The elephant in the zoom room

I have always been someone to call out the elephant sitting in the room. Maybe it’s my belief in the transformative power of vulnerable communication or my understanding that stuffing your true thoughts can cause unnecessary stress. Miraculously, I was able to participate in a group discussion about racial inequality hosted by the Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Lafayette, Indiana where my great-great grandfather was baptized and married his bride in 1872.

The First Baptist Church was instrumental in helping John Fields, and the other founders, launch the Second (Black) Baptist Church. What’s amazing is the timing of it all! I was researching the backstory of my great-great grandfather’s role organizing the Second Baptist Church and I decided to listen to a sermon from the First Baptist Church to see if they were still vocal in advocating against racial injustices as they had done back in the 1850s. That Sunday, the Pastor announced that she was not going to be doing traditional Bible study on Wednesday evenings and in its place would be a new zoom group discussion on racial inequality, “How did we get here, where do we go next.” It was starting July 15th, I was so excited that I emailed the church about joining the group discussion and Pastor Lisa answered and extended a welcoming invitation.

In spite of the fact that I was meeting the Pastor, congregation members and local community organizers for the first time, about 45 minutes into our conversation I took a deep breath and asked what I felt was the rhetorical question of the day and the elephant in the room.