“The Big Struggle Is The Black And The Brown:” One Priest Is Trying To Bring Latinos And Black Non-Latinos Together

Father Peter Banks once organized a posada that ran through the Nickerson Gardens housing projects in Watts with the intent of getting his mostly Latino congregation to face their prejudices and interact with the projects’ Latino and black, non-Latino residents. 

That’s just one effort Fr. Banks has made to unite two groups of people in Los Angeles. And while we admit that we like the idea of people peeling away their preconceived notions about “the other” and coming together, we’re not really sure how we feel about a white man dictating how and why people from cultures and with experiences very different than his own get along. And then there’s this:

“The big struggle is the black and the brown. How do we get them together,” Banks said before changing into white robes and leading a prayer service in Spanish. “We can bring them together with music and food.”

Look, ok. Can we stop with this idea? Please? Can you say, “Hey, you know, in Los Angeles we have a specific problem with people of Mexican origin not understanding or ever interacting with our non-Latino, black residents - and vice-versa. Maybe emphasizing cultural likenesses can remedy this.” We mean… is that so hard? Can we get past the idea that Latinos and black people all come in one shade with one set of prejudices and one cultural experience? Can we stop ignoring the fact that black Latinos exist? 

This actually got us thinking back to the New York Times primer on how to write about Latinos. This would be a case where Fr. Banks’ message could have benefitted from a more specific and thoughtful choice of label. Because the fact remains: Brown people do not have a problem with black people. Black people do not have a problem with brown people. These aren’t facts. What he meant, perhaps, is that (primarily or solely) Mexican immigrants in his community live separately from the black, non-Latinos that used to form the bulk of his congregation. That’s specific, it has a history behind it that people can point to and say, “Ok, so I think this is why this is the way it is. Let’s see how we can address the historical and cultural factors that lead to this separation between two communities.” 

And, then, there’s this:

“It’s a constant struggle,” Banks said. “I think it’s a misunderstanding and lack of knowledge of each other. The food is different, but when you scratch the surface, we all have the same heart, only one pair of lungs, one liver and a couple of kidneys.”

We were with you until “the food is different.” What does that mean, exactly? Why are we reducing black Watts residents and Mexican immigrants to the food that they eat?

All the while, a demographic shift was occurring that would fundamentally change the neighborhood and church. Latinos — mostly immigrants from Mexico — were pouring in, and several families came to St. Lawrence, looking for a place to pray.

“I felt I would prefer for it to stay all black. It’s much easier to work with one culture,” he said. “But the reality was they were coming. I feared the unknown. I didn’t want to learn a new language. But I thought I can’t just let all these people be here and not do anything.”

St. Lawrence held its first Mass in Spanish for about 50 people in 1979, and there were tensions immediately — and not just between blacks and Latinos. Some older Latino parishioners harbored resentment toward the new arrivals.

“They called it ‘wetback’ Mass,” Banks said. “I think there was a jealousy there.”

This isn’t a kindergarten classroom where you have to make sure to spoonfeed everyone a lesson on tolerance. This isn’t a barn where you find yourself having to raise cattle among horses. It’s a church. You don’t “work with one culture.” It isn’t a one-sided interaction where people come to learn at a white priest’s feet. 

We mean… are we reading too much into this? We don’t think Fr. Banks is a bad man. He’s accomplishing something wonderful. We just think it gets slippery when people begin to work with a group they don’t understand. We’re ok as far as the destination is concerned, it’s the journey to get there that leaves us scratching our heads. How do you all feel about it?

In Watts, one God, two cultures [LA Times]