If Past Is Prologue, Pay Attention to the Present

Last updated on: February 7, 2015 at 3:54 pm by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

If Past Is Prologue, Pay Attention to the Present 2015-02-07T15:54:43-07:00 Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Now that it’s black history month, kids across American are learning about Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, Martin King and Rosa Parks. These heroes of the black-led freedom movement remind us that #BlackLivesMatter has been a bold assertion throughout US history. But it is as true now as it was during abolition. In so many ways, America could not have become the nation we are—and the one we are still becoming—without the gifts of strong black leaders… many of whom we still don’t know. See, for example, how many black abolitionists you can name.

In this week’s lectionary text, the prophet Isaiah waxes eloquent about God’s faithfulness throughout every generation, then concludes by noting that even the young (like those protesting in the streets today) will grow weary, but “they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength.” Douglass and Tubman organized without telephones; King and Parks didn’t have Facebook or Twitter. But they waited on the LORD and didn’t grow weary. They mounted up with wings as eagles and lifted all of us up a little bit higher.

Celebrations of the past show us something about how we got over. But if, as Shakespeare said, “past is prologue,” then Black History Month also has something to say about who we should pay attention to today.

Fact is, strong black leaders have been at the heart of America’s faith-rooted freedom struggle from the very beginning. So red or yellow, black, white or brown, if you care about human freedom, black leadership matters in America.

The media does not tell us this, of course. Strong black leaders don’t have the biggest PR firms working for them. They often aren’t as well connected to “influencers.” Frankly, mainstream America is often offended by what they say (just as it was offended by the people we now celebrate during black history month).

But a large part of the epiphany I’m praying for this year is that all people in America—especially my white evangelical sisters and brothers—will begin to pay attention to the folks we’ll celebrate during black history month 50 years from now. For what it’s worth, here are a few I’ve been learning from.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II—Chief architect of the “Moral Monday” movement that has challenged 21st-century injustice throughout the South, Rev. Barber embodies a combination of Dr. King’s ability to preach in the public square and Ella Baker’s capacity to organize fusion coalitions. Learn more about his at naacpnc.org and, if you’re free next weekend, join him for the Moral March and Symposium on Moral Leadership for Today’s Freedom Movements.

Marian Wright Edelman—A young lawyer during Mississippi Freedom Summer, Edelman has championed the cause of poor children into the 21st century through her work with Children’s Defense Fund. Their Freedom Schools program is an incredible example of translating the lessons of black history for action today. Check out the Proctor Institute, where you can learn more about CDF and Edelman’s work.

Bryan Stevenson—Founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama, Stevenson, whose own grandfather was brutally murdered, has fought for those condemned on America’s death rows for two decades. Systemic racism in America’s criminal justice system has led him to work for broader education about the role race still plays in American public life. Check out his TED talk on our need for a new imagination.

Ann G. Atwater—A militant freedom fighter in Durham’s local civil rights struggle, Atwater gained national attention when she befriended C.P. Ellis, former head of the local Ku Klux Klan, to advocate for poor children. A play about their work, The Best of Enemies, as been adapted for a screenplay to be made into a major motion picture highlighting the power of fusion politics.

Marco Saavedra, backed by Rev. John Fife, founder of the Sanctuary Movement. Photo by Steve Pavey.

Marco Saavedra—A spiritual descendent of James Baldwin, the theo-poetic immigrant rights activist Saavedra is a reminder that, in the 21st century, “blackness” matters for all oppressed people’s struggles. Read a great interview with Saavedra at Red Letter Christians.

Features

racialjusticeepiphany

Previous Post

January 31, 2015

#RacialJusticeEpiphany: The Lord Will Raise a Prophet

Next Post

March 16, 2015 A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Features Front Porch Nurturing Communities Testimonies

Select a Month April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz