OHF Weekly: Equality after Election Day Roundup
By: Our Human Family
Tags: OHF Weekly, Election 2020, Equality, America, Roundup

“When You’ve Been White Too Long”

by William Spivey

“I will flatly say that the bulk of this country’s white population impresses me and has so impressed me for a very long time, as being beyond any conceivable hope of moral rehabilitation. They have been white, if I may so put it, too long…”

— James Baldwin

In addition to James Baldwin, this story’s inspiration comes from the book, “White Too Long,” by Robert P. Jones. I heard an NPR interview with the author, and the topic of white supremacy in American Christianity intrigued me. So I ordered the book and received it a week or so ago. I originally planned to read the book and perhaps review it, but I got no further than the James Baldwin quote that preceded the first chapter.

While thinking about “white too long,” I realized there’s a corollary of being Black too long. What are the long-term effects of a lifetime of Blackness in a country that not only doesn’t value you but also actively promotes the concept that your life doesn’t matter? The Los Angeles Times just came out with an apology for racism in its historical news coverage.It’s sorry for what it says about what it used to be as if they’re now all better. The Orlando Sentinelapologized in 2019 for its racist coverage of the Groveland Four case, which began with the cry of rape by a white woman in 1949. (continued at Medium.com)

Interview: OHF Editors on The Writing Cooperative’s “This Week in Writing” podcast

The Writing Cooperative co-founder Justin Cox sat down with OHF Special Projects Editor Sherry Kappel and OHF Editorial Director Clay Rivers for a candid discussion about the publication’s approach to handling political subjects without being political. Check it out!

Excerpt from “Fieldnotes on Allyship: Achieving Equality Together” Appears in Al Jazeera English

Osama Al Saadi/Al Jazeera

We’re pleased to announce that John Metta’s chapter, “The Freedom to Be: Defining White Privilege and White Supremacy,” from our new book Fieldnotes on Allyship appeared in aljazeera.com. This excerpt is classic Metta in its graceful yet informative exploration of two pillars of racism.

Our Human Family’s New Book, “Fieldnotes on Allyship: Achieving Equality Together”

Our first book, Fieldnotes on Allyship: Achieving Equality Together is an informal and informative guide to becoming an effective ally right where you are. Written by eighteen authors from the U.S. and around the world, this collection covers four areas:

a history of how we as a nation got here

the forces that maintain systemic racism

preparing to serve as an ally, and

serving as an ally

This anthology, with an introduction by anti-racism educator and author Tim Wise, presents a different way forward: a vision in which we acknowledge, support, and celebrate the humanity in all of us.

Contributing authors: Consuelo G. Flores, Michael Greiner, Christienne Leigh Hinz, Marley K., Sherry Kappel, Joel Leon, stephen matlock, Kim McCaul, John Metta, Lecia Michelle 📃, Aisha Paz, Clay Rivers, Glenn Rocess, William Spivey, Estacious(Charles White), Jesse Wilson, Sylvia Wohlfarth, and an Introduction by Tim Wise.

Fieldnotes on Allyship is available in print at Amazon. 20% discounted digital editions (iPad, Nook, and Kindle) for our OHF family and friends can be found at ourhumanfamily.org/publications. Also available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.

Support Our Human Family

Since April 2019, Our Human Family has published articles with the purpose of uniting the world around two simple truths:

Our similarities as human beings far outnumber our perceived differences.

Ultimately, we all want the same things: to be accepted, understood, and loved.

We at Our Human Family on Medium have increased our scope and established Our Human Family, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We will continue to advocate for racial equality and inclusion, and your tax-deductible donations and gifts will allow us to create and offer workshops, panel discussion groups, host guest speaker events, and much more.

Racism harms not only its victims; it harms its perpetrators, and bystanders. Racism harms everyone. Our Human Family, Inc. is working to bring an end to racism and to establish a society firmly rooted in equality. You can help us continue our anti-racism work.

Please contribute to the critical work and word of Our Human Family, Inc. at the forefront of the national conversation on better race relations and widespread equality in America. Visit us at ourhumanfamily.org for more on our mission and to sign up for special offers and announcements.

Let’s Stay Together

You can always find Our Human Family articles on Medium and Twitter, and friend-linked versions posted on our Facebook page for your convenience. Be sure to check out our Instagram page. Comment, follow us, and share our articles with people you think would enjoy them. You know, you’re always welcome to chat with us on Twitter.

Thanks for doing your part to make racial equality a reality.

Love one another.

Clay Rivers

Our Human Family, Founder and Editorial Director