Real Talk Episode 1: Paola and Carlos on Radical Disruption

Introduction

Paola Andrea Márquez Leones and Carlos Samuel Reyes Rodríguez offer frank critiques of the hypocrisies of Christianity’s “love your neighbor” message and harmful adaptations even within racially marginalized communities. They suggest a need for more radical disruption of those patterns and theology envisioning God as an immigrant.

Deepen your understanding and strengthen your commitment to faithful action:

Prayer: Addressing white supremacy (from enfleshed): https://enfleshed.com/pages/addressing-white-supremacy.  

Reflection and discussion questions for longer group conversations:

  • Where have you witnessed or participated in either "performative solidarity" or “harmful adaptation” - which means in order to fit into a dominant system you repress others? Have those spaces been within the church, community organizations, national leadership in our society? Name a specific idea and action that disrupts those patterns.

  • What spiritual practices give you freedom to create more solidarity among and with marginalized, targeted members of your communities and to identify God’s solidaritous, queering presence in that shared anti-racist struggle for liberation?

You’re encouraged to refer to the list of pertinent resources we compiled below.
It is by no means exhaustive, and we are always open to expanding it… so talk back to us if there’s any beneficial and inspiring material you’d like to see on this list.

Resources on Anti-Brown Racism, Racial Justice, and LGBTQIA2S+ equality:

Here is the link for the organization referenced by Paola in this first video: http://wotsnj.org/

See also:

Participatory Learning:

For Further Reading and Study: 

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Real Talk Episode 3: M and Vicki on Whiteness

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Real Talk Episode 2: Althea and Kai on the Frictions of Solidarity
Real Talk Episode 2: Althea and Kai on the Frictions of Solidarity

Rev. Kai Greer and Rev. Dr. Althea Spencer-Miller discuss the frictions of solidarity across African American and immigrant Caribbean American Black political realities and within the whiteness of LGBTQIA+ church movements for LGBTQIA+ inclusion. This candid conversation dives into the shared cultural resources of blackness that can both fracture and affirm, and the scripture that encourages the queering racial justice movement work of journeying together.

Real Talk Bonus: Subversion Is Now the New Song
Real Talk Bonus: Subversion Is Now the New Song

Love rebukes injustice, calls out the oppressor and resists evil in any form of transgression.

Thank you God, “subversion is now the new song.”

A visual poem written by Rev. Carlos Samuel Reyes-Rodríguez.

Real Talk Episode 1: Paola and Carlos on Radical Disruption
Real Talk Episode 1: Paola and Carlos on Radical Disruption

Paola Andrea Márquez Leones and Carlos Samuel Reyes Rodríguez offer frank critiques of the hypocrisies of Christianity’s “love your neighbor” message and harmful adaptations even within racially marginalized communities. They suggest a need for more radical disruption of those patterns and theology envisioning God as an immigrant.

UMForward