FSR Team’s Weekly Recommendations | September 7

In support of our vision for ELPC to live into its designation of being a Matthew 25 Church, the Facing Systemic Racism team recognizes that we cannot achieve this vision absent all of us being better informed about issues related to race, and, specifically African Americans in the United States. There are many resources available, so we will suggest a few options each week. Whether you chose from this list or have other books, films, etc., on this topic, please consider making time for this important faith work this summer. The FSR team challenges us to as a congregation read, watch, or listen to 1,000 books, TV programs, webinars, podcasts, or articles by Labor Day, September 7, 2020.

Below are resources for the upcoming week. Let us know what you and our family have watched, read, or listened to in the comment section!

Read

How “White Fragility” talks down to Black People by John McWhorter

Critical review of Robin DiAngelo’s book from Columbia University professor suggests that DiAngelo does more harm than good in painting Black Americans with a broad brush.

The Challenge Civil Rights Giants Leave Us from Sojourners

Outlines what’s next in the Civil Rights Movement as key figures like John Lewis pass the torch to the next generation.

Watch

The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

In this classic TED Talk, novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

This is Not Normal: Allyship and Advocacy in the Age of COVID-19 Town Hall Series from the University of Pittsburgh

Series of town hall discussions that focus on the diverse facets of our lives and communities impacted by COVID-19. Topics include “Health, Law Enforcement, and the Media,” “Xenophobia and Hate Crimes,” and “Toxic Recipe:
The Historical Ingredients for American Inequity.”

Listen

Brené with Austin Channing Brown on I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness from Unlocking Us

Conversation about Austin Channing Brown’s book and web series, The Next Question.

Intersectionality Matters! with Kimberlé Crenshaw from the African American Policy Forum

Crenshaw, a civil rights advocate and a leading scholar of critical race theory, covers topics that go beyond race to address gender, sexuality, class, and other facets of American identity.

For Kids & Families

Nice White Parents from the New York Times

Five part series that explores the biggest issues facing public schools and the most powerful force in shaping them: white parents.

This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell

For middle graders and high school students who want to learn about social identities, the history of racism and resistance against it, and how they can use their anti-racist lens and voice to move the world toward equity and liberation.