Misc — 10 comments
16
May 13

Hattie McDaniel Cashed Her Checks

It has been interesting to see the criticisms of yesterday’s blog post Abercrombie and Fitch and Homelessness and You.

The funniest one was the one that said if I knew any poor people, I would see it differently. She even suggested I volunteer at a soup kitchen to get some perspective.

But pretty much all of the criticism comes back to this: The people who are homeless are not complaining – heck, they even took the clothes and mugged for the camera. So, Hugh, why are you complaining?

 

The woman who plays Mammy was Hattie McDaniel. She was the first African American to win an Oscar, and has not one, but two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In the years preceding Gone With The Wind, she was a popular actress, often cast as a maid. But her pay was so low, she actually worked as a maid on her off days to make ends meet.

This scene makes us cringe. Everything about the scene intends to perpetuate myths about the happy slave and the benevolent white slave owners.

Hattie was oppressed multiple ways –she was forced into roles that denigrated her race, she was vastly underpaid, she was barred from the Atlanta premier of Gone With The Wind because the theater was not integrated.

Hattie was oppressed , even though she cashed the paychecks they gave her. And just because she decided to work within the system as it was does not mean that the system was good or right or just. It just means she decided to take what she could get.

When folks who live outside stand in line to get the baloney sandwich from your “mission team” in the park after the mandatory “Bible Study” and prayer, it does not mean that the homeless folks like the Bible Study. It means they needed the baloney sandwich, and those were the only terms under which they could have it.

It was you that needed the Bible study. Let’s just be honest.

That the beggar talked to you about Jesus after you told him you were from First Church of Suburbia does not mean he really wanted to talk about Jesus – it is probably what he thought would make you happy, and if you are happy, you will bring him more food. (It did make you happy, didn’t it?) His smile is not proof that you are not oppressing him.

And that someone who needs clothes allows you to shoot video of them receiving clothes (which you then put on YouTube to promote yourself) does not mean that the act was noble and unselfish and virtuous,  any more than Hattie McDaniel cashing her paycheck was proof she wasn’t being wronged countless ways.

Justice — 32 comments
15
May 13

Abercrombie And Fitch And Homelessness and You

Recently, the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch said in an interview that he only wanted “thin and beautiful” people to wear his clothes, which is why the largest woman’s size their stores carry is a 10.

The outcry has been predictable, and loud, and well deserved.

One of the more popular responses is a video titled “Abercrombie & Fitch gets a Brand Readjustment”(above). The video consists of a man handing out Abercrombie and Fitch clothing to persons who are homeless, as a ‘snub’ to the clothing brand. Because, after all, what could be worse than seeing clothes made for the beautiful people on poor people?

The only reason this “works” as humor is because we see people who are experiencing homelessness as “the other”, as someone who is different than us, and not only different, but offensive. It should, we are saying, offend Abercrombie and Fitch that “these” people are wearing our clothes.

If you doubt this, consider how you would feel about this story if, instead of “homeless people”, the story was that a man shot a video that sought to offend the brand by giving its clothes to black people or gay people. The internet would be in an outrage, rightfully calling the video racist or homophobic.

But give the clothes to homeless people and the Huffington Post calls it a “funny and creative way to readjust the Abercrombie & Fitch brand.”

Sigh.

This is wrong. It is, to use a word I do not use lightly, evil. It is stigmatizing an already stigmatized group in order to “strike back” at a brand that let you down. One of our idols failed us, and so we critique them by shooting video of vulnerable people wearing their clothes in order to lampoon the brand.

I mentioned on Social Media that I have a problem with the video, and several folks implied I was being overly sensitive. After all, the narrative, the story, is that A & F is bad, and they must be punished. And after all, homeless folks need clothes, right? The guy meant well, after all.

No. This is really a story about us. About our wanting to believe that we are just and good and, dare I say it, holy. And that any cause we champion is just and good and holy as well, and after all, we are helping out some homeless folks who need clothes…

It is never okay to stigmatize people in the defense of your cause – no matter how just or good it is. It is never okay to use poor people – or, in fact, any people, as props or object lessons or teaching tools. Ever.

People who are experiencing homelessness are people. They are not extras in a movie about you.

 

Life — No comments
27
Apr 13

Quarry Hill Farm

Yeah, I know. It isn’t really a farm – it’s just a 1/6th acre plot of land, with a mid-century modest cottage sitting on it.

And to make matter worse, it has suffered from benign neglect for the last 20 years or so. And it is on the side of a steep hill. And most of the backyard is covered in shade from a neglected tree owned by my neighbor to the south.

It gets better and better, doesn’t it?

And then there was the renovations we had to do before moving in, and the renovations that are ongoing.

But we are delighted to be here, and honestly, never thought we would be able to own a house, and surely not one we would enjoy as much as this one.

Calling it a farm is really a joke, but sort of not. See, I grew up on 35 acres of failed farmland in North Mississippi, and even though I am in exile in urban North Carolina, I have never forgotten the feel of dirt in my hands and the joy of eating a tomato you grew with your own hands.

So, we will end up with a garden and chickens, for sure. And maybe lots of other things. But mainly, we will be practicing resurrection, making the ugly beautiful and trying really hard to be neighbors to the beautiful people who share our little part of the ‘hood with us.

I created a “collection” on Flickr of photos from around the “farm”. It will be updated regularly, if you care about that sort of thing. Or, you can get the firehose of photos, including cat pics and random photos of people I know over at Instagram.

Faith / Life — 1 comment
24
Apr 13

Yesterday, I Did Not Quit.

People often have difficulty visualizing what a “pastor to people experiencing homelessness” looks like. The thing that is hardest about this gig is the wide range of emotion you will feel over the course of a day. For example, let’s look at yesterday:

The day started with those two hours I posted about. Tuesdays are the lightest morning at our hospitality house, in terms of staffing, anyway. One disadvantage to being staffed largely by volunteers and people experiencing homelessness is that, in terms of availability, you often have to be thankful for what you can get.

However, our friends who live outside still show up on Tuesday, so we have to be open – which means that most Tuesday mornings, I end up being the person opening and working the front desk. And I love it, and would love it more if I did not have hundreds of unopened emails and a stack of paper on my desk six inches high waiting on me to do something with it.

So I was frustrated, not at having to work the front desk, but because of all the things I was not getting done because I was working the front desk.

I have a standing Tuesday lunch appointment with a dear friend. We both have hectic lives, and if we did not schedule time together, it just would not happen. So, I went to lunch. And had an awesome time, and no one needed me or had a crisis for a whole hour and a half.

Then I remembered that Renee needed the car this afternoon, so I took the car home, and planned to take the bus back to the office.

But I missed the bus – by about 30 seconds. I may, or may not, have yelled “Damn it!” at the top of my lungs as the bus drove away in a flurry of diesel smoke. So, I walked back to the bus station (a 15 minute walk) to catch the free circulator bus.

Walking is often prayer for me, so I was not upset I had to walk, but upset about the pile of paper on my desk not getting done while I was walking…

But as I walked, I felt not more peaceful, but more and more.. angry. Angry at the volunteers that flake out and don’t call when they are not going to show up, anger at our salary that only allows one car, anger at the yo-yo like quality of my day, anger at our inability to raise the money we need, anger at the Boston bomber, anger at the white liberals I know who pulled out the redneck and inbred jokes when that guy from Mississippi was arrested… I was just angry. And it all bubbled up.

I wanted to punch something. I dreamed, for just a second, of what it would be like to be back in a small bookshop, conversing with browsers, haggling over prices and drinking coffee. In other words, I thought about quitting.

This went out on Facebook:

Hugh_FB

Yup. It had come to this.

I arrive at the bus station, positively glowering. People were walking to the other side of the street to avoid me.

And then I see my friend Greg. I once wrote a newsletter for work titled Greg is Going to Die. As you can tell from the title, it was an upbeat piece of literature, to be sure.

And Greg lights up when he sees me, and yells at me from a block away to wait on him. And I do, and he tells me he was looking for me, because he had just signed his lease for his new place.

greg_keys

The last year has been awesome for Greg – not only is he not about to die, but he has almost 9 months of sobriety under his belt now, and new bifocals and a medication to treat his diabetes. And, after 15 years of being homeless, he has a new apartment.

And then he told me, “I never would have done any of it if it had not been for you.

“I know you wanted to give up on me. But you never did quit loving me. And because you didn’t, I am alive, and I have an apartment now.

“Because of you.”

I hugged him, and snapped the picture as a way of celebrating. I promised to go visit him in his new place Saturday morning. And then I almost ran away, because I did not want him to see the tears streaming down my face.

And I decided, for perhaps the 30th time, that I would not be quitting.

At least, not today.

Life — No comments
23
Apr 13

Two Hours This Morning

I always get asked what a typical day for me looks like. And I always reply that there is no such thing in this line of work.

As an example, here is, in bullet point format, what the first two hours of today looked like:

  • Had in depth meetings with 2 recovering addicts
  • Made 80 cups of coffee
  • Talked a guy out of pawning his coat (yes, you can do that) because he needed cell phone minutes for his phone, in order to put that number on job applications.
  • Went to Harris Teeter, because we are out of laundry detergent at 707 Jones. However, while I was there, I get called because they found the detergent.
  • So I came back to the office.
  • We helped a guy escape from a harmful living situation in Harnett County – he got back into Raleigh last night, and came to the office this morning, so I met with him and welcomed him back.
  • I sat with and listened to a guy who is about to be evicted – only to tell him I can’t assist him financially, and don’t know anyone who can.
  • Counseled another guy who has a court date next week and is sure he will get 30 days, because he was caught stealing food from the grocery store.
  • Went back to Harris Teeter because we were out of sugar for 707 Jones
  • Wrote an email to explain why I had not fulfilled a request for a colleague, because I have not had the time.

Not every day looks like this, of course. But that is sort of my point.

And I am not bragging here – actually, it frustrates the hell out of me. But maybe if I have not yet replied to your email, it will give you a hint as to why.

 

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