A Quaker author chat. Michael Levi’s “White Supremacy Culture in My Clerking” appears in the August 2024 issue of Friends Journal.
The video discusses the concept of white supremacy culture within the Quaker community, particularly in the context of clerking (leading) Quaker meetings. Michael Levi explains that White supremacy culture refers to the unconscious biases and practices that have been ingrained in Quaker institutions and processes due to their historical roots in White colonial culture. Levi reflects on his own experience as a clerk, where he realized that his attempts to call for silence during discussions were inadvertently silencing the voices of Black members. He emphasizes the importance of clerks being aware of these dynamics and actively working to create more inclusive and equitable spaces. The video highlights the challenges of navigating emotional tensions and power dynamics within Quaker meetings, and the need for ongoing self-reflection and community accountability.
Michael Levi is a member of Adelphi (Md.) Meeting. Michael’s leading is to help provide a framework in which the guidance of the Spirit can resonate and be better understood, so that we all emerge better equipped to answer that of God.
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