From “US: The Resurrection of American Terror” by Rev. Kenneth W. Wheeler
Over time, I have come to realize that in every one of the white congregations that I served it was at a cost to me emotionally. I think this is true for every Black person and for every person of color who serves in primarily white spaces, especially when there is no consciousness or awareness on the part of whites as to how whiteness works. What has been lacking in the discussion about race in the nation and in the white Church is honesty. We need white honesty.
We need white people to be honest about their feelings and not be concerned about offending people of color. Treading lightly is not an option. Treading lightly around the issue of race has not gotten us very far. Treading lightly has meant Black and white people are still strangers.