MWEG Town Hall Recap: “If All Lives Matter, then Black Lives Matter”
Last week MWEG was honored to host Dr. LaShawn Williams, clinical social worker and assistant professor at Utah Valley University; Charlotte Mountain, MWEG’s anti-racism committee lead; and Denise Grayson, MWEG’s senior director of the proactive root at our inaugural Town Hall event.
The meeting was titled “If All Lives Matter, then Black Lives Matter: Turning Frustration into Productive Interpersonal Action,” and each attendee came away more equipped to engage thoughtfully and courageously with others on race and racism in America. We’d like to share a few quotes from the night, plus some questions attendees asked during the event and the link to watch the full recording in the MWEG Portal.
“You just feel it.”
This is amazing to see so many . . . who really want to know how to be better aware, to reach out to those who are dealing with this trauma. When you are dealing with prejudice, it’s as if someone is giving you a paper cut. You just feel it. You feel it in your soul, you feel the pain, and when you hear the atrocious manner that some people are treated, you just cry out. You want to know what to do. — Denise Grayson
“We have the power, and we have the responsibility.”
One of the things that I think is really important when we choose to engage is to understand how our bodies respond to continued and sustained engagement — how trauma can affect your window of tolerance. . . . We have the power, and we have the responsibility, and we have the opportunity, the privilege, and the blessing to help manage a loved one’s, a friend’s, a ward member’s window of tolerance. … Am I contributing to their trauma or am I helping to alleviate that? — Dr. LaShawn Williams
“Have we had enough?”
We — as a nation and as Christians — are now burdened. We have knowledge unlike any knowledge we have had in the past. Oftentimes we read a news account or see a few minutes of surveillance video or a bit of body-worn camera footage that gives us an indication of what has happened. Never before have we seen that moment when a man, at the hands of another, cried out for his mama. When undeniably we watched the suffering of a man no longer capable of resisting. Are we indignant? Have we had enough?
I hope that for us all the answer is a resounding and booming, “Yes!” The Lord has never given us a knowledge without asking us to act on that knowledge. — Charlotte Mountain
“There are so many ways to engage your anxiety effectively for change.”
Work to prevent it. Intervene when it’s happening. I don’t expect you to be a professional at it, but I do expect you to engage. If someone is sick, you help. If you can’t intervene, and you can’t prevent it, can you comfort? Can you console? Can you be someone who helps heal someone who has experienced something as debilitating as a racist event? There are so many ways to engage your anxiety effectively for change. — Dr. LaShawn Williams
“We cannot allow this moment and this energy to dissipate.”
This is a marathon, not a sprint. We mourn with those that mourn. When will our mourning for Mr. Floyd end? When can we say, “Enough”? I do not know, but I believe at this time, we cannot allow this moment and this energy to dissipate. When this moment is remembered as history, we want to be counted among those who took a stand. — Charlotte Mountain
Read the full text of Charlotte’s words here.
At the end of each speaker’s comments, town hall participants had the chance to ask their own questions. Here are just a few that were addressed. Watch the full recording for the answers!
Audience Questions:
What are sources I can seek out to learn about American history from a more unbiased perspective?
I have a young child who will still start talking and recognizing different appearances. I’m so nervous about being asked why someone’s skin is dark. I don’t want to offend anyone. How can I navigate those conversations in a healthy way?
My community is almost all white. How can I go about building relationships with more people of color without seeming insincere?
What if you have a family member who gets defensive when you want to talk about race? How can you respect someone else’s window of tolerance while still wanting to discuss hard topics with other adults?
What do you think are some good ways the LDS church in the U.S. can help non-white members feel more welcome and part of our community?
