Race Matters…
By Edward Hailes, Jr.
Lord Acton, known by many Americans for his famous quote, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” also said, “Teaching [people] to treasure the liberties of others as their own, and to defend them for the love of justice and charity more than as a claim of right, has been the soul of what is great and good.” At a time when justice issues—long treated as invisible by those not directly impacted by the trials and tribulations of the people experiencing the injustice—have begun dovetailing into one another, it is increasingly impossible to ignore the inextricable relationships among these issues. Yet, there is another impossibility we must contend with and that is the impossibility of resolving these injustices alone.
When we as individuals, parents, siblings, daughters, sons, friends, and neighbors examine our resources and interests in speaking out against what is unjust, it is imperative to ask: with whom can I stand? In so asking, we better position ourselves to share resources and to look to those with experience for the guidance and support we need to reach our goals. In so asking, we are compelled to confront history, both personal and shared, and ask ourselves: Are the church, the synagogue, the mosque, and other holy places and holy people relevant to the racial justice struggle? The answer is a resounding yes!
Every time structural racism rears its ugly head, the faith-based community raises its voice in the struggle for freedom, justice, and equality. In a time of limited resources to combat new struggles, now is not the time to re-invent the wheel but, rather, it is the time to reclaim justice through collaborations with those whose belief structures will, should, and do, compel them to pursue that which is just. Now is the time to move away from pathways of division to a moral and justice framework that unites us, brings the struggle home, and makes it visible—even to those who falsely believe they are not directly impacted by the injustices suffered by a stranger.
In this issue, Advancement Project shares various examples of how the faith-based community has raised its voice and committed its resources in confronting the great issues of our times. We share this information irrespective of religious doctrine and without endorsement of one belief system over another. Rather, we provide this information as a point of reference for our readers who may be searching for allies and partners in the ongoing struggle for a just democracy.
