*Afterthought #110: The Church that Survived—and the Forgotten

Both my father and stepfather served in the U.S. military, and both were injured physically and emotionally. They and other veterans have been in my thoughts this weekend, along with the hope that, someday, all war will be a thing of the past. 

As I wrote a few days ago, I’ve also spent time learning about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Although most of an area in Tulsa known as “Black Wall Street” was destroyed, the basement of Vernon African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church survived. The story of its rebuilding and leadership for reparations is recounted by Colorlines: “100 Years Later: Tulsa and The Church that Survived the Massacre.”

Later today, I plan to watch the PBS documentary, Tulsa: The Fire and the Forgotten. The 90-minute film “explores the city’s history of anti-Black hate and the community’s resilience despite this discrimination.” NPR’s Emmy Award-winning journalist Michel Martin narrates the film which also features interviews with descendants, historians, religious leaders, community activists, and more.  Here’s a preview.

*Afterthoughts are my blog version of a practice followed in some Quaker meetings. After meeting for worship ends, people continue in silence for a few more minutes during which they’re invited to share thoughts or reflect on the morning’s worship. I’ve adopted the form here for last-day-of-the-month brief reflections on headlines, quotes, books, previous posts, maybe even bumper stickers and refrigerator magnets.