4 responses to “Mary’s Song”

1. 

   Emily Holzknecht

   December 27, 2020

   As things are and as I am thinking of them now, the twisting of Mary’s story has played different roles in white supremacy culture. As a white woman, I get power from an appropriation of Mary’s story to support the construction of white women as good and pure and virginal and self-sacrificing while not actually having to be any of those things all the time. Yes, as Rev. Bouier points out, white women like me have also shared challenges with women of color from the patriarchy and rape culture, and we get power from it too. Women of color just get the expectation of self sacrifice, of towing the line and not complaining.

   Mary’s perspective of her situation and the coming of the birth of the Christ child is glossed over, as you say. If her perspective had been made the main perspective, perhaps the focus in our culture could have been more on consent than on a binary construct of virginity. Women and especially women of color could be leaders in battle rather than passive servants with no voice, pushed to the background.

   I am really appreciating these perspectives from Rev Bouier and from Lace and Chesnut showing me the significance of Christianity to racial justice work, helping me see the religion of my people in a way that does not support white supremacy, that challenges white supremacy, that is in alignment with the North Star. I feel more empowered to face that aspect of my culture for myself and with my children in a way that is in service to the North Star. (As we have discussed before, reclaiming and doing the work with our own cultures is part of not lessening and mitigating harm to Black and brown people perpetuated by white people like me and by white supremacy, both through ways our own culture harms, but also as part of rejecting appropriation of other cultures.) With this piece of writing in particular, I am reminded of the thinking routine of “Who benefits from the story? And whose voice is missing from the story?”

   Pivoting to our work here: we must recognize that white women cannot sing Mary’s song. We must not push the voices of women of color and especially Black women to the edges. They must be front and center so that future generations of their descendants won’t have to lead the charge, so that they can have a choice where Mary had none. As a white woman I must step out of the way and serve.

   “Bringing good news to the poor” plays out in the space as white women showing up and declaring that they are here and everyone should be grateful even though we are late and haven’t done any work yet and even though we ask for carveouts and do the work as is convenient to us. While Black women still have no choice, we throw our own ability to choose in their faces and call it good news.
   *crossposted*

2. 

   Michele Russo

   December 26, 2020

   In my white suburban Catholic church, Mary was always white in all images and stories. And she was adultified, never portrayed as the teen that she was. I reread Mary’s song after before and after reading the Reverend’s column. This stuck with me most of all:

   “Mary chooses to be a participant in this moment with the understanding that certain promises have been made and expected to be fulfilled.”

   I am seeing how young Black women are essentially forced into being advocates, self-activists, change-makers and how racism can strip Black children of their childhood, imposing adult responsibililties on them.

   I am also considering the responsibility I undertake by being in this moment and working to mitigate the harm done to Black people by white people and anti-blackness. I don’t get to choose what the work is, but I accept this responsibility and do have to continue to do the woork needed, even if it’s unclear what that will be.

   Responding to Lace’s inviation to consider how bringing good to the poor plays out in this space…I had similar reaction to those words as @Rebecca that it felt like saviorism. Like whppl have some amazingness that will ease the suffering of Black people. But, when I read Mary’s song again, in a few different ways, she turns rich, priveledged people to the side and focuses on the poor, which to me feels more in line with our North Star. Like here:

   He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
   and has exalted the lowly.
   He has filled the hungry with good things,
   and the rich He has sent away empty.

   I can read “bringing good news to the poor” as ‘we are working to focus efforts to benefit Black people” and it aligns with our north star here.

3. 

   Danielle Joy Holcombe

   December 26, 2020

   (cross posted from FB)
   “Far too often, women have been expected to toe the line and operate in accordance with what others—usually men, more specifically white men – have designated as acceptable behavior. Our originality as individuals with unique lives, thoughts, dreams, and ideas is often-times disregarded for the ‘good of all.’”
   This section talks about what has been expected of women, but I can definitely pivot to race here, knowing that I have held expectations for ‘acceptable’ behavior, acceptable protests, acceptable fashion, etc. Even as I moved into anti-racism work I continued to disregard the unique individuality of Black people – as I listened and learned, I looked at Black people as being of one mind and at times found myself surprised to encounter a different view point. I’ve mentioned before how I found myself explaining racism to a Black man on another page.
   White people value our individuality so fiercely and yet never contemplate that one of us might be asked or expected to forego our ‘special and unique’ dreams, desires, or plans for our future ‘for the good of all’.
   This was an eye opening look at Mary for me and Laura’s comment gave me lots more to chew on.

4. 

   Rebecca McClinton

   December 25, 2020

   Growing up Mary was presented as a humble, mild-mannered, and privileged woman to be carrying the son of God. Mary’s Song here throws that view upside down and shows me how white-washed and laced with privilege that other version was. The woman of color part wasn’t just glossed over in my childhood, it was eliminated entirely. I imagine that was to make her more adjacent and approachable to the white-only congregations I grew up in. We were also romanticizing her and her pain.

   Pivoting to our work here, the author references Mary’s “clarion call…to take back control of (Black and brown) bodies…voices…future…agency…to disrupt narratives of oppression”. That is exactly our North Star here. In what ways do I tend to do what those churches did growing up and either romanticize, white wash, or try to make overly familiar others pain?

   Lace also asks how ‘bringing good news to the poor’ plays out in this space. It sounds like proselytizing and saviorism rather than a battle cry. white people tend to be one-hit wonders I think…get all fired up to make a difference (saviorism) but don’t have the endurance. I can see that in my actions at various times in my life, abandoning ship (or wanting to) when things become uncomfortable, but that does nothing in service of moving the stone or to our North Star.
   (crossposted to facebook)