Street Gangs ~ Police Gangs

STREET GANG	POLICE GANG
Very protective of identity	Called to protect and serve others but protecting and serving their false sense of power
Will defend their color	Will defend their uniform by any means necessary
Protection of family/territory	Protection of the blue
Will kill when a perceived threat manifests	Will kill when a perceived threat manifests
Will judge by the color you wear	Will judge and make assumption by the color of your skin
Must join and conform to the code	Must join and conform to the code
Hard to get out	Conform to feed my ego, my family and/or racist beliefs and won't get out
Gang members and gang bangers	No such thing as good cop/bad cop
Born as a child of G-d with a purpose for good	Born as a child of G-d with a purpose for good
Born out of response to a marginalized system designed to oppress	Born out of a racist system designed to continually perpetuate White power/privilege
Kill or be killed	Kill or be killed OR be exposed

As I was reflecting on the peace work we are doing in the Denver community, my heart was suddenly grieved by the continuous shootings and murders by gangs and by the police.  Then it hit me, yep at 3:30 in the morning, there is not much difference between the two systems.

I must add this caveat here.  I know great police officers.  I have family and friends who are police officers.  I have family and friends who are gang members, hustlers, repeat offenders... At the same time, I must acknowledge this system, this way of system thinking that forms to protect a given group/mindset (good, bad, or indifferent.) This system of desensitization has proven fatal and systemic.  We must bring humanity back!

The same way we are addressing gang violence is the same way we must address the police gang.  We must be strategic in tearing down these oppressive systems from the top down and from the bottom up.  We cannot address one and not the other and there must be a simultaneous approach to combat these adverse systems. We must know Black Lives Matter whether you are in a blue uniform or wearing the color red or blue. We must not villainize the street gangs and ignore the police gang (police gang bangers) who are killing and arresting our people. 

In the worldview, just like organizational development, systems thinking and design, team dynamics, relational learning, redesign, restructure; transactional, transformational, relational, and values based leadership we must use these human resources and strategic gifts to build new systems and relationships. 

In a spiritual view, as Christians, religious people, spiritual leaders/members, community leaders/members, we must peel back the onion, beyond the system, to impact the person who was created for good.  We have the power to build systems of Love and not hate; systems of Life and not death. 

Speaking of the power to build ~ I am grateful for Pastors Haroun, Jason, and Age and the remnant of others who picked up the mantle to do the work others opted not to do. I am grateful for the weekly prayer walks. I am grateful for those who stepped out on faith believing that prayer changes things.  And most of all I am grateful for Trey, a former gang member, who in front of the Mayor and approximately 60 faith leaders said "...if you don't put G-d first you ain't changing nothing!" Trey has been an inspiration to this effort and an amazing leader in bringing peace to our communities.  

So I say all this to say, we have a lot of work to do.  There is more than enough work for everyone to play their part.  This is the only way we are going to tear down these oppressive and evil systems to build better, life-giving communities for the greater good.  This effort includes addressing the system of street gangs as well as the racist, oppressive, murderous system of police gangs.  

My blog! My thoughts! 

Reverend Tawana Davis

Never hopeless ~ always searching...

Do I Really Love G-d with Unconditional Positive Regard?

#morningreflection

Do I really Love G-d?

I sat in a room yesterday with approximately 40 homeless men during Bible study.  I was blessed and really had to check myself in that moment. Did I really believe that a homeless person couldn't love G-d, know Jesus, state the scriptures emphatically??? Homeless and they love G-d! Homeless and human! Homeless and spirit-filled.  No home, no food, somewhat clean or not so clean clothing, health and mental challenges...yet they love G-d.

Do I love G-d when I don't have food on my table?
     I often hear communal prayers that say Lord you put food on our table and we thank you yet you don't know my story
Do I love G-d when I awake in the morning but 22 years ago my mama and six years ago my daddy did and then died suddenly?
     I often experience a prayer of thanksgiving for waking up as if dieing is not a blessing
Do I love G-d when my bank account doesn't support my bills
     I often hear communal prayers of thanksgiving and supplication as it relates to money and the crowd goes wild...
Do I love G-d when witnessing our young sisters and brothers die at the hands of law enforcement
     In my experience, we tend to thank G-d for protecting our young people who survived another day as if G-d was not with Trayvon, Michael, Marvin, Sandra, Jessica...
Do I love G-d when I don't know or don't understand or when things just aren't going "right?"
     Can I love G-d when homeless
     Can I love G-d when economically challenged
     Can I love G-d during the hurt and pain caused by others
     Can I love G-d when things go awry
     Can I love G-d when I go through the day hungry
     Can I love G-d when my spouse or significant other is unfaithful
     Can I love G-d when I awake in a shelter
     Can I love G-d while sitting in a Bible study for the homeless as a homeless person

My G-d, if I pimped your Love please forgive me! If I put limits and boundaries on your blessings please forgive me! If I put your power, Love, provision, grace, and mercy in a box aligned with fleshly desires, please forgive me! If I haven't loved you beyond my status and what I have, please forgive me!

G-d give me the tenacity to love beyond the flesh, beyond the material, beyond my limiting beliefs, beyond our ignorance! Lord, help me to Love you with all of our heart, soul, and mind which is not contingent upon ego, flesh, and material items. G-d of mercy and G-d of grace, help me to see you in all things and in all things give thanks for you are all knowing, all powerful, and ever present.  Help me to present myself in a posture to allow your word to manifest. For it is you who said You will make rivers in the desert! It is You who said I am about to do a new thing do you perceive it! It is you who sent Your only begotten son to die and rise for my sins and transgressions.  It is you who knew me before I was formed in our mother's womb and created me with a purpose to Love you and serve others! It is you who spoke and life was created!

So I come to you thanking You for being You ~ trusting You to do what you said you would do ~ asking for forgiveness as I forgive others ~ repenting in order to grow closer to you ~ praising You for this moment for it is by your grace and divine mercy I am living and breathing and allowed to experience another day in your glory.

I really do love you Lord ~ unconditionally, positively, and with regard to your essence of Love and Life! In all things, situations, and circumstances, I really do love you Lord!

Signed,
Your daughter, a sinner saved by Your grace, Tawana

Take Notice!

Today is a new day!

From this day forward

I will not serve with the oppressed who are behaving like the oppressor
I will not serve with those who attack demean, degrade, disrespect, dishonor, marginalize, demonize homosexuals
I will check you if you refer to me as Sis. Tawana while serving in a clergy, ordained, religious capacity
I will not entertain those who use the Bible as the belt to beat another down with one's limiting beliefs
I Love Jesus and will not dismiss those who believe in Allah, Muhammad, Yahweh, Buddha... and if you are one of those Jesus is the only way folk who dismisses others because of their beliefs then you will be dismissed ~ I will not longer rock with you
If you dehumanize the homeless, gang members, poor... I will no longer walk side-by-side with you
If you think more highly of yourself than you ought I will pray for you as I walk away wiping the dust off my feet
I will speak Truth to power
I will have unconditional positive regard for others
I will Love like never before because without it, I might as well be the tag hanging off of my new dress ~ states a high price but is worth nothing
I will Love the Lord our G-d with all my heart, soul and mind AND Love my neighbor as myself
My gay neighbor
My homeless neighbor
My poor neighbor
My gangster neighbor
My incarcerated neighbor
My white neighbor
My Jewish neighbor
My Black male neighbor
This is the day, I serve notice to all those who dehumanize, deculturalize, desexualize, demoralize, demonize in the name of Jesus!

Signed,
The Black Woman, Reverend, womanist, existentialist, heterosexual, multi-faith/multi-cultural/homosexual/gang and former gang-member loving Tawana Davis

Consider yourselves served!!!

P.S. Please note, I will speak Truth to power and call you out in Love and in the name of Jesus. No hate, no shade, no disdain... Just won't rock with you anymore! Love ya!

P.P.S. I am not a social media gangster so don't worry, I will call you out to your face and if it warrants a comment that is for the good of the order I will share on social media and from the pulpit with to goal of speaking life to those who were subject to your hate and to encourage others to do justice, Love mercy, and walk humbly with G-d.

Scandal ~ a View from a Black Woman

Oscar Wilde a writer and poet once said “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.” This statement causes quite a stir when we look at Olivia Pope. Is Life imitating Art or Art imitating Life?  That is the question to ponder as I am an avid viewer of Scandal. 

I tune in each week with my favorite snack, comfortable clothing, and no other distractions.  I tune into every aspect of the show including the latest fashion, hairstyles, power moves, one-liners, and intriguing scenes.  I view Scandal as entertainment through the lens of a Black female writer and star.  A Black woman named Olivia Pope who is known as the fixer, mistress, and mystery to most.  This mode of entertainment often mimics life in many ways as we deal with white supremacy, patriarchy, homosexuality, infidelity, and a host of other life events in this weekly one-hour show.

If I viewed the show as art imitating life, I find myself dismayed at the dysfunction, mistrust, heinous, sex-riddled, murderous behavior that is happening somewhere in the real world.  If I viewed the show as life imitating art, I am then compelled to anger as Black women are placed in stereotypical roles that over sexualizes, dehumanizes, and marginalizes women depicting a false sense of power.  I am compelled to view Scandal in the former lens: art imitating life.  Scandal is a fictional show based on real life characters using a stretch of the imagination, added intrigue, and at times advocacy through real-life story lines. 

As a preacher, I honor and value ones lens and stance in life. Good, bad or indifferent we have an unalienable right to live and live life to the fullest.  Yet, while television shows like Scandal tend to be scandalous, we must know who we are, rooted and grounded in a spiritual being who defines us more than what we see on television, more than being called out of our names, more than our young men being killed on the streets, more than a Black woman depicted with power and weakness simultaneously.  Instead of judging ones character on the fact she/he watches Scandal (or Empire, Being Mary Jane…) I am more concerned about the images you see and how you respond to them. 

It is important to offer balance in one’s life to off-set the negative images put forth and to celebrate the positive messages and images despite the negativity.  I can watch Scandal because I know I am more than what is depicted on television.  I can view Scandal with an entertainment lens and at the same time have theological and sociological discourse pertaining to the Black woman and the challenges thereof to propel us beyond what we see and how we as Black women are viewed. 

I will continue to view Scandal as a form of though-provoking entertainment with the knowledge that this may not be mindless to some and quite influential to others.  Therefore, I must send positive messages and lead by example to dispel the status quo and push us beyond sexualization, skin color, hair length, and body type to the life-giving, amazing, beautiful, creative, nurturing, powerful women we are destined to be.  

Never hopeless ~ always searching...

The oppressed becomes the oppressor... Wake up!

And we do not realize this is happening because we are so ingrained in oppressive-like behavior.

In his book Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire speaks of "the banking concept of education" in which the actions of a teacher-student relationship is rooted in and limited to a student receiving from the teacher leading the student to be full of information but without skills to implement, create, explore, or transform in this was he calls a misguided system. The teacher will posit information without regard toward culture, identity, context, or ability just like making a deposit in a bank. As long as it is your bank (problem number one) the teacher will make the deposit and walk away knowing, barring all other circumstances are in place, the money will be there when she/he returns.  As a matter of fact, if the money is deposited in an interest bearing account the depositor will have a few more dollars without doing anything further than making that deposit.

This sounds all too familiar in our education system in our marginalized, low-income communities as well as our churches. Due to lack of resources, over-sized classes, and raising a generation of teachers who teach in marginalized schools to either get their student loans paid or as a stepping stone, we have created a banking system of teaching hoping the deposit will gain interest called success.   For all the teachers who teach in marginalized, low-income communities who actually love what they do for the sake of teaching, we do them a disservice by overcrowding their classrooms, overworking them, and then penalizing them when their numbers do not meet state expectations.  And these days we even throw them in jail to do more time than police who kill our Black, unarmed, defenseless children.  (Say what you want about she/he should not have.... in the first place. I am unarmed, you have a gun, and I get killed... the math just doesn't add up PERIOD!)

In any and all educational circumstances and opportunities we must institute a space in what Freire calls "...the solution of the teacher-student contradiction, by reconciling the poles of the contradiction so that both are simultaneously teachers and students." As soon as I walk into a teacher-student setting and I believe, as the teacher, I know it all and cannot learn from my constituents, herein lies the problem! How can I teach if I am not willing to be taught? How can I empower when I am not willing to be empowered? How can I transform when I am not willing nor able to be transformed?

The truth is as long as we continue to define the marginalized as marginalized, ostracized, demeaned, and discounted we will continue to remain on the hamster wheel of perpetual insanity (this is for another blog post.) Freire states "...the oppressed are not marginals, are not people living outside society.  They have always been inside - inside the structure which made them beings for others.  The solution is not to integrate them into the structure of oppression, but to transform that structure so that they can become beings for themselves."

This brings us to the church.  This same pedagogy of the oppressed can be relevant in the church.  If the leader/preacher/teacher is not in a dialogical relationship with constituents/members/ parishioners... we institute the same "banking system" Freire speaks against.  If we the pastor/preacher/teacher believes she/he is the do all-be all-end all to this thing called Christianity we have now become cult-ish leaders who think more highly of ourselves than we really are (Romans 12:3.) If we, as spiritual and educational leaders, do not enter into a reciprocal, dialogical, relationship with our constituents we are creating a community of death. Without creativity, nurturing, growth, innovation, critical thinking, exchange... we become mundane, worthless, and die. We will forget our natural, innate value and remain on the hamster wheel where we will tire out, fall off and not know what to do to liberate ourselves.  Freire says that we must be committed to liberation that must reject the banking system and adopt a concept of women and men as conscious beings and consciousness as consciousness intent upon the world. It is consciousness that breeds life!

We must be intentional about creating a space of relational dialogue where there is an exchange in the role of teacher/student, pastor/parishioner. Gone are the days of three points and a whoop. Gone are the days of uncaring, numb, number driven educational/church systems.  Gone are the days of a banking system where we are blaming our young people for doing what they do when we have not taught them how to be in relationship, to value themselves without outside dictation, and to think critically about action - consequence - action.   Gone are the days where we look at the Bible as a compartmentalized piece of literature, picking and choosing what to preach/teach; who to degrade and demean; how to gather more members/student for financial gain...

"The revolutionary's (pastor/teacher) role is to liberate, AND be liberated, with the people - not to win them over" otherwise, the oppressed has now become the oppressor. Wake up!

Never hopeless ~ always searching

(Inspired by the heinous misguided institutions and Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed!

It's Been Four Years

I cannot believe I've been in Denver for four years.  January 6th was my 4th anniversary and it went unnoticed.  I kept receiving messages from LinkedIn congratulating me and I realized it was my work anniversary.  So caught up in the fight for justice, the life of the church, school, family... I didn't pause to reflect and thank G-d for a most amazing journey in my life thus far.

When I received the call from LeSean in 2010, he said he put my name in for a full-time youth and young adult minister in Denver.  I said, in so many words, are you kidding me? I am not going to Denver! I am going back to NY! (I was in Atlanta at the time serving as a resident Chaplain at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.) Clearly G-d had other plans and I was compelled to reach out to Rev. Dr. Timothy E. Tyler to introduce myself.  We had an informal conversation via phone and I was invited to come to teach and preach during Y.E.S. weekend.  I stepped out on faith and accepted.  I was offered the job from the pulpit after a weekend of teaching and preaching.  And the rest is history.

Denver offered me a lifestyle that I had not experienced.

Shorter offered me a church life like none other.

Rev. Dr. Timothy E. Tyler took a chance with me and afforded me an opportunity to grow and learn in ways I would've never imagined.

I found my voice in Denver.

I gained some amazing friends and lost the same.

I admitted publicly, for the first time, of my status as a DV survivor.

I preached in South Africa y'all with Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright in the congregation!

I experienced relationships with youth and young adults I will never forget.

I found peace.

I learned about myself in ways I may not have been able to in other circumstances.

I discovered my love for Social Justice.

I traveled extensively.

I am a woman, in a patriarchal environment, in a leading role in one of the leading churches in African Methodism.

I do what I love ~ strategic planning, project management, spiritual development, youth and young adult ministry including events, worship planning, Bible study and preaching.

Wow! I flew to St. Louis to my auntie Noella's church to be ordained as a Deacon. Who does that? Jesus and Me!

Then I was ordained in LA as an elder two years later ~ there was some drama behind this but as in all relationships there are ups and downs and the relationships that were meant to be will survive the strife ~ I am grateful those persons are still in my life and extremely supportive.  (Yes, this was a hard lesson to learn.)

I cry a lot ~ I pray a lot ~ I hurt a lot ~ I celebrate a lot ~ I love a lot ~ I serve a lot...

Four years of training, development, friendship, risks, trial, error, hard work, peace in the midst of, family, sisterhood, fear, faith, learning, did I say hard work/long hours/hard work, and love!

Thank you my Pastor/Boss/Friend for taking a chance on this 41 year old recent seminary graduate whom you didn't know and gave an opportunity of a lifetime to serve as the 1st full-time youth and young adult minister at Shorter Community African Methodist Episcopal Church and now serving as the Executive Minister.  You have put amazing trust and faith in me and I am grateful.

Thank you Shorter Community AME Church family for embracing me, encouraging me, supporting me, and loving me and my family.

To the young and young adult ~ I cannot name names because I can't possibly list everyone who has had a major impact on my life.  You give me life! You're a huge reason why I do what I do! You are amazing and the opportunity to share in your world is a blessing to my soul.  You have created a space for me to serve, teach, grow, and learn.

To Erik and Kyesha ~ I love you for letting your mom follow her dreams! You sacrificed a lot for me to serve G-d and G-d's people and I am grateful!

Thank you G-d for making a way out of no way ~ for healing me ~ for providing for me ~ for creating a space to grow closer to You ~ for loving me so!

Just grateful,

T

2011 ~ Minister Tawana Davis preaching or the first time at Shorter Community AME Church ~ 9/2010

Oh No ~ I Have Lost My Dreams

I am learning more and more each day the importance of action-reflection-action, meditation, stillness, and breathing.  Life is not about doing for the sake of doing; satisfying the ego which is never satisfied.  Life is about living.  Living is about breathing.  Life is about give and take; you breathe in that which sustains you and you breathe out that which you don’t need.  If this process doesn't happen in our daily activities, at some point, you will burn out. Or, you may be overcome by the things that are detrimental to you. 

I recently attended a ministerial retreat led by my Pastor/boss.  The main focus of the retreat was self-care.  One comment that resonated with me was this: “We laud people doing the things that kill them.” At a funeral, we celebrate all of her great works: she was always there for others, she worked extremely hard, and she was always serving the community and putting others first. And then we eulogize their works after a massive stroke, untreated disease, poor eating habits, stress, and lack of self-care as a result of the said work.

Self-care is as important in our daily routine as is breathing.  If one doesn't care for self, how can one care for others.  Care, in this statement, can be substituted with love, honor, respect, compassion, patience, and peace.  Self-care is the fuel of life.  It is the breath of our dreams.  It is the sustainer of present in order to make it to our future. 

I have lost my dreams.  I have become a giver and not a receiver.  I have become lost in the busy-ness of life that I failed to handle the business of my life which is self-care.  My hopes and dreams are out there in the universe waiting for me to keep still to in order to see it and receive it.  Dreams are born out of circumstance.  Yes, how can one dream if one focuses on the circumstance instead of the promise? Living in the moment is about realizing who you are as a foundation of what’s to come.  Living in the moment is about knowing “I Am” and will be.  Living in the moment is about envisioning your future, hopes and dreams as you live today taking the steps to make it to tomorrow. Tomorrow is making dreams come true.  Tomorrow is not promised so I live life to the fullest today charting my path for a possible tomorrow.  Tomorrow is about dreaming and dreaming big; knowing that all things are possible in Christ.  I must know it, believe it, and behave like I am a part of the divine universe; giving and taking while pausing for a moment to realize and enjoy the moment. 

I have lost my dreams; my hope for tomorrow; my vision to see the new thing G-d is doing.  So, I will stop, breathe, set boundaries, take care of self by making me a priority, and serve like Jesus would.  Then, and only then, will I invigorate my ability to dream and dream big!

Ready to dream again! 

And it does not yet appear what I shall be… 

Never Hopeless...Always Searching!