The committee at @GroveCtyCollege that generated this report thinks they have defended Christian orthodoxy when in reality they have merely asserted their commitment to a regressive and narrow type of fundamentalism that opposes racial justice.
Report: gcc.edu/Portals/0/Spec…
This saga has been ongoing, but I refrained from much public comment until the committee concluded its report. They spent a full page discussing my supposed threat to their mission because I promote what they call "Critical Race Theory." Here are their comments about me.
The committee does not cite any evidence of my supposed shift in thinking. They name check my former employer, and say "in hindsight, inviting Mr. Tisby to speak in chapel was a mistake." First, it's DOCTOR Tisby, second...it was only a mistake if you fear the truth about racism.
Expect more comments from me in an upcoming @RNS story. Also expect a special episode of @_PassTheMic about this issue. This report mischaracterizes me and borders on libel. I will not accept such accusations silently.
Most disappointing is this comes from a Christian institution. We follow a savior who said "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." The report from @GroveCtyCollege shows that leaders have chosen the bondage of ignorance over the freedom of truth.
You can judge more for yourselves by reading my work firsthand and not taking someone else's accusations over your own analysis. JemarTisby.com/books
🚨🚨🚨I’m thrilled to release today a new mini docu-series about the power of symbols, memory, and story through an exploration of Monument Ave. in Richmond, VA.
New episodes drop every day, so be sure to check back for more.
Here’s the first one. Let me know what you think!
In part 2 of this mini docuseries we look at the Robert E. Lee monument and how such statues helped create a narrative of white supremacy in the Jim Crow era. #History#CivilWar#Monuments
Monuments matter because they are symbols. Symbols matter because symbols tell stories. Stories matter because stories make us who we are.
Part 3 of this mini docuseries tackles why we must remove Confederate monuments. #History#CivilWar#Justice
In the latest reveal from the Jan. 6 Committee, Ginni Thomas, spouse of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, exchanged over two dozen text messages w/ Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows. Their messages reveal White Christian Nationalism. Here's why... washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/…
The excerpt below shows White Christian Nationalism (WCN) at work. It's not unusual for Christians to ask God for prayer, especially regarding significant life events. The issue is the content and goal of those prayers... washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/…
White Christian Nationalists see the United States as a kind of "new Israel." They think God specially favors the nation and that the fate of the church is wrapped in the U.S. flag. Thus the "good versus evil" language. It's the nationalists vs. evil. washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/…
“White Christian nationalists believe that the country is divinely favored and has been given the mission to spread religion, freedom, and civilization.” @GorskiPhilip
“They see this mission and the values they cherish as under threat from the growing presence of non-whites, non-Christians, and immigrants in the United States.” news.yale.edu/2022/03/15/yal…
“For various reasons, there’s a very individualistic idea of freedom within [WCN] today. It isn’t freedom in the sense of being a democratic citizen working with others to pursue the common good. It is a strongly libertarian, “don’t tread on me” mentality” news.yale.edu/2022/03/15/yal…
This is an important point. Recent books about evangelical history (including my work) elicit strong and pointed opposition from a certain (fundamentalist, far-right) faction of Christians. Here’s what seems to irk them the most…
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They don’t seem to have a problem with the veracity of historical facts prior to 20th century. The issue is questioning the role of slavery and white supremacy in the U.S. founding. They hate disrupting the narrative of inevitable racial and human rights progress.
Some very far-right folks still argue that slavery wasn’t that bad because benevolent/Christian slaveholders and/or the “at least they got the gospel” trope. Trash, but you hear it sometimes.
It’s simple. Not all kids like reading. But all kids like to learn, no matter how they try to hide it. Adults have to figure out the best ways to help kids learn, and that might include more than just words on a page. jemartisby.substack.com/p/introducing-…
That’s why I’m thrilled to share with you the How to Fight Racism Young Readers package!
Not only was I not exposed to James Cone or Black theology in seminary (except in the most negative light), to my recollection, we didn’t even read MLK. Not “I Have a Dream” or “Letter from Birmingham Jail” or “Where Do We Go from Here” not even in ethics classes. Nothing.
It’s not that a seminary education has to include assigned readings from each and every major Black or PoC theologian, it’s that the under-representation of such individuals usually means the over-representation of others, namely white men in a Western context.
Just because a white, Western male is doing theology doesn’t *necessarily* mean it’s wrong or bad, but the picture is incomplete. Different people in different contexts ask different questions and seek different applications in theology. We need each other to do theology well.