I also pledge to continue to strive for equality for all individuals not following the path of least resistance. However, being that I am a white male in America, I refuse to shed my white male privilege. That being the case, I do pledge that I will only use that white male privilege for the benefit of the oppressed minorities here in America.
I will continue to see the work of anti-racism activism continue in all ways that I possibly can. I hope to continue to see events like that in which God used me for this last weekend.
In this event, though I received a lot of resistance, I managed to conduct a survey to gain support for a cultural diversity-training ministry to be available upon request in reference to a particular Christian outreach ministry organization that focuses on ministry in the inner city.
Through this survey, the chains of racism that held or still holds some of my brothers and sisters in bondage started to surface. In one case, a white brother openly admitted that he was a racist. He stated that he hated black people. He also went on to say that he hated quote, unquote �Mexicans�. He asked for forgiveness from the twelve of us who were at the retreat. (I do not think I need to mention that all the individuals who were present at the retreat were white male and female Americans save for the exception of the executive director who self identifies as a white Pilipino-Sicilian American male.) He also asked forgiveness from God.
I am pledging that I take all this information that I have learned and that which I will continue to learn about, including all Scriptural support for similar issues, to my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord, so that they �Can Have A Closer Walk With Thee�.
I not only make this pledge to all of you, but I also make this pledge as an oath, never to be broken, between me and my God, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
May He continue to pour out his blessing and anointing upon not only me, but also upon all of those that helped me along the way.
Thanks be to God, the Father; to Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and Savior; and to the Holy Spirit, who provides a means to deep understanding of God�s Eternal Word. Other people include Dr. Meredith Reitman, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) professor in urban studies; TAs Will Sharkey and Nate Winkler, UWM teaching assistants for Dr. Meredith Reitman; Brother Phillip Martinez, volunteer in S.H.A.L.O.M. Ministries, and the rest of the staff and volunteers in S.H.A.L.O.M. Ministries; Sister Michelle Harrell Washington, Multicultural Research Librarian at Golda Meir Library, UWM campus library; Marilyn Miller and staff, The Lutheran Human Relations Association, http://lhra.org, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Allen Johnson, white male American speaker on issues concerning race; contributors of Faith Writers, Inc., http://www.faithwriters.com; Todd Allen and Brad Breems with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities; Promise Keepers International; and any others that I failed to remember at this juncture.
True for Us Today???
Programs Work
route to the Garden of Gethsemane)