The Black American Apocalypse -- Interview with Rev. Louis Tillman
Rev. Louis Tillman is senior pastor at St. Philip’s Lutheran Church in East Baltimore, Maryland. In this three-part interview we discuss his views on Black America’s identity today and how Black Americans currently experience apocalypse.
Part 1, Black America’s Apocalypse & Advancement
Louis’ last 30 days — “There’s a lack of equal access.”
Louis has been providing extra-extensive pastoral services due to Covid’s unrelenting toll on the mid-Atlantic Black community in America. He’s also maintaining military preaching and counseling services at several bases, partnering with Citizen’s Climate lobby, and a whole lot more.
How he stays Rooted — “I felt God speaking through people who knew me well.”
Louis shares about his parents, early church life, hardest years, when he felt called to the seminary, his passion for trusting God and helping people in transformative ways, initiating relationships, and overcoming obstacles.
The Black American Apocalypse — “The Black public is invisible to a White society that is indifferent to Black life.”
Some of what Louis shares: Black erasure, Black invisibility, Black elitism, Black flight, Black leaders leaving the Black tradition, “Negroes fighting Negroes,” racism, prejudice, judgment, systemic abuse — “it is open season in the streets and in the classroom” (and in academia), financial illiteracy, crime, mass incarceration, historical trauma, Covid and systemic abandonment, wealth gaps, achievement gaps, opportunity gaps, barrel of crabs-oriented advancement, oppression olympics.
Advancement — “It’s a generational answer.”
Louis talks about how far we’ve come, how far we have to go, Millenials, Gen Z, the importance of self-competition, and living up to God’s standard.
Part 2, How has community gardening been transformative?
“It’s definitely therapeutic.”
Louis shares his views on ecojustice, getting church folk to see the value of community gardening and how gardening affected the recently incarcerated people he was working with.
Part 3, More thoughts on Advancement
“Dismantle White dominance. Amplify Black existentialism.”
Louis shares his thoughts on how we properly name and talk about the Black experience, address racism in the United States, and build a humanistic society.
“The Black public is invisible to a White society that is indifferent to Black life.”
“We fear people before we hear people.”
“We are strong and beautiful and gifted children of God who happen to be Black.”
“The gardens gave them a deeper feeling, a deeper presence of God.”
“In God’s kingdom, accomplishments, color, mistakes, preferences — will never matter.”
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To learn more about Rev. Louis Tillman’s amazing work, visit Lutherans Restoring Creation.
