Shawna Gamble Speaks out; Christianity, Racism, Unity, Equity, and Albion shooting itself in the foot.

Shawna Gamble took the time to have a conversation with Albion/ Marshall Community 10.14.12.

Mrs. Gamble is An Albion College Alumna, A woman of faith; she speaks with conviction urging people in Albion to use their power to make a change and come together. She states that she does not hate anyone but the system that perpetuates racism. 

Exodus 14:14

Mrs. Gamble starts the conversation speaking about a passage from the bible Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

The Power of Numbers

Mrs. Gamble says that we misunderstand what it means to be still and who needs to be still and lead. She knows that God has given us the power to overcome strongholds, and that there are a lot of different kinds of defenses and that we have a lot more power than we think and that there is power in numbers.

A Community of Belonging

According to Shawna Gamble, we have a mess that has been going on in our communities for a long time, and the mess is not new, and it is time for us to stand up to those who continue to create that mess. She says that she doesn’t hate people who are racist or people who team up with racists, but what she hates are the systems that create racism and that She hates the system that perpetuates racism. She says that many want to be part of tearing the racist system down, that they want to be anti-racist and unbias, and create a community where everyone belongs.

Please Avoid Microaggression

Microaggression has no place in any conversation when a community is learning to move forward, work as a team, and work daily to be anti-racist, unbias, to create a community where everyone belongs. These are conscious changes that take time and do not happen overnight. 

“No one is immune from inheriting racial, gender and sexual orientation biases,” says Derald Wing Sue, PhD, a professor of psychology and education at Teachers College of Columbia University, who studies multicultural counseling and racism. “Everyone, including marginalized group members, harbors biases and prejudices and can act in discriminatory and hurtful ways toward others.”

Derald Wing Sue, PhD, a professor of psychology and education at Teachers College of Columbia University

Consider the context. If the person committing the microaggression is someone you don’t care about maintaining a relationship with, respond however you see fit if it seems safe to do so, says NiCole Buchanan, PhD, an associate professor of psychology who leads workshops on microaggressions at Michigan State University and beyond.

NiCole Buchanan, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University

Failure and Success

Shawna Gamble says one of the things is that Albion often shoots itself in the foot. The residents and communities cannot come together. They cannot figure out a common goal to unify them. She says the community has the idea that without Albion College, anything that is tried is unsuccessful. She believes that there is an opportunity to partner with the College to create a better future for the Children of Albion. She says the Elders within the community have fought for a long time, and it is time for her generation to stand up and do what is best for “Our Kids.” She states that the people fighting against the Bond many do not have children within the School District, and they have the resources to put their children in better schools. She asks what about the people who do not have the means to move their children into a better academic environment?

We did not pick our Partner in this Race

The Video Was Divided Into Sections For Clarity The Unedited Full Video is Below.