The View From Here

by Rev. Adam Blons

January 11, 2024

Last Tuesday, the youngest, first all-female, majority people of color, St. Paul City Council was sworn in. It was a historic day for our city, the result of much good organizing and a sign of tremendous progress and hope. I was not able to attend, but members of our congregation were on hand for the inauguration. I watched the recording of the proceedings. You can watch it here if you missed it. It was such an inspiring and powerful ceremony.

As we head into this weekend of honoring the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I was struck by the words of one speaker, the slam poet Muna Abdulahi (she is introduced at about the 39:24 mark in the linked video). I don’t know the title of her poem, but it started with the words, “To be a woman in a space that wasn’t built for you…” She spoke honestly of the struggle to get to this moment and voiced for me what it feels like to achieve a small piece of God’s dream of justice and equality that MLK articulated so well for us.  

This particular section spoke to me:

“Representation has never been a destination.  

It’s always been the road.  

Because the truth is

the work and grind and qualifications

have never changed–matter of fact we are over qualified (!)–just where the spotlight shines and who gets to speak, who takes up space.

Because all my life,

we’ve been fighting for just a seat at the table,

told to say please and thank you

for the crumbs of our voices.  

And yet, today, today, today.  

Today, we are the whole table!” 

In gratitude for this transformative movement, please join me in praying for our city, Mayor Melvin Carter, and these women: Anika Bowie, Ward 1; Rebecca Noecker, Ward 2; Saura Jost, Ward 3; Mitra Jalali, Ward 4; HwaJeong Kim, Ward 5; Nelsie Yang, Ward 6; and Cheniqua Johnson, Ward 7.