Keesha's House: Integration

In order to come to a better understanding of the importance of interactions between people in peacemaking, I have been examining the ways that people separate themselves and the ways they are brought together. As I analyzed the effects of borders, bridges, and boundaries in the world today, I was introduced to the idea of a contact zone. As defined by Mary Louise Pratt in her article “Arts of the Contact Zone,” a contact zone is a place where people with differences can come together. I have experienced different types of contact zones in my life primarily through an exchange student program and my involvement with the church.

The first time I can remember actually being a part of a contact zone was when I was in 8th grade, and my family was offered the opportunity to host a foreign exchange student. Although I had heard stories that described the impact of cultural diversity, I had never experienced it firsthand. My new Belgian sister’s name was Loulia, and she was a vibrant and joyful young woman. Like Dana Johnson’s character Melvin from “Melvin in the Sixth Grade,” Loulia was unaffected by the standards of conformity that those around her adhered to. She and I were so alike in personality and sense of humor that we hit it off immediately. Just as any older sister would do, Loulia was willing to answer any and all questions that I asked of her, which led to many theological, moral, and personal discussions that were very important to me. Just as John Howard Griffin was able to build a window into the black society in Black Like Me, I had a way to experience a world completely different from my own.

Loulia attended church regularly with us in our small Mennonite congregation, and it soon became clear that we were facing a difficult border of religious tolerance. The people in my congregation loved and respected Loulia, but as a family we decided that it would be in her best interests not to spread the fact that Loulia was Muslim. If someone asked her directly she answered truthfully, but we did our best to avoid any major publicizing of her religious beliefs. I was shocked and dismayed that the peace-loving people I knew so well could be capable of creating such a division based on a difference that I saw as small. This was the first time that I experienced the reality that it takes intentional effort to build bridges between people with differences, no matter how insignificant they may seem to me.

One of the other significant contact zones that I have recently been a part of was within my church conference, Allegheny Mennonite Conference. I was a part of the AMC Youth Cabinet, which was a group of high school juniors and seniors who took leadership of youth events in the conference. I was elected the Chairperson of the cabinet, which included a position on the conference’s Leadership Council. As a member of this council I attended monthly meetings and delegate sessions during which we made decisions regarding the future of the conference. The council was an effective contact zone due to an eclectic mix of people, each with different perspectives and viewpoints.

During my time on the council, we dealt partially with the issue of homosexuality in the church. Before our meeting began, each member of the council expressed their perspective on the subject as well as their life experience that brought them to that perspective. I was amazed at the attitude of respect and love that was extended as each person shared their unique thoughts and experiences. The borders that are created because of differences in religious and social beliefs were by no means absent, but they were navigated with an attitude of love that left all of the involved members, including myself, feeling at peace. I believe that the lack of this type of attitude is what causes boundaries to be so dividing. As shown in Luis Urrea’s novel The Devil’s Highway, the conflict and violence of the Mexican/American border escalated when the Mexicans were “dehumanized” by their oppressors. No matter what the subject (religious differences, socioeconomic differences, racial differences), approaching conflict with the intent of “winning” is not beneficial for any party involved.

Throughout the years my safe house, as I feel it should be for every growing child, was my home. My parents are incredible people who love and support me unconditionally, and our house was a safe haven for my family, my friends, and anyone who came our way. My home was a safe space to have discussions, learn important lessons, and ask the questions that needed to be asked, no matter how difficult. For me, that concept was what made reading Keesha’s House difficult: I could not imagine living in a world where your own home was not safe and your parents were not supportive. I am very aware of how lucky this home environment makes me; I was fortunate enough to have a safe house even when I didn’t need one.

Throughout this exploration of borders, contact zones, and safe houses, I have become much more aware of the social and religious divisions around me. Although before I knew instinctively that there were lines that could not be crossed, they are now in the forefront of my consciousness and are a part of my interactions with the communities around me. As I continue through my next three years of college I will continue to explore and ask questions, and hopefully be a part of a new kind of peacemaking.

 

Works Cited

Frost, Helen. Keesha's House. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2003. Print.

Johnson, Dana. Break Any Woman Down: Stories. Athens: University of Georgia, 2001. Print.

Pratt, Mary Louise. "Arts of the Contact Zone." Profession 91 (1991): 33-40. Web. 17 Apr. 2013

Urrea, Luis Alberto. The Devil's Highway: A True Story. New York: Back Bay, 2005. Print.

First Presbyterian Church

During this class unit we have been focusing on the ways that people who have differences come together in places known as contact zones. In order to investigate the idea of a local church as a contact zone, I visited First Presbyterian Church in downtown Goshen. Based on the evidence that I have collected, it appears that First Presbyterian is making a strong effort to reach out to the community, but there are obstacles that stand in the way.

I visited the church two times, and both were Sunday mornings during the Lent series. The service seemed to follow a fairly traditional pattern, involving scripture readings, hymns, congregational responses, sermon, confessions, and prelude/postlude. I noticed that that although all of the songs came from the Presbyterian Hymnal, none of the members needed the book to sing along. To me, this suggests that many of the songs are traditional and have been a part of their worship for a very long time. Habits like this can be very comforting and familiar for the members of the church, but can also be intimidating to a visitor who is not as familiar with the songs.

The church itself is in a very nice building right in the middle of downtown Goshen. Driving around the neighborhood makes it clear that, although the neighborhood is not rich by any means, it probably would fall into the middle-class range. Driving one block in one direction from the church would lead you back to Main Street, and a block the other direction ends up in residential neighborhood.

In terms of the people who attend the church, First Presbyterian is struggling with its diversity in both age and ethnicity. In my interview with Senior Pastor Allen Griffin, he freely shared that the increasing age of the congregation is currently one of their greatest challenges. He also was able to share some demographic information with me, and of the current 251 members, 6 are Latino, 1 is African American, and 4 are Asian. Compared to the high rates of diversity in Goshen, these numbers are clearly much less than average.

One of the ways that First Presbyterian is a very effective contact zone is through their outreach and community service programs. In addition to a food pantry, a community Christmas meal,  involvement with Habitat for Humanity, The Window, and One Great Hour of Sharing, the church also has a relationship with the nearby work release center. Through the center, people who are transitioning out of the prison system can find jobs and begin the process of re-acclimating to society. Pastor Griffin stated, “Many of us refuse to believe we could ever have legal trouble. Connections like these bridge the gap in thought that begins to break down our sense of ‘other’.”

First Presbyterian Church faces many different obstacles that limit them from becoming the ideal contact zone. However, the ways that the church does reach out to the community are valuable and effective, and should not be discredited. Especially in the case of a church, no organization will ever be perfectly open and accommodating to every person. Recognizing that fact (while still attempting to reach as many people as possible) allows places like First Presbyterian to function and minister effectively in a community like Goshen.

Work Cited:

Griffin, Allen L. Personal interview. 17 Mar. 2013.

Better World Books

At first glance, Better World Books appears to be a used bookstore like any other, gathering and selling old books and barely staying afloat. However, closer examination reveals that there is much more to BWB than meets the eye. In conjunction with their mission to succeed as a business, BWB works to maintain the health of the environment and, most importantly, bridge the literacy gap. In this way, Better World Books serves as a place where people in any stage of the reading process can come and find books.

As is detailed on their website, Better World Books began as the brainchild of two college graduates from South Bend. As they realized the possibilities for success with their idea, they invited another friend, Jeff, to help them with the formulation of the business. Now, they are a thriving (and expanding) business that is still taking on new employees. BWB is structured around three main ideas which they call the “triple bottom-line”: social, environmental, and economic. The social aspect encompasses BWB’s emphasis on the support of literacy. In order to preserve the environment, they have developed reduced carbon emission plans, carbon balancing, low energy shipping, and recycling books. They have recycled over 135 million pounds of books, and reclaimed more than 900,000 pounds of metal shelving from libraries. In 2009 BWB won the WasteWise Gold Award for Paper Reduction, and in 2010 the WasteWise Gold Award for Climate Change. Finally, in the economic sector, they have a company resolution to participate in a new form of “true accounting”: being responsible to all key stakeholders while still recognizing the need for a profit.

BWB has an outlet store in Mishawaka, IN, a retail store in Goshen, IN, an extremely comprehensive online store, and numerous book drop-off locations. I visited the Goshen location in order to get a better feel for the business. The store is very organized and well-displayed, with orderly bookshelves and comfortable chairs for the reader’s convenience. They have every genre of book imaginable, with a combination of recent titles and old favorites in each section. Currently, the store is connected with a record shop next door which they share space with, but BWB is expanding and will soon be moving to a larger building on Main Street. The neighborhood is mostly full of small businesses, cafes, and markets.

My first visits to the store were on what would be considered a fairly typical business day. There was a fairly steady flow of customers, but nothing overly busy. The second visit was on April 5, which was the day of the First Fridays celebration in Goshen. BWB was much busier during the community celebration, packing in somewhere around 30 or 40 customers at one time. Brad Weirich, the retail manager of the store, laughingly informed me that the “average” customers of the store were generally 30-50 year old women. He did note, however, that they have worked hard to expand their customer range, especially through their children’s section. He noted that the customers also vary seasonally; there are often many more college students around the beginning of classes, and more teens and youth buying gifts around holidays.

Although the Goshen store is of moderate size, BWB as an organization serves a huge range of people and appears to still be growing. Their mission, according to the business’s website is “... [to be] a global bookstore that harnesses the power of capitalism to bring literacy and opportunity to people around the world.” The most recent published statistics on the site claim an impressive $13.8 million raised for literacy as well as over 8.1 million books donated.

One of the most impressive aspects of Better World Books’ structure is their commitment to improving the world around them. Many of the overarching achievements were noted earlier, but BWB also has relationships with specific nonprofit literacy programs. The global organizations are Books for Africa, The National Center for Family Literacy, Room to Read, and Worldfund. On a more local level, BWB also works with Open Books (Chicago), The Robinson Community Learning Center (South Bend), and The Prison Book Program (Boston). Through these outreach programs, BWB bridges the gaps between those who have books readily available to them and those who don’t. On a more local scale, BWB is also involved in the Goshen area with the local library, the Boys and Girls Club, and GoShakes. They also make various small donations to local businesses and programs (Weirich).

Works Cited:

Weirich, Brad. Personal interview. 5 Apr. 2013.

"Great Prices on New and Used Books." Better World Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2013.

For more information on Better World Books, visit:

• Website: www.betterworldbooks.com
• Or their blog: blog.betterworldbooks.com
• Or either of their two stores:
• 55740 Currant Rd

Mishawaka, IN 46545

(574) 968-9701

• 118 East Washington St

Goshen, IN 46528

(574) 534-198