Please also consider this disclaimer: THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF RESOURCES. If the past two weeks of internet rabbit holes have taught me anything, it's that there is SO MUCH INFORMATION OUT THERE if you are open and willing to seek it out, so please don't limit yourself to what I share. These are just a few personal recommendations that have been meaningful and helpful to me. As a white, Christian woman whose faith was formed in a variety of non-denominational evangelical churches and ministries, I am particularly invested in understanding and uprooting white supremacy as it exists within my understanding of theology and experiences within the church, and believe it is the greatest deception and distraction from the true gospel of Jesus. As an educator and theatre artist, I am interested in unlearning and uprooting racist patterns in these spaces, too, but for the purpose of this post, my focus is on the intersection of racism and Christianity.
There are several anti-racist google docs floating around the interwebs these days, but as an educator, I found this document to be one of the best, most comprehensive resources I have seen anywhere. It not only breaks up resources into scaffolded stages of learning around racism, but also differentiates types of resources (podcasts, articles, nonfiction, fiction, etc.), and provides resources for and links to several other excellent lists of resources. It also provides articles specifically addressed at various religious ideologies. Here are its links to some resources directly related to Christianity:
Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the U.S. (Lenny Duncan)
Disunity in Christ (Christena Cleveland)
The Cross and the Lynching Tree (James Cone)
Reconciliation Blues (Edward Gilbreath)
Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America (Michael Eric Dyson)
Trouble I’ve Seen (Drew G. I. Hart)
I Bring the Voices of My People: A Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation (Chanequa Walker-Barnes)
Dear White Christians (Jennifer Harvey)
Divided by Faith (Michael Emerson and Christian Smith)
In addition to this list, here are a few more videos, podcasts, articles, and books I personally have found engaging and educational.
First of all, for anyone still trying to wrap their head around the idea of systemic racism this video narrated by none other than the voice of Bob the Tomato provides an insightful survey of the concept:
Want more? Phil's podcast / youtube channel has several other interviews and videos that further unpack these ideas. But while Bob the Tomato has proven to be a better resource than I ever could have imagined, and may be a great place to start for many, I also want to challenge my friends (and especially my white friends) in the church to make sure we are seeking out diverse voices and challenging our blind spots when it comes to race by listening to the stories of people of color, and especially Black people at this moment.
One of the most valuable voices I have listened to over the past few weeks has been Austin Channing Brown, whose book I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness is a powerful and challenging memoir about the experience of being a Black woman in predominantly white and male dominated evangelical spaces. Be forewarned: if you are a White Christian, this book will likely sting a little. It certainly did for me, as I was challenged to re-think more than a few past situations in which even my well-meaning attempts at growth may have still caused (and continue to cause) hurt for my black sisters in Christ. But it also challenged me to keep working through my fragility and recommit to listening better to the voices of those on the margins, which, I think, is exactly what Jesus was up to when he took a detour through Samaria, healed the bleeding woman who reached out to him, hushed his disciples when they tried to discredit the woman washing his feet with her tears, etc...
I love read-by-the-author audiobooks and really enjoyed listening to the Austin Channing Brown's narration of this title, which was a nice road-trip companion on my way to my family vacation this week (side note: if you're an Audible subscriber, did you know you can pay the same price and support a local bookstore by making the switch to Libro.fm!?), but if you're not quite ready for a whole four hours with Ms. Brown, no sweat. Just start with one of these podcast interviews:
Speaking of podcasts, I happen to be a big fan of learning via podcasts, so I started an antiracist playlist that I'm slowly working through on Spotify. Some podcasts specifically apply to Christian listeners, some are more secular, but all have been highly educational for me! Listen with me here.
Finally, here are some ministries and studies focused specifically on the concept of racial healing within Christian communities. Though I have not personally used all of these resources, they come highly recommended by christian leaders, friends, and organizations I know are actively working to dismantle racist systems and ideologies from within the church:
Arrabon: this is a ministry I support and love that has created some great, short resources to get folks started in understanding the need for racial reconcilliation and healing in the church. These short videos are a great a primer for anyone seeking to understand why this work is so urgently needed within the church. Arrabon also provides live trainings and an exceptional class called Race, Class, and the Kingdom of God.
Be The Bridge This is a Christian Reconciliation ministry whose main focus is group studies designed for mixed race groups, but they also have a whiteness intensive course designed to challenge & call white people to examine their privilege in order to be better ministers of the gospel in our racially divided culture. I have also been following their instagram and listening to their podcasts.
Road Map to Reconciliation this book is specifically designed for church leaders and I've heard my own pastors sing its praises. The author has also written several other books that look good!
The Color of Compromise this is a book with a companion video study on Amazon prime that explores the history of racism within the church. I am currently reading it and learning so much! Join me.
Vernon Gordon / Mosaic this is a local pastor in Richmond who is leading a study / discussion series on race that I have found personally challenging and enriching lately. The website has some great videos on the history of racism in America! At the very least, follow @vernongordon on instagram!
Truth's Table this is a podcast featuring three black women discussing theology, culture, etc. As I said before, I think it is really important to listen to diverse voices in the church. Until a few years ago, I was largely only pastored by white men which limited my access to feminist and liberation focused theologies. This podcast, along with Proverbial, a podcast led by two incredible female leaders from within my own church, has widened the lens through which I read the bible and view the world and I'm so grateful that technology has allowed me to come to the digital table and learn from more black women.
I hope these resources will be helpful to anyone who is interested in learning and growing in their faith as it pertains to the work of antiracism. I will continue sharing resources on social media and on this blog and welcome your thoughts, questions, and dialogue. I am still very much a work in progress and do not wish to paint myself as any sort of expert. I am not a pastor, historian, or theologian by any means. Rather, I am simply a teacher, critical thinker, and lifelong learner who is trying to educate myself and those around me as we grow together. One of my mottos for the classroom is Keep going, Keep growing, and I think it especially applies here. I hope you'll join me in pressing on towards truth and unity in our churches, families, and communities!
Thanks so much for this!
ReplyDelete