Conspiracy

This week, the US government released its first official report on the buried history of 408 government-sponsored Indian Boarding Schools. The horrific system kidnapped Indigenous children and sent them away to become English-speaking Christians. It set up "the cheapest and safest way of subduing the Indian" so that white people could acquire the best land. The report is filled with quotes like this from congressmen and Presidents. Quotes that many white people still believe in. 

Yesterday, an 18-year-old white boy drove hundreds of miles to murder Black people in Buffalo. He subscribes to a particular brand of white supremacy, weaponized against a conspiracy of forces working behind the scenes to replace the white race. This replacement theory is peddled by Republican politicians and Fox News anchors. It fertilizes the fear and rage ripening in white men. 

I am convinced that the only way out of this white supremacist mess is for white folks and middle-class people to reverse our spiritual energy. We’ve got to ditch the denial and defensiveness and learn how to play offense. We can release our desperate need for power and control—and join the other team. Like Jesus said, lose your life and gain your soul. Repentance is high risk, high reward. It is an alternative “conspiracy,” a word that comes from the Latin root meaning “breathe with.” Breathe with Black and Indigenous people. Grieve with Black and Indigenous people. Learn from Black and Indigenous people. This is the only hope we have—and it has rarely been attempted.