the reporting of hate crimes more accessible at the local and state levels by boosting public outreach and ensuring reporting resources are available online in multiple languages. 

Also, President Biden signed Executive Order 14031, "Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders" to establish the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) [7], which is working across government to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities. Both the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act and the WHIAANHPI deserve the support of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Yet, more needs to be done. Understanding the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community’s challenges, hardships, and achievements is the first step in addressing this ongoing hate. Public education, school boards, and legislatures can play a big role in this effort by incorporating Asian American studies into the public school curriculum. In 2021, Illinois passed the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act, the first state law in the U.S. requiring public schools to include a unit dedicated to Asian American history. More states need to pass such laws.

In California, the State government approved in 2021 an Asian and Pacific Islander Equity Budget to invest in responding to anti-AAPI hate and violence as well as addressing racial inequities that continue to harm AAPI communities in California. Bills were introduced in 2022 to address harassment and violence against women and vulnerable groups in public spaces. One bill seeks to protect women and vulnerable groups from harassment on public transit. Another bill would require the state’s public health department to run a multiyear campaign about street harassment. Such bills must be passed, and more states should pass legislation to address the specific circumstances which cause anti-Asian hate incidents. 

What can individual members, congregations and mid councils do to dismantle hate and violence against the AAPI Community? Here are suggested actions from the Office of Public Witness:

Be an ally in the fight against AAPI racism.

Include AAPIs when discussing racial injustice.

Advocate for law enforcement to create task forces and liaisons to address concerns emanating from the AAPI communities.

Foster increased engagement between African Americans and Asian Americans and challenge attempts to generate conflict between them.

Challenge AAPI stereotypes, including the “model minority” myth, that downplay the issues confronting that community. Asians are often touted as possessing greater intelligence and success, especially compared to other racial-ethnic communities, while downplaying important problems the community faces.

Write letters of outrage to politicians who make anti-AAPI statements or express prejudicial sentiments. Write op-eds and letters to the editor in local papers.

When an incident occurs in your community, publicly advocate for prosecutors to charge hate crimes in violent attacks against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Attend rallies and protests in support of the AAPI community, and advocate for investment in education and community resources to get at the root causes of anti-AAPI xenophobia in the ongoing conversation on race.

Supporting the flourishing of every human being means protecting all marginalized groups from violence and hate, and promoting education and understanding of not only the AAPI experience, but also the history and experience of African American, Indigenous and First Nation Peoples, Latinx, and other racial ethnic groups, as well as the LGBTQIA+ community. Any statement of support for one marginalized group does not ignore, nor should it take away from the support of another marginalized group. 

https://religionnews.com/2021/03/17/the-atlanta-massacre-is-yet-another-sign -we desperately-need-race-conscious-discipleship/

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/594751-california-state-lawmakers-unveil-bills-to-combat-violence-harassment-in/

Zia, Helen (May 18, 2001). Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. pp. 60. ISBN 978-0-374-52736-5. Retrieved June 16, 2022. 

https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/atlanta-police-press-conference-on-spa-shootings-transcript-march-17

https://www.sfgate.com/sfhistory/article/antioch-race-riot-chinatown-arson-california-16067820.php

https://breyeschow.medium.com/aapi-pcusa-moderators-fb57deb6d148

https://www.hhs.gov/about/whiaanhpi/about-us/index.html

The Truth Will Set You Free- Rev. Erika Rembert Smith, Pastor Washington Shores Presbyterian Church

image Art in the Christian Tradition: Copyright © 2024 Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries, Vanderbilt University

used Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial use

We all want to be free. The desire to be free motivated the founding fathers of the United States of America to write the Declaration of Independence declaring citizens of this country to be free from British control.  Eventually a national holiday was instituted, and a national anthem was created coining America “the land of the free and the home of the brave” for some, but not all. While the document signed in 1776 states that “all men are created equal,” eighty-nine years would pass before people of African descent would experience freedom from the confines and control of slavery. On June 19, 1865, residents of Galveston, Texas finally learned that slavery had been abolished two years earlier. Upon hearing the news, former slaves immediately began to celebrate with prayer, feasting, song, and dance. As it was then, so it is now, June 19th, also known as Juneteenth and Freedom Day, is a day of celebration and commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans.

 
We all want to be free. There are youth who desire to be free from their parents’ control; employees who desire to be free from controlling employers; people who desire to be free from nagging thoughts that just won’t leave them alone. People of Color desire to be free from the realities of racism. Women desire to be free from the effects of sexism. Same gender loving people want to be free from the discrimination as a result of homophobia. Every day, citizens want to be free from the violence we’ve witnessed through recent mass shootings at the medical center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the school in Uvalde, Texas, and the Taiwanese Church nested at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Southern, CA, and the grocery store in Buffalo, NY; incidents that will no doubt happen again and again and again, until measures are put in place and laws are passed to help ensure the safety of those who live in this land.
 
We all want to be free. Free to go to church, the grocery store, the movies, the doctor’s office, to school, without the fear of losing our lives. Free to enjoy our lives, our families and the gifts God so graciously gives us in peace. In his speech, “I Have a Dream,” the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of the desire for freedom. He said, “when we let freedom ring, we will be able to cry, “Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”
 
Jesus lived and died to set us free. He came that we might be freed from the bondage and the consequences of sin. In John 8, Jesus said to those who believed in Him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:31-32).” Learning, accepting and embracing the truth is an important step towards freedom. The word ‘truth’ has become complicated. In this time of “fake news” and “alternative facts,” truth appears to lie in the eye of the beholder. Yet, when we follow the One who is the Truth, we are set free to love unconditionally, to serve with abandon, to be a light that shines through all the darkness of the world.
 
The truth about our common humanity will make us free to treat people – those like us and those different from us – like they are human beings, created in the image of God. The truth about our identity as children of God will make us free to show love, give grace and extend mercy to others as a result of the love we’ve been freely given through Jesus Christ. The truth about our individual and collective history will make us free to build on what is good and to work to rectify what has caused harm. 
 
The truth about our call to be faithful followers of Christ will make us free to do our part to eradicate systemic poverty, to dismantle structural racism and to be and become vital and viable witnesses in our congregations and in our personal lives. Jesus fed the hungry and provided for the needs of the poor. Jesus welcomed those who were disenfranchised and excluded from the resources and gifts of God. Jesus gave light, spoke life and restored hope in the lives of ordinary people. When we live in the truth, we are compelled to do the same.
 
Followers of Jesus Christ understand that true freedom is found through faith in Jesus Christ. Our freedom is divinely and inextricably connected. May we learn, accept and embrace God’s truth, that we may all be free.

Do Not Be Afraid by Cheryl Carson, CFP Associate Executive Presbyter and Anti-Racism Committee Member

 

DO NOT BE AFRAID
By Cheryl Carson, CFP Associate Executive Presbyter and Anti-Racism Committee Member

And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.                                                                        Matthew 28:2-6a
 

As the two Marys approached the tomb, they encountered a messenger of God proclaiming that Jesus Christ had risen. It was clearly an overwhelming experience, but the angel exclaimed, “Do not be afraid.” It seems whenever someone has a direct encounter with a messenger of God they are offered the calming invitation to set aside their fear.

As Easter people we are called to new life in Christ. I am on a journey to new life by learning and incorporating anti-racist practices into my life. I became especially committed to this effort after the murder of George Floyd drew attention to the horror of a police officer intentionally suffocating a defenseless Black man. It seemed like we white folks might finally see what our siblings of color have been telling us for years. I was hopeful we might muster the conviction to bring about change in our systems of white power. Sadly, it feels like the fervor for justice has waned. When we encounter God’s truth, we need to heed the invitation, “Do not be afraid.”

In my own journey, I’ve had a number of occasions when I’ve been called out for unintentional racially insensitive comments. They were painful, especially since they were in a group setting and I felt embarrassed by the public correction. Rather than approaching it as a learning experience, I approached it with a defensiveness that showed my white fragility in all its glory.

As a result, I find myself overthinking my responses in a multiracial group. And when I stifle my authentic self, what I end up saying sounds ingenuine. Recently, I was a part of a group conversation where some white people expressed similar fears of engaging in courageous conversations around racism. A person of color asked, “What are you afraid of?” I’ve really been pondering that question. My “go to” answer is that I don’t want to say anything offensive or racist. But if I’m truthful I’ve been afraid to experience the discomfort of being called out for saying something offensive. I don’t want to feel shame or embarrassment. When we encounter God’s truth, we need to heed the invitation, “Do not be afraid.”
 
When the Florida legislature recently passed a law that forbids teaching anything that makes a person (and it really means a white person) uncomfortable, it caused me, as a Certified Christian Educator, to think about the role of discomfort in learning. I love this tip from the Harvard Business Review article by Peter Bregman, “When You’re Learning, You Should Feel Uncomfortable.”  It says, “Being a beginner at something can feel awkward and embarrassing, especially if you’re used to being an expert. But those feelings are the inescapable growth pains that come from developing and improving. To get used to the discomfort, know that it’s brave to be a beginner.”1 Most of us who are white are beginners at having to challenge our white supremacy. But let’s be real, the systems upon which our country was built were constructed to benefit wealthy white men.

So, I invite all of you who are white like me to take a risk. The presbytery’s Anti-Racism Committee sponsors opportunities for multiracial conversation, learning and action. Why not participate in one of them? We’ve created a six-session study to go along with our Anti-Racism Statement and are looking for churches ready to have a discussion around race. WARNING: YOU MAY EXPERIENCE DISCOMFORT! But rather than run from it, why not sit with it for a while--heed the invitation, “Do not be afraid.”

Our presbytery Book Club is also reading “The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism.” Why not join in reading the book and discussing it together on Thursday, May 5th at 1:30 p.m. in the presbytery office conference room or via zoom? Email me if you’re interested in either opportunity.
I want to close with a note of gratitude to my sisters and brothers of color. It is not up to you to teach me or to help me understand. But I am thankful to have you as partners on this journey. I have learned so much from your stories, our challenging discussions, and our adventures together. Thank you for walking with me in this season of growth. 
​
1 https://hbr.org/tip/2019/09/when-youre-learning-you-should-feel-uncomfortable

The History of the Ocoee Massacre

A History of the Ocoee Massacre Resource Page

The Ocoee massacre was a brutal killing of African Americans and an "unimaginable example of racial hatred".  On Election Day in 1920, Mose Norman, a black U.S. citizen attempted to vote in Ocoee and was turned away at the polls.  That evening a mob of white angry armed men came to the home of July Perry looking for Mose, Perry was lynched and the mob proceeded to murder black citizens and burn their homes to the ground ("Yesterday, This Was Home" Orange County Regional History Center Exhibit).  The exact number of those killed remains unknown, all were forced to flee, some had to hide in the alligator infested swamp.  The scares of this event run deep in the black community.  

Prior to the night of the massacre the KKK held parades around the state to intimidate black voters.  It is believed that between 30-80 black citizens were killed that night.  What is known is that 255 black residents lived in Ocoee according to the 1920 census, and after that night, only 2 remained and from 1930-1970 no black citizens lived in Ocoee (The Truth Laid Bare: UCF Magazine).  It is heartbreaking that this history has been for too long ignored, stifled and denied.  We know these hateful events can never be forgotten.  It is important to educate ourselves and others about the fruit of the poison of white supremacy.  The videos below are documentary evidence recounted of the terrible events of that night.  May we never repeat the sins and evil of our past.  

The Truth Laid Bare Video: UCF on Ocoee Massacre 

Watch video links below for the history of the Ocoee Massacre in Florida. 

New 9 Report on Ocoee Massacre

100th Anniversary of Ocoee Masacre

Robert Hickey, grandson of Ocoee Massacre survivors

To learn more about the Ocoee massacre click on the video links above, or download the pdf provided by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability titled "Ocoee Election Day Violence- November 1920.  That link is provided below: 

Ocoee Election Day Violence

History of Ocoee Massacre UCF Pegasus Project

Isaiah 58:6-8

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice,to undo the thongs of the yoke,to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.