As part of my seminary studies, I wrote a paper entitled Seattle’s Plymouth Congregational Church: History Through the Lens of White Supremacy and White Privilege which was shared at the time with the Council, those serving on Boards and Committees, and our high school youth. In honor of Black History Month along with my continued journey of addressing my own racism and white privilege, I have been thinking a lot lately about the way Plymouth has told its own history, especially regarding Dr. King’s visit to Seattle in 1961. Here is an excerpt from my paper:
“According to the Seattle Municipal Archives, ‘Seattle's African American population increased dramatically between 1940 and 1960, making the community the city's largest minority group.’ Dr. King was becoming nationally known for his civil rights work in the South. In November of 1961, Dr. King made his only visit to Seattle. I have heard the story many times from multiple people in Plymouth’s congregation that Dr. King was scheduled to speak at a local church which then cancelled their invitation to him at the last minute, so Plymouth (magnanimously) stepped in to host him. This is revisionist history. Plymouth hosted a reception for Dr. King, not a speaking engagement. When the church who was to host him backed out, “other venues were offered immediately,” and he ended up speaking at the Eagles Auditorium. The reception at Plymouth followed this speech. While it is an honored part of Plymouth’s church history to have hosted a reception for Dr. King in the building, it is simply not true that Plymouth stepped in and saved the day.”
The many times I have heard this account over the years centers Plymouth as the hero of the story, opening our doors when others would not. The truth is that many faith communities at the time expressed their shock and displeasure at the church that cancelled the invitation to Dr. King, and subsequently volunteered to host. I wonder why it was so important to cast ourselves as the hero, when we were one of many faith communities who responded? In centering ourselves in the story, what crucial aspects of the story have we missed? What voices have been left out? These are the kinds of questions we must ask ourselves if we are to address white supremacy culture in our society as well as in our church.
As many of us experienced last Sunday at the congregational conversation during coffee hour, this work is not easy or comfortable. In a church and denomination that prides itself on the value of extravagant welcome, we heard that our non-white members are not sure if they are wanted or welcome. This is a painful truth that we must internalize and address if we want to walk our talk. This Black History Month, let us commit to centering the voices of our non-white siblings. Let us commit to one another and commit to doing the work of anti-racism. We have much to learn.
If you would like to read my original paper, click here.
-Rev. Jennifer Castle