This post was originally written on a Sunday, so just close your eyes and use your imagination!

#smallactsofracism

“When Europeans came to Africa, they had the Bibles and we had the land. They asked us to bow our heads and pray with them. When we looked up, they had the land and we had the Bibles.” ~Unknown

Act 9: Happy Sunday! Since many of my friends practice a religion and attend church on Sunday, I decided today’s post will be about Religious Iconography. Ooooh-ahhhh!

In so doing, I will tell two stories of experiences I have had, then ask you to think about some sneaky, insidious things you may have seen, heard or said in your everyday lives and where you may have learned them. 

Act 9, Scene 1: Setting: A hot and sweaty sixth grade classroom reading aloud in Social Studies. This is where I learned the following tidbit of information: European Kings and Queens began commissioning painters to paint portraits and create religious works of art in THEIR IMAGE. It was something that stuck with me and since becoming a school psychologist I have looked in many sixth grade Social Studies books to make sure I read what I read. It’s still there.

Fast forward to my early years as a School Psychologist. The first time I met Elizabeth (Beth) Gallo Carwick, I was a young fresh-faced employee at a predominantly Black Catholic elementary school  (yes you read that right) in the heart of Cincinnati where Beth taught. She was a young, White fresh-faced teacher. The first time I met her, I listened to her talk and she shared wonderful stories about her family. If you closed your eyes and listened to her talk, you would not immediately know her skin color. As soon as she left the main office, I asked, “Is she married to a Black man?!” The secretary responded, “Have you seen her kids?!” I had not; however, Beth and I became GREAT co-workers and EVEN BETTER friends. Our children got to know each other and we lived a pretty happy life as we often cared for our kids together. (I will write about this more in a future post.) However…

Act 9, Scene 2: One day, I walked into Beth’s classroom as I was wont to do, just to visit her kids and sing multiplication tables with my favorite student when I was greeted with this upon her wall: 

Red=Blood White=Pure Black=Sin

BLACK BABY JESUS, WHY?! There may have been other colors, but when I got to the word association of the color black with sin, I may have briefly lost consciousness. I was LIVID! Now, mind you, her very black husband told her I would be, but she went forward with the signage anyway. I have always just assumed, he didn’t want to take that argument on for the sake of the marriage.

Why is any thing I have written above racist? It involves the POWER element to first, change and control religious imagery and second, to associate religious imagery with something considered either good or bad. White being associated with goodness and purity and the color black being associated with sin and all things bad. 

Have you ever considered or thought about religious imagery BEFORE European Kings and Queens commissioned artists to make them look like Europeans? The oldest known painting of Jesus is of Coptic Christian origins and clearly is an image of a Black man. Google it. It hangs in an Egyptian museum. 

Do you ever think about the things you say? Complete these sayings: Well, if that’s not the kettle calling the pot —? 

The — sheep of the family? 

Snow — and the Seven Dwarfs who was a “fair maiden.”

If you were a Scandal fan, the — hat. 

Have you ever thought about how characters are shown in movies? The good guy is always in white or light colors while the bad guy is always dressed in black or dark colors. (Thank God for Black Panther. Rest in Power, Young King.)

This is why racism is not only systemic, meaning it permeates every aspect of American life, education, healthcare, criminal justice, etc. But, racism is also systematic, meaning it’s application is reserved for people of color. Do you think it was by accident that Religious Iconography was changed just as The Atlantic Slave trade was beginning? The Catholic Church and royal families across Europe made a mint, but how can you justify the enslavement of a group of people if you cannot first convince people that they are inherently bad and unworthy of humane treatment? You have to insidiously implant a notion slowly, but surely, so no one questions you. 

Have a good Sunday!

#smallactsofracism