Common Good Collective

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This Reader is an expression of Common Good Collective, a vision for an alternative way, rooted in the act of eliminating economic isolation, the significance of place, and the structure of belonging. Whether you come at this from a place of economics, social good, or faith, we hope these reflections help orient your day in fresh, provocative, courageous ways. And most importantly, we hope these lead you into the sharing of gifts in particular communities—into co-creating a common good.

We read hundreds of articles and select the best ones for you by sending them to your inbox on Thursday.
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Eliminating economic isolation, Reader, Significance Of Place Permalink

The Case for Reparations in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Reverend Robert Turner

In the span of about 24 hours between May 31 and June 1, 1921, a white mob descended on Greenwood, a successful black economic hub in Tulsa, Oklahoma then-known as “Black Wall Street,” and burned it to the ground. Some members of the mob had been deputized and armed by city officials.

In what is now known as the “Tulsa Race Massacre,” the mob destroyed 35 square blocks of Greenwood, burning down more than 1,200 black-owned houses, scores of businesses, a school, a hospital, a public library, and a dozen black churches. The American Red Cross, carrying out relief efforts at the time, said the death toll was around 300, but the exact number remains unknown. A search for mass graves, only undertaken in recent years, has been put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Those who survived lost their homes, businesses, and livelihoods. Property damage claims from the massacre alone amount to tens of millions in today’s dollars. The massacre’s devastating toll, in terms of lives lost and harms in various ways, can never be fully repaired.

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 Imagination: The Prophetic Act of Living an Alternative Narrative, Invitation, Reader, Structure Of Belonging, The Abundant Community Permalink

David Korten Discusses Relationship as Possibility

The latest episode of Common Good Podcast is a discussion between renowned economist David Korten and his good friend Charles Holmes about rewriting the story of our existence. When asked how we as humans begin to change the individualistic tale we tell ourselves, Korten says this: ” It just starts with acknowledging we’re living beings born of and nurtured by a living earth. Life exists only in communities itself, organized to create and maintain the conditions of their own existence. And we have to learn to live and organize as communities.”

We are excited host David Korten in an Abundant Community Conversation with Peter Block, Charles Holmes, and John McKnight on Tuesday, June 16 at 1 PM EST. To join us, register here.

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 Imagination: The Prophetic Act of Living an Alternative Narrative, Significance Of Place, Wilderness: Sharing and Reorientation Permalink

My Front Porch Cloister

Greg Jarrell is an accomplished author, musician, and a friend of Common Good Collective. His work was featured in “The Folklore Project” for the prestigious literary magazine The Bitter Southerner. In his essay, “My Front Porch Cloister,” Jarrell reflects on his trip to the Abbey of Gethsemani as a part of his sabbatical last year through the lens of his current reality — a government-mandated Shelter-In-Place during a global pandemic.

 

From my front porch I look out onto a 200-year-old post oak — and, beyond that, my street in Charlotte. The sidewalk mostly stays busy enough to keep me interested while I’m in my rocking chair. When people are absent, the birds are active. The porch looks west, and the sunsets are often spectacular. What I am saying is, I’ve been pretty content at being told to “stay at home,” North Carolina’s polite way of ordering us to shelter in place. Even as that order is phasing out now, I’m in no rush to venture back into the world. I worry about the health of my family and my neighbors, and I’m willing to be patient out of a sense of neighborliness. I’ve also grown fond of the different pace. My rare trips out in the car have confirmed for me that I don’t miss errands running errands or waiting on traffic. Read more

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