Catherine Meeks is the author of the new book Bridging the Rivers of Difference: A Proclamation of Unity in Resistance. Her other books include The Night Is Long But Light Comes in the Morning. She is an educator and is the former director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing, and she lives in Atlanta.
Q:
What inspired you to write Bridging the Rivers of Difference?
A: I have spent the past 50 years working as a professor, consultant, workshop presenter, and consistent advocate for racial justice and healing. I am thankful for the progress that we have made, but it is far too small considering the amount of resources and other efforts that have gone into attempting to dismantle system racism.
It is quite clear to me that the time has come to seek new ways to address this system that continues to support the disenfranchisement of people of color in the United States.
I am convinced that we have to reimagine the way ahead for this work and seek new ways to build coalitions between the major marginalized groups of people of color which can lead to the development of a system that is truly designed to include everyone living in the United States as free and equal humans.
Q: What impact do you see the current administration having on social justice issues?
A: The Trump administration is interested in having a white America and it is about 400 years too late to achieve that desire.
But the systematic efforts that it is following, which have been designed by the Heritage Foundation and Stephen Miller, are serving to continue to make space for division and competition among people of color and white people as well.
The disparagement of Latinos in particular and other groups of people of color, which is leading to serious acts of violence from ICE and others who believe their racist views to be valid, is heartbreaking. The effort to destabilize democratic principles such as free speech, voting rights, and justice support their intentions as well.
All of these behaviors are contributing to making divisiveness and mistrust more powerful.
Q: Your book calls for unity--what do you see as some of the encouraging and discouraging factors in achieving that goal?
A: The call to unity in my book is a bold move indeed, given the amount of diversity that exist in the United States and the historical journey that the major minority groups have traveled. That path has led to the place of creating a spirit of competition instead of one of coalition and community building.
The reality of this situation is challenging, but it is not impossible to change the narrative if enough of us can decide that a new way is possible.
The book addresses a possible path to follow in the last chapters in the discussion about a way forward that involves the major minority groups looking to the stories and wisdom from their ancestors to help in creating a new narrative that does not include the white supremacist narrative that has infected all of them.
These groups need to work to remember or to learn about their ancient past before they became engaged with white supremacy and its control. They need to work to see themselves as fellow humans with a common struggle.
There are people other than me who understand that people of color have to take up this work of resistance and seek ways to create a common agenda that is designed to benefit everyone.
There are a few examples of coalition building in the racial healing community, but much remains to be done in this regard because it is hard to sustain the fragile coalitions that form in the present moment.
I am not discouraged about the way ahead; I simply understand that the work of creating the type of unity that I am imagining will take a fair amount of time and serious commitment from people who are intentional about working for the change that is required for us to build a world where everyone is seen as a worthy human.
Q:
What do you hope readers take away from your book?
A: I hope that readers will be challenged to examine their personal thoughts about racial healing and wellness in an honest manner and think about what, if any, role they wish to assume in helping to create new narratives about racial healing and justice in the United States.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am creating a series of interviews in what I am calling Wisdom Bearers. These are interviews with people 65 years and older about their life journeys and these interviews will be used to help in fostering the intergenerational work that I am doing.
I think that dialogue between the generations is crucial and this work is designed to help promote that effort. The interviews will be housed at my website and available for anyone to see and to use to help facilitate intergenerational conversations and relationship-building activities.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I would enjoy having your audience visit and subscribe to my website www.turquoiseandlavender.com and some might be interested in my book Light Comes in the Morning, Meditations on Racial Healing as well as my Bridging The Rivers Of Difference, A Proclamation of Unity In Resistance.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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