Stand Where You Must Stand. Be Human There.
Here are two of my favorite people. I’ll say more about Gloria Johnson in time. But I’m taking a moment now to praise Adeem the Artist. You’ll want to hear and procure their music. Start with “Middle of a Heart,” if you aren’t immersed already.
Today’s praise comes on account of an interview conducted by Brittney McKenna for the Nashville Scene. Hear this. It’s Adeem talking:
Everybody is treating everyone that they interact with as sort of a spokesperson for this whole system of operation that they disagree with. And so people aren’t actually responding to me. They’re responding to this Antifa Power Rangers machine that they think I’m connected to.
That there is Robot Soft Exorcism Theory in a nutshell. There’s more. Remember that Jason Aldean song? Hear Adeem:
The truth is, I don’t believe the writers of that song intended to be racist. I don’t think they intended to disparage Black people, or to scare marginalized voices. I think they genuinely thought they were espousing good small-town values. And I think they thought that because they only know how white people feel about the words they use. They never thought about how it would sound to anybody from any divergent perspective. So to me, the conversation is way less about how Jason Aldean is racist and way more about how this genre is so devoid of perspective that people can say the most asinine, racist shit and it’s treated as normal.
Anyway, these are just excerpts. I’m grateful to be alive while Adeem’s around. Breathtaking nuance and a generous helping of civic courage. Tune in.
ALSO….I’m preaching at Downtown Presbyterian Church this Sunday at 11AM. I’ll draw on the lectionary reading. My sermon title is “Stand Where You Must Stand. Be Human There.” We’re here for you.
ALSO….There are extra dates on my global world tour. The most recent addition is Square Books. Give in a look.
No parking on the dance floor, y’all.