brian shivers

It is up to me to change, to demand change, to work for change. I am committed to this work.  Having said all of this, I confess that my indoctrination started early and continued through my childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. History lessons focused on Western Europe, the colonies, and the United States of America - the “City on a Hill”. All of this was taught from a White colonialist point of view.   Art history focused on artists and art forms from Western Europe and the United States. Music focused on . . . yep, you guessed it, Western European and US musicians. The only literature classes offered in my high school were British Literature, American Literature, and the Bible as Literature.   Church life was focused on colonial ideals of mission and a White-centered worldview. The theologians studied and referenced were all White Western male theologians. The hymns we sang were written by White Western composers.   The unholy trinitarian alliance of Christ...

This is another example of what White supremacy looks like, what it does, and what it continues to do.  I grew up in Indiana, a state literally named after the indigenous people who originally lived on this land. I have always lived in Indiana. I currently live in a city that is named “city of Indians” - Indianapolis. There are cities, towns, and historic sites that dot the landscape of this state (not unlike many other states in the United States) bearing the names of the first nation peoples who lived here, grew crops here, raised children here, died here, and were buried here - Mississinewa, Muncie, Salamonie, Miami, Mishawaka, Delaware, Wawasee to name a few.  As a part of our elementary and middle school education, every child in Indiana takes obligatory classes and units of study the history of Indiana. During these classes and units, we are taught how Indiana became a state, what role the citizens of Indiana played during important moments in the history of the United S...