Gratitude in Remembering Plymouth, Benjamin Mertz, Guest Skyline Church

Transforming Gratitude to Social Action

This year, Nov 22, 2020, marks the 400th anniversary of the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth MA. We remember in fact, this was the Pilgrims’ invasion of the Wampanoag people which led to the enslavement of Indigenous Peoples on the East Coast and the removal of and genocide against Indigenous peoples across the continent; we remember that many Christian churches have uncritically traced their origins to the Pilgrims’ “Free Church” tradition – a mythos that sanctifies white supremacy and depends upon erasure of Indigenous peoples.
Benjamin Mertz, our former music director at Skyline, is also a composer, singer, songwriter, choir director, and social racial justice activist who builds interfaith and interracial alliances.

Discussion after the service with Benjamin

Suggested readings on the arrival (invasion) of the Mayflower (colonizers from England), before Benjamin Mertz preaches on November 22:

1. Excerpt from Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz' book "An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, pp 1-14.
https://nycstandswithstandingrock.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/dunbar-ortiz-2014.pdf

2. "What is White Supremacy" by Elizabeth Martinez
https://collectiveliberation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/What_Is_White_Supremacy_Martinez.pdf

3. Excerpt from "Shinin' the Light on White" by Sharon Martinas
“Shinin’ the Light on White: Part One, White Privilege”
https://collectiveliberation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Martinas_Shinin_Lite_on_White_excerpt.pdf

Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/716026467 Meeting ID: 716 026 467