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

New Site

To read the latest on Leslye's Labyrinth, visit http://bit.ly/leslyeslabyrinth

When You Say, "I'm Not Racist"

When you say, "I'm not racist," you deny the complexity of a system built on the racist ideas born of white supremacy. When you say, "I don't see color," you do not understand that making judgements based on color is the problem, not seeing color. When you say, "I was taught to treat everyone the same," you deny the limitations of your being kind when the system denies my dignity. When you say, "But, I'm a Christian," you deny the whitening of Jesus' body and the distortion of his Gospel for economic gain through the genocide of indigenous people, the enslavement of Africans, and other atrocities against people of color. When you say, "My child is Black," you conflate your love for one person with a love for all. When you say, "My family never enslaved people" you deny how the injustices of slavery were transformed to perpetuate your illusion of white supremacy. Wh...

Your Heart Outweighs Your Heritage

I have always thought it racist and unpatriotic to celebrate the confederacy for any reason. Over the past decade, those who choose to do so allege it to be a celebration of their heritage, but not hate. The confederacy cannot be separated from the enslavement of Africans, my ancestors, and its continuing legacy in direct conflict with all that is holy. While my family tree includes a confederate general, even he said the battle flag should be put away and there should be no monuments after the war. Of course the confederacy did not establish the slave trade and chattel slavery, but it seceded from the nation and risked the lives of its men to protect it. The word "heritage" is such a complex one especially when you realize the absence of muted voices speaking of a history more expansive than that promoted by the dominant group. While millions of people share the heritage of being from my home state, Alabama, we embrace different and often conflicting perspectives on what tha...

Leslye's Labyrinth

Search This Blog