Tonight an African American woman named Avis Wanda got kicked out of Quakerism because she advocates for justice.
That's a simplification of what some Quakers would say is a complex issue. But when I heard this, I thought, this is what Quakers do. They emotionally and spiritually bludgeon people until they conform, leave, or, in this instance, kick you out (but in a really "nice" way so you feel like it's all your fault). That's my experience anyway.
You can read about her experience here. Don't read the articles responding to her article. The response from her now former Meeting called her a liar in the nicest way possible. We can't possibly be racist, they claim.
I admire her. I couldn't stick it out with Quakers. My experience of them is that they sit, listen, fold their hands, and do only things that protect their reputation and privilege.
One Voice Mixed Chorus in the Twin Cities commissioned a choral piece about Bayard Rustin. It was powerful and I hope many people get to see it. The one flaw is that the piece holds up Quakers as if they were all fighters for justice. A few were extraordinary. But most mirrored the rest of the culture, like they do today. See Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship by Vanessa Julye & Donna McDaniel.
I've watched this process over the couple of years from an intimate perspective. Liz is a support to Avis, and I've been astounded at the inaction at the quarterly meeting and yearly meeting level.
Tonight, Avis asked me to knit her a hat. In black. You bet I will. Because Fuck Quakers.
7 comments:
Our meeting's Racial Justice Committee is working towards undertaking a self-assessment in regards to how welcoming and comfortable our meeting is for people of color. I'm thinking of getting in touch with a dozen or so young people of color who have come and gone at our meeting to see if they'd be willing to fill out the one page assessment tool as well.
Well written and accurate. Thank you/thee.
Jeanne points out to me a lot that we white Friends often want to "learn from" the people who have been hurt by us. The intention to learn -- and improve ourselves -- is a good one but the way we go about it may not be. Why would a victim of abuse (eg white supremacy) want to tell their abuser (eg relatively clueless well-intentioned white people) what they did wrong? How can the abuser demonstrate first that they have in fact have had a deep change not just in heart but in behavior and attitude first? In whiteness and middle-classness, words matter. For folks who aren't white or middle class, deeds matter--and not just the superficial stuff like adopting a minute on racism.
I am learning over and over and over again that we white Friends need to stop putting our "learning" about racism on the backs of people of color. Plenty has been written about racism and whiteness -- and about how people of color have been hurt by white (middle class) Quakerism. I think the October 2014 issue of Friends Journal is dedicated to the experiences of Quakers of color; and of course there is the book Fit for Freedom Not for Friendship.
Oh frack. What happened? I thought Avis Wanda had support--not at her old meeting of course, but elsewhere.
Support isn't membership. Her meeting just read her out of meeting. I'm sure there are others who would accept her membership, but being disowned hurts deeply.
I am a new member at my meeting and new to the Society of Friends. What I am wondering is why the Quarterly and Yearly meetings did not do more, like investigate Avis' complaints and give Upper Dublin Meeting directives to truly welcome members of color and treat them as full fledged members not guests. She is concerned about the old grave sites of the unnamed African Americans from the underground railroad buried in the meeting'S cemetery. Is there anything we can do?
Marian,
They didn't do more because of what I said above. The upcoming Quarterly meeting refused to let Avis have an item on their business agenda. The Yearly Meeting has done nothing. A few Friends have witnessed what happened but have done little.
Racism and classism. White middle class people care about their reputations deeply, and far more than they care about other people. They stay silent, even when they know something is wrong, because they don't want to tarnish their reputation or power. They don't like people being direct or emotional, or challenging their power.
One white middle class Friend witnessed what was happening and wrote the draft of a letter. It was harsh and spoke truth to power. When someone shared it more widely, he backed WAY off and made it much nicer and only made implications about what the meetings (monthly, quarterly, yearly) should do. Nothing came of it, of course, because here we are.
John Woolman warned of us this state Quakers find themselves.
"Thus oppression in the extreme appears terrible, but oppression in more refined appearances remains to be oppression, and where the smallest degree of it is cherished it grows stronger and more extensive: that to labor for a perfect redemption from this spirit of oppression is the great business of the whole family of Christ Jesus in this world." –John Woolman, A Plea for the Poor
Post a Comment