Racial Equity
"For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." -1 Corinthians 12:13
We are called to help build a community where systematic fair treatment of all people results in equitable opportunities and outcomes for everyone and where race does not determine one's socioeconomic status, access to resources and opportunities or power and voice in the decisions that impact the ability to thrive.
How can we become effective allies in the fight for racial equality?
To browse the Economic Justice and Poverty pages, click here.
Become Informed:
We cannot be allies if we do not acknowledge that systemic racism exists. Unfortunately, our tendency is to deny its existence because we lack an understanding of its historical causes and effects, this information having long been left out of educational curricula. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to educate ourselves and then weigh our findings against what we believe to be our calling in Christ. Below are some suggestions and resources you may consider as you seek to understand.
• Be introspective, prayerfully examining the United Methodist stance on social issues and your own beliefs and habits. Becoming a strong ally in a social justice movement requires ongoing self-reflection, learning, and openness to growth.
• Take a Just Faith class or other book or Bible study on issues of race
• Explore resources on the causes and effects of systemic racism
Books:
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“The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs and How We Can Prosper Together” (McGhee)
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“Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019” (Kendi and Blain)
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Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age (Kevin Boyle)
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Between the World and Me (Ta‐Nehisi Coates)
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White Fragility (Robin DiAngelo)
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Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America (Michael O. Emerson)
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How to Be an Antiracist (Ibram X. Kendi)
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Strength to Love (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
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So You Want to Talk About Race (Ijeoma Oluo)
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The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated (Richard Rothstein)
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The Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism, and Engage in Collective Healing (Anneliese A. Singh)
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Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do (Issues of Our Time) (Claude M. Steele)
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Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race (Beverly Daniel Tatum)
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The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism (Jemar Tisby)
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Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents (Isabelle Wilkerson)
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The Warmth of Other Suns (Isabelle Wilkerson)
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This Is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism (Don Lemon)
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Autobiography of Malcolm X (As Told To Alex Haley)
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Race Matters (Cornel West)
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The Fire Next Time (James Baldwin)
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Me and White Supremacy (Layla F. Saad)
Podcasts:
Websites:
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What is Critical Race Theory and What Christians Should Know
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UMC Book of Resolutions: Responsibility for the Eradication of Racism
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UMC Book of Resolutions: A Charter for Racial Justice Policies
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Virginia Conference of the UMC Call to Racial Reconciliation
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United Methodist Church General Commission on Religion and Race