Race Relations – Resources for Learning and Reconciliation

The Methodist movement began in England over 200 years ago by Christians who were committed to (some might say obsessed with) fulfilling the Great Commandments (Matthew 22:36-40, Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18) by caring for those in need (Matthew 25:40-45), freeing the oppressed (Luke 4:16-21), healing the wounded (Luke 10:29-37), and protecting vulnerable people in danger of abuse (James 1:27).

Led by our Social Creed and Social Principles, this focus on social justice connects Methodists around the world, across cultures, and throughout time. Our history has never been perfect, but we learn and keep working to make the world a better place for everyone. Susanville UMC continues that tradition in Lassen County; we invite you to join us in this ongoing work.

Below is a long list of resources you can explore at your own pace. (Our deepest thanks to Rev. Kristen Marshall and Cody Horton for providing many of these.) You can find additional ways that you can stand against racism at http://UMC.org/EndRacism.

Critical Thinking is methodical approach to understanding any given situation. NOTE: In this case, “critical” means to think and ask questions; it does NOT mean “be negative about something.”
While many definitions exist, a widely-used definition says “Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.” Click here to learn more about the concept of Critical Thinking.

Click here to learn more about what Critical Race Theory (CRT) is and is not.

For nearly 300 years, Methodists have embraced the concept of Critical Thinking by encouraging people to approach life’s questions and problems by asking four basic questions:

  1. What does Scripture (i.e. the Christian Bible) say about this?

  2. How have the Traditions of the Christian Church dealt with this in previous centuries?

  3. What wisdom does our individual and community’s Reasoning offer us about this?

  4. How do our own personal Experiences shape our thinking about this?

Please note, some of the materials below include graphic language and disturbing descriptions of abuse which only begin to convey the horrifying, yet largely unspoken, reality of racism as experienced by people of all ages.

For some people, exploring this material – and the topic of racism in general – may feel like inviting unnecessary stress into your life. Explore it and wrestle with it anyway. The tension you experience may feel is like a toothache – it doesn’t go away when we ignore it, it just gets worse. Instead, we can welcome the treatment from the Great Healer’s hand by opening our minds to what we have been missing (1 Peter 5:7).

Remember that God speaks through warm fuzzies and through moments of uncertainty, discomfort, and growth. Let us not be afraid of learning how we can seek justice, love kindness, and walk with bold humility (Micah 6:8) while fully devoting everything we have until every person hears, feels, and believes they are precious children of the Living God, uniquely created in God’s loving image (Genesis 1:27, Matthew 16:16, 1 John 4:7-8).
Amen? Amen!

Our thanks to Cody Horton for sharing the following.

When you are tired and don’t know what to do…
If you are asking your Black friends what you can do to help or if you are being asked by others what they can do, here is a response and information you can share.
————————-

Hey there, thanks for reaching out my friend. I hope you are well and staying safe.

I think your desire to make a difference is certainly going to help us move toward solutions. It is going to take all of us to solve this and it will take a great deal of time.

One of the things that I tell Allies (like you) is to keep working to understand your own biases and get to know people who are black and brown. Seek real answers to the problems and potential solutions to racism. Take a stand against any behavior that promotes injustice from those around you, and don't ignore the behavior. Continue to research ways to combat racism, ask questions and listen to try and understand the issues.

Everyone can do a little to help with the changes that are needed, and no one person can tackle this alone. I think it starts with understanding the real issues and identifying the personal biases that exist in all of us. The best thing that you can do is research ways to combat racism and bias and anti-racism.

I am not an expert in anti-racism, but I am always open to chatting or helping anyone who has questions. –Cody

We suggest you begin by watching these short videos.

Systemic racism affects every area of life in the US. From incarceration rates to predatory loans, and trying to solve these problems requires changes in maj...

Hear some straight talk from middle-schoolers about race and what it's like to grow up in such racially charged times.

“The only way we can solve this issue is through exposure, through education, through compassion, and through empathy.” Emmanuel Acho sits down to have an "uncomfortable conversation" with white America, in order to educate and inform on racism, system racism, social injustice...

Privilege / Class / Social Inequalities Explained in a $100 Race

Dr. Robin DiAngelo is the author of "What Does it Mean to Be White? Developing White Racial Literacy" and has been an anti-racist educator, and has heard justifications of racism by white men and women in her workshops for over two decades. This justification, which she calls “white fragility,” is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves.

Amber Ruffin’s Experience with the Police: Skipping in Chicago

Teacher and diversity trainer Jane Elliott talks about her "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise," the construct of race and what everyone can do in the fight against racism.

We look at where the holiday of Juneteenth came from and why it's still a mystery to so many people.

Jim Crow and America's Racism Explained

A Conversation With Latinos on Race -- While talking with Latino people we find out the understanding of their personal identity as well as what they deal with in their every day lives.

In this hilarious and insightful talk, eighteen-year-old Canwen Xu shares her Asian-American story of breaking stere...

This week we bring you "A Conversation With Native Americans on Race," the latest installment in our wide-ranging "Conversation on Race" series.

Systemic Racism Explained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrHIQIO_bdQ

"Because I’m Latino, I can’t have money?" Kids on Race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6xSyRJqIe8

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8jUA7JBkF4

Privilege/Class/Social Inequalities Explained in a $100 Race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K5fbQ1-zps

Deconstructing White Privilege with Dr. Robin DiAngelo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7mzj0cVL0Q
Deconstructing White Privilege: A Discussion Guide
https://www.gcorr.org/deconstruction-white-privilege-a-discussion-guide/

Amber Ruffin’s Experience with the Police: Skipping in Chicago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VkWhzVuVPg

Jane Elliott on Her "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise" and Fighting Racism
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2z-ahJ4uws

What is Juneteenth?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3aQjTy328o

Jim Crow and America’s Racism Explained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_gOtZ--4WE

A Conversation With Latinos on Race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLLCHbCgJbM

I Am Not Your Asian Stereotype | Canwen Xu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pUtz75lNaw

A Conversation With Native Americans on Race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siMal6QVblE

Self-Awareness

Better understanding yourself is a key step in better understanding how you relate to other people. Regarding racism, one key concept is called Implicit Bias which “refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.”

Click here to learn about and (optionally) take one of Harvard University’s several Implicit Association Tests.

Videos

Articles

Books for Children

(Experts suggest not flooding children with books about racism; for every 1 book about racism, 20 joyful books!)

These Books Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/parenting/kids-books-racism-protest.html

Ages 0-3:
Ezra Jack Keats’s books about Peter (“The Snowy Day,”“A Letter to Amy,”“Hi, Cat!,”“Whistle for Willie”)

Ages 3-5:
“Hair Love,” by Matthew A. Cherry. Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
“Saturday,” written and illustrated by Oge Mora

Ages 5-8:
“Each Kindness,” by Jacqueline Woodson. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis.
“The Youngest Marcher,” by Cynthia Levinson. Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton

Ages 9-12:
“Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness,” written and illustrated by Anastasia Higginbotham
“Resist: 35 Profiles of Ordinary People Who Rose Up Against Tyranny and Injustice,” by Veronica Chambers. Illustrated by Paul Ryding.

Ages 12+:
“All American Boys,” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
“Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, & You” by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi

Books

Digging Deep

Podcasts

Twitter

Links to Follow (these organizations are also on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms)

And many more!