Black History Month 2021
- Smithsonian Virtual Events (for adults and children): https://www.si.edu/events/heritagemonth
- Ephrata Library Virtual Events (for children 8-12 years): http://libcalendar.org/View-Event-Details.aspx?SiteID=1&EventID=3868
- Gibbel, Kraybill, & Hess Seminar Series – The History of Slavery & Discrimination: Effects on our Current Education System: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEof-CrqTwrG91EfDLdICXlgZqjlgOYkf-Q
- PBS 2-part series on the Black church in America, airing at 9 PM on February 16 & 17: https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/pbs-and-weta-announce-new-documentary-series-from-dr-henry-louis-gates-jr-the-black-church-this-is-our-story-this-is-our-song-to-air-february-16-and-23-2021-at-900-pm-et/
- PA College of Art and Design with Black Led Art Coalition virtual exhibit: https://pcad.edu/event/first-friday-virtual-walkthrough-while-i-breathe-i-hope-core-gallery/
- Association for the Study of African American Life and History virtual festival: https://asalh.org/festival/
- History.com website on Black History Month: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month
Overview (a video depicting a race with systemic barriers. The pastor at HBIC showed this at a seminar at Stewardship University)
Biblical call
Colorblindness
Awareness of / Attitudes toward Racism and Racial Justice
https://westendmennonitefellowship.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/myth-of-progress-article-sep-20.pdf
(Above is a brief article on “The Mythology of Racial Progress” – “Believing that things are always getting better actually makes them worse.” Incentive to take action and not let this moment pass.)
Call to Justice – Church’s response to injustice
New book coming out in Sep by Drew Hart (Messiah College professor) – Who Will Be a Witness: Igniting Activism for God’s Justice, Love, and Deliverance . This book addresses God’s call to the Church to work for justice, and what that really looks like. Maybe our NEXT book after Be the Bridge!
Racism in the Church – read article below:
White Supremacy Shaped American Christianity, Researcher Says
Next Steps
Racism Declared a Public Health Issue Across 27 States – article in USA Today, 11/23/20
Verge racial justice series – Videos and other resources for Christians to understand and respond to racism
Criminal Justice
https://eji.org/get-involved/ (Equal Justice Initiative’s resource list for getting involved)
History
https://eji.org/videos/ (short EJI Youtube video about lynchings)
https://eji.org/videos/ (EJI Youtube video about lynchings after Reconstruction)
https://onbeing.org/programs/isabel-wilkerson-this-history-is-long-this-history-is-deep/ (Interview on Great Migration)
Excellent 18-min summary of racial injustice / systemic racism in America by Phil Vischer (of Veggie Tales fame!)
Personal Stories
https://vimeo.com/299004600 (A Be the Bridge story from Maria who is Native American and White. She shares about a hurtful comment from a pastor’s wife)
https://vimeo.com/314887378 (A Be the Bridge story from Latasha Morrison sharing about beginning Be the Bridge and her vision)
https://vimeo.com/293787288 (A Bridge the Bridge story from a mother)
Health Care
https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/sites/journalofethics.ama-assn.org/files/2018-05/pfor1-1305.pdf (Article showing disparities in pain treatment)
Racism Declared a Public Health Issue Across 27 States – Article in USA Today, 11/23/20
Cultural Competence vs. Cultural Humility (4 short videos) – This link takes you to a page that has a link to a 4-video series on cultural humility. It is geared to healthcare practitioners, but has good food for thought for all of us, especially those learning about their white privilege and power.
Child Welfare
https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubpdfs/racial_disproportionality.pdf (longer document on racial disparity in child welfare)
https://empoweredtoconnect.org/podcast/episode-2-how-did-we-get-here-americas-racial-history-with-dr-charles-mckinney/ (Empowered to Connect podcast, episode about history of racism and transracial adoption)
https://empoweredtoconnect.org/podcast/episode-4-the-valuable-process-of-unlearning-with-jacque-rowe-fields/ (Empowered to Connect podcast, episode about unlearning and about raising black males)
Reources for Kids!
Recommended books:
- The Colors of Us, by Karen Katz (ages 4-8) “A positive and affirming look at skin color, from an artist’s perspective.”
- Happy in Our Skin, by Fran Manushkin (children’s picture book) “Happy in Our Skin paints a picture of an ideal world that recognizes the value of diversity and shuns color blindness.”
Prayers for Racial Justice/Reconciliation
https://www.disruptworshipproject.com/litanies-confessions-prayers-for-justice/category/race
Resources Related to Be the Bridge Content
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-the-bridge-podcast-with-latasha-morrison/id1497999509 – Latasha Morrison’s Be the Bridge podcast (English)
Music
Songs by The Porter’s Gate (especially the ones of their Lament album that just came out and the ones on their Justice album)
Common Hymnal – Kingdom Come, Rose Petals
Places to Visit (coming soon)
Other Resources
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H-Vxs6jEUByXylMS2BjGH1kQ7mEuZnHpPSs1Bpaqmw0/preview?pru=AAABcptj3h4*ckSrbUS4LGBqhipx9_nd9g# – calendar of anti racism activities to do daily and weekly (options of 10 mins, 25 mins, 45 mins)
http://www.drfredrica.com/ – A professional counselor and speaker on issues related to racial justice
Content Aligned with Chapters from Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison
1 – Humility
2 – Awareness
- Jo Saxton on Purging Racism (can also be used for acknowledgement and lament)
- Race in America by Phil Vischer-brief overview of policies and practices that have systematically disadvantaged people of color
- White man’s reflection on his awakening to racial realities
- https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/trail-of-tears – article speaking to the history of the 1830 “Indian Removal Act” which led to the displacement of Native Americans from their land. Also known as the “Trail of Tears.”
- https://calendar.eji.org/racial-injustice/may/19 – Article regarding the lynching of Mary Turner. Warning – the details of what happened to Mary Turner are graphic and hard to read.
- https://unchartedlancaster.com/2019/12/27/lancasters-darkest-moment-the-massacre-of-the-conestoga-indians/ – An article depicting the “Massacre of the Conestoga Indians” in Lancaster. Warning – the details of the massacre are graphic and hard to read.
3 – Acknowledgement and Lament
- https://native-land.ca/ map where you can enter an address and see what indigenousness land you are living on, acknowledging stolen land.
- Centering the most marginalized voices, references lament + also discusses going forward
- Thabiti Anyabwile & Soong Chan Rah // Also related to confession & repentance.
- https://www.tulsahistory.org/exhibit/1921-tulsa-race-massacre/ – a website dedicated to presenting historical accuracy of the “1921 Greenwood Massacre” and the ways it was covered up and ignored for many years.
4 – Shame & Guilt
5 – Confession
6 – Forgiveness
- Christianity Today review of the film “Emmanuel,” a documentary about the intersection of race, religion, and forgiveness
- “Emmanuel” documentary – available to rent/buy on Amazon
7 – Repentance
8 – Making Amends
- Justice too Long Delayed – Should Christians and the Church participate in reparations? Article in Christianity Today, June 10, 2020
- Reparations is a Spiritual Issue – Christian Century, 9/10/19
- A Christian Call for Reparations – Sojourners Magazine, July 2020
- Reflecting Biblically on Reparations – The Crux & the Call, 8/23/20
- NC cities consider reparations – article 8/7/2020
- A call for reparations – 42 min program 6/24/20 on Fresh Air NPR
- California Reparations bill 9-30-2020
- JP Morgan, other companies invest in reducing inequity 10-8-2020
9 – Reconciliation and Restoration
- The story of John Perkins and the work God called him to bring a ministry of racial reconciliation to the deep south.
10 – Reproduction
- Latasha Morrison w/ others, building bridges, continuing the work.