The root of racial prejudice lies deep within us, and in seeking a solution to the evil results of racial tensions we need to search our own hearts. Our belief in the significance of every individual in the sight of God and his need for an abundant life can guide us even when we shrink before the vastness of the problem.
London Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends (Quakers), 1952
The problem is vast and many shrink before the tensions and are not willing to go deep enough. Recent events provide an invitation to search our own hearts. It is easy and comforting to presume that you are already on the right side of history due to surface-level politics and past actions. This underestimates the vastness of the challenge and the opportunities before us.
The Society of Friends (Quakers) are historically praised as early antislavery advocates and abolitionists associated with the Underground Railroad. However, being anti-slavery is not the same as being anti-racist and, like most white individuals and historically white institutions, there is a long history of missed opportunities within the more sought-after stories of social justice heroes.
This statement above is from almost seventy years ago but still speaks to us today. The journey is long and never ending, but vital to take. Rather than statements of creeds, the Society of Friends historically uses advice and queries to serve as a guide to challenge and inspire Friends in their spiritual practices and daily living.
Here are some suggested queries to consider as we seek to go deeper within ourselves:
● Be honest with yourself. What unpalatable truths might you be evading? When you recognize your shortcomings, do not let that discourage you. In worship together we can find the assurance of God’s love and the strength to go on with renewed courage. [Britain Yearly Meeting, Quaker Faith and Practice (Fifth Edition), https://qfp.quaker.org.uk/chapter/1/]
● How are we informed by our identities? What stories have we told ourselves? Whose stories are left out?
● How do we negotiate our self concept as one who is a good person and values social justice, and as someone entangled in a culture of white supremacy?
● Are there “comfortable choices” we choose to make today coming from our places of privilege? Are we aware of the privileges that exist for some and not others?
● How might we engage in the difficult process of reframing presumed narratives?
● Are there approaches that we can take to support us in our journey?
Gwen Gosney Erickson found her spiritual home among the Society of Friends (Quakers) growing up in North Carolina. She served as "Friend in Residence" at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Center in Birmingham, UK in 2014. Gwen is an archivist, librarian, and historian. Her current work is an exploration of the intersections of African American Studies and Quaker Studies and explores how historical narratives inform our human experience.
[Originally published in June 29, 2020 issue of The School at Space for Conscious Living's online newsletter.]