tortured nation

Divisions Arose on Rough Tactics for Qaeda Figure - NYTimes.com

Only one of the MANY articles this week realized on US interrogations and torture. I feel so sick when I read first-hand accounts of torture and waterboarding. Sicker than I felt 4 years ago when I was protesting but we only had rumors. Now, we have proof and testimony and paper trails that show this was not isolated instances but an overall strategy supported by the Bush administration.

I'm conflicted on the issue of justice... what should be done?

reconciliation at work

Despite feeling pessimistic about the status of race relations in the US right now, I was really inspired by an article in the New York Times today about a white director - Bartlett Sher - who directed the play Joe Turner by August Wilson. In his lifetime, Wilson only wanted his plays directed by African Americans, as most black directors did not have access to high-level directing positions. It's interesting that the title of the article is "Race is an Issue in Wilson Play, and in Its Production." The title suggests a story of tension --- and while there are inherent tensions anytime we talk about race --- even more importantly it's a story about reconciliation at work.

How did Sher - a white man - end up directing this play? The article offers some important clues into his journey.

1) First, Sher is someone who has had a long term relationship with the black arts community and has used his position to consistently advocate for blacks in theater and film. He had also built a long-term relationship with Wilson's widow and worked to earn her trust.

2) Second, Sher was willing to listen. He recognized the limits of his experience and instead of maintaining a position of authority, he developed a posture of learning --- drawing from the experiences and knowledge of his black cast. In many ways, there was an inversion of power as Sher allowed himself to be "directed" by the cast.

3) Finally, Sher was willing to allow for and face questions, cynicism, and anger at the choice of his direction. Sher himself recognizes the contradictions of his position and is willing to face these contradictions --- the fact that he might be taking an opportunity away from a black director --- and at the same time Sher advocates publicly for black directors to be involved in the directing of not just black plays but larger canonical works.

On the other side of things, we see something really important happening with Wilson's wife --- who gave her blessing for Sher to direct the play. Interestingly, she has a different vision than that of her late husbands, which may have something to do with her own background as a Hispanic American: “My work is to get these stories out there,” she said, “and to help ensure that audiences walk out of the plays with a deeper understanding for these American stories and for the ways our cultures intertwine.” Wilson's widow also has a desire to cross-cultural relationship and understanding. While the article does not say this, I think she wanted to model this cultural entwining in allowing Sher to direct.

I find this story so beautiful. It's about relationship, about openness on both sides, and about the desire to deeply understand one another through art and experience. It's clear Ms. Romero, the cast, the producer, and Mr. Sher were willing to make space for each other --- and face the hard questions as a result. I recognize the validity of wanting to have a black director direct a high-level black play and cast, but I was so inspired and encouraged by the interesting and brave path these two, the producer,and the wider cast and crew have forged. The writer of the article only hints at this incredible process. I'm glad he shared the story - while not downplaying the serious issues it raises - and I only wish we had more models like this to draw from.

post-racial? - perhaps just tired

After reading a interesting analysis of a recent Newsweek article on race at Princeton yesterday at Reconciliation Blog, I couldn't help but feel pessimistic about the complexity and ambiguity of race relations in America.

On top of that, I'm feeling BURNT OUT. In the two years that I have been here, I’ve seen our Organization of Latin American Students organization fall apart, our Student Senate position for cultural awareness disappear, our “cultural awareness week” collapse to one day, and the Black Student Organization hover on extinction at least 3 times. I’ve been forced to ask some hard questions about the relevancy of these groups and “awareness." The campus is no more diverse than when I arrived: we still only have 2 Hispanic professors and 1 African American faculty member.

Our forum on race this year took an astonishing turn with some or our black students proudly claimed that they would never take any scholarship money based on their racial/cultural background--- in response to a white student’s complaint that she felt “racism” because she did not have access to the same types of federal funds that minority students might have (never mind she has a full golf scholarship --- but that’s because she worked hard, right?). I really didn’t know what to do with that conversation. The black students felt proud because they challenged a stereotype; I felt sad because I tend to think the real problem is the assumption that we all start at the same place and if we “work hard” then we will get what we deserve. White privilege in action.

Then, there are the conversations that I have almost daily with my staff. They are supportive to an extent but still resist policies and strategies that address openly the issue of race on our campus with all the convenient dismissals: it’s not really that bad, “they” just need to find their place here, the world is just broken: we are always going to be this problem so why try. The result is effectively a policy of silence and assimilation. Every year some brave souls try to start the conversation again, but after a few meetings, it dies. Meanwhile, it gets harder and harder for advocates of diversity to stay here.

I wish that white people would understand that not talking about it is what upholds the status quo and contributes to the every-day feelings of isolation, uneasiness, and the endlessly exhausting process of translation for minority students. There is no sense of safety; there is no sense that they can really say what they think and feel, that their experience will be received. The message our university communicates? It is not acceptable, maybe even “un-Christian” to acknowledge difference. Difference destroys unity. Or rather, acknowledgement of difference destroys the veneer of safety and stability that has been cultivated around the illusion of shared identity.

I’m tired of these conversations too. I’m tired of talking about “diversity” or the Christianized version of “reconciliation.” Don’t get me wrong – I believe strongly in the power of reconciliation, but would I rather have 1) a university that talks about reconciliation so that it doesn’t have to actually make any structural changes and can absolve itself of some guilt while looking a little less white or 2) a university where reconciliation isn’t even part of the vocabulary and everyone assumes that if they can just be a “nice Christian community” that is enough. The former is hypocritical and the latter is naïve. Both, in my experience, are difficult places to work.

And in the end, it’s the students who suffer year after year. They are the one’s desperately waiting, sometimes not even aware that they are waiting. As a community, if we are really going to make this reconciliation thing work, we are going to have to learn how to hold pain, how to hold anger, how to acknowledge guilt, and how to claim an identity of grace, love and forgiveness over all other identities – while still recognizing and celebrating our unique differences. This is the university, the church, the nation, the world, I envision. But how to cultivate this?

Vicky, Cristina, and Boring Barcelona

So, I finally watched Vicky Cristina Barcelona last night. Ugh. I’m so glad I didn’t watch this film the in the theaters. There was some potential at being a really great film that explores the complexity of relationship and desire, but none of this potential ever breaks through. Instead, Allen’s characters and plot end up being shallow and worn out.

While watching, I had to wonder at times if the film was trying to be ironic or self-parodying, but I don’t think so.

Picking Letters, 10 a Day, That Reach Obama

Picking Letters, 10 a Day, That Reach Obama - NYTimes.com

This article is really touching. It's nice to know that 10 letters a day from ordinary citizens get personally read by President Obama. It must be an interesting job to sort through the president's mail.