Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Settlin' Into My Life in St. Croix



Installation Ceremony - December 9, 2012


One of the first things I did upon arriving in St. Croix was to rejoin the Writer's Circle. I had the opportunity to meet with them in February, 2012 when I previously visited. I have since joined a second writers group. This is a short piece I wrote last nite, March 18, 2013:
 
I Remember the Time

I remembert the time when I decided to magically love myself to paradise.

It was February, 2012 and I was two weeks into my visit as guest minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. Croix. I knew in the 2nd week that I wanted to live and work in St. Croix. It felt so natural and I felt at home. It felt like a place that I could make a life. It took me five months but I returned for good with my cat, my car, my clothes and some of my books.

I remember the time when I decided to magically love myself to paradise.

The plane landed and Will Franks was waiting to pick me up and help me begin my new life in his apartment in the LaGrande Community. Settling in, my black-southern-work-ethic kicked in gear and my euro-centric task oriented get-the-job-done me was at the Labor Department that first week talking with my job counselor who I had corresponded with over the summer

and I was job hunting and apartment hunting like there was no tomorrow.

Meditating and visualizing and engaging my spirit so I would not get anxious and afraid.

I have friends; I have a life with a growing garden, a quirky landlord and a lovely duplex unit...

I have attended birtday parties, and raggae fests and Hanakaa celebrations and carnivals.

I have watched sun sets and a few sun rises, walked along the beach in my bare feet and played tag with ocean waves at tide.

I have sat with dying patients and comforted family members and endured endless staff meetings and created a violence free work place for myself

I have watched the ocean waves roll in and laid listening to the soft and quiet sounds of the night ocean and heard gun shots and sirens.

I remember the time when I magically loved myself to paradise

and found a Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists that appreciate me and might even love me a little bit.

A small Fellowship filled with individuals that have hopes and dreams that some share twice a month in Joys and Concerns that we say mostly in silence, but I speak aloud the name of my grand daughter, Malia and my sister Betty, and my soon-to-be ninety year old mothers name, and my patients names.

The choir sings hymns, some familiar and some not so familiar, and the musician plays the preludes and postludes and offertory hymns mostly from the classical tradition and each week I pray for inspiration and the right mood and tone to guide the prevailing Spirit amongst us,

That someone who came wondering if their life was making a difference - leaves knowing it is, if to no one but them - and that's all right.

That someone who came hoping to be inspired leaves with a growing glimmer that their life is good and their hope is renewed

that someone finds a kind face, a gentle smile, a reassuring hug or a shoulder to lean into.

I remember the time when I magically loved myself  driving down the "superhighway"that I take twice a day from Frederiksted to Christiansted and at the end of each day my cat, Ms. Lily greets me:

How was your day and can you get my food - pronto!

Ms. Lili is now an outdoor cat that is mastering her environment including the visiting cat that thinks it's alright to steal her food and drink her water. She is not her friend and she and Ms. Lili fight.

The visitor is lean like most Crucian cats and Ms. Lili is fat and well fed like most state side pets.

I remember the time when I magically loved myself as I garden year round and tend my house and sit quietly on my porch swing and wonder at my good fortune and...

I remember the time when I magically loved myself to St. Croix!









 

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Ruminations from St. Croix (STX)

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L-R Rabbi Maurna Sapsowitz, me (Rev. Dr. Qiyamah A. Rahman) and Tahirah Abubakr.

Too much has transpired to totally catch you up! Just know that I am loving my life in STX. Thank you for your patience. I am starting my seventh month in STX and loving every minute of it!

The above picture was taken December, 2012 at my Installation. I am now officially the minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. Croix.

Here are a few pictures to whet your appetite!


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We had a guest speaker talking about a non profit, organization, Alternatives to Violence (AVP) and of course I had to wear my peace stole. We meet at the Jewish Community Center and as a result the Rabbi and I have worked closely on some projects. 

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I was fortunate to find a great duplex (two bedrooms) and open space floor plan with a good sized front and back yard. This is a picture of the kitchen taken from the living room. The bedrooms are to the right. Ceiling fans keep me cool most of the time.







Another picture taken from the living room. The furniture is covered because of Ms. Lili who still loves to scratch things. She is now fortunately an outdoor cat and she has takento STX like fish to water. She has lost weight and looks good! No more "chuncky monkey" which I lovingly who call her!


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I have started a flower garden which I love working in. I have recently begun a vegetable garden in planters that include tomatoes and kale. On the back porch I have peppermint that is ready to "harvest" and dry!

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I live in walking distance from the beach! I haven't caught too many sunrises but the sunsets are gorgeous!

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St. Croix - Bigger than Life Beach!





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It is not all play in paradise. This is some of the Fellowship members meeting early Saturday morning, February 2nd in a workshop titled, What it Means to Be a Unitarian Universalist. The President, Gail Nealon and I faciltated the workshop. She has been a great asset to the Fellowship and to me as their first paid minister. The Fellowship is 28 years old and I have put them on notice that they should have a bang up anniversary celebration for our 30th year!

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Agriculture Fair - Peacocks strutting their stuff! 

February 16-18 The Annual Agricultural Fair (Ag Fair) takes place! It is one of the biggest events on the Island and includes music (I attended the calypso and reggae concerts); animal husbandry; vendors of all kinds; etc. 

I attended with my friend Tahirah and I ate veggie pate, johnny cakes and smoothies and health drinks.  



Welcome to my world!
Blessings! Rev. Qiyamah
 

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Living in the Realm of Possibility

 
On August 1 I began my new life in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. I am currently working as a medical social worker at the Caribbean Kidney Center in Christiansted. Each day I drive from western part of the Island in Frederiksted where I live to Christiansted where I work. I also serve as the very part time minister to a great bunch of folks at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. Croix.

Please indulge me while I load software from my digital camera so that you can witness the beauty that is mine to enjoy moment to moment! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Rev. Dr. Qiyamah 

Friday, March 30, 2012

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month


April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.  While it is not a popular topic perhaps the appalling fact that the United States ranks highest in child abuse fatalities of any industrialized nation might make us less squeamish and more accountable to our children. First off, we would have to concede that these statistics are a national abomination!  Even with our poor reporting protocols we know that three million children each year are reported as victims of child abuse and neglect. 1,700 lose their lives each year. Most before four years of age! One person hinted that this might represent more combined fatalities than we have lost in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fatalities are a consequence of war. Does that mean we have declared war on our babies and children?

The loss of even one child to abuse is one child too many. Let us recommit ourselves to ending this war. Let us fight for every child.

Q. During the month of April what can you do to contribute in some small way to making a difference in the life of a child?

Blessings! Rev. Qiyamah


Wednesday, March 28, 2012

New Orleans: The Rising Phoenix

As a native Georgian  whose state logo is the phoenix rising from the ashes I know a little something about rebirthing. And New Orleans is a city that has done exactly that. It has come back from the devastation of Katrina. Not only was I able to attend the Unitarian Universalists of Color Retreat as I shared in a previous post, but I also stayed over to attend worship service at First Unitarian Church on the following Sunday. In addition I witnessed the St. Patrick's Day Parade and have a ton of beads for my efforts. Rev. Melanie insists that I lost my mind but I was merely following the old adage, "when in Rome do as the Romans do." I got into a participatory mode. I also witnessed one of the most incredible sights that I had heard about but never had the privilege to see - and that is the Mardi Gras Indians. There is controversy about how the ritual got started. Some say when Buffalo Bill came to New Orleans and African Americans witnessed his costumes and parade that they imitated it. Others contend that out of tribute to Native Americans that embraced them and took them in as escapees from slavery they embraced the custom of dressing for one day a year and masking as Indians in elaborate costumes. Whatever the origins it has survived and evolved and represents the transformation of a violent gang culture to one of non-violent competition.

The costumes are true works of art that have now been recognized as folk art.. See the pictures below for evidence of the craftsmanship.

A local artist depicted Katrina in 3 stages in this stained glass - pre- Katrina, during Katrina and post Katrina at First Unitarian Church of New Orleans .

 A close up of Katrina and devastation as portrayed in this scene


 The bright white line in the middle of the wall is the water mark from Katrina.

These walls were redone (the lower section) from salvaged wood from the church after Katrina.

  L-R Revs. Clyde Grubbs and Melanie Morel-Ensminger



 L-R Rev. Marta and Rev. Melanie
L-R  Gwendolyn Dunnigan and Rev. Deanna Vandiver
L-R Rev. Gordon Bailey and Gwendolyn Dunnigan

L-Janice Marie, Taquiena, Rev. Hope and Rev. Marta



L-R Janice Marie Johnson, Taquiena Boston, Rev. Hope Johnson, Rev. Marta Valentin, Rev. Melanie Morel-Ensminger and yours truly, Rev. Qiyamah A. Rahman




















May the blessings of this great city continue to pour out abundantly on these brave and persistent people as they seek to reclaim their beloved City and recover from the adversity of Katrina while holding onto the beauty of their culture.

Blessings Rev. Qiyamah

  

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Unitarian Universalist Religious Professionals of Color

I was recently in New Orleans for the 2012 Annual Retreat of Unitarian Universalist Religious Professionals of Color and Latina/o's. The Retreat, titled, Finding Our Way Home. It was held March 14-17  and sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association - Multicultural  Growth and Witness. If I am correct this was the occasion for our sixth (or was it the seventh) Retreat. Rev. Dr. Michelle Bentley, a former and now retired  Unitarian Universalist Association staffer must be  credited for the work she did to organize and initiate these Retreats. Since her departure from the UUA the Retreat has been continued under the leadership of first, Rev. Sophia Betancourte and now, Hope Johnson, Director of Multicultural Growth and Witness. When the Retreats first began they were solely designated for ministers of color. Since that time seminarians have been included  as well as Directors of Religious Education. Most recently, UUs of Color that serve as Directors of Music were included this year. It has been hinted that the next additions might be Administrators of Color. I believe it would be extremely important at some point in the very near future to add Presidents of Color of UU Boards.

Just as the Retreat's target population has expanded so has the focus. Due to the small numbers in our predominantly white denomination of Unitarian Universalism many UUs of Color experience great isolation. Thus, many of us originally sought out each other at General Assembly, the largest gathering of Unitarian Universalists, held annually in various locations. This eventually included specific programming by UUs of Color as part of our commitment to ourselves as well as to provide education in our larger movement. Creating space where People of Color could spend time affirming their gifts and contributions and rejuvenating from the conscious and unconscious racism while taking a break from the task of "interrupting whiteness" revealed a great hunger and need for the Retreat.
While General Assembly is an expensive endeavor many UUs of Color were privileged to be able to attend  and could count on the presence of other UUs of color which helped break the isolation. This meant a great deal to the less than fifty ministers of color and fifty seminarians that exist in the UUA. The annual Retreat has capped off at about sixty due to budget constraints. Thanks to UUA's commitment to UUs of Color, the expenses for the Retreat are solely underwritten by UUA.

In a faith movement comprised of approximately 130,000 individuals (more or less), including 1,700 ministers, ministers of color comprise approximately fifty of those 1,700 ministers. The racial break down in UUism is reflected in the demographics below provided by Dr. Paul Razor in a recent General Assembly:

—89% (whites); —1.0% (blacks); —3.0% (Hispanic); —3.0% (Asian); 4.0% (Multi-racial)

A diverse group of Unitarian Universalists posing for a group picture. Photo by Elandria Williams.

People of Color gathered at a Recent General Assembly


While previous year's Retreats emphasized community and was complemented by worship, caucus groups, and Rest and Recuperation (R&R), and education, this year's Retreat included some new components. The added service component recharged many of the participants without defeating the goal of the Retreat. The educational component was well done and complemented the Retreat format as well. Worship done by ministers is always soul renewing and that has always been the case with the worship at Retreat.




L-R Lesley Murdock, Janice Marie Johnson, Taquiena Boston, and Alicia Forde holding flowers  presented to them by Finding Our Home Retreat participants for a job well done!

 L-R Rev. Hope Johnson and Rev. Monica Cummings on ferry headed to "The Village" for service component.
 Listening to history about the Village and receiving instructions to begin work.

 The group is either preparing to board the ferry going to Algiers to the Village or preparing to disembark!
 The  Village was an outdoor African American Museum in Algiers that held artistic renderings that depicted the history of Africans, Arcadians etc. that lived there. They are resisting efforts to remove them because they are considered an "eyesore" by wealthy condo owners and developers coming into the area!
 Retreat participants listening to the Director of the Village, Cathy sharing the history.

 One of the many amazing pieces of art. This was painted on the side of a rough wooden building at the Village.
I particularly loved this depiction of Black women with their hands on their hips looking strong and ready for anything! They are my role model!

 More great art!
 L-R Revs. Adam Robersmith, Joe Cherry and Derrick Jackson take a break from their work for a chat and laughter!

 Jorge Espinel, seminarian from Chicago talking with unidentified individual
Yours truly sitting on top of debris that I helped carry off as one of my work tasks!


Introduction
In this work of creating multiracial and multicultural communities it is important that we always be engaged in critical interrogation because our analysis is the engine that drives our initiatives and programs. Categories tied too closely to the history of the racism experienced by particular ethnic groups may prove to be too limiting. Latinos and Latinas do not fit easily into the same analysis that Blacks do, or Asians for that matter. As is the case with Native Americans. Perhaps when we examine the growing number of children in our RE programs that are multi-racial this is particularly evident. Telling these stories means telling diverse stories so that it is not assumed that it is one story but multiple ways in which people of color have been marginalized. And while telling those stories that we also speak to instances of solidarity that brought us together  across differences of race, class, gender, sexual orientation etc.

Below are three radicalizing moments that I personally recall.

This Journey toward wholeness, that is our efforts towards multi-racial multi-cultural and anti-oppression, has not been without pain or discomfort. The Journey has been fraught with controversy. We have not always agreed on or known the way forward. We have stumbled and fumbled, fussed and discussed, fought and fumed and yet we find ourselves together despite our differences.
Rev. Melvin Hoover, former Director of the Faith in Action Department of the UUA reminded me several years ago that we UUs were among the first national religious bodies to make an institutional wide commitment to anti-racism work. Since our vote at GA in 1996 we have had hundreds if not thousands of leaders nationwide to participate in the JTW Program.
In addition, the UUA has moved beyond its initial black and white model. Yet, we have had our painful moments. Some of which I share here lest we forget and fall into our old patterns and behaviors:

"We were in our second day of a Jubilee World train-the-trainer sponsored by the UUA’s Faith in Action Dept in 1997 in Columbus, OH. Lola Peters, a black UUA staffer stood in the front of the room. Lola is a plus size woman and when she desires she can appear quite intimidating. She stood perfectly erect not saying a word. It was time to begin so why wasn’t she starting I thought? I was beginning to get restless. I thought at first it was a classroom management style to get us to come to order. But she had had our undivided attention for several minutes. The room was perfectly quiet. I thought maybe she was relishing her power to hold us in suspense. People were asking her questions, but she just stood there and ignored them as if she were deaf. I remembered thinking, “this isn’t cute anymore.” I am ready to leave if she doesn’t give us a clue or say what this is all about.” Finally,. She spoke, “Who is not here? She asked. Our heads swiveled around, perusing the room like surveillance cameras. Finally, someone said, “the people of color.” Well, I was a people of color and I was in the room. But I immediately realized in looking around that only blacks were present and all the Asian Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Latinas and Latinas were missing. Yesterday when we began and made introductions there were other people of color from around the country. When we had gotten far enough along in the training they had ascertained that their stories and voices were not captured in the model being used. They had objected to the binary model and challenged the trainers.

In that moment the emotional intensity in the room was sharp enough to slice with a dull knife. Yesterday they had challenged us. Explanations were made that probably sounded like excuses. Some individuals began to cry. I felt a deep down despair. Some of our hearts were breaking. We had done to one another what we were trying to undo with our training. We had rendered some of our own invisible by eliminating them from the curriculum, from the history and the analysis.

Suddenly the door opened. They silently marched in, single file and stood up against the wall. They stopped and stood silently. We knew we had messed up big  time and it was excruciatingly painful. They each read a statement. One after another they talked about how it felt to be rendered invisible in their faith tradition that they had given so much to. People in the audience were visibly weeping. I don’t remember their words so much but the incident is permanently imprinted on my brain. Their act of removing themselves from our midst was so painful. If was as if a piece of us had been spirited away and somehow some of us had not noticed.

I was so moved that when I returned to my place of employment, the Georgia Human Relations Commission in Atlanta, I attempted to convey why we ought to be using a multicultural and multiracial model. W were doing a new diversity training at the Commission using a binary model of black and white. We had already  conducted it once and received a great deal of flack from the Hispanic participants. I was not able to convince my employer to change our model.
Some lessons you see are only learned in the pain of conflict and adversity, and sometimes not even then.

We Fall Down But We Get Up
The 1993 General Assembly was held in Charlotte, NC. It was my first GA. It was also the 250th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson is a iconic personality among UUs in the South. As fate would have it, the GA Planning Committee thought they would lift up this historic event for the much loved statesperson and host a “costume ball” to which they invited participants to come dressed in “period costume.”

The UU Women’s Federation heard about the Thomas Jefferson Ball. As a member of the Steering Committee I participated in drafting a letter to the GA Planning Committee explaining why this was not a good idea and the fact that it was insensitive to Blacks. In my mind when I heard about the Ball I immediately conjured up a picture of blacks in tattered burlap garments in shackles and chains. And while that image might not accurately describe all blacks , the majority of blacks were slaves.

While I was a little surprised by the Planning Committee’s insensitivity I assumed they would fix things. The Committee responded and thanked us for our letter but did not agree with us and indicated that it was too late to cancel the event anyway.

GA finally arrived. As a new UU I had been reading everything I could get my hands on. And while there was not much by UU's of color I read Mark Morrison Reed’s, Black Pioneers in a White Denomination and the collection of writings by authors of color, Been in the Storm So Long, edited by Mark Morrison Reed and Jacqui James. You can imagine my excitement when I discovered that General Assembly was featuring a skit depicting famous UUs. I was so proud that I knew about individuals like Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Annie B. Jordan and others. So there I sat and waited as historic personalities paraded before me and I tried to guess who they were. And I eagerly waited to see some of the UUs of color that I had read about. I waited and I waited and it was finally over with no mention of any UUs of color. I thought, “Oh my goodness, what have I gotten myself into.” Meanwhile, other issues were brewing.

“A group of people decided to get together to protest the TJ Ball. I attended and years later I remember the drums especially. As a Black American and a new UU it was a moving experience to participate in the demonstration against the Thomas Jefferson Ball. We had a large contingent of people of color and European American allies. The energy was high and celebratory. We were experiencing a “Ball” of sorts downstairs while the TJ Ball took place upstairs. We sang and I was thrilled  to be a part of something so significant so early in my UU formation. I was especially struck by the absence of rancor. Some individuals actually participated in both  the demonstration and then went upstairs to dance and frolic with friends. Some came back and forth as the spirit moved them. I learned something important that night and that is, sometimes we can sit with the discomfort and pain of our differences. I learned that all differences do not have to be disagreeable. I did not hold it against those who identified with Thomas Jefferson nor did I hate on them for wanting to get dressed up for a night of dancing or for supporting TJ. At another point in my ife I would have expected individuals to choose – to take a stand.

I also met the personable Ms.Gladys McNatt and Norma Poinsett, two Black elder UUs for the first time. Some one (who, I don't remember) spoke in favor of the TJ Ball. Gladys raised the issue of the TJ Ball with the Planning Committee who I am told ignored her concerns. The knowledge that once again people of color were expected to be the appointed spokes person and to monitor “race issues” tends to make them very vulnerable. This is especially true when they are one of a few or the only one. I noticed how some whites referenced the blacks that endorsed the Ball. It reflects the attitude that, “we had one of you present and accounted for and she didn’t challenge us. about this.” People of color are required by virtue of racism to be the upholders  of our the race and to be the paragon of what is politically correct. It was not up to Gladys or any single Black to catch this enormous faux pas. I would not have wanted to be in her shoes.

But in 200 I stepped into her shoes when I was hired as the only person of color on the field staff in the 23 districts in the UUA. Jim Brown, District Executive (DE) for the South West District had previously had this dubious distinction before he retired. One has to appreciate my situation. Coming in on the heels of a European American male patriarch, Roger Comstock. He was a legend in his own right. I had confidence in my skills although I knew the learning curve would be pretty steep. Revs. Bill Sinkford and Tracey Robinson-Harris conducted the District Start Up Weekend in August, 1999 at the Mountain in Highlands, NC. Bill and Tracey skillfully maneuvered the dialogue so that participants began to talk about their anxiety about Roger’s departure. Once they acknowledged theirs I could then acknowledge my biggest anxiety  - which was that TJD members would see me as an affirmative action hire and therefore not qualified. Even after a year on the job, one of my evaluation comments noted that I had done well despite having no experience as a UU nor with working with UU congregations. I realize that my then eight years as a UU paled in the face of persons that were three generation UUs. However, the person’s assumption that I had no experience was telling. On the other hand, I was fearful that UUs would not be willing to hold me to the same standard of excellence they held other DEs and that they would be afraid to engage me and challenge me if my stuff wasn’t right. The perfect catch 22!

I tell these stories so that they will not be lost and so that we know where we have come from and where we are going!

Q. Where have you seen the Holy in your life and failed to step up to claim your Truth?
Q. What would it take to do so?

Blessed Be! Rev. Qiyamah