One of the questions we, as a congregation, have considered in regards to our decision on whether to contribute to the Black Wealth Builders Fund is, "What is ours to do?" We need the courage to acknowledge that past harms have occurred and continue to occur.
When we choose to grapple with the fact we have directly or indirectly benefited from policies and practices such as redlining, segregation, and more favorable access to higher education. When we realize that financial instruments such as mortgages and credit have disproportionately been approved or available for the more privileged in our society. And, when we conclude that many of these factors have contributed to a widening racial wealth gap, then we're indeed acting with courage, and the previous question can be further refined to be, "What is God calling us to do?”
I teach U.S. History at John Muir Middle School in San Leandro. I’ve been teaching in San Leandro for all but one of the last 28 years. San Leandro today is a wonderfully diverse town in many ways, the school district estimates that 38 different languages are spoken in the city, which gives some testimony to its diversity. But I worked there for about 10 years before I was aware of San Leandro’s racist past practices.
Both the 1960 and 1970 census data showed that San Leandro was 99.99% white. Realtors and city leaders actively worked to keep people of color from buying homes or property in the city. Indeed, in 1969, the television show 60 Minutes aired an episode that featured these actions. The episode is called Suburban Wall. You can still view it on Youtube.
Of course, San Leandro borders the city of Oakland, which then and now features a significant African-American population, so you can imagine that the machinations involved to keep black people from locating to San Leandro must have been substantial.
It is historical examples such as this that make it imperative for any and all of us to attempt in some way to make amends for past actions. We need to establish restorative practices, such as the Black Wealth Builders Fund, to account for all the opportunities that were denied to African-American families to establish a basic tenet of building wealth in our society: home ownership in a community of one’s choosing.
Cathryn and I feel it is vital that we continue our contributions to this worthy and much needed fund. If you’re contributing as well, thank you. If not, please consider this as an invitation to contribute in any way that you can.
Comments