I haven’t posted in a while, but I wanted to start the New Year with some helpful and encouraging thoughts. The Unity Process that I created takes a small diverse group through 9 sessions geared towards helping them to be able to develop relationships across all the divides in our society. I offer you music that matches those sessions.
Sessions 1-3 have participants looking inward on their socialization around race and other dividers. This helps participants realize their own biases and stereotypes, so they won’t be obstacles in building relationships. The music for these sessions – Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson – We first need to deal with ourselves and our stuff and then reach out to others.
Sessions 4-6 have participants learn how to engage in healthy conversations around race and other dividers. If we can’t have healthy conversations, then how can we build relationships? They also learn how to lead a small group in having healthy conversations. The music for these sessions – What’s Going On? by Marvin Gaye. and Where is the Love? by Black Eyed Peas. They are discovery songs like the sessions and talks about bringing love and understanding and love and peace.
Sessions 7-9 participants get to practice by leading the group in discussion on a topic of their choice. Participants learn that it takes all of us working together. The music for these sessions – We Are the World by USA for Africa – This song speaks to our connectedness but also to the state of some people’s lives, but collectively, we can make things better.
I have some bonus songs for you to listen to – One Love by Bob Marley, Lean on Me by Bill Withers, Black or White by Michael Jackson, and Imagine by John Lennon. I hope this encourages you to get together and feel all right. Lean on Me is my encouragement to reach out to me if you need someone to talk to, if you need resources, or anything else. I am here to help you imagine a new world and a new United States.
I hope you are inspired in this new year and beyond to take care of ‘the least of these’, as the Bible refers to those in need, and to help usher in love, peace, healing, and unity in every way that you can. The work may seem momentous but if we come together and collectively work toward love, peace, understanding, healing, and unity, it will be easier.
I recently attended the Othering and Belonging Conference that was held in Berlin, Germany. One of the panels informed on Gender Justice. During the audience questions, a young lady from Afghanistan asked why no one was helping the Afghan women. My heart immediately felt for these women who are so oppressed and restricted in their country.
I woke up the next night with the following thoughts:
I would first suggest for Afghan men to do a fresh reading of the Quran to determine how much of the treatment of women today actually matches with the Quran. I have not read the Quran, but I have read the Bible and I know that some things that have been set up as the Christian thing to do, does not line up with the Bible.
Next, consider if your young women and girls are leaving the country and culture, that all you will be left with are women too old to produce children. The question to ask is do you want to make changes so that women and girls will stay, and your country and culture will survive. If not, you will be responsible for the annihilation of your culture and people.
The choice is yours. People are starting and will continue to help Afghan women and girls. They will continue to leave unless things change.
When there are no consequences with children for their bad deeds and decisions, they never learn. They will do worse or just keep repeating the same bad deeds and making the same bad decisions. The US has never had to be held accountable for its bad deeds and decisions in regards to slavery and Jim Crow. Yes, I am comparing our country to a child. In many ways, the US acts like a spoiled child that thinks they don’t have to play by the rules, they can bully those who don’t agree, or do what they want to get their way. It’s the same with the Police, but that’s another post all by itself.
To Hispanics, I say,
If the US had paid reparations for slavery and Jim Crow, they would have thought twice before separating your families at the border. They are repeating the same bad deeds.
To other oppressed groups and poor whites, I say,
If we don’t collectively help to unite all Americans and hold America accountable for previous and current misdeeds, there are any number of afflictions that will come your way as the upper echelons seek to narrow who is worthy. The manipulation of who is allowed to vote is just the beginning. Historically, voter suppression inhibited the black vote but also the voting of poor whites and all women. Through voter suppression they can pass the laws they want to and that benefits them.
To everyone, I say,
Let’s all do our part to make America a true Democracy, where all are united in the midst of our glorious diversity. Oh, how beautiful we will be when we come together and value the contributions of one another and each is allowed to thrive and grow. How marvelous it will be when all can use their gifts and talents to help make our country better and all children can realize their potential. It breaks my heart to see all this division, hate, judgment, and criticism.
If you’re not sure where to start, contact me. I’ll be glad to have a conversation with you to explore what it is you can do with your gifts and talents.
People fleeing Ukraine were told women and children first. What they really should have said was, ‘Caucasian women and children first.’ When African women and children boarded the trains that would take them to safety, soldiers removed them. Apparently, their lives were not valuable enough to be equated with ‘real’ Ukrainians. In a time of war, it seems amazing that we would still take the time to allow our prejudice, devaluing, and hate to impact who gets safe passage and who does not.
Some of the Africans were immigrants, some were students, and some were residents of Ukraine – but none have a way out of the country. As I was listening to this story, someone said, “Black people are always expected to care about and feel compassion for everyone else, but no one cares about or feels compassion for us. Yes, we would like to help the Ukrainians, the Afghans, Asians, LGBTQ, and everyone else. However, it gets harder and harder to even want to help others and feel compassion for them when they won’t help those who look like us.
There is always a group that is placed before us – women, LGBTQ, other BIPOC, etc. Sometimes this is okay depending upon the circumstances. However, it never becomes our turn. Please know that I am not saying that we shouldn’t help others. We should definitely fight for all who need help. We have been doing this but when we ask for others to fight for us – for our liberties and opportunities, to be treated as people who belong and are valued, to be treated with compassion and grace – it is always limited and done misguidedly.
Learn more about this crisis within the crisis of war.
Get involved with helping this new crisis for Ukraine.
Then, get involved with a social justice group to end racism and racist policies here in the United States. An internet search will reveal a plethora of organizations and options for getting involved. Visible Unity is always open to all and will encourage all. I implore you to get involved. It will change things and you.
I was cleaning out my room and ran across words I wrote (don’t know when). They are still pertinent today, with only minor modifications.
I’m here to say – God says enough! My people unite!
Look at the racial chaos in our world. God is calling us to love and heal his world. In America, the belief that whites are superior to all others is destroying our country. The new and developing chaos with Russia and Ukraine is also based on the erroneous belief that some people are superior to others.
We are all human beings and equal in that fact. Our skills and talents vary, just like our personalities and strength of character varies. These are meant to strengthen the society, not weaken it. When there is an atmosphere of diversity, unity and inclusion, the growth and productivity of society increases. Harvard did a study that proved this point about businesses, and I carry it out to the societal level. If we want America to be great, we need to embrace all Americans. If we want our global society to be great, we need to embrace all global citizens. We cannot afford to leave even one person behind. Our collective survival depends upon it.
Believers, do something every day towards racial reconciliation and peace building. Reach out to someone of a different culture. Do or try something new with someone new. So, I encourage you to reach out, engage others, be a voice, be an opportunity provider. I say, ‘opportunity provider,’ because sometimes we don’t need anyone to speak for us. We just need the opportunity, and we will speak for ourselves.
Once you have engaged others, share their stories (if they agree) with others so that all can begin to understand and know the daily lived experiences of others.
As always, contact Visible Unity for more questions, some answers, and lots of opportunities.
I was anguishing about the state of this world and how there is chaos and violence everywhere you look. I wished there was more that I could do. While I know that relationship building, reconciliation and peace making are crucial, they sometimes don’t feel like enough. Visible Unity had a Weekend for Peace recently that brought together diverse people to pray, sing, view and discuss film clips around racism and integrate a worship service. A song came to me and our diverse group of peace minded people joined together at a police station and prayed for peace and sang the lyrics of the song – ‘Let There Be Peace On Earth.’
Let there be peace on earth, And let it begin with me
Let There Be Peace on Earth, The peace that was meant to be
With God as our Father, Brothers all are we
Let me walk with my brother, In perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me, Let this be the moment now
With ev’ry step I take, Let this be my solemn vow
To take each moment and live, Each moment in peace eternally
Let there be peace on earth, And let it begin with me
The peace that was meant to be, living in perfect harmony, and beginning with each one of us, should give us pause. Not long after this, one of the board members of Visible Unity, Inc. sent me a link to a commentary on John 15:12-13 – ‘My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’. The commentator suggests four things from this passage. The Obligation, the Sufficiency, the Pattern, and the Motive of Christian love. (http://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/15-12.htm)
The Obligation – cherishing a kindly and loving regard to all others; such an attitude is the only fitting expression of the mutual relation of Christians, through their common relation to Jesus; However unlike any two Christian people are to each other in character, in culture, in circumstances, the bond that knits those who have the same relations to Jesus Christ one to another is far deeper, far more real, and ought to be far closer, than the bond that knits either of them to the men or women to whom they are likest in all these other respects.
I like this focus on the obligation of Christians because I feel if we can get this right, then we will have a head start in loving non-Christians. I also like this because I think Christians may be lagging more so than other faiths in loving their brothers and sisters. In Christ, we are all one family.
The Sufficiency – Love will soften the tones, will instinctively teach what we ought to be and do; will take the bitterness out of opposition and diversity, will make even rebuke, when needful, only a form of expressing itself. The ‘one thing needful’ was that they should be knit together as true participators of His life. Love was sufficient as their law and as their guide.
Love is sufficient. What else is there to say?
The Pattern – Now He says, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ There stand the three, as it were, the Father, the Son, the disciple. The Son in the midst receives and transmits the Father’s love to the disciple, and the disciple is to love his fellows, in some deep and august sense, as the Father loved the Son. Christ’s love nailed Him to the Cross, and led Him down from the throne, and shut for a time the gates of the glory behind Him. And He says, ‘That is your pattern!’ ‘If He had never died for His enemies’ says one of the old fathers, ‘He would never have possessed His friends.’ The way by which we are to meet even alienation and hostility is by pouring upon it the treasures of an unselfish, self-sacrificing affection which will conquer at the last.
Enemies are future friends when love is involved and seeks relationship. Christians, we have our model. Turn to Christ’s love and allow it to infuse you that you feel compelled, obligated and equipped to love others.
The Motive – The novelty of Christian morality lies here, that in its law there is a self-fulfilling force. We have not to look to one place for the knowledge of our duty, and somewhere else for the strength to do it, but both are given to us in the one thing, the gift of the dying Christ and His immortal love. And so, brethren, if we would know the blessedness and the sweetness of victory over these miserable, selfish hearts of ours, and to walk in the liberty of love, we can only get it by keeping close to Jesus Christ.
From this passage, we should be motivated to reach out in love to all of our brothers and sisters. LOVE IS THE WAY TO RECONCILIATION!!! LOVE IS THE WAY TO RELATIONSHIP BUILDING!!! LOVE IS THE WAY TO PEACE!!! If you have the desire but are unsure of how, please contact me. I will be happy to discuss with you possible avenues of reaching out to those different from you.
This past weekend Visible Unity, Inc. declared a ‘Weekend for Peace.’
Friday evening was ‘Prayers for Peace’ where we met at the Southwest Dallas Police Substation and engaged in prayer, singing and talking. Seeking to be fortified as we begin or continue in the work of bringing peace into our spheres of influence.
Saturday afternoon we gathered at the Meadows Conference Center for the I/Eye Perspective. We watched film clips from the movie, ‘I Am Not Your Negro’ and a clip of the self-introduction of ‘Tim Wise.’ We watched these clips with our eyes (Eye Perspective) and then had excellent discussion about race from each of our own personal perspectives (I).
Sunday morning (the most segregated hour) was the Integrated Hour of Worship, where a diverse group attended services at First United Methodist Church in downtown Dallas, Dr. Andy Stoker pastor.
We are in a war. Yes, a war is going on in our country. And with all wars people tend to forget that the enemy is also human and has family and friends who love them and who has hopes and dreams for the future. People also tend to focus on destroying the other. There is no desire to try and come together and talk things over. Hate is the focus, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to kill. Lastly, people tend to believe all the propaganda about the other side. That they are not human, good or worthy. They are a bane to society and so on. This provides the ammunition needed to keep the war going. It helps people to believe they are doing the right thing, the good and necessary thing.
In his sermon, Dr. Stoker remarked that we have a tendency to turn practice into truth. I would add that in the history of the US, there has been a practice of devaluing people of color and this practice has turned into a truth. A truth that has to be dismantled. A truth that is founded upon ignorance and mainly, fear. James Baldwin, when talking about the nature of the rage between Black and White, said that, ‘The root of the black man’s hatred is rage. Blacks don’t hate whites. It’s more rage; they just want them out of their way and more importantly, out of their children’s way. The root of the white man’s hatred is terror. A bottomless, unnameless terror which focuses on this dread figure and entity which lives only in his mind.’
The way past this terror and this unfounded truth is through relationships, relationships across cultures and divides, relationships across gender and economic divides, relationships across faiths. Visible Unity can help you with this. Contact us and join us in peace-building and relationship building.
For believers, independence should not be the goal. The definition of independent is ‘free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority or on another for livelihood or subsistence.’ No, we should strive for co-dependency; a word often used in psychological analysis around addiction. However, for true followers of Christ, it is appropriate. We depend upon the Triune God for our subsistence and our addiction is to Them alone. We also depend upon our fellow sojourners for support, accountability and to be brothers and sisters in the struggle together. We are not intended to be in this journey alone and to do ministry by ourselves. The entire body of believers are to work together regardless of race, age, gender, faith and any other things we use to divide ourselves and keep us from collectively working together for the kingdom.
I encourage you today, having just celebrated America’s Independence Day, to break from the individualism of the US and seek unity amongst as many diverse people that are in your midst. Seek out those different from you in your community and strive to build relationships; relationships of peace and unity. We have gotten off track. Let us move back towards the model of the Trinity; distinct yet equal, separate yet unified. If you need help getting started, give me a call or shoot me an email.
I was reading a book by Daria Roithmayr, Reproducing Racism: How Everyday Choices Lock In White Advantage, and she equates the way white people have systematically oppressed people of color as a cartel. Whites engaged in “cartel conduct” utilize “economic coercion, violence and harassment” to give whites an advantage. In posing suggestions for a political and legal fix, she uses the example of the government saying Microsoft was a monopoly and needed to be split up so that fair competition can occur. “Restoring competition in the operating systems market required significant and dramatic legal intervention, in order to eliminate the barrier to entry created by increasing returns.” I would add that fair competition leads to greater diversity and creativity and benefits everyone. When we don’t diversify, we don’t expand our thinking, actions or products; whether those products are tangible or intangible. Roithmayr also recognizes that there needs to be work done in our social networks and interactions as well as more integration in a variety of ways.
My final thoughts about her work is something I will try to incorporate in the work I do. She resets racial discrimination as anticompetitive and antidiscrimination as antitrust.
Anticompetitive – emphasis on the economic costs and historical benefits of racial discrimination
Antitrust – emphasis on the unfairness of white advantage
Let’s all do what we can in the areas we are in to level the field. Blessings
As we prepare to brace for impact and then move forward in the next several years, I pray we can begin to develop a more concerted movement. A concerted movement as opposed to individual groups and organizations doing a variety of things is preferable and will have more impact. The OxfordEnglish Dictionary defines the adjective “concerted” as meaning “arranged by mutual agreement; agreed upon, pre-arranged; planned, contrived; done in concert.” Let’s meet, talk, plan and then do.
As suggestions, I believe we need at least:
An Active front
A Peaceful Protest front
A Political front
A Relationship Building front
An Education front
No one front is more valuable or necessary than the other but collectively will yield a truly transformed society not merely just outward changes. A truly transformed society will benefit everyone and our country will thrive and grow.
If you’re not involved in any of these fronts, I suggest you:
Figure out what fits best with your personality, skills and status
Know it will be challenging no matter which one you choose
Get off the sidelines, quit just praying and do the work you feel called to perform
Figure out what fits – Pray about it. Also, you will want to consult with those who know you personally and professionally. They can help you assess personality, skills and especially status. We often undervalue our status in relation to our ability to influence others and connect with others.
Know it will be challenging – We are not just talking about making things better, we are talking about transformation. Transformation is a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance. The processes for this to occur will necessarily be challenging and depending upon your previous experiences, the challenges will increase or decrease. You will want to surround yourself with a support system that will be encouraging, sympathetic, affirming and relentless in not allowing you to quit.
Get off the sidelines – Too many people (in particular religious people) hide behind their religious veil rather than being and doing. I am not saying that we don’t need people to be in prayer. We need more people earnestly praying now more than ever. However, your prayer needs to be coupled with work. Faith in action or as the title of a book suggests – Faith is a Verb[1] – is required. Pray about where you fit, who you fit with (which organization) and then start the work.
Visible Unity, Inc. (the organization I started) does relationship building and just a little bit of education. Contact me if this is where you fit. If you just want direction, support or anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I am trying to connect with other organizations in the Dallas area working on a variety of these fronts. I am already connected with several but any names of organizations, groups or churches you know of would be great.
Pam Y. Fields 
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