Skip to main content

John Newton’s Amazing Grace


What was the catalyst 
for his transformation  
inspiring him to write 
Christianity's most beloved hymn?

What was his dark night of the soul?

How was his sight restored 
with a perspective 
broader and deeper than
his myopic Eurocentric view?

What removed his shackles?

When did he see the injustice
of the privileged system
in which he freely breathed
because of the false construct of race?

What pierced his heart?

When did amazing grace
reveal the cargo's humanity
in such a way that in his gut
he knew that Black Lives Matter?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Intersections of Who I Am

I am a human being born and living on the planet earth. That is the most general description of who I am and in this moment it applies to more than six billion others. However, there are so many descriptors, terms and experiences that shape how I perceive the world around me, and how others perceive me.  My family has lived on land referred to as Turtle Island by the First Nations for 400 years. Where I live was once the land of the Muscogee Creek. My first African ancestors arrived against their will as cargo on what is now known as the United States of America.  I am also the descendent of people from the European continent, specifically England and Germany.  Because of the sacrifice and struggles of others, I live as a citizen of the United States. I am the descendent of people primarily from the African continent with no ancestral memory of the tribes or nations. Somehow, they managed to survive the Middle Passage, chattel slavery, and Jim Crow.   My grandpa...

Why I Write on Race

No, this is not what I wanted to do.  I did not choose this as my path, but it is the path on which I journey. At this time of my life, it is the path that must be acknowledged and no longer resisted. A deep sigh reveals my coming to terms with the convergence of my lived experience, my gift of words, and this moment in time.  As a citizen of the United States dealing with the heinous and flawed construct of race is inevitable. To speak about it requires inner work that I wanted to avoid. Included in the work is one essential question. Has the racial system been designed to privilege or oppress people? While many of my fellow citizens may  deny that race is relevant to them and in their lives, for those of us who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), the truth of our nation's original sin is our lived experience. It is no secret. My parents sought to shield me and my siblings from the oppression that infiltrated our lives in an apartheid system. Even ...

The Taboo of Discussing Race with the Other

Taboos shelter and comfort those threatened by perspectives different than their own. Sadly, to counter taboos with silence is to avoid an opportunity for dialogue that may bear fruit. While differences may not be resolved, dialogue provides for the planting of seeds that may, in time, foster internal growth and a greater depth of understanding. In 2020, I can think of no larger taboo than conversations on the construct of race in racially diverse settings. After centuries of not being free to speak our truth publicly, or of others not being free to have intellectual curiosity about the racial divide, there is much to gain by taking the risk. However, attention must be given first to provide a safe and sacred environment for words of lived experience to flow. As a Black woman, I know the risk is great. I understand not wanting to experience one more microagression or an even greater wounding. For people of the dominant group, there is the risk of changing a commonly held opinion or per...