Multidimensional Prejudice in America

Reality is breaking in on my work in an incredibly powerful way.

I am writing about racism and sexism in a book about counseling Pentecostal Christians, which I started early in the Covid Spring of 2020. Then along came the horrible videos of violence against Black Americans.

Then, as I am searching for examples of the reality of the lived experience of Black Christians, I read an interview with Dr. Estrelda Y. Alexander that captured so much of the same issues I am trying to convey to young counselors. This post tells about what I learned from Dr. Alexander.

Here's the context. Counselors are supposed to be aware of, and knowledgeable about, the culture of their clients. So, I write about Pentecostal cultures. And I find out Alexander shares similar comments with her interviewer.

I also want counselors to be aware that race matters and there is a history of racism in Pentecostal churches. Alexander says that too and has a book on the subject! Fortunately, I had mentioned a couple of the same leaders like Warren Seymour and Bishop Charles Harrison Mason--both of these early Pentecostals were sons of slaves.

There's more. Dr. Alexander is also a woman and I have written about sexism. I have books by friends Joy Qualls (God Forgive Us for Being Women) and Howard Kenyon (Ethics in the Age of the Spirit: Race, Women, War, and the Assemblies of God ). And in the same interview, Alexander talks about sexism in the church and references her own book, Limited Liberty!

Check out what she wrote-

Books by Dr. Estrelda Alexander

What else could one person cover in an interview? So, in the same chapter I am addressing elitism and classism in the church. And Alexander addressed that too.

"Estrelda Y. Alexander: One of the things about Pentecostalism is that it’s still considered, even by many middle-class Blacks, a lower-class religion."

In one word, I'm gobsmacked.

My concern is that I want counselors to think multidimensionally about cultural competence. The interview with Dr. Alexander identifies multiple cultures that people navigate in their daily lives. These cultures contribute to their identity. Importantly, some people in some societies identify as members in more than one culture that has been the target of discrimination. In this example, we see racism, sexism, and classism.

Here is the link to the interview with Dr. Alexander: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pentecostalisms-neglected-black-history_b_1222468

For the record, I was raised in a White, Pentecostal, immigrant family that rose from the lower working class to lower middle class by the time I graduated from high School. I benefited from white and male privilege.

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