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The Myth of Equality: Uncovering the Roots of Injustice and Privilege

por Ken Wytsma

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It's clear that issues of race and equality have come to the forefront in our nation's consciousness. Every week yet another incident involving racial tension splashes across headlines and dominates our news feeds. But it's not easy to unpack the origins of these tensions, and perhaps we wonder whether any of these issues really has anything to do with us. Ken Wytsma, founder of the Justice Conference, understands these questions. He has gone through his own journey of understanding the underpinnings of inequality and privilege. In this timely, insightful book Wytsma unpacks what we need to know to be grounded in conversations about today's race-related issues. And he helps us come to a deeper understanding of both the origins of these issues and the reconciling role we are called to play as witnesses of the gospel. Inequality and privilege are real. The Myth of Equality opens our eyes to realities we may have never realized were present in our society and world. And we will be changed for the better as a result. - from publisher.… (mais)
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Summary: A white pastor explores the reality of white privilege from the perspectives of both American history and the gospel of the kingdom and how white Christians might pursue justice.

We all like to believe the best about ourselves.Most of us want to believe we are a society where everyone is equal. Most of us would like to believe racism and racial injustices are a thing of the past. And most of us, if we are white, squirm a bit when we hear the phrase "white privilege." I can imagine some who are reading this composing arguments as you read for what you want to say in the comments section.

Ken Wytsma is a white pastor who believes Christians need to have honest conversations about these matters if we are to contribute to healing the racial divides within our churches and society. He speaks of a conversation with a young, white landscaper who has worked hard to build his business and didn't think he'd enjoyed privilege. Wytsma recounts their dialogue:

"I asked him in what part of town he did most of his work.

'In the suburbs,' he said,

I then asked where, specifically, he did his work.

'Mostly in people's backyards,' he answered.

I asked him when he did most of his work.

'Well, during the day, of course,' he quickly retorted.

I asked if I could pose one more question, and he said yes. So I asked him how he got most of his business.

He responded, 'I put flyers in people's doors and sometimes knock at houses where I think there's a particular opportunity I can offer them.'

Having gathered all this information about his business and how his work functions, I asked, 'If you were a young man of color in those mostly white suburbs, is it possible you would be received differently by some of the potential clients?'

. . .

He nodded, and I could see from the look on his face that he finally understood white privilege. White privilege doesn't mean your life isn't hard. It means that if you are a person of color, simply by virtue of that, your life might be harder." (pp. 25-26)

Wytsma's book is broken into three parts. The first, titled "The Story of Race" explores the history of race in America through several historical lenses. He considers the history of immigration and the emergence of white supremacy. He steps back into European history and explores the roots of racism in Shakespeare, philosophy, colonization, and post-conquest treatment of Native Americans. He explores the history of slavery in the U.S., and the failed post-Civil War effort of Reconstruction succeeded by the rise of Jim Crow, disenfranchisement, political strategies of the Republican party to win the White south, and the war on drugs. The concluding chapter in this section is on the Great Migration to northern and western cities, and how redlining practices shaped these cities long after they were outlawed. He mentions the FHA/HOLC maps from the 1930's that "graded" neighborhoods for the purpose of granting loans, with "D" areas in red, and deemed uncreditworthy. (Here is the map [https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/#loc=12/41.0861/-80.6618&opacity=0.8&city=youngstown-oh] of my hometown of Youngstown; I grew up in a "C" or yellow area, but it was still part of the "white west side" and indeed, most Blacks lived in the "red" areas of town).

Part two focuses on theology as Wytsma considers "Equality and the Kingdom of God." He speaks tellingly of all the "off limit" subjects in our "authentic" churches and how they reveal our conflicted loyalties between "empire" and "the kingdom of God." He explores our truncated gospel, and how we leave out justice, not realizing that "justice," "righteousness" and "justify" derive from the same words. To be in right relationship or justified with God and to be in right or just relation with neighbor are part of one gospel of the kingdom. He discusses what he calls our "salvation-industrial" complex that reduces salvation to how many have prayed a "sinner's prayer," a metric that can translate into enhanced donations for a ministry. This becomes a very individualized experience that fails to reckon with what it means to be incorporated into a new humanity that transcends all human-made divisions and national boundaries.

In Part Three, Wytsma outlines how we begin to address white privilege. He describes how implicit racial bias can shape our thinking, whether in an interview or a police stop.and how this may be overcome. He challenges our Christian conference complex that is often pervaded by white speakers from the platform, and other ways we simply don't recognize people of other ethnicities and give them a place at the table, or even yield the table (or podium) to them. Finally he speaks of the steps we may take to open ourselves to the other, and even find ourselves in the other--listening and learning, lamenting, confessing, and laying down our privilege to raise up others.

What I appreciate throughout the book is that the point is not shaming or laying guilt but helping us understand and wake up to something to which we may have been oblivious. Wytsma helps us follow his own journey of understanding. Along the way, he helped me see that to attempt to deny or defend privilege is to carry a heavy burden, and one that isolates me from the manifold riches of a diverse community of believers. Recognizing privilege, honestly facing and lamenting the way it has hurt others, and laying it down as a gift to others, to bless others and share that privilege with them is liberating.

We are also facing a major demographic challenge as a nation, in which people of color will be in the numerical majority by 2050. It is one that faces white Christians with a challenge and an opportunity. Will we try to hang onto something of which others are desperately seeking a share, or will we both enrich, and allow ourselves to be enriched by brothers and sisters whose skin color is darker than ours? Instead of fearing what we might lose, might we consider both what we may give and gain? ( )
  BobonBooks | Feb 18, 2018 |
The thesis compares inequality, privilege, and responsibility in the United States from an evangelist point of view. Author Wystma begins with a look at colonialism and settlement of the United States. As he gets into the Civil War and migration of minorities north and westward, he brings up the conflict between theories on why the Civil War started. Some believe it was over slavery and others over states’ rights. It highlighted the contrast between one pastor’s defenses of slavery based on the bible while another opposed slavery as anti-Christian. Overall, it seems the cause-driven society has become like a buffet. The food might all be good, but people choose what appeals to them in the moment without regard to health, the source of the food, or whether there is enough food for all at the table. The author provides extensive notes, recommended readings and an index. Wytsma holds Master Degrees in both Philosophy and Biblical Studies. He is President of Kilns College and is a church Lead Pastor of Antioch in Bend, Oregon.

Goodreads Giveaway randomly chose me to receive this book. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ( )
  bemislibrary | Jul 16, 2017 |
So. Is privilege in the United States real, or is it something that people imagine, for any number of reasons? Author Ken Wytsma takes a look at this issue in The Myth of Equality: Uncovering the Roots of Injustice and Privilege.

In my book reviews, I normally don’t make a big point of the author’s race or gender. Nevertheless, I’ll note that this book, which is directed toward a Christian audience, was written by a white man. And, yes, a lot of people—especially white people—should read it. It’s important to bear in mind that the fight for racial equality in the U.S. isn’t something any one race should be fighting for alone.

I’ll also note that this book isn’t out to just broadcast grievances, to shame the country, and to make people feel guilty. No, this is about seeing the historical roots of a very real problem, as you can’t truly remedy anything without getting to the bottom of it. The author also includes action points, so readers won’t be left with this problem without any idea what to do next.

The book has so many compelling points, like the need not to merely do acts of justice, but to become just. Or the idea that people might think they’re following the golden rule (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”) when really they’re following the silver rule (“Don’t do to others what you wouldn’t have them do to you.”) The silver rule is passive. The golden rule requires action.

I highly recommend this book for the Christian community. If you think racial issues are “just politics” or not something that Christians should be too concerned about, I’d encourage you all the more to read this.
_______________________
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. ( )
  NadineC.Keels | Jun 23, 2017 |
A reasonable but thorough examination by an Evangelical into the challenges of racial inequality in America.

The author, who is white, starts off with his own story and the "normal" (read: white) American experience. He then speaks to the history of racism and oppression in America, including slavery, the post-Reconstruction South, and even regarding redlining and other such forms of discrimination whose effects remain to this day.

He then turns to Christianity and speaks regarding the comfort of privilege, whether racial/social justice has any standing in terms of the Gospel message, and the theological challenges posed by escapist salvation and individualism in American Christianity.

From there he discusses how difficult it can be to recognize one's privilege and what to do about it: how racism went from something evident and obvious to implicit and subliminal, a defense of elements of liberation theology, and being willing to give space to others, to hear and get to understand their position without defensiveness, and proving willing to work toward real and substantive equality.

I doubt this will be a comfortable book for much of Evangelicalism and Christians who would align on the conservative side of the spectrum religiously and/or politically, but it would be an important work to consider.

**--galley received as part of early review program ( )
  deusvitae | Apr 5, 2017 |
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It's clear that issues of race and equality have come to the forefront in our nation's consciousness. Every week yet another incident involving racial tension splashes across headlines and dominates our news feeds. But it's not easy to unpack the origins of these tensions, and perhaps we wonder whether any of these issues really has anything to do with us. Ken Wytsma, founder of the Justice Conference, understands these questions. He has gone through his own journey of understanding the underpinnings of inequality and privilege. In this timely, insightful book Wytsma unpacks what we need to know to be grounded in conversations about today's race-related issues. And he helps us come to a deeper understanding of both the origins of these issues and the reconciling role we are called to play as witnesses of the gospel. Inequality and privilege are real. The Myth of Equality opens our eyes to realities we may have never realized were present in our society and world. And we will be changed for the better as a result. - from publisher.

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