My friend Lynn sent me a message last night, and I figured now is the right time to get started... I'm launching a platform on Substack, which will link back here and to YouTube. I have high hopes for consistency... The following is an introduction I plan to share on that platform.
Some things you should know about me:
1) I live in one of the most diverse counties in the United States, BUT that county is situated in the Deep South, which, as we all know, has a deep history of division, racism, and subjugation.
2) I was raised as a 3rd culture kid-- a black girl in an affluent, predominantly white suburban community, the daughter of a black woman who knew the sting of living under southern segregation and a black man who was one of a few students of color to attend an integrated midwestern high school in Cleveland, OH--something no one in his family had ever done before. I never felt deprived of any privilege. I knew I was loved. I excelled in school and in life because my parents sheltered me in many ways. YET, they taught me to respect all people AND equally important, not to take disrespect lightly.
3) I attended a top-tier, internationally regarded university, NYU, which opened a gateway to international travel opportunities. While I had traveled abroad before, NYU introduced me to a world where I would meet people from many different cultures, languages, and religious and ethnic backgrounds. The university offered me the opportunity to become a Martin Luther King, Jr. Ambassador who could represent the institution not only to potential students, but also in other countries like Senegal, Brazil, Italy, and Argentina. My eyes were opened to a world beyond Georgia, or Ohio, or New York. I saw people in real time in their places of comfort, speaking languages not my own.
4) As a young adult, I had a few divine encounters that convinced me that the god of the Bible is still alive and active in the world today. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. These encounters led me to attend Times Square Church, where David Wilkerson was pastoring. At that church, I met my husband, an immigrant from Haiti. His story is amazing, but I’ll let you tell it. That’s when I knew God does not see class or financial status the way human beings often do.
5) We homeschooled our kids. I never saw myself becoming a stay-at-home mom. Remember NYU? I had other plans, but God had deeper, more spiritually challenging and fulfilling ones. I’m glad He did--and still does-- as I wrestle with faith, comfort, discomfort, sacrifice, humility, sin, and forgiveness.
6) I am a recovering introverted overachiever and type-A personality… I am learning to let go, let God, come out of my shell, and allow Him to empower me in, through, and beyond offense. He has a funny sense of humor, as he has assigned me to teach Journalism, Media, and Filmmaking to middle school students who do not demonstrate much passion for a subject I love abundantly. YET...
7) I am wrestling with the possibility of being neurodivergent, as I recently scored 120 on the RAADS-R. Honestly, I am scared to get an official diagnosis. What would that label really mean, as I have already lived more than half of my life? I think I took the assessment mainly to give myself--and my family--clarity as we wrestle with our quirks. THAT is a whole other tale for another day…
So now that you know a few things about me, I would like to introduce you to the first subject of Imago Dei and Ink: Jovita Idar. Imagine living on land where borders had shifted, and the people in your community had been told that the old way of living was no longer valid? Your language, culture, history, heritage, and personhood would now be subjugated to a new ruling ideology. This is the reality many Tejanos faced at the newly drawn Mexican border. Our scene? Laredo, TX. While many Tejanos managed to maintain political power because of their sheer numbers, they still found discriminatory practices of the form of Juan Crow aimed to relegate them as second-class citizens in their own backyards. Schools were segregated and underfunded. Healthcare was nominal as the border battle continued. Yet, people like Jovita’s family--her father and brothers--organized community members to assert their rights as divine image bearers. So what happened when the Idar family lived through La Hora de Sangre and learned about the lynchings of children as young as fourteen? You’re right, they were not going to let it slide. In my next post, I will share more about the powerful courage of Jovita Idar and her family, and how their story connects Divine Image-bearing and advocacy today.
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