Racial Justice Resources
June 7, 2020 Worship Service
June 14, 2020 Worship Service
Vigil for Victims of Racial Violence
Waking up White: and Finding Myself in the Story of Race
Debby Irving
In her desire to understand other races and cultures, Irving was surprised to find out she had to first understand what it meant to have a white racial identity. As the author shares her discovery that race was not simply something other people had, she serves as a guide to her readers as she learns to live with the discomfort of challenging assumptions and societal norms. Waking up White is an easy-to-read introduction to race and racism for those readers who are white.
White Fragility
Robin DiAngelo
Discussing racism is not easy for whites to discuss for a number of reasons. A key reason for discomfort is that whites can easily confuse the societal bias of racism with perceptions of individual accusations of racism, and thus become defensive. Author Robin DiAngelo has termed this defensiveness as "white fragility.” Identifying white fragility is the first step to equip whites in the work of dismantling of racism.
How to be an Antiracist
Ibram X. Kendi
Ibram Kendi uses his personal story to take his readers deep into the history of racism, and the concepts of being racist and an antiracist. He argues that you are either a racist or antiracist. Claiming to be a “non-racist” is simply masks support for racism. He also challenges a commonly held view that racist ideas are the result of ignorance and hate. Rather, self-interest is the source of racist ideas used to defend inequitable policies. Kendi offers a practical way forward for us to become an antiracist society.
Stamped
Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
Reynolds created a remix of Kendi’s award-winning Stamped from the Beginning, written for a young adult audience, and the result is an easy-to-read summary (for adults young and old) of how racism started and has been systemically perpetuated in the
U.S. While he makes the point that this is not a history book, per se, Reynolds’ book provides straight-forward historical background that lays bare many of the “justifications” for slavery and ongoing discrimination from the 1400’s through the present day.
So you Want to Talk about Race
Ijeoma Oluo
So You Want to Talk about Race helps readers understand how widely and deeply racism is embedded into our society. The chapter headings include the basics like “Is it really about race?” and “What is racism?” to the less obvious, “What is the school- to-prison pipeline?” and the incredulous, “Why can’t I touch your hair?” She challenges and encourages her readers how to recognize racism, to talk about racism, and to take action against racism.
Something happened in our Town: A Child’s Guide to Racial Injustice
Marianne Celano, & Marietta Collins & Ann Hazzard
A helpful children’s book to talk about racial violence with children. Like so many picture books, this is helpful for adults, too!