Today I walked in honor of Joe Bell and in memory of his son Jadin Bell and as a witness to end bullying. I will walk again. I walked five miles from the Shire through Morningside Park to Harlem Meer at Central Park and back again.
This was my first walk with Joe for change. It won’t be my last.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Current Events, Human Rights
Looking for some ways to help the people of the Philippines affected by Typhoon Haiyan / Typhoon Yolanda? Here is what I support:
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is working with our mission partner the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and fellow members of the ACT (Action by Churches Together) Alliance. An initial grant of $50,000 from One Great Hour of Sharing funds will help provide emergency food, water and other basic humanitarian needs to families affected by Typhoon Haiyan / Typhoon Yolanda that struck the country on November 8.
Many organizations are responding to this disaster. Most are reputable. Some are not. Some will make mistakes. A few will even take advantage of the people in the deepest need.
My giving goes through the Presbyterian Church because I have seen the work we do and we work in partnership with people on the ground, people directly affected.
If you have a place where you prefer to give, give generously. If you are looking for a place to give, I encourage you to try Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Current Events, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
I have signed up to participate in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Food Stamp Challenge.
November 17-23, 2013 the PC(USA)’s denominational leaders, Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons, the Moderator Neal Presa and Presbyterian Mission Board Executive Director Linda Valentine will engage in the SNAP/Food Stamp Challenge. We invite the rest of the church to join them, either by taking the actual Challenge or by joining in solidarity through various activities, including child and adult education, outreach in communities, and prayer.
The SNAP/Food Stamp Challenge is a discipline to draw attention to the gross injustice of poverty and hunger in the U.S. and to open new opportunities for education, understanding, compassion and solidarity.
This Challenge is not only a call to hunger and poverty awareness, but also a call to action. We are called by God to be in the world and to seek to make it a better place. Changing hearts and minds are the starting point of building a movement and improving policy.
The Challenge simply means choosing for one week to live on the average amount of food stamp support in your state. This means spending only the average allowance, per person, on everything that you eat, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, seasonings and drinks.
Join us November 17-23, 2013!
I’ll try to let you know how I do.
See you along the Trail.
The World Council of Churches recently concluded their 10th Assembly. The Assembly met in Busan, Republic of Korea.
When I traveled to Korea this spring, I had the privilege to address the Busan WCC Preparatory Committee.
I did not return for the Assembly. Part of me wishes I had. A large group of Presbyterians attended, including colleagues and friends. Hearing of their experiences reminded me of my Korean connections.
In addition to the news accounts from the WCC and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), many of the participants wrote and blogged about the Assembly. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly, wrote several reflections.
For analysis of the Assembly through the lens of gender and racial justice, check out the blog of my friend Laura Mariko Cheifetz. Here are her current postings along with some teasers.
I know, I should really appreciate everyone’s voices being shared. I should make sure that any decision-making process allows for all voices. But consensus is just as complicated a process as is Robert’s Rules/parliamentary procedure, and the process combined with limited time allowed for discussion really can quash serious disagreement and discussion (unless you’re a dude, according to this meeting).
We have theological and Biblical reasons for our long-standing ecumenical activity. Succumbing to our desire to hoard our diminishing resources and the influence of the isolationist/conservative element in the PC(USA) would be a theological statement – that we believe we do not have enough. We believe in scarcity. We believe that our own institutional preservation is of greater theological value and import than our commitment to being part of the larger Christian family.
There is a line between tokenizing and fetishizing young people’s voices, and genuinely holding up their leadership. Let’s be clear, the church is usually behind other social institutions in giving young people real responsibilities and taking them seriously.
And a highlight of my day, besides the mens’ statement, was going to the steps outside the convention center with hundreds of other participants in the pre-assembly for a group picture, with women from all over the world singing “We Shall Overcome.” This, from women who had just been discussing trafficking of women and children, and sexual violence. There is plenty of hope here. I can’t wait for tomorrow, for the beginning of the assembly.
A woman selling food by the beach gave me a look when I said I was American. I took that to mean that she didn’t quite believe me because of my looks (this is a frequent problem I have when traveling in other countries – I don’t look white, don’t have blond hair or blue eyes, and I like spicy food, so I do not seem very American to some). I said my mother’s family was Japanese, and she walked away. I know that just because my family wasn’t in Japan, and spent a few years locked up in concentration camps in the U.S. for being Japanese, does not make much of a difference to a people who were systematically terrorized by a brutal and dehumanizing regime.
Like many with privilege, I want to squeeze myself into a corner and not take up too much space out of an awareness of that privilege. Of course, as an under-40 woman of color, there is another part of me that knows disappearing is not the answer. Making myself small and withholding my contributions to the work is just another way to exercise privilege, or to allow those from my denomination and country with more personal privilege to dominate. So I will participate. In fact, I think I’ll be working my ass off, dancing between contributing the appropriate amount and making sure my contributions are not dominant over the contributions of others with less economic and social power in this religious world. At least I’m aware that I should not dominate the conversation.
Laura also posts a number of photo blogs:
If you want to learn more about the WCC General Assembly, check out Laura’s work. She says more will follow.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Antiracism, Current Events, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
If you see
your parents
abused,
violated;
if you watch
your grandparents
disrespected,
humiliated;
if you witness
your siblingsbeaten,
excluded;
if you view
your friends
denied,
imprisoned;
if you observe
your people
tortured,
murdered;
what can you learn
from a teacher,
from a textbook
about
hate?
24 October 2013
Livonia, Michigan
Filed under Current Events, Human Rights
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ play on the field this year made me happy.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ call on Spirit Day for an end to bullying against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered young people made me very happy.
On October 9, I watched in Louisville as the Pirates improbable season came to an end.
As have others who bleed black and gold, I have seen the Buccos endure a challenging stretch. After twenty years of futility that included promising beginnings and late season collapses in 2011 and 2012, I did not have high hopes for this year.
Things began well. That has happened before. On April 28, we held first place in our division.
The season continued and the Pirates played well. By mid-August, a winning season seemed likely. The day after Labor Day, the Pirates won game 81, guaranteeing the first non-losing season since 1993. And that made me happy. I dared to dream of the playoffs.
Four straight losses followed. Three of those games St. Louis won. Those losses knocked us back in the race for first-place. They did not eliminate us but it made a wild-card spot seem the most logical possibility.
Gerrit Cole, Tony Watson, and Mark Melancon combined for a four-hit shutout on September 9. Win 82. A winning season. And that made me happy.
The wins kept coming. We lost some, too. Meaningful Pittsburgh Pirates baseball in September made me happy.
September 23 brought the win that clinched a wild card spot. There would be Buctober! And that made me happy.
Five days later we beat Cincinnati to gain the home field advantage in the wild card game. And that made me happy.
My friend Bob came by with Iron City Beer and on October 1, the Pirates beat Cincinnati again to advance in the playoffs. And that made me happy.
The Pirates met St. Louis in the divisional series. We took a two game to one lead. Then St. Louis won the last two games and the series and our season ended. And that made me sad.
Taking the year as a whole, I am happy. The Pirates played exciting baseball and achieved far more than I had expected.
However, on October 17, the Pittsburgh Pirates organization did something that made me very happy. They joined Major League Baseball and other teams to offer a game-changing statement of support through social media yesterday for GLAAD’s annual Spirit Day, asking fans to take a stand on bullying against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth.
Go purple for #SpiritDay 10/17! Support LGBT youth and stand against bullying. Join us now: http://glaad.org/spiritday
They added a purple frame to their Facebook icon. I should note that the Pittsburgh Penguins also participated in Spirit Day.
As do all people and institutions from the dominant culture, the Pittsburgh Pirates struggle with issues of race and diversity. But they have done things right as well. On Sept. 1, 1971, the Pirates became the first Major League franchise to field a starting lineup of nine players who were either African-American or Hispanic/Latino.
My favorite Pirate is Roberto Clemente – an amazing player and an even greater humanitarian and human rights activist. Each year since 1973, Major League Baseball has presented the Roberto Clemente Award to the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team. The award recognizes those individuals who truly understand the value of helping others.
The Pirates’ stand for justice and dignity made me very happy.
Then I learned that the Pirates had taken such a stand before in 2011:
And that makes me very happy too.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Baseball, Current Events, Human Rights
I will not be alone.
Millions will wear purple on Spirit Day in a stand against bullying and to show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. Observed annually since 2010, individuals, schools, organizations, corporations, and public figures wear purple, which symbolizes ‘spirit’ on the rainbow flag.
Getting involved is easy: Wear purple or go purple online on October 17th and help create a world in which LGBT youth are celebrated and accepted for who they are. Learn more.
See you, in purple, along the Trail.
Filed under Current Events, Human Rights
Sign a petition to the Mississippi Department of Transportation officials calling for an investigation into their treatment of Jagjeet Singh.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reports that officers of the Mississippi Department of Transportation harassed Jagjeet, an observant Sikh, calling him a “terrorist” and then arresting him when he refused to remove his turban.
The judge who heard the case compounded the discrimination. According to the ACLU, ” he ordered that Jagjeet be removed from the courtroom and said he wouldn’t let Jagjeet return until he removed ‘that rag’ from his head.”
The United Sikhs have filed a complaint on Jagjeet’s behalf about Judge Rimes with the Department of Justice, the ACLU notes.
Concerned for the actions of the transportation officers, the ACLU has created a petition to Commissioner King and Director McGrath of the Mississippi DOT.
The petition asks: “Investigate and discipline the MDOT officers for their unacceptable treatment of Jagjeet Singh, and train officers on religious diversity so violations like this don’t happen again.”
I believe that all people and religions should receive respect and be treated with dignity. I signed the petition. You can too.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Antiracism, Current Events, Human Rights
On September, 22, hate struck Dr. Prabjhot Singh, a Sikh and a community activist, in New York City, near Central Park. Dr. Singh sustained a number of injuries in this hate crime attack. His response? Dr. Singh wants to talk to his attackers, to invite them to worship, to make sure they have the opportunity to heal and grow and move past this attack as well.
My colleague Christine Hong wrote a blog which has moved me to seek ways to respond. Today, Simran Jeet Singh, a friend of Dr. Singh, joined Christine and me in a conversation about possible responses.
Here’s a very simple one.
A petition on Groundswell allows people to send messages of support to Dr. Prabjhot Singh. I sent some simple words of support and thanks earlier this evening. I invite you to do so as well.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Antiracism, Current Events
Pittsburgh Pirates @Pirates
Along the Graybeard Trail 