Racial Justice: Anti-Racism Resources

Racial justice has been a faith aspiration for Roslindale Congregational Church in various ways over the years. Then, in 2020 the murders of George Floyd and others, far too often at the hands of law enforcement, the ongoing issues of racial inequities and injustice across multiple sectors of society, even more evident during the Pandemic, and the disturbing prevalence of white supremacy and hate groups in our country have all pressed our congregation to prioritize the work of racial justice.

Granted there is much more to learn and to do, but RCC’s growing priority contributed to it putting up a Black lives Matter sign as an integral part of our church identity, starting a social justice team, and embarking upon internal dialogues toward antiracism awareness. Members became more and more interested in study materials, so our Interim Minister, Jean Vandergrift, prioritized creating a resource list. This list derives from groups of which she has been a part over the years, including learning experiences sponsored by our United Church of Christ conference. It incorporates books that either she has read or that have been recommended to her.

This resource list is a work in progress. It should be revisited periodically and revised in order to remain relevant. It is available for your personal use, or by small church groups of which you are a part. Also feel free to pass it along to others in your social networks.

Books

The following can be purchased at any bookstore or found at your local library. 

Readings for Diversity and Social Justice by Maurianne Adams

Anxious to Talk About It: Helping White People Talk Faithfully about Racism by Carolyn B. Helsel (2021)

Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice that Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt

Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism by Harsha Walia 

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

Courageous Conversations About Race by Glenn E. Singleton

Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland by Jonathan Metzel

How It Feels to be Colored Me by Zora Neale Hurston

How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi

How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice by Jemar Tisby

I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith, and Being Black in America by Tyler Merritt

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen

My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem

Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God by Kaitlin B. Curtice

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm by Robin DiAngelo (2021)

Preaching about Racism: A Guide for Faith Leaders by Carolyn B. Helsel

Pre-Post-Racial America: Spiritual Stories from the Front Lines by Sandhya Rani Jha

Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo

Some Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall

The Sound of Fury by Tema Okun

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee

They Take Our Jobs! And 20 Other Myths about Immigration (revised edition, 2018) by Aviva Chomsky

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho

Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice, 4th ed., by Paul Kivel

Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo (2018)

White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones

Documents and Power Point Slides

Documents and Power Point Slides [PDF]

Videos and Podcasts

“A Conversation on Race” (separate interviews with various persons) by New York Times

“Beneath the Skin: Baptists and Racism” by Good Faith Media

“Cycle of Socialization” by Bobbie Harro in Adams, et.al, Readings for Diversity and Social Justice

“Cycle of Liberation” by Bobbie Harro in Adams, et.al, Readings for Diversity and Social Justice 

“Deconstructing White Privilege” Robin DiAngelo, presenter

“Discovered? Or Stolen! Repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery” clip from the United Church of Christ

“Dismantling White Supremacy Culture” from White Supremacy Culture

“Going to the Grocery Store” by Joy DeGruy

“Growing Up Racially” discussion questions, Diane Schmitz

“How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Discussing Race” Jay Smooth, presenter at TEDxHampshireCollege

“I Interrupted a Racist Joke” by Paul Scanlon (includes concepts of “White Solidarity” and “White Social Capital”)

“Identity and Culture” from Cracking the Codes movie, people of color talking about how they were socialized

“Implicit Bias” New York Times

“How Microaggressions are like Mosquito Bites – Same Difference

“Lamenting Racism” is a timely and accessible resource for congregations that see antiracism as a call to discipleship.—Sue Park-Hur, denominational minister of Transformative Peacemaking for Mennonite Church USA

“Systemic Racism Explained” the comparison of Kevin and Jamal

“Talking While Black” This American Life, NPR, Jan 7, 2022

“We the People: The Three Most Misunderstood Words in U.S.” Mark Charles on TedxTysons series, Legacy.

“What is the Origin of Race?” PBS Digital Studios

Movies

Te Ata, about a native storyteller

Webinars and Curriculum

 “The Anatomy of a Christian: A Zine on Privilege and Solidarity” 5 week discussion series by Salt Project

“Race: The Power of an Illusion” Companion to the documentary series by California Newsreel discussing the origin of beliefs and consequences of what we call race.

“Sacred Conversations to End Racism” United Church of Christ Summer Institute 2021

“What White Women Need to Know: From Clergywomen of Color” Mass Council of Churches learning experience on Facebook

“White Privilege: Let’s Talk” – a United Church of Christ resource for Transformational Dialogue

United Church of Christ and Other Organizations