Anti-Racism Resources

Resources to Engage Racism in Christianity and our Congregations

Videos

The language of Advent has traditionally used images of light and dark and attached value to each of them. Though this language appears in Scripture, our mod...

  • The Cross and the Lynching Tree: A Requiem for Amaud Arbery. By Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL. A 22 minute sermon that calls us to repentance, hope and action to address the systems of racism in our society. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6985UG0Z3k&feature=youtu.be

  • Webinar: Becoming the Body of Christ – Condemning White Supremacy. A recording of a May 21 conversation hosted by the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA discussing the ELCA’s resolution to condemn white supremacy. Conversation partners include Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, Bishop Kevin Strickland of the Southeastern Synod, and several other panelists – pastors and leaders in the church. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAatEgzrSnA&feature=youtu.be

Movies

  • Just Mercy. The movie, based on the book of the same title by Bryan Stevenson (also recommended), is being made available for free by Amazon and Apple TV for the month of June. It is a sobering glimpse into the justice system in our country that has been plagued by the system of racism for years, but in particular since the 1970s. For more book resources consider, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander

  • EMANUEL. a 2019 documentary film about the Mother Emanuel AME shooting in Charleston, SC on June 17, 2015. Using interviews with survivors and family members, the documentary examines the history of race relations in Charleston, the significance and impact of the congregation and the effect this tragedy had on the community.

  • Historical Dramas. There have been many acclaimed moves that have shown us the history of race and racism in America. From Amistad, Glory, and To Kill a Mockingbird are just a few that show us the horrors of the slave trade, the civil war and pre-civil rights injustices. However these injustices have continued, and movies that show history of injustice can help us see how this continues. Consider a watch party and discussion of some recent historical dramas, like Hidden Figures, Remember the Titans, 12 Years a Slave, Selma, or Do the Right Thing and talk about how these systemic racist behaviors continue in our society.

    An initial list of movies that will challenge and engage- some documentaries included: https://www.bustle.com/p/19-movies-about-race-every-white-person-needs-to-watch-from-fruitvale-station-to-do-the-right-thing-8605651

Books

  • Jesus and the Disinherited, by Howard Thurman. Rev. Dr. Thurman was a civil rights leader, theologian, and pastor. This book, showing us the deep connection between Jesus and those who are marginalized and oppressed challenges, convicts and invites us to reconciliation. Written in 1949, this book deeply influenced other civil rights leaders, including Rev. Dr. King.

  • The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone. The work of Rev. Dr. James Cone challenged, invited and engaged Christians to see the African American experience in Christianity and began to define Black Theology. This book was a powerful work for me engaging these two emotionally charged symbols and their interconnection.

  • Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church View Racism by Drew G. I. Hart. I have found this book to be the most accessible path into racism in our society, communities and our churches. Hart shares his story, current cultural events, and our shared biblical narrative to explain in gentle yet firm ways the systemic racism that surrounds us, providing paths to move forward. Rev. Dr. Hart is a professor of theology at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, PA, he received his PhD from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.

  • Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the US, by Lenny Duncan. The book is a challenge and a plea to white members of the ELCA to engage racism and work for justice in our congregations and communities. Rev. Lenny Duncan is an ELCA pastor, blogger, and writer. He currently serves Messiah Lutheran Church, in Vancouver WA.

Available from the Resource Center:

  • The Death of Race Brian Bantum
    In The Death of Race, Bantum argues that our attempts to heal racism will not succeed until we address what gives rise to racism in the first place: a fallen understanding of our bodies that sees difference as something to resist, defeat, or subdue.

  • Witnessing & Testifying: Black Women Religion and Civil Rights  Rosetta Ross
    After a chapter exploring black women's religious context and presenting early examples of this work by women of the ante-bellum and post-Reconstruction eras, Ross looks at seven civil rights activists who continue this tradition. They are Ella Josephine Baker, Septima Poinsette Clark, Fannie Lou Hamer, Victoria Way DeLee, Clara Muhammad, Diane Nash, and Ruby Doris Smith Robinson.

  • God of the Oppressed James Cone
    Cone's central theme: The gospel as liberation. In the context of the United States, the 'oppressed' are people of color in general and the black community in particular. It is the black community in America that God elects unconditionally as his people, and it is black people with whom God identifies.

  • Preaching Black Lives Matter ChurchPublishing.org

    Preaching has the ability to transform hearts. While programs, protests, conferences, and laws are all important and necessary, less frequently discussed is the role of the church in ending systems of injustice. The ability to preach is mandatory for every person, clergy or lay, regardless of race, who has the responsibility to spread the gospel.

  • Living into God’s Dream ChurchPublishing.org

    While the dream of a "post-racial" America remains unfulfilled, the struggle against racism continues, with tools both new and old. This book is a report from the front, combining personal stories and theoretical and theological reflection with examples of the work of dismantling racism and methods for creating the much-needed "safe space" for dialogue on race to occur. Its aim is to demonstrate the ways in which a new conversation on race can be forged.

  • Faith in Action: Handbook for Activists, Advocates & Allies

    Faith in Action offers quick dives into a range of topics, from racial justice to environmental concerns, from LGBTQIA equality to Native people's rights, from women's equality to disability rights, from mass incarceration to immigration. Each topic includes informative visuals and data, as well as practical suggestions for what you can do to make a difference in your community.

Study and Conversation Resources

SWPA Synod ELCA