After noticing a Doonesbury cartoon this weekend featuring “Jimmy Crow,” Marti and I realized we didn’t really know that much about Jim Crow and ended up doing some important research about the history of slavery and racism in this country.
The first thing we found out was that Mr. Crow was not a real person. He was a fictitious character whose name came to represent a major movement in the South, after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, towards reestablishing slavery and keeping African Americans segregated from white society. It was a big blow to the newly found freedom of the slaves, and a big boon to segregation and white supremacy in the South.
The wealth and power of the South was all wrapped up in the cotton industry and that wealth relied on the free labor of the slaves who had no freedoms and no rights. The war was over, but the economy could not survive without major changes taking place, but landowners didn’t want to change, they wanted the old way, and so there was major social upheaval going on for almost 100 years until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 finally gave African Americans equal rights as citizens of the United States.
Therefore anything that had to do with white supremacy, slavery, segregation of the blacks from the whites was done by Jim Crow laws and Jim Crow backlash.
The shocking thing is that racism and white supremacy is raising its ugly head in our society and politics once again. But it’s too late. It’s the last gasp of a European strain of Americans that is rapidly losing ground. I can go to the beach today or to an Angel game — anywhere that a large group of people are gathered — and white European people are the new minority.
As believers in Christ and those who know that every human being is made in the image of God, we accept and affirm everyone — all colors, all nationalities, all religions, all races, all genders. Every single person is one for whom Christ died and if they don’t know that, we’re here to tell them.
Bury Jim Crow. We’re not going back; we’re going forward, and forward is messy, it’s challenging, and it’s a little scary, but it’s also exciting. I don’t care what anyone says, America is more diverse that ever. Some people are acting like they have a choice in that. They don’t. Open your eyes. See the people on the street and marvel at God’s beautiful variety.
Galatians 3:28 sums it up: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” What are people afraid of? (Not a rhetorical question.)
Thank you John. Unfortunately, during the Jim Crow era there were hundreds and hundreds of hangings meant to keep Black folk in line. Some of those hangings took place right after church and we know that white children observed it all.
Here’s the contemporary problem: for 27 years, every Wednesday, I prayed with over 50 white evangelical pastors and they, absolutely, believe there is no such thing as racism. Oh, they believe there are individuals who do racist things but there is no such thing as systemic sin. And it’s not just Black folk. About 8 years ago, one of our Hmong elders asked me, “Pastor Wayne, how come you are the only one who loves us?” and that Vietnam War refugee group has been here for almost half a century. It’s not just people of color as it took roughly 3 generations before Italian and Eastern European immigrants were accepted as “white” back in the late 19th century and early 20th. Even as a kid in the 50’s we were still making fun of the “waps” and the “polocks.”
Yes, and I remember all the”Japs” jokes we told in grammar school. And I remember my uncle calling Brazil nuts “nigger-toes.” And I remember looking out my front window in 1965 during the Watts riots fearing a crowd of black people might flood up the street ready to burn my house down. And I am aware that still today, I am not entirely comfortable around African Americans. But no … no racism.
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.” This, from Rev 7:9, is a picture of heaven. It’s all inclusive with everyone in harmony praising God. The message is simple. If that’s how it will be in heaven, then that’s how it should be now. And now is the time to start.
Thanks for your thoughtful exploration of this, John. Last year, my wife and I took a trip to civil rights monuments and museums in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. What an eye opener! One of the things we learned is that if you don’t know Black history, you don’t really know American history. As you said, we must not go back to the days of Jim Crow. There may not be an explicit push to do that, but there is a concerted effort to downplay the past, to pretend that slavery and the Jim Crow days were not as bad as they are, and that telling the truth about our past is somehow unpatriotic. As Christians, we know that truth is liberating and the denial of truth leaves us in bondage. I ended up writing a series of articles about how African American history and American history are intertwined, with lessons from a Christian perspective. They are posted here: http://www.faithexplored.com/blog/tags/racial-justice . We need to keep the conversation alive and not let these challenges of our past be swept under the rug. Thanks for your contribution to that discussion.
Father, forgive them and us for not knowing what we were and are doing.
None of us can plead ignorance, and neither could those who condemned and crucified Jesus.
Yet, hanging from the cross, Jesus knew that His accusers and executioners did not REALLY know what they were doing.
Still, He asked for forgiveness on our behalf.
Now, whether persecutor or persecuted, we must seek forgiveness.
Forgiveness for our heinous sins whether in action or in thought, whether intentional or in ignorance.
Forgiveness for the resulting bitterness, suspicion, anger, hatred, and subsequent discrimination and judgement that flourishes and separates brother from brother, and man from God.
There is none righteous, no not one.
We must repent and forgive.
Oh, Lord, are any of us truly humble, worthy, and capable enough to accept and, henceforth, live out Your Word?
Yes Bob, you are absolutely right. Forgiveness is of bottom line importance. I find myself having more issues with racism that I observe, than do my Black pastor friends. They have worked diligently regarding forgiveness but when things happen, such as the George Floyd incident, I can literally see in their eyes, “Oh no, here we go again and I have to work through the forgiveness process again.” They are far ahead of me when it comes to the depth one has to go to truly work through issues of forgiveness. Frankly, I jump to thinking of God. Talk about One who genuinely knows what forgiveness is all about!!!