Beyond The Performative: The Social Justice Committee of Falls Church and Vicinity
While strolling the grounds of Cherry Hill Park during Saturday’s joyous 30th annual Tinner Hill Music Festival – Falls Church’s premier African American roots music, cultural, and civil rights extravaganza – I had to check out all the “Interactive Villages” set up to educate and delight visitors.
So much to take in during breaks from the rollicking performances on stage: from historical exhibits and tables by the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation (THHF) and other local civil rights-oriented organizations, to a splendid Food Village with local vendors, to a Beer Garden, to a Kids’ Village, with face painting, hula hoops, and “playful pooches,” to a Relaxation Village, with hammocks, yoga, and massage, to an Artist Village with local painters, photographers and jewelers.
As kids frolicked in the sunshine and through the evening, and played on the park’s sandy volleyball court, jungle gyms, and swings, the main stage rocked with performances from Ms. Niki’s Music Class, Batala Washington, See-I, JoGo Project, The Blackbyrds, Blind Boys of Alabama, George Porter, Jr. & Runnin Pardners, and DJ Bill & Beverly L. Johnson.
Stopping By The Social Justice Committee’s Table
When I stopped by the information table for the “Social Justice Committee of Falls Church and Vicinity, an Initiative of the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation (THHF),” I met the committee’s chairman, Phil Christensen, and we struck up a fascinating conversation.
From a table brochure, I read that the Committee is “a network of community members, civic organizations and faith groups exploring how to create a local culture united in diversity,” and its “vision is to ‘honor the diversity reflected in the many faces of our one community’ with a mission of engendering hope, respect and healing.” The Committee also “stands ready to respond rapidly to community challenges by linking them with possible solutions.”
I asked Christensen about the origin story for the Social Justice Committee. And, it began with a dream – literally.
According to Christensen, Nikki Henderson, executive director of THHF, “had a dream just after” the “Unite The Right” rally that made national news and saw neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August, 2017. “And the dream was that the same kind of thing happened here in Falls Church. And she was already very involved with the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, which is our sponsoring body. So, she wanted to do something to prevent that. So, the original motivation was her question, 'What could be done here to prevent it from happening, not just in Falls Church but in the areas around us?' That was the genesis.”
"And out of that, there was a lot of planning done in late 2017 and then in 2018," he said. "We had our first event called Social Justice Sunday and it was a Sunday after the Tinner Hill Music Festival, which at that time was the Tinner Hill Blues Festival. And we got additional performers, all of whom had a specific social justice message…. And, we’ve gone on to work in a variety of areas, a lot of awareness raising, a lot of workshops, and a whole series on difficult conversations about race.”
The Social Justice Committee has also run a series of participatory workshops. “We had a great one early last year on Critical Race Theory, facilitated by two members of Meridian High School,” Christensen said. And these were students not faculty members. “And, I talked to four people today, rising juniors and one middle schooler – and we’re just looking for people who are committed and want to do things” to advance social justice, he said.
Since 2017, the Committee has more than doubled its membership list, from about 20 to approximately 50 today. And, the ages of the members vary widely, from students to perhaps the “oldest active member,” who’s 81. But, “it’s kind of like a moving target,” to keep members involved over time, Christensen says, as members come and go. “But, we’ve remained very active.”
“Starting in August or September, we usually meet on the third Sunday of every month, from 3:30 p.m to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoons and it’s both virtual and in-person at Falls Church Presbyterian which has been very supportive of this,” he said.
In September, after a summer hiatus, the Committee will be “looking at what our program is going to be and where we can make the biggest difference?” Christensen said.
Witness to Apartheid, South Africa
So, how did Christensen get involved with the Committee originally?
Much of his early life set the stage for his work around race and civil rights, Christensen suggested. “I grew up in Boston. I did my undergraduate work at Harvard and got my doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in education, because I wanted to do something where I thought I could make a contribution.”
He then spent time in Apartheid and post-Apartheid South Africa.
“I moved back [to Falls Church] in 2017 to remarry after 37 years in Africa,” he said. “I was working on various education development projects. My first wife passed away there. And the last 20 years were in post-Apartheid South Africa. We were also there in the struggle stage. We moved there in ‘96 or ‘97…”
“I remember telling some of my South African friends, you know it’s great that Apartheid’s been dismantled – it was a terrible system – but I said, “Look at the United States, I mean, the law changed, but until the people change and appreciate diversity," there won't be real social justice transformation.
So, when the opportunity opened up for a Social Justice Committee chair role, Christensen knew he wanted to take the plunge.
He credits not only Nikki Henderson of THHF, but his friend and civil rights leader, Peter Adriance, with paving the way for the Committee’s vital work. Adriance will be speaking at the dedication of the new Tinner Hill mural at South Washington Street on June 15, “because it was his original idea on social justice.” And the mural is another “example of social awareness raising, [since] most people in Falls Church and this area do not know the history of Tinner Hill – that there was this prosperous Black community that was gerrymandered outside the city.”
Beyond the Performative
For Christensen, the key to effective social justice work is to go beyond the merely “performative” and really do the more challenging work that's required.
“Have you found being on this committee a welcoming heartwarming thing, or has it been a struggle dealing with different demands and audiences?,” I asked him, as we stood behind a clump of trees so we could hear each other over the music.
“Yes!” he answered with a laugh.
“No, it’s wonderful,” he reassured. “Obviously, we’re working with the converted. I mean, people really care about this. And it’s lovely to see the kind of commitment people have. But, the challenges are so huge. I was just talking to somebody who came in from D.C., about reparations. And, you know, these are complicated issues… and just to help people have difficult conversations about difficult subjects like race, that’s a big enough challenge.”
“Letty Hardi, our mayor, who was very active and supportive in our early days, at Temple Shalom, which has also been [supportive] – two of the people at the table [today] are at Temple Shalom – had a series of seminars during the pandemic on the history of racism in Arlington, Fairfax, and Falls Church. And Letty was on the four-person panel for Falls Church. She was on the City Council, but not yet mayor. I remember that Letty said, ‘This is going to take more than a sign in your yard. What are you going to give back?’ So, we have to make changes… And, I think the point she was making is…. it’s fine to have those values, but it can become performative.”
Digging into a contentious issue on the Committee, Christensen cited the example of issuing a “Land Acknowledgement” statement during the festival. “Personally, the whole idea felt performative to me,” he said. “But, when we went through this exercise [of debating and informing ourselves] there was so much I learned about the history, so the problem is – again, my personal opinion – we need to keep it real rather than just turning it into slogans.”
In the end, however, Christensen came to better appreciate how important it is for people to comprehend that “this area was settled when there were prosperous Black communities and it wasn’t just the White settlers, but before any of those people came here, there were the First Nations. There were indigenous nations that lived here. And we ought to acknowledge the fact that we’re standing on their land too.”
Influenced by The Bahá'í Faith
During our discussion, Christensen emphasized how his embrace of the The Bahá'í Faith informs his social justice work.
“I became a Bahá'í when I was in college, when I wasn’t interested at all,” he said with a laugh. “But the two things that attracted me were within the Bahá'í teachings. [First,] I was studying psychology about human nature, and they helped me integrate all of this. I was very skeptical about religion back then. And the second was the community, because it was diverse…. "
The core principles of the Bahá'í faith are ‘Unity in Diversity’ and ‘Justice.’ That’s really why I chose the Social Justice Committee when I came back. And by the way, ‘Unity in Diversity’ is the South African motto [today].”
“And another reason I love this festival, the Bahá'ís have been working on inter-racial communities since the turn of the 20th century when it was introduced to the United States. But, we’re told the biggest challenge for Bahá'ís in North America is [our own] racism. So, here we are in part of a religion that starts in unity. But, does that mean that I don’t have to deal with my own prejudices?"
A Message to the Community
So, what message would Christensen like to get out to Falls Church readers? “I’m just grateful for everyone who’s interested in this kind of subject and all of the great support we have. Not just in Falls Church and not just on the Social Justice Committee. We’ve got to work together because the current system is not working,” he said.
“Because without diversity, it’s like having a flower garden with only one type of flower in it. There’s an African American friend I had in grad school who described the melting-pot idea as kind of like having a stew, where you can’t tell the difference between the chicken, and the potatoes, and the carrots, where you just have mush! I want the kind of stew where we have all the [distinct] ingredients – like the music we’re listening to right now – roots gospel and [other different varieties]…”
“To anybody interested in actually joining the Social Justice Committee – and we’re open to anybody who wants to participate and help us work; We’re non-partisan – our email is: socialjusticecommitteeFC@gmail.com. But, we need everybody, whether you’re coming from the left or the right, whether you’re coming from privilege or disadvantage, we all need to work together on this. I mean, nobody has all the answers. It’s about the dialogue, the process, and the vision – of a more equitable society.”
Before I said good bye, Christensen gave me an informational flyer from the Committee. "Social Justice is Love in Action," it proclaimed.
The website for the Social Justice Committee of Falls Church and Vicinity is hosted by the Tinner Hill website, at: https://www.tinnerhill.org/social-justice-committee. The group's email is: socialjusticecommitteeFC@gmail.com. Starting in August or September, the Committee usually meets – both virtually and in-person at Falls Church Presbyterian at 225 E. Broad Street – on the 3rd Sunday of every month, from 3:30 p.m to 5:30 p.m.
By Christopher Jones
Member discussion