Ryan Herring: The Ghetto Monk Activating Justice — Part 1

First written February 19, 2015 by Zakiya Jackson

Sometimes I read something that makes me feel warm — as though the words have come, sat down next to me and wrapped a loved one’s arms around me in a gentle embrace and said “All will be well Zakiya, there is hope yet.” One of the writer’s is Howard Thurman. Another is Austin Channing Brown. And another is Ryan Herring — especially when I read his piece,How Justice Became Central to My Christian Identity.

“God, the Bible, and the Church are the foundation of my activism. Jesus was the first revolutionary I learned about; a first century Palestinian Jew who “courageously exposed the greed for money, power and adulation of the political elite.” His movement existed under a police state in the midst of religious and political turmoil. He was arrested unjustly, brutalized and tortured by Roman guards, and executed in a manner “reserved almost exclusively for the crime of sedition.” On the other hand, as James Cone writes, “He is also the divine One who transcends the limitations of history by making himself present in our contemporary existence. When God raised Jesus from the dead, God affirmed that Jesus’ historical identity with the freedom of the poor was in fact divinity taking on humanity for the purpose of liberating human beings from sin and death. It is within this context that the resurrection is a political event.”

Not only do I want to imitate Jesus’ revolutionary lifestyle, but also the revolutionary love He exhibited. I experience God as the fountainhead of love. The love that flows to me from God is not meant to stop with me, rather it is meant to flow through me. Huey Newton was absolutely correct when he said, “…what motivates people is not great hate, but great love for other people.” It is the revolutionary, boundless, and immense love that I have for people that impels me to seek justice. As Dr. Cornel West says, “Justice is a what love looks like in public.”

Ryan is a young Black author and activist and he is part of the narrative of the justice movement activated across the US. He is also a piece of the real story of Black Men — the story that resists the myopic understanding that prevails our collective American consciousness. He is the authentic counter-narrative.

About six months ago someone told me that he’s someone I needed to know about and of course naturally I went to the Twitterverse for help. Ryan graciously allowed us at CYM to interview him and now you get hear from him and experience a piece of his story as well. And because I talk so much, you’ll see my thoughts interspersed throughout in blue.

ZJ: Who is Ryan Herring?

RH: I am unapologetically black and unashamedly Christian.

I am the co-founder and editor-in-chief of theGhetto Monk, which started in May 2013

The idea for the Ghetto Monk came from people following me on Twitter. From my social, political and religious commentating on there. My followers started asking me to do it.

I feel like a superhero when I’m getting dressed to go protest. If only my powers could end racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, poverty

— Ryan Herring (@infiniteideal) February 14, 2015

The name came from the Q-Tip interview on Nas’ Illmatic. He described Nas as the Ghetto Monk. I’m a Big Nas Fan.

ZJ: What do you do for work?

RH: I’ve been blessed to travel a lot. The last six years I’ve lived in six cities. I travel a lot because of my activism, but I have moved a lot because of school, interning, and now because of my current activism. I was part of the protest after the Oscar Grant verdict.

(The movie Fruitvale Station is about Oscar Grant’s murder at a Bart station in Oakland, California. Watch the movie and be moved, people. Oscar, like so many others slain, was an unarmed young Black man.)

While I was interning in DC I protested for immigration reform and against Israeli military strikes and occupation in Palestine.

And currently I’ve been called to Louisville for this particular movement. Representation here isn’t very strong in the black community, especially the young black community. So we want to use the current energy of Ferguson to propel things forward. Our initial start was to keep the creative style and demonstrations going. We did this to raise awareness in Louisville and to let people know that Ferguson is everywhere. Now we are meeting a lot. We are meeting to be accountable to the city we are protesting for.

(Did you catch that? Ryan, like so many other activists, is not just out there trying to disturb folks. There’s integrity, strategy and direction to this Movement.)

ZJ: Is it harder to engage older generations in what you are doing as a Millennial?

RH: It hasn’t been as difficult as I thought it would be. Age plays a part. It’s more about ideological differences. Our styles are different. When talking to older generations, I try to be respectful in my personal conversations. I want the wisdom of our elders. I want their support. In general though, my response is that we got to keep it moving.

ZJ: What advice would you give other Millennials who are trying to get involved?

RH: There is definitely a role for everyone in this movement. You shouldn’t define your activism by someone else’s movement. Definitely show up when you can with your body. Otherwise, however you feel convicted is how you should get involved.

Those who hope in Christ can no longer put up with reality as it is but begin to…contradict it. Peace w/ God means conflict with the world

— Ryan Herring (@infiniteideal) February 18, 2015

ZJ: What advice would you give baby boomers and other generations working with and learning from Millennials?

RH: I would say the best way to get involved is to offer your wisdom and your support to the younger generation. And trust us that we have absorbed enough at this point to handle the situation.

(Ahem…let go…please…***smiles and smiles again)

ZJ: And what inspires you?

RH: The love I have for black folks. (Amen.)

My faith inspires me as well. (And amen.)

Alright good people, this is it for Part 1. Enjoy Part 2 here, where Ryan discusses his faith journey, the role of music in movements, women leading the current movement and more. And remember #BlackMenRock.