Institutional Racism is not the Problem

Lasting social change is a far more personal matter

No moment in recent history has been more pregnant with the desire for change.

The death of George Floyd has lit the world on fire and with it the old institutions that harbored racist ideologies.

Protests, both peaceful and violent, have shaken governments at a fundamental level and have begun moving the needle towards a more just equilibrium. Millions participated in demonstrations, took to social media, and made a stand to end systemic racism. For the first time in this century, there is an unstoppable wave of momentum and a deep desire for lasting social change.

But as we collectively stand on the edge of a new world that seeks to be free from indifference and otherness, a nagging question remains stuck in the back of my mind:

Will institutional change be enough if we fail to undergo personal transformation?

Is it possible prejudice has endured for centuries not because it was institutionalized, but rather because it was internalized?

Perhaps the parasite prevailed because there was always a host — conscious or unconscious of their own inherent bias, preference, and indifference. Structural overhaul is the beginning, but it’s not the end of systemic discrimination. There is no value in being woke if our soul remains unmoved.

Perhaps a more pressing question now is what does a deeply personal, long lasting change, actually look like?

How do we overcome racism when it’s not out there but in here?

Jesus embodied a way of life that eradicated racism at a personal, rather than institutional level.

His way was both simple and sustainable.

1. He chose to be with people — in close and consistent proximity.

2. He allowed himself to be compelled by the things that affected people.

3. He didn’t stop at emotion. Once compelled, he acted.

John, a biographer and friend of Jesus’ wrote this:

The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish (John 1, The Message).

Jesus chose to change his physical location and live among the people in first century Palestine. He physically moved. This was absolutely vital to his mission. He could not influence what he did not become. In order to affect humanity, Jesus had to become human.

His association with humans compelled him to act on behalf of the people he encountered.

When a leper came to him, begging him to heal the disease that had consumed his body, Jesus responded: “Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, “I want to. Be clean.” (Mark 1, The Message).

When Jesus was traveling from one city to another and two blind men cried out in expectation, he met them at the place of their need: “Jesus stopped and called over, “What do you want from me?” They said, “Master, we want our eyes opened. We want to see!” Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes. They had their sight back that very instant (Matthew 20, The Message).

Jesus did not personally understand the hardships that accompanied leprosy and he did not have a history of blindness.

But because he chose to be with people, he was moved by the things that affected them. And his compassion did not discriminate. He acted on behalf of members of conflicting social classes and ethnicities.

Jesus was amazed by the faith of a Roman general and offered mercy to his servant (Matthew 8). He praised the belief of a Canaanite woman and healed her daughter (Matthew 15). He put himself in a position to receive from a Samaritan woman and as a result, transformed her community (John 4).

Jesus did not cloister himself among people of the same ethnicity, social class, and life experience. He acted on behalf of everyone, regardless of how his actions would be perceived by rival groups.

The social significance of his choices may be lost on us because we don’t understand the political context of first century Palestine. Allow me to translate into today’s context:

Jesus stood with the cause of Black Lives Matter.

Jesus healed the daughter of a Minnesota Police officer.

Jesus sympathized with the CHAZ community.

Jesus chose an Anarchist to be part of his core leadership team.

He was radically inclusive. He acted on behalf of both those on the fringes and those in the dominant culture.

Indifference fuels racism.

It’s easy to be apathetic about people who live on the East or West side. It’s hard when it’s the person next door. It’s easy to be cutting and demeaning when typing words on a screen. It’s much more difficult when you’re looking into the eyes of another human being.

Indifference isn’t the answer if you don’t have an experiential understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement. Jesus was moved by the things that moved people — regardless if he could personally relate at the moment.

Make a choice to be moved by another’s desire for justice.

You may have never felt fear during a routine traffic stop but that doesn’t mean you can’t step into empathy and solidarity. Allow the things that affect others to affect you. Join hands, ask questions, sit at the feet of someone with a different perspective and allow them to be your teacher.

There is no room for pride. There is no room for presuppositions. There is no room for indifference.

The next time someone asks you for money, stop and ask how they’re doing. Go to that party your coworker invited you to even though if it means celebrating in a way you’re not accustomed to. Attend a concert that highlights a different style of music. Drive over to your friends’ home — don’t just shoot off a text — when they share they just lost a loved one. Watch a film not made in the United States. And if you’re feeling so compelled, actually move to a neighborhood where you’re the minority.

If we’re serious about calling ourselves followers of Jesus, it means we actually need to follow him. And he chose to be with people — in a physical, tangible, transformative way.

Racism — in any form — cannot survive in the face of this type of genuine human connection.

I became a father last year.

My wife and I are currently embroiled in the real time activities of teaching our son what it means to be human. His world is a blank canvas and we’re the ones responsible for filling in the gaps. He has no inherent bias, no predisposed presuppositions.

We want him to be compelled by the way of Jesus embodied through our actions and attitudes, the words not said as much as the ones verbalized. I never fully understood the gravity and responsibility of parenting until now — he will grow up in the environment we create.

On May 23rd, 2020 we chose to leave our home, friends, and family in Cleveland and move to LA. I took a job in South LA and we moved into a neighborhood in Inglewood.

We will not teach our son indifference.

We will not pass on prejudice or presuppositions.

He will grow up understanding and valuing the experiences of those around him, regardless if he can personally relate. He’s a white boy who will live in a world of color. For his parents, this is what it means to follow the way of Jesus.

Institutional change is vital for racism to come to an end. But for that day to dawn, the indifference and prejudice in our own hearts must be surrendered to the one whose love, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness did not — and does not — discriminate.