New from Sojourners: The Reconstruct

We’re excited to bring you this preview of Sojourners’ newest weekly newsletter: The Reconstruct. In a world where so much is broken, Sojourners’ Mitchell Atencio and Josiah R. Daniels will bring you stories of people who have faith in a new future and are working toward repair. Join us for free. “There’s something about uncertainty that is a part of the deeply, creaturely human experience.” — Ashon T. Crawley In the late summer heat of Washington, D.C., several new memorials appeared on the National Mall. But unlike many of the monuments in the nation’s capital, these were not monuments dedicated to presidents and war heroes. These new memorials were part of Beyond Granite, a multi-project collaboration to answer the question: “What stories remain untold on the National Mall?” Ashon T. Crawley, author, artist, and professor of religious studies and African American and African studies at the University of Virginia, constructed a memorial for Black church choir directors who died during the U.S. HIV/AIDS crisis. The exhibit, “HOMEGOING,” told the story of the musicians who, as he puts it, “died within a kind of epistemological moment,” where to be a musician in the Black church was to be understood as gay, to be gay was to be understood as HIV-positive, and vice versa. At the memorial, which sat near the base of the Washington Monument, music, written and recorded by Crawley and others, played as attendees moved through three sections: blue platforms (“Procession”), a labyrinth (“Sanctuary”), and finally an arching semicircle (“Benediction”). Crawley spoke with Sojourners’ associate news editor Mitchell Atencio about the music of the Black church, learning about fear from queer activists, and the value of memorials. Read the Interview

We Want to Know Have someone you think we should talk to? Questions you want answered? Let us know in an email to response@sojo.net.

A Little Extra We asked Crawley for musical recommendations he has for folks who are inspired by his work — here’s what he shared with us: I primarily still listen to gospel music. It’s still my favorite genre, though I am no longer a believer. And I listen to a lot of folks like Ricky Dillard, Thomas Whitfield, Twinkie Clark and The Clark Sisters. There’s a social practice of music-making that happens in the Black church that both is and is not about doctrine and theology. I listen to a lot of house music — Chicago house, New Jersey house — a lot of disco. You can listen to any of those folks and get a lot of the energetic feel of the Black church. The Black church, in terms of the sonic production, really informs the way that I think about music and sound in general. Mitchell writes: “Before I spoke with Crawley, I stopped by the exhibit myself to experience it and take a few photos. In the morning light, the blues of each section really popped, and morning dew gave the memorial a sense of revival.”

Read More Queer voices: Crawley’s work brought to mind the music of Semler, who is bringing queer stories to the Christian charts, and JGivens, Christian Hip Hop’s first openly gay rapper.  HIV/AIDS advocacy: In 2020, Da’Shawn Mosley profiled Jesse Milan Jr., lifelong Episcopalian and president and CEO of AIDS United, who told Sojourners that helping diverse communities end the HIV epidemic is a matter of faith, hope, and love.     The Reconstruct Editor, sojo.net: Betsy Shirley Associate News Editor: Mitchell Atencio Associate Opinions Editor: Josiah R. Daniels Senior Associate Culture Editor: Jenna Barnett Audience Engagement Manager: Heather Brady Online Editorial Assistant: Ezra Craker Social Media and Communications Assistant: Lexi Schnaser