Everyone expects the minority in the room to speak about minorities. We are expected to fully understand who we are to guide and send others in their own journeys, the problem with this expectation is that all of us are in a journey. We ought to acknowledge that people of color are not the assigned voices to speak about diversity although in many circumstances, they are the ones having to speak up. This inability to speak of our society’s reality perpetuates ignorance in our classrooms, in our communities, and most importantly in the place of worship.
Hartz puts it in the best of words: “Our diversity is what makes us stronger. We need this diversity to fully flourish to our greatest potential.” Whites as well as purple, brown, and green, are all invited to the table. We must embrace the fullness of our communities to move forward into a full picture of diversity.
Erin White exemplified it when she spoke about the significance of keeping each other accountable to be 100% who we are made to be, and by being you then you extend the right and the freedom for me to be fully myself. But, it is important to understand that it all begins in our own journey.
My journey is only parallel to yours. I must not devalue yours; I hope you value mine.
Lately, I have noticed a sort of discontent in the community I form part of, by experiencing the renouncing of our diversity to avoid conflicting thoughts amongst those around us. Groups of friends believe to know each other, to have each other’s back, but it only applies when we are seen as equal. We want to profess we know what that means when we have and continue to be part of the systematic oppression that exists within our own communities. I seek to find parallels within our journeys and not to devalue your experiences or outshine your struggle with mine. I keep hearing is not just about color, its not just about race, but I stop myself from walking into a store without money because I don’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable.
I hear my peers say, “You continue to be loud about the same thing, but nothing will change until you understand that what you are fighting against does not exist.” I feel them say I must quit making such a loud noise about race, when racism does not longer exist. Their words cut. When my logic just doesn’t match theirs, it’s not the fact that I am stupid, in fact it means that I have decades of catching up to your beautiful upbringing.
Northcentral has opened my eyes. I have seen and once you have seen you cannot un-see. Cultural competency does not mean to be fully aware of someone else’s culture, but it puts equal importance to being aware of our own culture. It is important that we cultivate cultural competency that we seek it and we nurture it to change the trajectory of our people, our communities, and our churches and schools.
And how exactly do we do this? We must start with ourselves. Identify the characteristics that make you, the values, the biases, and work toward the development of expansion within your world and those around you. It is not about independence is about interdependence, when you realize I am fully me when I depend on you we will reach and enrich our diversity.
Freedom Writing 