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A review by drbobcornwall
America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America by Jim Wallis
5.0
Racism is America's original sin. Racism has been deeply embedded in the American psyche since the first European settlers stepped foot on the shores of North America. The Civil War brought an end to slavery, but not racism. The Civil Rights Movement and the legislation that it pursued put an end to most overt forms of segregation, but it did not rid us of racism. The election of the first Black President was a move forward, but it didn't end racism. Indeed, nearly fifty years after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. the church remains just about as segregated today as it did then.
Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners and Christian social activist, has written an important primer on America's original sin. In a book that is deeply personal, Wallis, who is White himself, addresses the often unaddressed problem of White privilege that hangs over our national conversation, including the conversation within the Christian community. He admits, as we who are white and male must do, that he is the beneficiary of a system that rewards those who are white and male. He grew up in Detroit, a city that has been deeply affected by racial divisions and white flight. As an adult he has spent much of his life living in communities where is the minority ethnicity. He encounters with his neighbors has influenced his life and vision. He also admits that "no matter what you do to help overcome racism, you can never escape white privilege in America if you are white" (p. xxii).
This is a challenging book, but it is also a hopeful one. It involves a confession of sin, but it also offers a vision of a bridge to a new America. The cover of the book features the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Those who crossed that bridge in the 1965 participated in one of the most pivotal moments in the Civil Rights Movement. That is one bridge that has been crossed, but we still bridges to build and to cross so that we can become the nation that Dr. King and others envisioned.
The book begins with the story of race, takes us to Ferguson and Baltimore. It develops the premise of original sin and its legacy. Being theological, there is also a call to repentance, which is more than saying your sorry. Moving further in Wallis talks about dying to "Whiteness." That doesn't mean we who are of European ancestry must feel guilty about our heritage, but does require that we reject the ideology of whiteness, that is the ideology of white supremacy.
An important chapter takes us into the church, which remains largely segregated -- that includes most liberal/progressive congregations. What does a truly multi-racial church look like? Getting here will require intentionality, acknowledgement that diversity isn't an end in itself, developing a spirit of inclusion, and empowering leadership that is multi-racial. This all requires a great deal of adaptability!
Any conversation about race and America cannot avoid discussion of the role of police in our country. Wallis speaks of moving from envisioning the police as warriors to guardians. Serving and protecting needs to be made a priority! It is important to affirm that both black lives and blue lives matter. All of this requires building trust within communities, and this requires moving more fully toward community policing, ending the school-to-prison pipeline, and mass incarceration. Speaking of that, we need to address what has come to be called the "New Jim Crow." The racial disparity of our prison population must be addressed. Much of the problem is rooted in America's drug policies, which affect African American communities much more than other communities. Along with recognizing the disparities in our laws, Wallis encourages a move toward restorative justice, so that the purpose of the criminal justice system is to repair harm.
It's not just the African American community that faces the impact of original sin. Immigrant communities do so as well. Immigration policy today has become very politicized, and peoples lives are at stake. The system is broken, but there is no political will, despite the fact that both the Roman Catholic Church and evangelicals have been calling for reform. There is, of course, fear in the land that "those people" will come and take over. White America feels threatened. The response isn't pretty. It's also not very Christian.
Racism is our original sin. It affects everything that occurs in our nation. But it need not have the final word. We can build a new bridge. We can cross the bridge to that new America Jim Wallis envisions. We must do so because the demographic shift is leading quickly to a multi-racial country. So will we adapt and embrace the other, or will we dig in our heals. Wallis suggests the former, and I agree.
I believe this is more than an important book. It is an essential book to read. It is important that those who, like me, are white hear from one who is also white calling on us to repent. Repentance is not easy. We prefer a cheap grace that requires nothing of us, but that is not what Wallis offers. So, let us read and consider what it will take to cross the bridge.
Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners and Christian social activist, has written an important primer on America's original sin. In a book that is deeply personal, Wallis, who is White himself, addresses the often unaddressed problem of White privilege that hangs over our national conversation, including the conversation within the Christian community. He admits, as we who are white and male must do, that he is the beneficiary of a system that rewards those who are white and male. He grew up in Detroit, a city that has been deeply affected by racial divisions and white flight. As an adult he has spent much of his life living in communities where is the minority ethnicity. He encounters with his neighbors has influenced his life and vision. He also admits that "no matter what you do to help overcome racism, you can never escape white privilege in America if you are white" (p. xxii).
This is a challenging book, but it is also a hopeful one. It involves a confession of sin, but it also offers a vision of a bridge to a new America. The cover of the book features the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Those who crossed that bridge in the 1965 participated in one of the most pivotal moments in the Civil Rights Movement. That is one bridge that has been crossed, but we still bridges to build and to cross so that we can become the nation that Dr. King and others envisioned.
The book begins with the story of race, takes us to Ferguson and Baltimore. It develops the premise of original sin and its legacy. Being theological, there is also a call to repentance, which is more than saying your sorry. Moving further in Wallis talks about dying to "Whiteness." That doesn't mean we who are of European ancestry must feel guilty about our heritage, but does require that we reject the ideology of whiteness, that is the ideology of white supremacy.
An important chapter takes us into the church, which remains largely segregated -- that includes most liberal/progressive congregations. What does a truly multi-racial church look like? Getting here will require intentionality, acknowledgement that diversity isn't an end in itself, developing a spirit of inclusion, and empowering leadership that is multi-racial. This all requires a great deal of adaptability!
Any conversation about race and America cannot avoid discussion of the role of police in our country. Wallis speaks of moving from envisioning the police as warriors to guardians. Serving and protecting needs to be made a priority! It is important to affirm that both black lives and blue lives matter. All of this requires building trust within communities, and this requires moving more fully toward community policing, ending the school-to-prison pipeline, and mass incarceration. Speaking of that, we need to address what has come to be called the "New Jim Crow." The racial disparity of our prison population must be addressed. Much of the problem is rooted in America's drug policies, which affect African American communities much more than other communities. Along with recognizing the disparities in our laws, Wallis encourages a move toward restorative justice, so that the purpose of the criminal justice system is to repair harm.
It's not just the African American community that faces the impact of original sin. Immigrant communities do so as well. Immigration policy today has become very politicized, and peoples lives are at stake. The system is broken, but there is no political will, despite the fact that both the Roman Catholic Church and evangelicals have been calling for reform. There is, of course, fear in the land that "those people" will come and take over. White America feels threatened. The response isn't pretty. It's also not very Christian.
Racism is our original sin. It affects everything that occurs in our nation. But it need not have the final word. We can build a new bridge. We can cross the bridge to that new America Jim Wallis envisions. We must do so because the demographic shift is leading quickly to a multi-racial country. So will we adapt and embrace the other, or will we dig in our heals. Wallis suggests the former, and I agree.
I believe this is more than an important book. It is an essential book to read. It is important that those who, like me, are white hear from one who is also white calling on us to repent. Repentance is not easy. We prefer a cheap grace that requires nothing of us, but that is not what Wallis offers. So, let us read and consider what it will take to cross the bridge.