Ten Thousand Pagan Voices Confronting Racism

Last updated on: February 19, 2015 at 8:39 pm by Peter Dybing

Ten Thousand Pagan Voices Confronting Racism 2015-02-19T20:39:00-06:00 Peter Dybing

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.

Where does one start when reviewing a month long chapter of their life that was intensely painful, personal and enlightening? My experience of our community over the last few weeks is heartbreaking. In seeking social justice there is often a price to pay, this I knew, but I was floored by how our blessed community can react to subjects that call us to look at ourselves.

In calling out adverse racism where I saw it, I took the only course of action that would allow me to sleep with the knowledge that I was acting as the Goddess leads me. I have been threatened, called names, harassed via email and the telephone, painted as a heretic and generally demonized by members of my own community. Long-standing friendships have been lost; organizations I fully supported for years have deemed me a destructive force. Yes, I am wounded, saddened, and have shed many tears.

I knew going in that those who dare to even speak a measure of truth to power are subject to being attacked, branded as a whistle blower and made the focus of efforts to distract people from the issues raised. I have watched governments; organizations and societies do this over and over. Yet deep inside of me I was hopeful that our blessed community is beyond such actions, quietly I suspected that while such a response would come it would not have support among Pagans. I was wrong, I am disappointed.

Here is the thing, I WOULD DO IT AGAIN!, yes that was a shout. Recent events within our collective community reflect the state of affairs within Pagandom; racism is alive and well, it exists in ourselves, in those who stand next to us in circle, at our conventions and within our ritual practices.

It has been fifty years since the march in Selma and yet here we still are struggling with even making Pagan spaces safe for people of color*. We have a responsibility to support our brothers and sisters of color in our community; indeed we have no community unless we rise to this challenge.*

Can I promise that if you speak up there will be no price to pay, clearly not, yet to abdicate our responsibility to stand for what is right would be to drive a stake in the heart of our communities’ values.

Today I ask my fellow Pagans of privilege, join together; manifest 10,000 voices calling for our community to listen to the experiences of Pagans of Color. If we must pay a price for our stand, so be it, our hurts, pains and losses will add up to little in comparison to the experiences of our brothers and sisters of color.

10,000 voices speaking up, not over, calling our community to hear the pain, the sadness and the fears of our brothers and sisters can manifest real change that will allow us to proceed as a community committed to walking our talk, living our values and setting an example for future generations that we are more than the sum of our collective traditions.

Here is my name, who will join me in manifesting 10,000 voices by adding theirs and sharing this call to action!

Peter Dybing

Uncategorized

Previous Post

February 3, 2015

Pagan Consensus And The Tyranny Of The Minority

Next Post

February 25, 2015 COVENANT OF THE GODDESS, IN DEFENCE OF LOCAL COUNCILS

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2016 election Activisim America American Pride Antifa Antifa Fire Chief Black Lives Matter Dallas Violence Democratic left Homeless Denver Homophobia July Fourth Orlando Violence Peter Dybing Social Justice TERF Transgender rights Trauma Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2017 February 2017 January 2017 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 March 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 May 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 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the prophet that confronted King David about his sin with Bathsheba?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Isaiah Nathan Elijah Samuel