Ebony Marie Chappel
Recently, I had the pleasure of hearing from one of the most brilliant minds of our time – Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative.
Stevenson spent a large part of his talk in masterful exegesis, illustrating the gravity of this moment and what faith communities can do.
He talked about helping marginalized people reach higher ground and the importance of truth telling. In Berlin, he noted, it is unacceptable to promote Nazi symbolism because of the atrocities associated with such. However, right here in Indianapolis, confederate imagery is not only permitted but considered by some to be an expression of pride. Lies persist about the reality behind this iconography.
I wondered; What does it look like to radically pursue the change we so desperately need? Thankfully, Stevenson provided a roadmap that I think all leaders can utilize to answer that inquiry.
- Get proximate. (Learn about the issues and get close to those that are directly impacted.)
- Change the narrative. (Listen to others and be open to changing your mind.)
- Be hopeful.
- Do things that are uncomfortable.
After the talk, Stevenson had a conversation with Dr. Leah Gunning Francis where I was reminded – via Hebrews 12:1 that we aren’t doing this liberation work alone. There is a “great cloud of witnesses” above and alongside us in the spirit, cheering us on as we run this race toward freedom and justice.
Ebony Marie Chappel
Community Advocate/Nonprofit Leader
