“There was no human to human contact.”

I’m a long-suffering Minnesota Vikings Football fan, so on days like yesterday, when they had a bye, it’s okay, my expectations are so low … 🙂 But even if my team is not playing I’m watching football and an interview about Demario Davis, linebacker for the New Orleans Saints, got my attention, and brought together and personalized three webinars I had caught this week.

Davis talked about what a turning point it was in his life when he got an athletic scholarship and had a chance to play first college and then pro football. He had been incarcerated as a young man and he described how easily his life could have gone in another direction. He went on to talk about his work related to juvenile court and interventions and the ways mass incarceration tears apart lives, families and communities. He described specifically that day in the courtroom and the judge who presided at his sentencing: “He did not look up at me when he sentenced me. There was no human-to-human contact.”

He uses his platform now to advocate for voting rights for thousands in the state of Louisiana and against minimum sentencing for non-violent offenders. His testimony is powerful and his work is hands-on, practical and collaborative.

The clip from that interview resonated with me in particular because of how my week had unfolded, and the three virtual events I had taken part in. In each case, these online conversations circled back to the trauma caused by systemic racism.

The first was a Coming to the Table Racial Healing Learning Session,

“Is racism playing a role in the upcoming election? If so, what?” Crixell Shell served as circle keeper for a Coming to The Table event and among the topics was the harm that has been caused and the healing that will be needed as a result of election 2020. This circle question went deep with the participants. Interesting that people are anxious about election day, but in many ways just as anxious about the days and weeks that will follow as friends, family members, colleagues and neighbors work through a divided nation and divided communities.

The second, a Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice webinar,

‘”What are we restoring to? Where the scar is, never looks the same, but the area around it is stronger than it was before.” Sidney Moran was part of a Zehr Institute webinar titled, The Long Road That Bends Towards Justice – RJ and the Work of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The promo for this event shared that, “Restorative Justice requires racial equity to fulfill its purpose as a philosophy and spiritual practice, of the communities of color that it was birthed from and will remain with. As we often say in RJ work, we must begin with truth-telling. We must also begin there as it relates to RJ work. We will discuss what the work of Restorative Justice can offer to the on-going conversations and actions around whiteness (as a social construct) and racial justice.  I’m excited to share with you my experiences that have been in supporting organizations engaging in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion work. We will also discuss how RJ and its practices can play a role in what Bryan Stevenson says, is “The long road that bends towards justice”.” 

And the third, from the Jesuits, a Christian Response,

The Ignatian Volunteer Corps sponsored a conversation titled, A Thoughtful Dialogue on the Christian Response to Racial Justice. Facilitated by Twin City attorney, Roshan Rajkumar, renowned authors Rev. James Martin, SJ and Rev. James Wallis engaged in a dialogue concerning the racial transitions that awakened us during these turbulent times. My good friend Alison James brought this one to my attention; she helped the IVC with promotion and communications for the event. It was recorded live on October 21, 2020 at Ascension Catholic Academy in North Minneapolis.

The learning for me this week: “we have to own what we inherited, the good, and the bad.” Increasingly, I see how spiritual restorative justice is. I’m grateful for the opportunities.