here please feel free to go back and read past issues of Tough Mind, Tender Heart. This name came from a sermon of Martin Luther King Jr’s that still resonates with me to this day.
I also must greet you all and say Happy Pride Month. I approach this greeting knowing that for many this month brings both good news and bad. I know many who welcome this month as they lean into the various beauty of their identities. According to the Library of Congress: “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.” (click here for more info.)
I am taking time to weave Pride month into an antiracism newsletter for many reasons. One of those reasons is to begin to really highlight the fact that Black people and Pride are not antithetical to one another. And, in moving towards a liberative ethic, they indeed go hand in hand. I think of the many queer activists, particularly the Black ones that have gone before us. I also want to say Happy Juneteenth to you all, especially Black folks. This holiday has grown in popularity and means different things to different people. To speak on Juneteenth and Pride I sent some questions to a friend of mine Alicia Crosby. She is a public theologian, writer, and all around good human being. Scroll down to read some of her brilliant thoughts.
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).