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Category Archives: Des Moines Black Lives Matter
Black Children’s Memorial burned
These are photos I took earlier in the year when I noticed this memorial in the neighborhood of the church where we, Des Moines Mutual Aid, fill about sixty boxes of food to distribute to those in need. Then I … Continue reading
Spiritual discernment to leave Quakers
ABSTRACT For months I’ve been in significant spiritual distress. I’ve been learning a great deal from my Native friends, and working with them on Mutual Aid projects. And they tell me the way white people can best support them is … Continue reading
Time Stood Still
Yesterday time stood still. Images of crowds of people staring at their phones all over the country. Those inside focused on television, cell phone, tablet or computer screens. A collective silence. It’s almost too ironic to say a collective holding … Continue reading
I hope you choose that path, no matter how hard it is
As a White person, it grieves me deeply to watch so many of us (White people) continue to try to hide behind our privilege. As I was thinking I would not have to enumerate the following atrocities, I realized there … Continue reading
Bail Bonds
I’ve recently written about the Des Moines Mutual Aid Bail Fund. Concentration camps versus abolition A Quaker friend reminded me that some early Friends (Quakerism began in the mid 1600’s) refused to be released from prison by posting bail. For … Continue reading
Concentration camps versus abolition
This is some follow-up related to yesterday’s post, Today Where I try to answer yesterday’s question, “what will you do?” I had forgotten to mention my reaction to writing the Des Moines Mutual Aid Bail Fund phone number on my … Continue reading
Today
Such a variety of things happened today, I can’t come up with a good title. So today. It was kind of a stream of conscious day. I have a routine that involves writing first thing in the morning. If it … Continue reading
What will you do?
I’ve often looked at, and thought about this photograph I took at a Black Lives Matter protest in Indianapolis in July, 2016. It was a warm, sunny summer evening, around sunset. I arrived about half an hour early and there … Continue reading
Des Moines, Police and Protest
I hadn’t known much about police and protests in Iowa before becoming engaged with Des Moines Mutual Aid (DMMA), which is closely connected to the Des Moines Black Liberation Movement (DesMoinesBLM). The trial right now of former Minneapolis police officer, … Continue reading
Abolition of police and prisons
I’ve been participating in Zoom discussions of the Quaker Abolition Network, initiated by Mackenzie Barton-Rowledge and Jed Walsh. The following is from an article they wrote for Western Friend. Mackenzie: Let’s start with: What does being a police and prison … Continue reading
Quakers, social justice and revolution 