Don’t Nobody Love Nobody

Did anyone else see the Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie this past Easter Sunday called “Beyond the Blackboard”? It was based upon the book title above—Don’t Nobody Love Nobody (1994)—a memoir by Stacey Bess of her experience teaching homeless children in Salt Lake City. I started watching it when it was nearly ½ over, and I haven’t yet read the book (I intend to), but I was taken by what I saw. I have a protective sensitivity to any implication that people (adults) are responsible for being homeless and/or for not being able to pull themselves out of it. And I had that lens on as I watched the film: it got tripped a couple of times, but I know it’s not fair to apply it since I didn’t see the whole film or yet read the memoir. Just the little searching I’ve done so far reveals Stacey Bess as a tremendously empathic and dedicated woman who’s not only herself knocked down barriers to resources for homeless children and adults, she’s clearly worked to empower those who are struggling to become more resourceful and hopeful as well.

Here at St. Anthony’s we take pains not to blame or judge folks for difficulties. We also pay attention to societal systemic issues that impact enormously on access to housing, work, health care, clothing, food. Within that framework, it’s not much of a leap to realize that with severe deficits in resources, more people will be struggling—not through fault, but through vulnerability. And today, I don’t think many would counter that more and more of us are increasingly vulnerable to falling into poverty. In some ways, I see that the weak economy has only furthered empathy between “those who have” and “those who don’t”. While that’s not a solution to growing poverty—it is a response that gives me hope that our collective “wisdom” will be able to address systemic causes and to do something restorative for our shredded safety net (of health and human services). On the other hand, the demonizing of those who struggle is unfortunately gaining ground as well. SF’s “Sit/Lie” Legislation is a good example of that.

I hope that something as mainstream as the “Hallmark Hall of Fame” series’ highlighting of homelessness is an indication that the consciousness of the Country is changing to one of respect and support rather than one that stigmatizes and abandons people who are homeless or who are at risk for becoming so. It would be a remarkable paradox that the very time more people are struggling financially may become the time we clearly see the deeper causes of impoverishment. It sounds like a time when fractured “political will” may be morphing into healing “communal will” where Everybody Do Love Everybody… Ok, maybe that’s a bit too idealistic, but at least a time (high time!) when more “Somebodies Do Love Everybody…”

Best to close with a quote from Stacey Bess herself, one I found in a college alumni profile about her just now: “I believe we’re a very caring society still, but we don’t know how to serve. My purpose is to teach people to serve. Not to teach them that what I do is so great. If we spend our time judging we may lose the opportunity to serve.”