I am a black man. I am a father. I am a husband. I am brother. I am a son. I am an uncle. I am a Christian. I am proud of who I am.
Who do you see me as?
Do you see who I am, or do you see the colour of my skin?
Society judges me as a black man, it sees nothing else. It is not just individuals who can have racist views, but the way society is organised often disadvantages black people.
These events have made me think of a song which echoes in many black people’s lives:
“Who I am, is who I am supposed to be. I am afraid you have to love me that way. If you treat me bad because of my skin, what do you want me to think or feel? Because my skin is not a costume that I can unzip and strip”
I am deeply saddened by current affairs; they have made me weep.
One thing that baffles me about all this racial unrest going on, is that some white people still do not understand. What has really frustrated me is the argument stating that all lives matter. This statement takes attention away from the issue at present, if “all lives matter” then black people would not be in the position they are in now.
Black lives are equally as important as white lives.
What I want to happen from all of this is four main things:
1) People realise that the presence of black people does not mean that black people are accepted or treated equally.
2) People understand what white privilege is - never having your choices constrained by the colour of your skin.
3) People should become more comfortable talking about race and racism.
4) I would like to see a movement to anti-racism where white people make a commitment to take action and challenge racism when they witness it.
And how does God fit into all of this…
“We are all made in God’s image” Genesis 1v27. Let’s celebrate this biblical truth.
I cannot say it better than what has been said by these people:
Kevin DeYoung: A Prayer for Mercy: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/a-prayer-for-mercy/
10 Reasons Why Racism is a Sin:
If you would like to speak to me about this, leave a comment below.