The events of this summer have moved me to my core. So I did what I do, I reached for my pen. Here’s an excerpt from my new book collaboration A Collective Breath.

 

Dear White Christians,

I love you, and God loves you; but He needs you to understand some things. I need you to understand some things:

1. It is not (insert the name of a Black person you know)’s responsibility to educate you on the history of our country and White supremacy’s role in its founding. It is well-documented. Please read or watch The Color of Compromise.

When you say this country was founded as a Christian nation, you leave out its formation of racist systems and how it codified oppression and treated the Natives and enslaved Africans as beasts to be slain or tamed.

2. If you want racial “reconciliation,” you have to be willing to go back to 1619 to when we first met. No, it wasn’t you, and it wasn’t me; but it was our races. As my husband, Rodney, once so eloquently stated, Black people are still very connected to our ancestors. “We” were in the bowels of those ships. Our relationship (that you want to restore) was NEVER right, so we’re not getting back together. We need to re-establish together.

3. Whether you were rich or poor, you have White privilege. Stop arguing about it, stop resisting it, and START using it as a kingdom tool. You are in spaces we are not. Speak for the people you say you love. If you need help with that, then read Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation.

4. Service AND Solidarity—don’t pick one; live both. Don’t feed poor Black children and pity them; work to dismantle the systems that have them living like that. When a Black brother or sister is slain on video, don’t search the internet for his/her traffic tickets or other misdeeds. Call wrong “wrong.” Flip over some tables. Use your power and privilege.

Purpose is about realizing who you uniquely are and knowing WHY you are. It’s using your strengths, your position, and your voice for the kingdom and the world. Battling racism, injustice, inequity, and oppression should be part of that. The next time you donate to a charity, ask yourself WHY that charity needs to exist. Pray and ask God what you can/should do with that revelation. Remember, faith without works is DEAD!

Sincerely,
Your Black Christian Sister

 

 

About the Author

Alana M. Hill, PMP is a resilient, compassionate, and eager professional, wife, and mother. She has committed her life to serving others, and she does so through speaking, writing, and leading change. Alana has a Bachelor of Science in engineering degree from Texas A&M University, which deeply informed her advocacy for racial equity in STEM. Her inner-city background remains a lens through which she views justice and opportunity. As the only woman of color in many spaces, Alana is painfully aware of the consequences of microaggressions and blatant racism in the workplace. In addition, she is the mom of four Black sons, whose lives and hearts she’s worked tirelessly to protect.

Alana is the author of three books. The latest, What’s Your Catalyst? The Power of Managed Change, guides readers to discover their purpose, passions, and priorities to become more effective change leaders at work and at home. When she is not traveling the globe, Alana can be found running and serving in her church and community.