About two weeks ago, I flew to Atlanta, Georgia for launch – a few final days of training before heading to Quito, Ecuador. While there, I was staying in College Park – one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Atlanta – which also happens to have a population made of approximately 80% black people. After arriving, I overheard multiple residents discussing the tension that is currently in America regarding racism and police brutality. In addition to hearing about the tension, it was fairly palpable in the environment around me.
As a white person, I will never know what racism is like. I recognize that I have that privilege, and I don’t want to pretend that I can relate. However, I wanted to get the perspective from some people who do know what it’s like to experience racism, so I decided to walk around the area near my hotel and talk to some of the residents. While doing this, I began to get a different view on the area around me. Before I arrived in Atlanta, I was warned by an acquaintance not to go to College Park. When I arrived at my hotel, it turns out that that’s exactly where I was staying. During the small welcoming session that I attended the night I arrived, I was once again warned that we were not in a good area, and to make sure to be careful.
The next day, I attended some training for my role as a Story Leader, and they gave us a practice assignment that was quite simple: go out for two hours and find a story. It could be a video, photograph, or some type of written product, and considering that I am a writer, that is the medium I chose. As I sat there, one of the leaders began to pray to close our meeting. While she was doing this, I felt God pushing me to talk to people about the seemingly heightened awareness of police brutality and racism in America.
When I first started walking around, I was feeling quite uneasy. Not only was I about to approach random people on the street in a neighbourhood that was deemed dangerous, but I was going to be asking them about a controversial, sensitive topic. I approached one of the first people I saw, and while she was very kind, I left the short conversation feeling a bit disheartened. She didn’t say much, but one thing she did say stuck with me, and reminded me how hopeless some people feel about the current state of America:
“I don’t even want to say something about it because I know that it won’t change anything.”
I continued on and came upon a group of 4 people standing in a parking lot. I approached them and asked if I could talk to them, and a young man, probably around the age of 22, seemed to have a lot to say about the topic at hand:
“The system is messed up; it’s disgusting… Politicians need to do more.”
I then asked him if he thinks change can come, and he spoke with an eloquence that quite honestly surprised me:
“As long as everyone keeps up the conversation, takes it seriously, doesn’t act like it’s just tv, and actually pays attention to it, then I think change can come. We all have to be as one, stand up, and say that we’re not having this anymore. This country is about the people… ‘We the People!’ Right now, everyone is just sitting and watching, and we’re losing it.”
Following that conversation, I was feeling fairly satisfied with the interviews I got, but something within me was telling me I needed more. Sure, I could write a short blog post with what I had gotten, but this is a topic that I am very passionate about, I feel that it is something that really needs to be talked about, and I felt that I really needed to do it justice. I didn’t want this to be a blog post about my opinions, but simply wanted to use my platform to share other people’s stories. I began to walk back to my hotel, but as I got closer, I had an intensely strong feeling within me that was telling me not to return just yet; something was telling me that this story wasn’t finished yet. I approached my hotel and stopped near the entrance, contemplating whether or not I should go in. As I stood there, I felt as though I was being pushed to walk in a specific direction. The specific nature of this feeling caused me to believe that it was coming from God. I decided that continuing on for a few more minutes couldn’t hurt, and that I could possibly get a few more good quotes. Little did I know, I would get much more than just a few quotes.
At a bus stop right in front of my hotel, I met James – a 66 year old man who has lived a long life experiencing racism in its many forms. Having gotten his Masters degree in 1978, and having started his own business shortly after, he was a very intelligent man who had a lot to say about racism in America. Unfortunately I cannot transcribe the entire conversation, but I can include a few key quotes.
He began with speaking about how, while it is nothing new, there is currently more of an awareness of racism and police brutality in our society:
“You’ll find more and more with social media, [people] are starting to challenge the racist set up in America. I mean, it’s not like it just started. This has been going on for decades, but it’s only now that it is being filmed and documented in other ways.”
Further into the conversation, he began to speak about the systemic racism and discrimination that has been built into our society. He spoke of the imbalance of wealth that is present in our society, which places those who are in poverty in a position where they are forced to work an unsightly number of hours each week, and yet they still do not have enough money to give their families the quality of life that they deserve. I personally find this quite ridiculous, especially considering that we live in what is often deemed the greatest country in the world, and yet there is still an alarming rate of injustices such as homelessness and child poverty.
“So many black people are on the street and still have jobs. Are you kidding me? 10 or 15% of this country controls 90% of the wealth. You see these people sitting on millions of dollars while there are countless people on the streets hungry. People call this a democracy, but that’s more of an oligarchy. Some people have 3 jobs and they’re still broke!” He then compared America to India’s caste system, which I found interesting considering I will be traveling to India and witnessing that system first hand. “The caste system means about 90-95% in India who are born poor die poor. Those that are rich, 9 times out of 10 will die rich. That’s how I see the United States. You’ve got 40 or 50 years worth of generational [poverty] – you keep passing poverty to the next generation.”
He continued on: “You’re looking at neighbourhoods where this is happening – people are working for 15 years and don’t even make $10 an hour – and they are majority black. Black people and other minorities are so often born into these situations of poverty, and it’s not fair. Black people are disproportionately affected by this because of a racism that is deeply ingrained in America and comes from the dark history of black people here, but no one is calling it out. We need to recognize the impact that ignoring systemic racism is having on American citizens. We need to stop acting as though racism doesn’t exist just because slavery and segregation are over. Racism is alive and well, and people need to fight against it.”
The bus stop where I met James
Walking away from that conversation, my thoughts were racing. Firstly, I was in awe that God knew what an incredible conversation I would have with James, and how, considering the intensity of His urging, it was important for us to have that conversation. Additionally, I recognized that everyone wants to have their story and opinions heard, no matter who is listening. When I first approached James, he was very hesitant and confused as to why I wanted to talk to him. After I established that I truly wanted to hear about his story and his opinions on racism in America, he completely perked up and seemed excited to talk to me.
While it was so great to have James’ insight into racism in America, I left the conversation quite honestly feeling just as hopeless as before. I already knew that racism was real and affected millions of people across both North America and throughout the world, and my conversation with him just confirmed all that I already knew in a more personalized way. Although I was so grateful to have that conversation with him, I had no idea how I would write a blog post about this topic without coming across as hopeless and defeatist. However, as He always does, God decided to show me where I could find some hope.
On one of the final nights of launch, my team decided to take a late night trip to go get some food. I wasn’t aware at the time, but that trip would show me the hope in the seemingly hopeless state that America is currently in.
When we arrived at the establishment, we met Brett – a joyful and happy man who just happened to be our waiter. We spent the night chatting with and joking around with him, and everyone was having a great time. Later into the night, a girl from our squad came into the establishment with her ukulele, and we all began singing worship songs together. Everyone was having a wonderful time, and pretty soon Brett requested that we sing “Jesus Loves Me.” We did and he started signing along with us, saying that it was taking him back to when he would go to church every Sunday as a kid.
As the night went on, we continued to sing, chat, and have an overall lovely time. At one point, a man who would probably be deemed “trouble” based on his appearance walked into the room, and at first seemed very confused by a bunch of random young adults singing songs about Jesus. I looked over a few minutes later, though, and he was chatting and laughing with some members of my squad. By the end of the night, we were praying for Brett, and he proceeded to pray for us. What I experienced that night allowed me to realize two things: the first is that ministry doesn’t have to start when you go on a mission trip. Whether you are in Zambia building a school or in Atlanta showing a waiter the love and joy of Christ, God is always willing to work through you if you’ll let him. Further, I was reminded that I need to not buy into stereotypes, and I need to recognize that situations aren’t always as hopeless as the media may lead you to believe.
There I was in one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Atlanta, and every single person that I talked to was kind and willing to chat. If I had bought into the reservations that I had because of the stereotype that all people who live in dangerous neighbourhoods are evil or bad in some way, I would have missed out on so many great conversations. Additionally, there I was in a neighbourhood filled with poverty and plenty of people who have lived with racism all their lives, and yet the employees in the restaurant we were at were so joyful and seemed to be loving life. These experiences allowed me to realize that the situation in America is not as bleak as I once thought.
A few of my squadmates and I with Brett and his co-worker
Before concluding this blog post, I would like to clarify something. In saying that there is hope in this situation, know that I am not insinuating that we should not continue the fight for justice. Racism and police brutality are both very serious issues in America right now, and it is important that we recognize the severity of the issues, the impact that they are having on both the individuals affected by racism and the families of those who have been wrongfully killed by police, and the fractured state that these issues have left America in.
God calls us to fight for those who are being oppressed, help the voice of those deemed voiceless be heard, and speak out against injustice. We are called to be bold and courageous in Christ, and standing up against the things that you believe are wrong plays a huge part in that. In our lives, I believe that we should always fight against injustice, even if we are not directly affected by it. Continuing to use racism as an example, if you have not experienced racism, I believe you need to listen to the voices of those who have and fight for them.
Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you… For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers,what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”
I strongly believe that the same logic applies to speaking up when presented with an injustice that has no impact on you, especially when it is difficult. It is much easier to speak up when an issue is directly affecting you, but when it is not, the persecution and backlash experienced once you speak up is much more difficult to tolerate. I believe that it is our job as humans to be empathetic towards one another and assist when someone needs help, but it is especially our duty as Christians. We are called to love everyone, and a huge part of loving someone is caring about their pain.
Again, I want to emphasize that the state of America is not as bleak as one may think, but I do not want the situation to be disregarded because of that. If anything, I think that hope should make an individual want to fight for change even more. God can do so much when we look at situations with a sense of hope and faith in the changes that He can make. The most important thing is that we actually allow Him to use us to make those changes.
If this post has awakened a desire within you to make a change in this world, feel free to read my previous blog post, “It’s Up to You,” where I talk about why it is up to an individual to make a change, and how exactly to go about doing that.
