Declaration against Racism
As a congregation of the United Methodist Church, we believe that racism is incompatible with Christian teaching. Our faith informs us that we are all created in the image and likeness of God. We all share the same human nature and dignity. Thus, we firmly believe racism is a sin against God and all of God’s children. Thus, we affirm our commitment to recognizing, addressing and dismantling all forms of racism. We will purposefully strive to live our community life as an inclusive community, welcoming persons from all walks of life. We affirm the United Methodist’s call to Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors. And we invite everyone to join hands with us as we press forward in transforming our Church, our communities, and our world into the “beloved community," where everyone is accepted, valued, and welcomed for who they are.
Our Saviour’s United Methodist Church
Northern Illinois Conference
The United Methodist Church
Antiracism Task Force
Recommended Reading/Viewing List
Race & Racism
The social construct called “race” oftentimes causes us to think differently (negatively or positively) about other human beings based on the color of their skin. As followers of Jesus, we encourage you to read, watch, study and discuss race and racism individually or in groups with prayerful self-reflection.
As a follow-up to the online panel discussion on Thursday, June 4, 2020, co-hosted by the Northern Illinois Conference in partnership with the Anti-racism Task Force (ARTF), Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR), and Conference Committee on Religion & Race (CCORR); the list below was compiled. We encourage you to talk about some of the work that white people must do in addressing racism, the struggles, fear, apprehension, and other feelings that seem to get in the way. These resources are not meant to be a comprehensive list. For a more comprehensive list, contact the NIC Anti-racism Task Force at AntiracismTF@umcnic.org.
The online discussion mentioned above was recorded and will be shared at www.umcnic.org/online-learning.
ADULT BOOKS
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Anxious to Talk About It: Helping White Christians Talk Faithfully about Racism, Carolyn B. Helsel
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Dear White Christian: What Every White Christian Needs to Know About How Black Christians See, Think, & Experience Racism in America , Aaron J. Layton
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Dear White Christians: for Those Still Yearning for Racial Reconciliation Raising White Kids, Jennifer Harvey
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Dying of Whiteness, Jonathan Metzl
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Ending Institutional Discrimination within United Methodism, W. Astor Kirk
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Holding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community, F. Willis Johnson
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How to be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi
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Jesus and the Disinherited, Howard Thurman
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Raising White Kids, Dr. Jennifer Harvey
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So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo
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Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, Ibram X. Kendi,
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Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America, Michael Eric Dyson
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The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander
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The Color of Compromise: The Truth About American Church’s Complicity in Racism, Jemar Tisby
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White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, Robin DiAngelo
ARTICLES/BLOGS
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Asian American perspective, https://www.aafe.org/2020/06/aafe-stands-in-solidarity-with-black-lives-matter.html
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Christian Century, https://www.christiancentury.org/article/sidebar/ten-strategies-preaching-about-racism-mostly-white-churches
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Rev. Karyn Carlo, https://karyncarlo.net/
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The New York Times, The 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones
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Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy Macintosh
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"What I Said When My White Friend Asked for My Black Opinion on White Privilege" by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
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Click here for a list of books
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New York Times List of Books About Race & Ethnicity, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/09/22/books/23racebooks.html
MOVIES/PODCASTS
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I Am Not Your Negro, James Baldwin
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Seeing White Podcast, http://www.sceneonradio.org/seeing-white/
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The Hate U Give, George Tillman Jr.
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The Long Shadow, Frances Causey
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Thirteenth, Ava DuVernay
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Unlocking Us, Brene’ Brown interviews Ibrahim X Kendi
VIDEOS
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Implicit Bias, https://www.pbs.org › video › pov-implicit-bias-peanut-butter-jelly-and-racism
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Michael Eric Dyson’s “Take on White Privilege and the American Amnesia Over Race” from PBS Brief But Spectacular series
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NPR Code Switch: Race and Identity Remixed, https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/
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Netflix series Explained, The first episode is on "The Racial Wealth Gap";
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE
Harvard Implicit Bias Test, https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
GCORR RESOURCES