Spectrum of Allies - Education is a Social Justice Issue

I am currently a student in Seminary working on a Master of Theological Studies. One of my courses this semester is "Theology and Social Justice." Each of us had the opportunity to determine which social justice issue mattered most to us. My social justice topic of choice is education. (If you know me, you ALREADY knew this.) Throughout the semester, we discussed social strategies, including Saul Alinksy's Rules for Radicals, The Six Steps for Nonviolent Social Change based on Dr. King's nonviolent campaigns and teachings, and Mutual Aid. We furthered the conversation by identifying the tools that best address our social justice concern. 

Two strategies discussed were Pillars of Support and Spectrum of Allies.

The Pillar of support is a tool to assess the power structure and the organizations that support them. The Spectrum of Allies is a strategy tool that examines the range of social groups and forces from active supporters to most vigorous opponents. I chose the Spectrum of Allies because, with the correct information, we can convince local churches that every Black and Brown child is our mission. Before we try to get kids to live right, I want to ensure that every child can read, write, and have a positive self-image.

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Equity and access to a good education are social justice issues. During the pandemic, we realized the importance that local agencies, churches, and community centers could play in ensuring that no child went without access to Wi-Fi and learning capabilities. During the Fall 2020 school year, I served as a site coordinator of one of the Community Hope Centers, where local churches partnered w/ Urban League OKC. We ensured that students received daily affirmations and support before starting their studies. Posted around the facility were quotes of promise, determination, pride, and power meant to encourage and strengthen every person who entered the facility. We recognized that Social Emotional Learning was imperative for each young scholar's success. Research shows that when a student feels supported emotionally, it directly affects how the child learns.

Since my husband pastors a local church in Oklahoma City, I have access to knowledge regarding how the church functioned during the pandemic and how it reemerges post-pandemic. From 2020 to early parts of 2021, most of the local churches closed to their congregations, except for Sunday morning worship. Many of the local churches owned a dormant fellowship hall or community room for much of this time. Our church partnered with the local Urban League through the Cares Act funds, called Community Hope Centers, served families and proved the value of churches partnering to meet the community's needs.

I can love the church and criticize the church at the same time. Too many local churches are more concerned about church membership, viewership, and getting people to "get right" to enter heaven. We miss the importance of meeting the needs of families and children now. Many of our Black and brown students in OKC attend schools with low reading and math scores, and we expect them to grow up and compete with kids with access to more resources. What could this mean to students when this becomes important to ALL of us in the community?

During and after slavery, Black folks were not allowed to read. They understood the importance of education, so they formed their schools.' Religious institutions established schools or provided general education in Sabbath schools, which often supplied the only educational opportunity for African Americans. It was here that students learned the academic fundamentals. Yet, it was also where they received emotional support and an expectation for excellence.

I contend that local Black churches need to be concerned with the educational success of our Black and Brown students. Most recently, OKC passed one of the most significant school bonds designed to take care of the building and grounds. Most local schools that educate Black and Brown students received refurbished gyms or walking paths. We can agree that newer facilities are valuable to the student's physical abilities. Still, the community needs to invest in students' academic success.

This is where the Black church comes goes into action!

What would it look like for EVERY local Black church surrounding the nearest school with support? What if we opened our fellowship hall doors twice weekly to ensure children had snacks, free Wi-Fi, and a place to complete their homework? How could weekly tutoring help our students? We could enlist retired or senior members to work in the reading room, where they read a book for 20 minutes. High school and college students could serve as tutors or mentors while gaining community service hours. I can imagine looking around the room and seeing positive statements to keep our young scholars engaged and motivated.

An African Proverb says, "It takes a village to raise a child." The goal of community partnerships is for everyone to participate in the process of building a stronger, more productive community. Whether it be churches, synagogues, mosques, or community centers, I believe every child would benefit by having the community invested in their education. We are all stakeholders in the education of our youth. 

So, where do you stand? What is keeping you or your church from partnering with the local school? Come a little closer to the action and help join this education revolution.

Education is a social justice issue!

Now, walk it out.

Redecorate your room with a YES and a NO!

Wow! It is already December 5th! 

The year 2022 has been a year of growth for me. I have learned the power of my Yes AND the power of my No. 

Oftentimes we miss opportunities because No is our default response. Either we do not view ourselves as capable or we are held captive by the familiar. We say things like, “this is just the way I am” or “this is how I have always done it.”  Just like that favorite chair that you have which has the indentation of your back side, after years of sitting in the same spot. You enjoy a good cup of tea, while sitting in the chair. When you sit down to enjoy a movie, you can swing your legs to the side, curled up underneath a warm blanket. This same indented chair cradles you every time you take a seat, at the end of a long day. It still matches the room decor, so it is not out of place. It is simply comfortable.

Then one day, you happen upon a furniture store and realize that there are so many other chairs that could match your room decor. Some of the chairs are shaped differently and have different textures or features, but you get a glimpse of the potential of taking one of these new chairs home with you. You even get excited because you imagine how this chair could brighten the space at home and give it a fresh look; until you look at the price of the chair and realize that it costs to take that chair home. Being the cautious individual that you are, you quickly talk yourself out of it and go back home. No impulse shopping today!

You are proud of yourself because you dodged that bullet and saved money! Kudos to you (and your financial planner) because that new chair was not in your budget. As you drive back home, the thought of those new chairs quickly leave your mind, and you move on to the next thing. 

Everything is fine, until you go back, sit in your familiar chair, and realize that the groove fits you a little differently. Although still perfect for the space, you notice that it leaves your posture tilted just a tad. You realize that you must kick your legs up to build enough momentum to work your way out of the well-worn indentation. “Hmm, I hadn’t noticed this before” you say to yourself as you remember the plethora of chair options in the furniture store. Night after night, you go back and sit in the same comfortable chair, but you begin to imagine what one of the newer chairs could add to this room. You wonder, “if I say Yes to this new chair, what will I have to say No to?” You even begin to count the cost of how much those furniture store chairs might set you back. You start calculating how you can save money by not eating out as much, instead deciding to make morning coffee at home or by packing your leftovers for lunch. In your mind, you begin to move the existing furniture around to see if you can create a fresh look for the room. You can hang pictures on a different wall and rearrange the existing furniture to set a different tone for this space. You oscillate between should I or should I not, until you finally take the leap and say Yes.

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When I said Yes, at the beginning of the year, I did not realize that I was saying Yes to thinking and moving outside of my comfortable chair. With that Yes, came a renewed confidence and the power to change, control my narrative, and rearrange my entire room decor. My Yes allowed me the ability to not be afraid to stand on the wall and speak truth to power for myself and others.

Yes, to embracing the kids of color in the community, who are lagging academically, and creating programs to help parents who need an advocate.

Yes, to calling our legislators and legislation to the carpet when their policies do not support the well-being of children. 

Yes, to speaking up for myself even when others did not understand my moves.

Yes, to self-care which in some cases involved sitting outside soaking up the sun’s rays in stillness.

Yes, to not being ruled by fake fears.

Yes, to trying new things. (Go with your knees knocking, but by all means…GO.)

Yes, to trusting my gut! (You never lose when you bet on yourself and God.)

But with that Yes, it was also imperative to recognize when saying No was expedient.

I said No to being defined by others.

No, to being paralyzed by fear.

No, to simply going with the crowd. #IndependentThinker

No, to viewing myself as small and insignificant when I KNOW that I am greater than my wildest imagination.

No, to allowing the expectations of others dictate my actions or decide my outcome.

No, to allowing the enemy to wreak havoc over my mind, my family, or my circle of friends.

No, to looking outside of myself to confirm my worth. (I am more than enough and so are you!)

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There is power in your Yes AND power in your No!

When you tap into your light and allow it to shine brightly, it will illuminate your path and guide your forward movement as you begin the redecoration process.

No to fear and Yes to faith.

No to mediocrity and Yes to marvellousness.

No to the opinions of others and Yes to the omniscience of God.

No to insecurities and Yes to your imagination.

Throughout this year, I have rearranged the furniture in my room several times. Last year, I sat comfortably in my chair with the familiar indentation, simply happy to be alive and surrounded by the people I love. But this year, I began counting the cost of what saying Yes AND No could mean to the decor of my life. 

Even as we began rearranging furniture to make room for this years' Christmas tree, I realized that I must let go of some things to make room for the new. There are two pictures that I took down off the wall by the tree and I have already decided that when Christmas is over and the tree is down, I will not put them back on the wall. I think I will leave it bare until I have a different vision and new direction for the wall space. I want to cultivate an area that suits my new mindset. (Someone else might call this decluttering.)

I invite you to take this last month of 2022 to be reflective and reevaluate the decor of your room(s). What have you closed yourself off to because you have become so comfortable with the familiar? What opportunities have you missed out of fear of making a difficult decision? There are some things to which you need to say NO immediately because they will not serve you. Yet there are plenty of options to which you should just say YES, trust your gut, and grow with God.

Recognize your genius and the light you possess inside and allow that to be your guide.  Redecorating your room does not mean that the old furniture is bad or of inferior quality, it just means that you have a new vision of how you choose to navigate your existing space. Your Yes has opened you up to more options!

You cannot say that you want more out of life, yet keep relegating yourself to the mundane out of fear. I encourage you to stop by a furniture store this week, find a chair, close your eyes, and dream a new vision for yourself.

 

Now walk it out…….…2023 is on the way.