written by Amanda Gross
Last month, I was honored to be invited to write for the Menno Snapshot Blog of Mennonite Church USA.
Having dreamt of being invited to address a vast audience of Mennonite white folks, I wanted to say so much. It took me several drafts to find words that resonated with how I was thinking and feeling at that July 2020 moment, especially about how I’m feeling about and grappling with my inner oppressor. The theme of befriending the parts of our selves we don’t love and which are also connected to oppression has also been present in our recent work in White Women’s Groups (you can read their blog here).
Ultimately, here’s how I decided to approach the opportunity of examining my white Anabaptist identity in a society where racism is infused at every level, including inside of me.
Loving the Enemy Within: Grounding in the trauma-healing work of anti-racism
Mistress Syndrome 