Welcome back to Tough Mind, Tender Heart. Welcome to those who have remained with us and to those who are just joining in on this newsletter and wanting to grow antiracist principles/ethics. Please feel free to email content ideas/topics that you are curious about. We would love to engage in different ways.
We are coming to the close of Black History Month 2024. Have you learned anything specific? Has your mind been enlightened in any particular way? How has this month shaped how you will act moving forward. This month traditionally is set aside in the United States as a time to immerse ourselves in the contributions of Black people. Schools fill with presentations concerning Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. And. The Black National Anthem can be heard in select schools in rich melodies. To be quite honest though, Black History Month can be strange. There are so many hidden pressures within this month for Black folks. The pressure to educate people on Black history. The yearning for a Black future. The desire to rest. Yet, many of us know that these 28 (29 this year) days is our one shot to possibly make non Black people care about our history and our dreams for a better tomorrow. This is all we get sadly.
“To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.” James Baldwin
Yet we know that we can’t make you love us, care for us, and educate you all in the span of one month. There isn’t enough time for the seeds of solidarity and lovingkindness to grow in such a short amount of time. What if, people took it upon themselves to use Black History Month as a springboard into genuine partnership with Black people? What if we didn’t have to beg for care as we are killed in the streets? What if we didn’t have allies that had their solidarity wane with any given news cycle. We are not just our pain. We are not just what we can accomplish in the future. In the words of June Jordan, “I am Black. Alive. And looking back at you.”
Robert Monson
co-director
Robert (he/him) is a runner, musician, and a Black theologian committed to softness, contemplation, and liberation for all. As a recent seminary graduate (with distinction) and a current PhD student, Robert studied in-depth the intersection of Black Liberation Theology and womanist theology. Weaving together these two strands of liberation have been important work as well as other liberation based theologies. “How can we help facilitate community and provide answers to a hurting world that is reeling?” remains an important question in his work. While in school, Robert’s scholarly work was recognized and presented at various national conferences/outlets. Podcasting (two shows) and writing remain important aspects of his daily life as well as marathoning the latest Star Trek show(s).