Racial Justice Resources

Black History Month 2021

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.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-for-racial-justice-and-reconciliationhttps://www.wpaumc.org/antiracismworshipresources

https://www.disruptworshipproject.com/litanies-confessions-prayers-for-justice/category/race

https://thewitnessbcc.com/editors-pick-a-psalm-for-a-time-of-breathlessness/?fbclid=IwAR2AsP0fnArPavTV7UT_8SdDoVV0sB0QMtBlNSNQCmBb6IeDn9UgcJTadbw

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

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.

4 – Shame & Guilt

5 – Confession

6 – Forgiveness

7 – Repentance

8 – Making Amends

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.