Hello from Elizabeth Palmer, Century senior editor. I’m filling in for Jon while he takes a well-deserved vacation. (Jon, if you’re reading these words, close your email and get back to relaxing!)
I’ve been thinking lately about how much time and energy it takes to dig into the past—and how in the end it’s usually worth it. One of my favorite new articles is by Warren Lattimore, who spent months researching two women who are known as the mothers of environmental justice, Hazel Johnson and Dollie Burwell. Burwell and Johnson didn’t know each other until relatively late in their lives, but from early on they each began fighting the same thing: toxic chemical dumping that targeted their poor, Black neighborhoods. These women have much to teach us about community organizing—and persistence!
Looking into history doesn’t always feel like a victory, because sometimes we find things that we’d rather not know. That was the case for us as editors when we began looking into how the Century editors framed conversations about eugenics around 100 years ago. You can read our editorial about what we found (and what lessons we take from it) here.
“Touted for its pristine waters and health benefits, Warren County, North Carolina, was the last place one would expect to find a toxic waste dump. That is, Dollie Burwell realized, until you factor in race.”
“We are proud of the Century’s social justice heritage, from its social gospel roots to its strong voice against the Japanese internment to the role it played in the civil rights movement. But we can’t look back without a full accounting.”
“Although named for Barnabas, the book’s true hero is Nicodemus, the one who understands concealed truth. He appreciates when a document is likely to be forged or misleading and can discern truthful writings.”
“I collect stories, and I take out the trash when the task is overlooked. I give my unguarded curiosity to scripture and see what comes of it. I listen in prayer, stretching myself to heed what is hidden behind the noise and rush of the day.”
Contributing editor Ross M. Allen chats with theologian David Bentley Hart about Christian metaphysics, philosophy, history, academic theology, and the final end of life.
