Tom Adams
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911 responders, feeding and housing those who are homeless, an exhausted nurse during COVID, a Safe Streets worker talking others out of using a gun…. What do these extraordinary people have in common? They are our heroes helping, or pushing through indifference, inaction, panic, or a crisis.
I have had limited interaction with transgender people. I became more aware when personal pronouns became more present in communications. Over the past couple of years, I have come to know people who have changed their gender. I have heard maternity ward nurses say they could tell at birth that a baby’s given gender and intended gender were not aligned. Friends who are parents have shared of having their teen transform grief and self-destructive behavior into joy and relief when their gender affirmation was complete.
A recent weekend was rich in experiences that reminded me of another element of love – courage. Last week’s post reflected on the many ways that we can look back at a person’s life when they die and see all the love that was present. I shared about the life of Rudi Rudran and all the good that came from his life of service. In his story and for many others, the daily acts of loving require courage fueled by faith of some kind.
After I wrote a post two weeks ago on traveling graces, I realized that I had more to say on my recent travels. Today’s post reflects on some other interesting noticing’s from my recent trip.
As a Puerto Rican woman working with communities of color in the US and Puerto Rico, visiting Africa had long been a goal for me.
The significance of Black History Month 2023 varies widely across the United States. To make real progress on our deep racial divides, we all need to pay attention to Black History all year long. The opportunities to do so abound. I have come to this point of view slowly over many years. Not long ago I looked at Black History Month participation as a box to check off out of obligation and perhaps guilt. It was one more thing to do.
Reviewing the Book of Forgiving during Black History Month allows us to look at ways to right the wrongs of this country’s original sin: mistreating and exploiting People of Color. Whether they were indigenous to this continent, imported as slaves, or the Chinese being excluded from becoming citizens, justice requires that a recognition and renewal take place.
Is there a connection between Black History Month and how we think about love? I know the inventors of Valentine’s Day weren’t thinking about deepening the meaning of Black History Month. But might there be a connection?
Just imagine, every day you are poised for something bad to happen. You may not be conscious of the tension, but it’s there. You’re primed for fight or flight. That’s a part of what it’s like to be Black in America.
As we enter Black History Month, we hear the echoes of Martin Luther King’s call for a Beloved Community. Throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s, Dr. King preached a deep connection between God’s love, “beloved community,” non-violence, justice, and peace. In a time of world conflict and daily struggles to see each other as beloved brothers and sisters, Dr. King’s words offer us a road map.
Tom Adams writes and speaks on topics vital to the intersection of our personal lives with our community and global lives. He has for decades been engaged in and written about nonprofit leadership and transitions, spirituality and spiritual growth, how we each contribute to a more just and equitable world and recovery from addictions and the Twelve Step recovery movement.