On this day in 1955, a fourteen year old African American boy named Emmett Till from Chicago, Illinois was killed in Money, Mississippi. I know his story by heart; it was the first one I learned on domestic terrorism and mob lynching when I began my personal study of African American history. He went… Continue reading The history of our days
Category: Hate Crimes
Here’s a thought and a prayer
I went to bed thinking about the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas. There was talk of a racist manifesto and the murderer writing about the "invasion of Hispanics." El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen told reporters, "(It has) a nexus to potential hate crime." #WhiteSupremacistTerrorism was trending on Twitter. This morning, #TrumpsTerrorists has replaced… Continue reading Here’s a thought and a prayer
The Exonerated Five, the Emanuel Nine, and why we can’t lose count
Ava Marie DuVernay's documentary "When They See Us" tells the story of four African American boys and one Latino American boy falsely accused and mislabeled "The Central Park 5" after a female European American jogger, Trisha Meili, is viciously attacked and raped in April of 1989. With contrived confessions but no DNA evidence to link the… Continue reading The Exonerated Five, the Emanuel Nine, and why we can’t lose count
Tongue
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." | Proverb 18.21 Calling all cats! Get our tongues! Only you can play with them. Open your mouths and say, “Ahhh.” Because if you can't say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. Loose lips are… Continue reading Tongue
I am at a loss
I met an area rabbi for the first time this morning. He shared his sacred space with me, his holy book with me. We planned this meeting last week before the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburg. What a difference a week makes. If God works in mysterious ways, then humans work… Continue reading I am at a loss
Happy Christopher Columbus Day?
I have the day off because Christopher Columbus "discovered" America. But, we know this is not what really happened. Because you can't discover a place that is already inhabited by people, no matter how much you try to discount their presence, diminish their story and dismiss their culture. Try telling them to go back where… Continue reading Happy Christopher Columbus Day?
In Memory of the Emanuel Nine: Looking for the words
I looked at their faces this morning and sighed. "God, help us." One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Lives. They say a cat has nine lives. But, how many lives does hate have? Why won't it die? How does it continue to live after this? How can we let it live on… Continue reading In Memory of the Emanuel Nine: Looking for the words
