above all, love
Celebrating Black History Month with this valuable film about yet another [40 years!] atrocity of white supremacy across the USA today.
“Transforming racism requires fierce compassion, [w]e have to purify our hearts so that our motivation is love, even of our enemies. Love is the only force that brings lasting change.” ~ China Galland
In her book author China Galland gathers an interracial group of local religious leaders and laypeople to work on restoring Love Cemetery, securing community access to it, and rededicating it to the memories of those buried there.
In her attempt to help re-consecrate Love Cemetery, Galland unearths the ghosts of slavery that still haunt us today. Research into county historical records and interviews with local residents uncover two versions of history-one black, one white.
China Galland unpacks these tangled narratives to reveal a history of shame-of slavery and lynching, Jim Crow laws and land takings (the theft of land from African-Americans), and ongoing exploitation of the land surrounding the cemetery by oil and gas drilling. With dread she even discovers how her own ancestors benefited from the racial imbalance.
The book ignited a controversy over people being able to get into cemeteries throughout Texas and set off an investigation by the State Attorney General’s Office. As a consequence, new legislation was passed making it a criminal offense to deny people reasonable access to cemeteries in Texas.
Since the movie was released Denzel Washington created an endowment fund to help restart debate at Wiley. Nate Parker helped create the Nate Parker Scholars club of Wiley students. Now East Texas Baptist University has asked to join the Wiley students in maintaining this historic cemetery and has helped us through this last year.
Originally published at http://changewarrior.blogspot.com.
