I am a huge “Star Trek” fan. Particularly the 79 episodes of the original series (1966-1968). Now, I was only five years old during its original run, and, since my mom only let us watch TV on the weekends (which started after school on Fridays, and ended after the Wonderful World of Disney on Sundays), I only saw the reruns during the summer. When the show was moved to Fridays, my brother and I got to see first-run episodes for the first time. To this day, I revere this series. Certainly, the adventures, ship, the gizmos, aliens, the, uh, outfits adorning the ladies (I love you, Nichelle Nichols!), all held great appeal for me…moreso as I watched the show during endless reruns and the movies in later years. However, my devotion to the show is primarily for what the show represented: a future where one’s heritage, skin color, beauty, etc. played no role in a person’s worth. In that show, I saw what Dr. King talked about in his famous “I Have A Dream” speech.
Obviously, much has occurred since the show was first broadcast. Many pioneers associated with the struggle for civil rights have long passed on, and ugly episodes of bigotry, sexism, homophobia, and nationalism have been documented (not to mention untold numbers of undocumented incidents). The country has received band-aid treatments along the way, with some wounds healing, and others reopening. Of course, a penetrating salve was rubbed on Uncle Sam on January 20, 2009. Overall, it’s probably fair to say that, in many ways, the United States is a better place now than the one I was born in – but we have a long, long, long way yet to go. We are exceedingly close to realizing Dr. King’s vision, but there is still a wide chasm between our world, and that of my all-time favorite television drama.
This past Saturday, I attended a function hosted by the Lorenzo J. Green Regional chapter (Kansas City) of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). I was invited to this event because I spearheaded a symposium on race last August at my church. The reason behind the symposium was not one of pure altruism; this derived from my anger surrounding the media firestorm resulting from comments made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, pastor of then-candidate Barack Obama’s church. I was incensed that media pundits were so quick to pounce on Rev. Wright’s fiery oratory – and to disparage Obama, by association. Forget the fact that Jeremiah Wright fought bravely for his country. Forget that he served his congregation and community faithfully for many years. Forget that past presidents – Democrats and Republicans alike – have lauded the man for his works. My problem was that, not only were his comments taken out of context, in my opinion, but that these critics refused to explore that context in any way. When our new U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, calls us “a nation of cowards” in regards to our racial history, this is what he was talking about. Anyway, so I consulted with Holly, because I wanted to do something. That initial conversation occurred in March of 2008; by August, Saint Andrew Christian Church hosted a three-week exploration of the Black-White dynamic, as practiced in this country. That’s right: after four short months of planning, this little Disciples of Christ church family addressed perhaps the most emotionally-charged topic in the history of our country.
Now, a word about this church: our mission statement declares what we’re about – Seeking God, Creating Community, Practicing Justice. It’s this last part that intrigues me most about this wonderful place; we actually mean it. This is a very diverse community; you name the group, it’s probably represented in some form in our congregation. Because it’s located in a middle-class, suburban enclave, the majority of members are European-American. However, I also see representatives of indigenous people from almost every continent. Being an open and affirming congregation, our gay brothers and lesbian sisters, recent immigrants, and converts of other faiths are welcome to keep the Sabbath holy right along with us. I like that. I especially like that my kids get to see something they don’t get to see anywhere else (although that’s a double-edged sword): people actually loving their neighbor – just like Jesus told us to do. While we all fall short of His glory, one way or another, God’s grace is universal. What a concept.
As you read this, you’re probably figuring that exploring this topic at this church is like preaching to the choir. Fair enough; that’s probably true. However, everyone attending Saint Andrew also lives in the real world for those other six days. It is exceedingly difficult to hold a “sacred conversation” on racism, no matter the venue. That proved true here as well. The discussions were emotional – although devoid of the finger-pointing, guilt-tripping and excuse-laden conversations I’ve witnessed outside of this symposium. So, I can say it was a qualified success; we did not solve the problem – nor was that the intent of the dialogue. Those of us who planned the event simply wanted to begin the journey of honest exploration. The biggest lesson learned at the end of the three-week effort: we cannot stop. We’ve since started a journaling campaign, which includes a multicultural blogging page on the church’s website (THIS PAGE!), and preliminary plans to revisit the topic sometime this year are in the works. While there was participation from folks outside the church community, perhaps this could be an even larger undertaking going forward. That’s the dream.
I write all this to state that, while I’m gratified to see all of our hard work and planning paying off, and humbled to have been recognized by such a prestigious organization as ASALH for our efforts, it’s a bit disappointing that, in the shadow of an Obama presidency, this type of dialogue is still necessary – and, as Bullwinkle J. Moose would say, “froth with portent” (in other words, dangerous). I think my feelings on the matter are best expressed by some lyrics in a Cameo song, “Skin I’m In:”
It’s the world who’s out to see
Basic respect humanity
I’m just trying to be for real in a world with less appeal
I’m so frustrated and flustered
At what has been reduced to justice
It is immoral or a sin
If it is according to the skin I’m in
I wonder what Mr. Spock would have to say about our country’s humanoid population. I’d love to ask him…after holding a private discussion with Lt. Uhura. Preferably over a glass of Romulan ale.
p.s.: Yes, I have been to a Star Trek convention (I’ve also seen the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton). No, I did not go “in character.”
