I am currently at Stony Point, NY, the place of my birth, oddly enough, to embark on the birth of a new journey, one that will take me far from home.
In just five days, I will be heading to San Antonio, Texas, and it's all becoming so real! An entire year of my life is about to be offered up to the work of God, and I'm almost in awe...
Yesterday, we took a seven hour class on the racism still very prevalent in the United States, and during this class, we talked a lot about privilege. The privilege we have simply based on how we are perceived, from gender to skin color to socio economic status. The fact that we are privileged enough to give up an entire year of gainful employment for a placement in an unfamiliar place with little to no pay. We are truly a group of blessed individuals...
As I was reflecting with my small group, I found that many people had a thought process similar to my own, racism isn't really a big issue anymore. But the more they spoke, the more I realized that this issue is an underlying part of our everyday life.
One statistic that really popped out to me: 1 in 3 black men can expect to be in prison sometime in their life. For white men, the statistic is 1 in 17! Upon further research, I found that 30% of the United States population is made up by people of color, but they account for 60% of those imprisoned in jails today!
I honestly, can't wrap my mind around it!
How many intentional conversations do we have to have before this issue is resolved? I don't have the answer to that, but I do believe that if people are educated on this, and not only become aware of the issue but also actively speak up against it, we will all be surprised at the power our words can have.
Peace be with you all,
Abby
In just five days, I will be heading to San Antonio, Texas, and it's all becoming so real! An entire year of my life is about to be offered up to the work of God, and I'm almost in awe...
Yesterday, we took a seven hour class on the racism still very prevalent in the United States, and during this class, we talked a lot about privilege. The privilege we have simply based on how we are perceived, from gender to skin color to socio economic status. The fact that we are privileged enough to give up an entire year of gainful employment for a placement in an unfamiliar place with little to no pay. We are truly a group of blessed individuals...
As I was reflecting with my small group, I found that many people had a thought process similar to my own, racism isn't really a big issue anymore. But the more they spoke, the more I realized that this issue is an underlying part of our everyday life.
One statistic that really popped out to me: 1 in 3 black men can expect to be in prison sometime in their life. For white men, the statistic is 1 in 17! Upon further research, I found that 30% of the United States population is made up by people of color, but they account for 60% of those imprisoned in jails today!
I honestly, can't wrap my mind around it!
How many intentional conversations do we have to have before this issue is resolved? I don't have the answer to that, but I do believe that if people are educated on this, and not only become aware of the issue but also actively speak up against it, we will all be surprised at the power our words can have.
Peace be with you all,
Abby
Thanks for sharing your thoughtful reflection! I look forward to following your journey!
ReplyDelete