mia jahna on christianity and racism
name | mia jahna
describe your journey in 3 words | it's all God!
on your must-read list | the bluest eye by toni morrison
song currently fueling your soul | mad by solange. this song is just a beautiful reminder that it's okay to feel (righteous) anger about the injustices going on in the world.
current inspiration | i have been engaging with several black women scholars and creatives on instagram that have really helped me to feel empowered. they engage with (and in some cases teach about) the impacts of race/racism, while also centering their own self-care: @thevicstyles, @rachel.cargle, and @dr.marielbuque.
COMMUNITY CARE
what do sisterhood and black womanhood mean to you, and how has it informed and shaped your journey?
when i think about both terms, they are so entangled to me. when i think of black women, i think of my sisters. without hesitation, i will call black women sis. there’s bonding through our common history and collective experiences. to me, it means safety, joy, and love. it’s usually my safest space. it’s not my only safe space, but that’s where i can be my most authentic self. we can laugh, have fun, and be real about what’s going on in our lives. we can talk about racism and sexism in a way that no one else can understand. we can bond over both happiness and sadness through those collective experiences.
i’m getting my phd, and i am the only black student in my program. i remember early on, feeling like i didn’t have a place. i wasn’t sure why i was even there. then in 2016, solange dropped a seat at the table, and i felt like she said to me, “sis, this is for you.” i think that’s the beauty and the gloriousness of black sisterhood. i don’t know her personally, but the way she shared her experiences spoke to me. that album helped me along my academic journey. it kept me going in that program—which was a very difficult year for me. that’s just one example of how black women have helped me. when i’m writing on my blog or my dissertation, i’m making every effort to write in a way where black women feel heard because that’s part of our sisterhood. in the same way that i have felt heard, i want them to say, “yes, i’ve felt this.” “i feel this.” or, “this is helping me to have a voice.” that’s how sisterhood keeps me going and has affected my journey.
how has your faith community ministered to the black community during this time that encourages you? what would you like to see more or less of?
what will and tosha archer have been doing at the potomac valley church has been so edifying. i have been challenged, but i’ve also felt seen. it’s been so good. i’m not in their church, but from what i’ve watched online, they have clearly drawn a line and then stood there. for example, he very boldly said, “all christians should be anti-racist.” will there be people who don’t like that? probably. there will always be people who don’t like something. but he drew that line, and he stood there. there’s no middle ground.
they have a series right now called honest conversations. when they talked about what it’s like to be a black woman in the church, they shed light on the unique experiences that black women have being single in the church and being single while working in the ministry—hearing the realness of those conversations has been so good. i feel seen. it’s satisfying to see others talking about these issues. i don’t stop being black once i become a christian. the things i experience in the world don’t stop because i am a christian. having people speak to those experiences and still preach love and hope is good. and they’re still preaching love and unity. they’re calling everyone to be a follower of Jesus. but followers of Jesus stand up against racism.
SPIRITUAL CARE
what advice would you give christians when they experience covert racial discourse and their leadership avoiding racial terminology?
i have had this conversation a lot lately, which shouldn’t be. particularly with christians saying that their leadership does not want to say racism, white supremacy, police brutality, etc. they don’t want to be specific. they just want to call for love and unity. they don’t want to see color, even if they’re not saying that explicitly, they’re saying it implicitly. that’s not of Jesus. he never danced around anything. he boldly called things what they were.
i’ve been telling people that they need to bring it to their leader’s attention. but always be respectful and approach every conversation with humility. with that said, bring specific examples to them and link them to how it’s harmful. whenever they call for unity but don’t give a name to racism, what that says is that they’re choosing colorblindness. they are not examining what’s really going on. that’s dangerous because if we do not see race, we are not seeing the inequalities going on—not just within the community but also within the church. if you’re not seeing color or addressing specific instances of racism, what you’re doing is continuing to silence black brothers and sisters who are experiencing these traumas, and now they don’t feel safe in what should be the safest space for them. all it’s doing is perpetuating hurt. you can’t heal something that is continually being poked at or messed with. be very specific about why that’s harmful because it is.
you also have to follow up and hold them accountable. unfortunately, i feel like with matters like this, a lot of that burden falls on black women. at least that’s the case from my experience and those i talk to. if you know others who feel similarly, approach your leadership as a group. then the burden doesn’t have to rest on your shoulders solely (galatians 6:2). if there are a few of you, you’ll all bring unique perspectives to the conversation.
what convictions guide you as you deal with the pain of racial wounds or generational trauma?
i was talking to a friend, a black woman, and she was telling me how another christian, a non-black woman, told her she was there for her if she needed anything. but she also told her she didn’t want to say too much and rock the boat. that is not allyship. that’s not loving one another, nor is it helping to carry each other’s burdens. that’s putting aside your sister’s safety for the comfort of other people—specifically white people. it’s a fear of isolating an audience or making people feel uncomfortable. when people don’t want to be specific, that’s really what it is. that’s not okay. Jesus always stood on the right side, and if people didn’t like it or disagreed with it, he was okay with that. he knew he was being righteous in the eyes of God. that’s important for all christians to understand, especially people in positions of leadership. you never want to isolate people, but you also want to make sure you’re righteous before God. ignoring the pain of your brothers and sisters to make others comfortable is not of God.
PHYSICAL CARE
if you could steer the conversation around racism and physical wellbeing, what would that discussion be about?
my research interest surrounds the intersections of race, health, and family. a lot of my work centers on black women and black motherhood. i consider wellbeing to be holistic, which includes mental health. the misconception about racism is that if it’s not considered extreme, like police brutality cases, it’s merely an inconvenience. those instances of racism create trauma for those who experience it. there’s a long history behind why people get followed around a store, or why they’re afraid to go to the obgyn, or why they’re thought of as less intelligent, or why they’re less likely to be called back for a job. each experience is traumatic because the first thing that comes to their mind is that history—consciously or unconsciously. those things add up, and they’re left with collective trauma that affects their emotions and their mental wellbeing. whether that be heightened anxiety, showcasing depressive symptoms, lack of sleep, etc. we know that it also affects your physical health. if you have a heightened awareness because of anxiety, your blood pressure is probably going up. or if you’re not sleeping, you may find yourself emotionally off-balance. i would talk about how insidious racism is and how it finds its way into everything, even in the places where we think it can’t fit. it has effects outside of “that was inconvenient.”
you’ve dedicated your career to advocating for and supporting marginalized communities, but how do you find ways to support and take care of yourself?
self-care is important. finding and actively choosing joy is also essential, not as in happiness, but as in triumph. it's important to find people and spaces and things that assist you in feeling triumphant. even if it doesn't feel like it, you need to be reminded that you have, and you will overcome. those things are so important. journaling has also been so good for me. i can let out all of my emotions and write out how i plan on finding joy. being able to read that i found joy in walking my dog today will remind me to do that again. there's something to that process.
SELF-CARE
how do you cultivate self-love and self-acceptance when you find yourself in multiethnic but monocultural spaces?
honestly, that is a daily thing that i have to remind myself of. when i am in my program or in spaces like that, i am one of very few if i am not the only one. i have to remind myself that God put me here. he gave me whatever it is (gift or qualifications) that put me in this room. so regardless of what others may think about me, it doesn’t matter because God placed me here. that’s the first thing. the second thing is affirmations. i go through lists of them and have to write things down. in my office on campus, i have scriptures, quotes, and little sayings that i think of all over to remind me i am in the space that i’m supposed to be in. whether overtly or covertly, my surroundings will tell me i’m in a space i’m not supposed to be in. when i look around, and i’m the only black person or one of few, it tells me unconsciously and insidiously that i’m not supposed to be here because no one else like me is here. i have to say to myself that i am doing the work and that i’m not behind, that i’m smart, strong, and resilient, and that i belong here. my ancestry and history have proven that. i have to remind myself of these things. not to boast my head, but to remind myself that i am just as worthy of this space as any other person. and as a christian, i also have God and the Holy Spirit that keep me going. sometimes i can forget that very easily. i recommend people do that. even if it’s just one affirmation, it will remind you of how intelligent and worthy you are. when i start my day off like that, it goes so much better than when i let everything else tell me who i am and what i’m worthy of. my mentor would say to me often that:
“this campus was not built for you. you are correct. but every time you step foot on this campus, that is an act of rebellion. that is a political statement. that is you expressing that you are worthy of this space. although it was not created for you, you have found space for yourself within it.”
when you find yourself exhausted from explaining the black experience, what convictions guide you as you practice self-care?
i am very vocal about this. i don’t believe that black people have to teach other people about their experiences. even as a disciple, i don’t think that’s necessary. however, if you want to, then absolutely do it. i have put myself in a position where that’s what i’m doing. but i don’t believe that’s something everyone has to do because every time you share, you have to relive those experiences. that becomes an accumulation of trauma. so i am always clear about that.
when people ask me variations of the question “do you think racism still exists?”, i use it as a teaching moment. i fight to have convictions when engaging in conversations like that. i try to approach everything that i do with empathy and grace. grace, not being passiveness or softness, but having the ability to understand that this person will take this and examine themselves and find areas where they can grow. my work process is, educate, empathy, and engage. as you learn new things, learn how to empathize with others and find ways to actively engage with what you’re learning.
but i’m usually speaking to people who are trying to become anti-racist. if people feel strongly about not understanding racism or injustice, my words will do very little to change their minds. however, as a christian, this is the difficult part, but i have to believe that people can change. if someone messes up, i can hold them accountable, but i can’t use that as an example of why they can’t change. i firmly have to believe that all people can change—it’s just a matter of whether they want to. but everyone has the ability. the foundation of our faith is that Jesus died, and when we accepted him, we vowed to change. that is the crux of our belief.
share a message from your future self to your present self.
hey sis! do you remember all of those times when you didn't think you would finish, and you didn't think you would overcome? you didn't feel like the space was for you. you didn't feel like you were enough. you constantly felt like you had to overcompensate. well, i just wanted to let you know that you did it. yeah, you did it.
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*this conversation is about race and faith.
