CRT and me

Sarah A. Radcliffe once wrote “Postcolonial approaches have attuned geographers to the politics of giving voice to postcolonial subjects, and the intricate emotive histories that can be both challenged and brought into post-colonial nation-building”  The challenging of these emotive histories happens when the work of Howard Zinn, which presents the histories of the people, about the formation of the US, is challenged.  Certainly alternate stories are necessary in order to help us have a balanced understanding about history.  When such stories and histories conflict this brings-up again old unrest and rivalries that were sure fired guaranteed wins for the whites in the day. Like Zinn, postcolonial and anti-colonial writers do more than theorize, they present us with what we should consider valuable and see them as more than just renditions of history.  All of the argumentation against critical race theory sits well in a church classroom full of white folk, but can come to blows in school board meetings. Koheleth, the speaker of the words in Ecclesiastes once wrote of the necessity of understanding both sides of a story.  History is a collection of stories, and when treated amiably by those on either side there can be growth. The utility of the deconstructive method is evident, when not pushing both sides of a dichotomous world against each other. Radcliffe also wrote about the “therapeutic role of postcolonial theory and the lack of closure around a straightforwardly post-colonial moment” What is needed among white church-goers is some study into the movements that have called forth the postcolonial moment, instead of theorizing about how this or that theory is wrong. Such bullheadedness makes enemies and reinforces misconceptions, perhaps even perpetuating strong discord. No matter how winsome one is with apologetic, it seems an unlikely winner to be those who think they have summarily defeated their enemy, but not left room for the other to speak.  Taking the world back does not include canceling, otherizing, or de-legitimizing anyone. Some scholars have a lot to say about CRT (and CRGT) and who are bigheads and bigwigs sound flowery when defending the “faith” but often delimit the experience of some, if not a lot, of people of color.  There has got to be a better way ahead. We will not cave and shall better heads prevail.  If calmer more level heads do not prevail the church will lose more generations, because Christianity is depicted in such seditious ways, by so many educators.  Let's be prayerful about the way awakening sweeps the country and the world, so as to include many into the Kingdom of God.