The Crux Weekly: Boycotts Work, Ohio State and West Point Cut DEI, and the Connections between Censorship and Medicine
Plus: Yale’s legacy of enslavement and Keeping Tech in Check
Friends! Last week was full of hard and beautiful things. Many of us experienced joy with our loved ones and little wins in our neighborhoods that no one will see. And at the same time, students gathered to intimidate other undocumented students in Arizona, budget cuts to medical care and the global insecurity that rouses tension around kitchen tables, board rooms and tent encampments. Lord have mercy. In all of it, we turn to Jesus. Pray with us on March 7, check out our Bible studies here and if you’re interested, join a group of folks reading the Bible together in a year.
Here are 5 things we believe are worth your time:
SCRIPTURE AND PRAYER
Keeping Tech in Check with Julian Reed
With every moment of our lives being invaded by pings, vibrations and notifications from an ever-increasing list of essential apps that we have downloaded on our phones, Julian Reid gives a helpful invitation to examine our relationship with our devices. Simply, how does the constant accessibility of our phones, tablets, wearables, and computers impact our times of silence, solitude and contemplation? I would venture to say it erases it; but that’s my reflection! I hope you’ll take a moment and answer that question for yourself especially as we consider the centrality that technology holds in our education, politics and increasingly, our faith.
STATISTICS
Yes, Boycotts Work. And they must be part of larger justice efforts.
February 28, 2025 marked a boycott of companies headed by wealthy executives that flanked are divesting from DEI and civil rights protections in their companies, and seem devoted to gaining political and economic favor from the government. As consultant and orgnanizer Xavier Ramey noted, those who participated won’t know the impact for at least 180 days as reports are generated and then shareholders meet. In the meantime, it is important to ask in this time of serious talk about opposition movements in the United States, especially on behalf of the vulnerable, what works? Well, boycotts do but often only over long periods of time, as a part of a larger strategic plan and in deep partnership with grassroots organizations. Check out the article and the many links.
STORIES
Ohio State and West Point Close Down All DEI Programs
Behind every news story coming at us on social media, text, or group chat are real people. And the many stories about the attempted dismantling of civil rights protections across the country via the Trump Administration’s attacks on DEI affect real people. Two of those places where the impact is felt by real people are Ohio State University and West Point who are closing down their efforts at belonging and inclusion for women, non-binary, and BIPOC folks on campus. In the language of both articles we must remember that places historically constructed to keep marginalized people out, are reconstructing those boundaries to push them out again. May God bring comfort, belonging and creativity to these spaces for the flourishing of all people.
Yale Admits Deep Ties to Slavery
Award-winning journalist, Kahlil Green is a prime example of what accessible scholarship and 21st century distribution of knowledge looks like. Subscribe to his substack here and check out his deep dive on his alma-mater and their ties to the enslavement in the United States. Elihu Yale, Eli Whitney, John C. Calhoun and other infamous Yale Alumni entangled the institution and its success with a legacy of exploitation, violence and dehumanization. Simultaneously, the rebellious men and women aboard the Amistad were taught English and Christianity by Yale-affiliated abolitionists. Many institutions share this sordid history and it is worth our time to learn and grow so that we might not repeat the cycles of violence and abuse that mark these places of higher learning.
Censorship and Poor Medical Outcomes
The Trump administration’s actions against comprehensive data collection work against the best health outcomes for all corners of the US population and undermine all stages of healthcare. From the emergency room to chemo therapy to surgical procedures, data is essential for millions of physicians, researchers and scientists to serve our communities. Wayne A. I. Frederick, MD, the interim CEO of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the ACS Cancer Action Network, called on Trump to “restore access to comprehensive data, refrain from changes that would lead to incomplete future data collection, and commit to ensure evidence-based science can proceed without additional bureaucracy or red tape.” The links, references and reports connected to this article are many! So if you have an interest in medicine or know those in the field, it is a great place to start prayerfully planning how to best seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly after God in an exceptionally practical and relevant way.
Galatians 6:9 says, “do not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time you will reach a harvest if you do not give up.” I pray that as Lent begins this week, you are empowered and encouraged to seek first His justice and righteousness (one word in the Greek!) and remember He will give us everything we need.
In Our God and for His Glory,
jonathan