Promoting a Culture of Inclusion

Defining Inclusion

Ironically, my job just did a survey about diversity inclusion and one of the definitions given for an "inclusive environment" was the ability to be your authentic self. Even after desegregation, black people were considered unprofessional if we wore our hair in it's natural state. Our way of talking, our style of dress, etc., are often dubbed as "ghetto" and labeled inappropriate. There's a long standing tradition of black people "turning off" their identity to fit in to white spaces. The multicultural church I attend often plays CCM during service, and will even sing from the catalogs of Tasha Cobbs or Travis Greene, but they've never brought in Christian rap. In fact, on one occasion I searched for a song they'd sung in service and found there is a "rap" verse in the song that they just skip over. Most Christians, regardless of race have framed their entire view of Christianity and holiness out of Eurocentric ideas. In doing so, we force people to hide the ethnic parts of themselves to fit in. To have a truly inclusive church, it's not just about being polite to those entering the building. We have to make people comfortable being themselves.

In high school, most of my close friends were white because I was often the only black person in my class. I didn't talk to them about racial things I experienced because I didn't think they'd understand or care (and it's embarrassing). My Asian friends didn't tell me about the things they were experiencing. It wasn't until we were out of college that we started truly expressing ourselves to each other. I felt alone in high school, but in the past few weeks, the people I was afraid to be my authentic self around in high school were the first people to condemn what was happening and ask if I was ok. How can I be your sister in Christ if I don't know you?

Because our society is broken, there are issues specific to each culture. There are things immigrants go through that I do not. There are injustices being done to people in the Asian and Hispanic/Latino communities that I may not understand. An inclusive church does not bury these topics to avoid offense, but instead seeks to educate its members on how to assist those effected.

It is important that we create an environment where people feel comfortable bringing their whole self into the relationship. Regardless of race or class or gender, you should be able to tell me something is bothering you or that you're excited and I should be able to cry with you or join you in celebration. You shouldn't have to clam up because the topic makes me uncomfortable and I shouldn't be clueless to your experiences in this world.

Subconscious Racism

In the U.S. we talk about racism as though it's a black and white issue (I mean that literally and metaphorically), but it's a lot more complex than we want to talk about. Most people think as long as they aren't using racial slurs and actively hating people who are different than them, everything is ok. Unfortunately, there's subconscious racism. Subconscious racism is a bias toward what society has told us is good versus bad. We do it without thinking.

The mind is a lot like a computer, or rather computers are modeled after the mind. In computer science there is a field called machine learning, in which the goal is to train the computer to make decisions based on data. This is how Netflix suggests movies for you to watch. If you watched every RomCom in the database, there's a high probability that you'll like the newest RomCom. Similarly, if the only people you've ever seen with tattoos have been inmates, you will start to associate tattoos with criminals. That's how our brains work.

The problem is that our circles and the media are biased, so our brains are making correlations with corrupted data. Let's compare my own circle to national stats for an example. About 4% of the U.S. population has a PhD,[1] but probably 60% of my friends have a PhD. About 5% of the U.S. is Asian,[2] but closer to 70% of my coworkers are of Asian descent. The numbers in my personal experience are skewed; if I didn't look outside of my circle, my perception of the world would be off. When I was in college, I did an internship in which I met a girl who had never had a conversation with a black person before. She was from the middle of nowhere Iowa and everything she knew about black people was what was taught to her by white teachers or shown to her on TV. I have a whole series on the blog about how the media portrays black people so we won't derail the conversation to get into details. The bottom line is that regardless of your race, everything you consume is shifting your perception of the world and we live in a Eurocentric society. Each of us is conditioned to think European ideals are the standard (if you are unfamiliar with this, please take this time to research The Doll Test[3]).

These ideas are deeply implanted into our brains. Most of the time, we don't understand the complexities of them ourselves. No matter what our religious affiliation is, we bring this baggage with us. If we live in a Eurocentric society, it makes sense that people giving their lives to Christ may have a Eurocentric ideas. They bring those into the Church.

Eurocentric Worship

A major ramification of subconscious racism is the Eurocentric style of worship. Conservative churches, both black and white, often consider things associated with black culture to be unholy. In the conservative black church I grew up in, we weren't allowed to have drums during worship. Amazing Facts, a conservative 7th Day Adventist organization, condemns Christian rap (and Christian rock).[4] Shouting, praise dancing, and many other forms of ethnic worship styles are often seen as inappropriate.

Usher Gloves

If you attend an old black church, you've probably see ushers in their white uniform, with white gloves. Did you ever wonder why? There was a time when black and white people did attend church together. Black people sat in the balconies, segregated from the white people, or served just as they would on the plantation. The black people that served during the service were ushers. While ushers are responsible for many things, their biggest role in the service is collecting offering. It is rumored that white people didn't want to risk touching a black hand or have those black hands touching the money/collection plate, so they made the ushers wear gloves. The discipline and stance of ushers that was kept when black people formed their own churches likely stems from the internalization of how they were treated and expected to behave previously.

Music

The first time I went to multicultural church and they started singing, my first thought was "oh, this is why we have separate churches." If we're being honest, music is cultural. How you grow up influences your taste in music; this isn't always racial, but statistically, you'll probably find more black people favoring genres such as Jazz, R&B, Reggae, Hip-Hop/Rap, etc. and more white people favoring genres such as Country, Bluegrass, Rock, etc. One person may feel the Spirit when they hear hymns, another when they hear Gospel, and another when they hear CCM. Unfortunately, like Amazing Facts, many ministries have dubbed whole genres of music inappropriate simply because it isn't their cup of tea. The Amazing Facts website uses Philippians 4:8 to justify their stance, yet one could literally take the words of a hymn and make it into a rap song, after all rap is just poetry over a beat. By condemning Christian rap they imply that either the music is unholy or that there is something unholy about the way the words are expressed. If I were to contact someone from Amazing Facts about this, I'm sure they would say it has nothing to do with race, after all they condemn Christian rock too, and I believe in their conscious mind and heart, its true. They don't have a problem with black people. They have a problem with people who don't fit into their definition of Christianity, which is based on European standards. Despite being predominately associated with white culture, if you trace the roots of rock, it was inspired by R&B and black culture.[5] Many churches (black churches included) still shy away from ethnic music in service because of the way they've been taught Christianity.

History in the Church

The black Baptist church I attended always celebrated Black History Month. We did Black History Month plays and speeches the same way people put on productions for Easter and Christmas. Black churches do this because our history isn't taught in school. If we're already bringing pagan holidays like Easter and Christmas in to the church, why can't we celebrate the history of different cultures in our churches?

The multicultural church I attend is proud to have a multi-ethnic pastoral staff and to host sermon series with pastors from various backgrounds, but we don't anything for Black History Month, Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Hispanic Awareness Month, etc. What if we allowed people to speak to their unique experiences? What if we learned about their unique experiences in Christianity? What if we made it a priority to understand other people? What if we invited people to truly share themselves with us?

References

1. "About 13.1 Percent Have a Master’s, Professional Degree or Doctorate". Census.gov. February 21, 2019
2. "QuickFacts". Census.gov. July 1, 2019
3. "The Significance Of “The Doll Test”". Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc; visited June 4, 2020
4. "FAQs". Amazing Facts; visited June 4, 2020
5. Greg Kot. "Rock and roll". Encyclopædia Britannica. April 4, 2019

Remember When A Chunk of the U.S. was Owned by Spain?

Shutterstock.com/Iryna Rasko

Today, I found this nifty timeline of Hispanic influence in the United States, and while I hope to be able to spotlight individuals who've made history, I was sidetracked from that idea over one particular fact on the timeline. The oldest European settlement in the U.S. is St. Augustine—one of those facts the teacher mentioned once and you vaguely remember, but people consistently talk about Jamestown Virginia, instead. As presidential candidates continue to argue about immigration and conveniently ignore the fact unless you are of only Native American descent, you are also an immigrant (I'm looking at you Donald Trump), I thought it was the perfect time to refresh that part of U.S. History the teacher rushed through to get back to English U.S. History.

The U.S. started with the 13 colonies of America, all of which were English settlements (hence their common enemy). Although these colonies created the beginning of the U.S., both the Spaniards and the French had colonies in what we now consider the continental U.S. (I'm sure you remember the Louisiana Purchase). The Spanish settlement of St. Augustine, founded in 1565, was the first European settlement in the U.S.¹ Southwestern states such as California, Texas, and the self-explanatory New Mexico, were all apart of Mexico and settled by the Spanish originally. These states became part of the U.S. after the Mexican War.² Although the U.S. was founded in 1776, Arizona and New Mexico didn't become part of the U.S. until 1912.³ Yet, New Mexico was stolen—might as well keep it honest—from the Tewa people in 1560 and Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the U.S.⁴ Needless to say, there has been a Spanish/Hispanic/Latino presence in the U.S. since the beginning of colonization.

While the borders may have changed over time, the cultural history of the people who make up the nation should never be forgotten. The U.S. was never a homogenous nation; before colonization there were at least 561 of Native American tribes.⁵ Before the American Revolution, these tribes along with Africans (also from various tribes), Spaniards, and many others were present throughout the continental U.S. We have always been diverse. Like other minorities, much of this history is glanced over without much thought. Honestly, I don't know if I learned about the history of the Southwestern states in class or out of curiosity after watching Zorro (the TV series, not the movies). It is extremely important to value not only the contributions of individuals from all backgrounds in the history and shaping of our country but the presence of different cultures in the country before it was the nation of today. Spanish and Hispanic (I'll leave the post on terminology to someone from the Hispanic or Latino community, for now see this) culture have been a vital part of the U.S. from the very beginning and played an instrumental role in shaping where we are today.

References

1. Centanni, Evan. "What Was the First Settlement in the U.S.?". Demand Media. Synonym.com. 2015
2. "Mexican-American War". A&E Television Networks, LLC. History.com. 2015
3. "States Ranked by Date that State Entered the Union". Drexel University. IPL2. 2008
4. History of Santa Fe. Wiley Studios. TheSantaFeSite.com. 2013
5. "Frequently Asked Questions". US Department of the Interior Indian Affairs. 2015

Hispanic Heritage Month

Today marks the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month; it was started as Hispanic Heritage Week by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 and expanded in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan. It starts on September 15 because that is Independence Day for many Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua¹. Throughout the month there will be posts to celebrate and encourage people to learn more about Hispanic culture. If you want a head start, it looks like NBC started the month of with a Hispanic Heritage Month Quiz!

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! :)

References

1. "About Hispanic Heritage Month". Hispanic Heritage Month; visited September 2015

Diversity in Ballet

Ballet is an art form that's not known for diversity. One contributing factor to the lack of diversity could be cost—on top of the cost for lessons, there are also shoes, practice leotards, and performance costumes to be bought. Juilliard, which is one of the best (if not the best) schools for ballet, offers a ballet summer camp for teens that costs $1200 plus $1000 for room and board. Private lessons can cost up to $75 per hour^[5]! So, on top of hard work and dedication, there's the ability of parents to afford the training. Once you've stepped over that hurdle, there's the politics. It's no secret that the politics of ballet can cause ballerinas to struggle with body image; similar to models or celebrities, there's a certain "image" that is expected and it often doesn't include minorities. Ballerinas bring to mind gracefulness, but also beauty, two terms often steeped in European ideals. Throughout the years several minority dancers have fought their way to the top and graced the stage with poise, dignity, beauty and elegance.

Maria Tallchief, born in 1925, was the first Native American to gain success in the ballet world. Ms. Tallchief was born in Oklahoma and was of the Osage Tribe, however, she grew up in Los Angeles, where she took up ballet. She became one of the country's leading ballerinas in the 1940s and continued in stardom through the 1960s. She began her career dancing with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and became first prima ballerina of the New York City Ballet in 1947. In addition to breaking ground for Native American ballerinas, Ms. Tallchief was also the first American (regardless of race) to dance with the Paris Opera Ballet. She preformed in productions of Orpheus, Scotch Symphony, Miss Julie, Firebird, and The Nutcracker. She was a muse for choreographer George Balanchine, whom she married briefly. He also created parts especially for her. Upon retiring in 1965, Ms. Tallchief became a ballet instructor and founded the Chicago City Ballet. In 1996, Ms. Tallchief was inducted to the National Women's Hall of Fame and won received the Kennedy Center Honors for her contribution to the United States.  In 1999, she was awarded the highest award given to artists by the United States government, the National Medal of Arts^[1]. After breaking the mold, setting records for both Native American ballerinas and American ballerinas in general, and inspiring those around her, Ms. Tallchief passed away in 2013^[2]. Ms. Tallchief's sister, Marjorie, is also a ballerina^[3].

More amazingly talented historical and contemporary minority dancers!

• Carlos Acosta, Afro-Cuban principal guest artist at The Royal Ballet 
• Alvin Ailey, choreographer and founder of  Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, a multiracial modern dance ensemble
• Chi Cao, Chinese principal dancer of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Gold medalist of the Varna International Ballet Competition
• José Manuel Carreño, former soloist of American Ballet Theatre, current artistic director of Ballet San Jose 
• Evelyn Cisneros, first Hispanic/Latina prima ballerina in the U.S.
• Janet Collins, first African-American/Black prima ballerina of the Metropolitan Opera
• Misty Copeland, currently performing with American Ballet Theatre, first African-American/Black ballet soloist in New York in 20 years
• Michaela DePrince, born in Sierra Leone, orphaned, adopted in America and told America "wasn't ready for a black girl ballerina," currently in American Ballet Theatre's preprofessional division and the Dutch National Junior Company
• Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, first Filipina prima ballerina
• Shiori Kase, Japanese first soloist of English National Ballet
• Sanjay Khatri, first Indian male ballet dancer
• Desmond Richardson, co-founder and co-artistic director Complexions Contemporary Ballet, former principal dancer at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre
• Yuan Yuan Tan, first Chinese principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet 

References

1. "Maria Tallchief". Bio. A&E Television Networks. 2015
2. Anderson, Jack. "Maria Tallchief, a Dazzling Ballerina and Muse for Balanchine, Dies at 88". New York Times. 2013
3. De Leon, Jenefar. Five Indian Ballerinas. NewsOK. 2015
4. Brooks, Katherine. "17 Ballet Icons Who Are Changing the Face of Dance Today". The Huffington Post. 2014
5. "Cost of Ballet Classes". Cost Helper Fitness. 2015