When Multiculturalism Trends...
When Multiculturalism Trends…
It will quickly become obvious to you that Common Hymnal is multiethnic. This, against a backdrop where racial diversity is trending in Christianity. This interest in multiculturalism, especially in worship music, is a fairly recent development, and it is mostly happening in churches led by white people. Truth be told, a disproportionate number of these entities have sketchy histories when it comes to racial justice, and are very often led by people who boldly and publicly support politicians with racist histories, racist rhetoric and racist policies.
The 1960’s birthed two movements in America: the Civil Rights movement and the Contemporary Worship movement. Both made their way around the world, but, in the overwhelming majority of situations, they have run on separate, parallel tracks. One of Common Hymnal’s hopes and aspirations is the merging of these two movements, hence the slogan: Praise and Protest.
When unity and diversity are championed across racial lines without a simultaneous commitment to tackling systemic racial injustice, it creates an unbearable dissonance in the lives of the congregants and discredits Christianity in the face of a watching world. That is why people of color are speaking out more and more about the evils of white supremacy. You will probably never hear us throw around words like diversity or unity as we are not merely pursuing a multicultural aesthetic but a just society.
One of the consequences of white privilege, and its inattentiveness to the historic realities of racial injustice, is the way that people of color are often backed into a corner needing to compromise deeply held convictions when they are offered financially rewarding opportunities within these kinds of organizations. We are committed to seeking out places and spaces where we can thrive without having to bow the knee to white access. More specifically, we are not looking to work with white people who have not had enough self-awareness or compassion to think through the painful consequences of their privilege and indifference to the realities of people of color.
Malcolm du Plessis
