Wasted Time

Why advocate? Why stand up and fight in a battle that seems it cannot be won? We find in so many situations that movements can be started, hearts can be won, people can get riled up - but no change will occur.

"Not in our name"

This was the explanation given to me by  Brandon Fountain, who is the Civic Engagement & Communications Organizer at Greater Birmingham Ministries (plus he was gracious enough to to share his office with me). Brandon followed up his statement by saying, "Let's not kid ourselves, we live in Alabama.. It is very hard for change to occur, especially in the political setting of our state, but should we give up? Should we just sit down while we see wrongs committed right before our eyes? The answer is to stand up and say no. The answer is to stand up to and to declare that injustice will not stand unopposed - it will not be condoned in our name. Years from now, when things are different, we will have the benefit of looking back and saying 'we took a stand, we fought that fight.'

And that's how my first day at GBM took shape, with the answer of a question we all ask ourselves as to why fight for change in a society that is hesitate to accept new ideas. Brandon was exactly right in his answer. So many times, people get drawn up in the concept of "saving the world in a day", not realizing that in some cases..most cases.. they will be shut down or rejected. For a while I have lived in a sort of utopian mindset of immediate change, of storming in and saving the day like a super hero. I have come to realize that advocacy isn't so much about immediate change as it is about the declaration of each individual standing hand in hand exclaiming "Not in our name." 

Renowned human rights attorney, and personal role model,  Bryan Stevenson (click the link for the most amazing and heartfelt speech you will ever hear) says that we must all realize that "our humanity depends on the humanity of others." What this entails is that we focus on the person not the cause. The individual not the issue. That's what truly can ignite change.

Best Regards,

Denzel 

Greetings!

Before we get to the formalities, let me start off by saying I have no idea what I’m doing. I am not one to spend my time blogging, or reading blogs, but I felt in light of my circumstance it would serve as a unique tool that would allow me to discern the relationships and interactions I would come across over the next two months at my internship at Greater Birmingham Ministries. Also,  I am no Shakespeare so please excuse any grammar mistakes or writing errors…

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, now we can get on to the interesting stuff.  My name is Denzel (yes, like the actor) and I am a political science major with a double minor in human rights conflict & studies and religious studies. I attend THE Birmingham-Southern College, and it is through their wonderful programs and opportunities, specifically the Hess Fellowship, that this internship experience was made possible. The Hess Fellowship is a competitive program in which one applies to be placed at a non-profit advocacy agency in in varying cities all over the country (Birmingham, San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C., and more). Along with providing you with a $3,000 living stipend, the whole goal of the Hess Fellowship is to expose you to the real life topics of social ills, systemic changes and injustices occurring in our society and how we as a community should approach and address them. I was lucky enough to be one of the 14 selected Hess Fellows and aim use this experience an invaluable first hand learning experience. My project will allow me to gain a deeper understanding to the problems of social and economic injustice in our home city of Birmingham. Through this education process, I hope to gain knowledge on how to solve these simple problems in order to create a community that does not revolve and rely around differences in gender, color, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background. It also will allow me a discernment period in which I will be able to assess my passions, interest, and believed calling of my career goals in life. This project will also reinforce my understanding, analysis and growth in the area of human rights, which is one of my minor concentrations.

 I am extremely honored and excited to immerse myself into the Birmingham community and address problems many of us are no even aware of.  So many times we romanticize the idea of going into a new culture and completely changing it, but are blind to struggles taking place in our own backyard (hence the blog name, The Backyard Beacon).  In the Holy Bible we see that Jesus addresses this unfortunate disparity by asking “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?... first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye” (Matthew 7:3-5). Let it be clear though, I am a huge supporter of making our world a better place, but let’s make sure we are doing it for the right reasons.

Now I’ll get off my soapbox. I am by no means the perfect, close to perfect, or in the general vicinity of perfect. This blog should not serve as a way for me to tell the masses the Way, Truth, and the Light – but to allow me to write things I observe and philosophies and stances I hope to follow through on. Thank you so much for reading this post! Comments and suggestions are very much encouraged.
Best regards,

                Denzel