Laurel Elisabeth Stevens

Jemar Tisby brings us on a tour through the decades, starting in 1667 when the Virginia General Assembly encouraged masters t o evangelize their slaves, without fear of having to grant them their freedom, given that "the conferring of baptism does not alter the c ondition of the person as to his bondage or freedom." (pg. 25).  Year piling on year, Tisby shows us how the church in America has not simply overlooked racism, but has participated in, encouraged and upheld racist practices, both explicit and entrenched.  "What do you think," I once heard a teacher ask a group of high school students in a Christian School, "What was the better way, Martin L uther King or the Black Panthers?" Students eagerly explained that MLK definitely was better "because he was peaceful. The Black Panthers were violent, and you can't do that."  I hoped the teacher would ask some clarifying ques tions, or press her students to dig a little deeper. I hoped s...

I am sharing this week and in posts to follow, a few influences--videos, books, people, places, stories--that have helped me notice my blindspots with regard to racial justice. The story is ever growing. In fact, sometimes the more I learn, the harder it is to write. So I'll just start here, hoping that if I tell one or two stories, it could be a way forward to you reading or telling one or two more stories, and that could be a way forward for all of us.  I remember sitting on the couch with my seven-year old daughter and reading to her The Story of Ruby Bridges . Ruby, a brave black girl whose parents were perhaps even braver, to agree to let her integrate the William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960. My daughter studied the watercolor illustrations of the angry white parents yelling at Ruby as she walked into the school protected by federal marshals.  I remember uncomfortable shock at the teacher who criticized Ruby for talking back to the mob, when in fact Ru...

I’m marveling over our budding bilingual boy. It’s true that he is not bilingual yet, but I am fascinated by the changes going on in our household. This happens all the time, I know, but it is a different feeling to experience it first hand. I guess I feel like the parent of a newborn who exclaims, “She pursed her lips and cooed! It was so amazing!” I have known several bilingual children over the years--friends who grew up in Mexico and whose children have always been speaking Spanish and English, friends who moved from the Netherlands to the U.S. when their oldest was two are among those was around more. I remember when he didn’t know any English, but then gradually he knew more and more, but I didn’t get to watch it so close up. In these two examples the parents were already fluent in English, so it only seemed natural that their kids would become fluent in English. They told me they didn’t speak English at home, but I don’t think I really believed them. As late as 2 week...