by Rev. Vonnie James, Grenada Baptist Association
Have you ever imagined that God was dead? Well in societies where years of exploitation, marginalisation, oppression, and subjugation exist, God seems dead.
The United States is one of these societies, where whiteness has prevailed so much, that for non-whites, God seems unable to bring liberation to God’s oppressed people, the way God did for the oppressed people of Egypt (Exodus 3, Exodus 9). Whiteness in the United States has become a clear and present danger to non-white people, especially to Black Americans, Caribbean and people of African descent living in this atmosphere. The recent international protest that started in the US, against police brutality and all forms of inequalities that have had worldwide implications for churches and governments is an attest to the problem of whiteness.
Using the theoretical concept of whiteness within a socio-historical framework, this writing aims to (1) bring attention to whiteness (2) inquire whether whiteness has affected the Grenadian and the Caribbean communities (3) explore some options to reduce its impact. As we proceed, however, it is important to note that public issues such as race, racism, racial inequalities, racial injustice and race relations all are related to the larger issue of whiteness. Therefore, we should discuss them in relation to this concept of whiteness. This article will attempt only to give a very brief description of whiteness.
Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre says, “‘Whiteness,’ like ‘colour’ and ‘Blackness,’ are essentially social constructs applied to human beings rather than veritable truths that have universal validity. The power of Whiteness, however, is manifested by the ways in which racialised Whiteness becomes transformed into social, political, economic, and cultural behaviour. White culture, norms, and values in all these areas become normative natural. They become the standard against which all other cultures, groups, and individuals are measured and usually found to be inferior (Henry & Tator, 2006, p. 46-47). “Whiteness studies [explore] what it means to be White in the United States and the global community,” and constitute “a growing body of books, articles, courses, and academic conferences,” (Rodriguez 1999:20).
Rightly observed, “America is inherently a “white” country: in character, in structure, in culture. Needless to say, black Americans create lives of their own. Yet as a people, they face boundaries and constrictions set by the white majority. America’s version of apartheid, while lacking overt legal sanction, comes closest to the system even now…” (Hacker 1992:4). Unfortunately, “Whiteness has been made to appear natural, that is, as objective scientific fact, in US cultural and legal history,” says Alex Mikulich (PhD) in his article “Race, Racism, and Whiteness.” Alex Mikulich is an anti-racist Roman Catholic social ethicist and activist.
Whiteness is complex, compelling and continues to be a very problematic issue. We know this because (a) all major institutions in the US have policies on racism, inclusion and the likes, surrounding whiteness; (b) with the recent uprising against police brutality and inequality in the US, numerous institutions across the world have released statements on the issue, including St. George’s University (Grenada) and the University of the West Indies-Mona (Jamaica). In these statements, these institutions categorically and clearly condemn all forms of racism, violence, intolerance, hate, and bigotry; (c) there is a quiet exodus in the USA that reached a crescendo in 2016, that saw black people leaving white churches, mostly because of the silence of the white evangelical on issues such as police brutality, racial inequality and such vices. See “A Quiet Exodus: Why Black Worshipers Are Leaving White Evangelical Churches“ an article that Campbell Robertson (2018) wrote in the New York Times.
So what? As a black, Caribbean person of faith in Grenada who often takes on the role of public theologian in the sphere of the Christian tradition, I or no one can deny the complicity of the white evangelical community in the USA on the issue of whiteness. That is a deep theological concern. Because of whiteness, God’s justice seems incapable of addressing vices that affect the black community and that makes the question of whether God is dead for black America and other non-whites is a justifiable one. Because expressed or not, some are beginning to question this God because of whiteness. So, either God is dead or God is only for white people.
I do not believe that God is dead. But if God seems dead for the black community, can we blame them? In religious education and formation, whiteness has seen a generation of Grenadian And Caribbean churchgoers growing up with a concept of Jesus as a White man? That is, despite many scholars, including Robert Eisler in a classic 1931 study of “Josephus’s Testimony” proving otherwise. And who is challenging Samaritan Purse, a US based Christian organisation that works in the Caribbean, when for example they distribute white dolls in their Operation Christmas Child programme in Haiti and the rest of the Caribbean?
Further, who is challenging the religious imageries of ‘white Jesus’ in artworks, in our edifices and colour code evangelism tools which almost always use ‘black’ or non-white as the colour for sin or death?
In Grenada and the Caribbean, we should challenge whiteness through public education such as intellectual debates, Bible studies on racial issues and ensuring that the languages we use in church and society do not place whiteness as the standard.
We should also challenge whiteness from a Biblical and theological position. God created all humans equal (Genesis 1:26-28) and that all humans regardless of the colour of their skin have a right to self-actualisation in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:28-29) a concept that whiteness, ideologically opposes. In fact, we should literally remove any images of white Jesus, reject any books, paraphernalia or otherwise, that paints black as sinful, evil or associated with death. In situations where we present Jesus as white, we and our congregations should repent. Because in fact, the historical Jesus was not ‘white’, in any way, shape or form.
References
Guess, T. J. (2006). The Social Construction of Whiteness: Racism by Intent, Racism by Consequence. Critical Sociology, 32(4), 649–673. https://doi.org/10.1163/156916306779155199
Hacker, A. (2003). Two nations: Black and white, separate, hostile, unequal. New York: Scribner’s.
Rodriguez, Roberto. 1999. “The Study of Whiteness. (Caucasians)” Black Issues In Higher Education 16(6):20–25.
Tator, C., & Henry, F. (2006). Racial profiling in Canada: Challenging the myth of “a few bad apples”. Toronto [Ont.: University of Toronto Press.
The US is a racist country and its inhabitants not particularly bright hence the election of Trump and others not so different. Obama and Carter are exceptions to the rule which is a shame. But what about the black on black racism in Grenada, that was a surprise. Look at employment and who gets the “office” jobs. There was an ad campaign for used cars on the TV and they’d drive in bad black cars to be replaced by good white cars, for real, I couldn’t believe it, the ad ran for years, You can’t enslave people and strip their humanity for hundreds of years and think the damage is passing. The African slave trade has no equal for crime against humanity, no equal including the holocaust.
I suspect the Reverend has been on de Ganjee. God exists only in the minds of believers. And the number of believers is falling faster than Trump’s support. Hopefully poison preachers like this will be redundant soon.
I havent read the article but based on above comments i can tell its all about this blokes twisted view of things! i dont care about race! race is just a social construct designed to marginalize a targeted group. we are all the same human race. Cant you people realize that elements withing various so call racial groups are using the unrest surrunding george floyds death to further their respective narrative. I am a Grenadian of scottish and african back ground and i value both sides of my family.
The man who wrote this has no idea what he is talking about.
The bible described God –
We have been fulled for many generations to pass on the biblical allegories for generations and generations, by the minority on this planet to subdue the world’s population, manipulate and enrich themselves.
Just to ponder: which animal skin looks like your hair? (A) Goat. or (B) Sheep.
Which animal hair resembles the depiction from the issue?
Read Revelation:1:14 – His hair like pure wool, his feet like brass, as if they were burned in a furnace.
Read – Revelation: (2:18)
Read – Daniel:( 7: 9) & (10 : 16)
If something is burned what color does it looks like?
Dis is de first sensible comment I seen on here Anthea. Christianity is thousand year old lies to keep de masses in order and line de pockets of de preachers. Churches should used as homeless shelters.
God should not be black or white. In ancient times concepts of god were understandably cultural. The world was not connected as it is today and cultures were not as easily imposed upon others. Maybe we should reject Christianity altogether. My two cents.
So you think we should not welcome white visitors to Grenada any more rev? Not a very Christian attitude is it? Seeing as they pay our wages?
Interesting commentary but somewhat confusing
Jeezus! Whiteness, Blackness, White God, Black God. This entire essay is lame bullshit intellectually, morally and spiritually. I pity those who look to this holy-man for spiritual guidance