Resources for the Struggle Against Racism
Saint Michael stands with the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas and Christians around the country asking for our nation to extend equal justice for all. Our Pub Theology conversation on "Christianity and Race" is not meant to be a one-time discussion! We want to keep the conversation going, and we encourage you to use and share the antiracism resources below.
The Episcopal Church Resources
A sermon from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, books, TED Talks, scripture, and much more
Books
"White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Race" by Robin DiAngelo
The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality.
"I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness" by Austin Channing Brown
From a leading voice on racial justice, an eye-opening account of growing up Black, Christian, and female that exposes how white America’s love affair with “diversity” so often falls short of its ideals. A New York Times Bestseller.
"How to be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi
Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science with his own personal story of awakening to antiracism. This is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a just and equitable society. A #1 New York Times Bestseller.
"Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Americans have built an empire on the idea of “race,” a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of black women and men—bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up, and murdered out of all proportion. What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden?
"The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America" by Richard Rothstein
"This 'powerful and disturbing history' exposes how American governments deliberately imposed racial segregation on metropolitan areas nationwide" - New York Times Book Review
"The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" by Michelle Alexander
"The New Jim Crow" is a stunning account of the rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States, one that has resulted in millions of African Americans locked behind bars and then relegated to a permanent second-class status—denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement.
"Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You" (YA book for youth) by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning "Stamped from the Beginning" reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future.
"Antiracist Baby" (Board book for young children) by Ibram X. Kendi
With bold art and thoughtful yet playful text, "Antiracist Baby" introduces the youngest readers and the grown-ups in their lives to the concept and power of antiracism. Providing the language necessary to begin critical conversations at the earliest age, "Antiracist Baby" is the perfect gift for readers of all ages dedicated to forming a just society.
Documentaries
13th (Netflix)
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation's prisons are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.
TED Talks & Podcasts
"Racism Has a Cost for Everyone" by Heather McGhee (TED Talk)
Racism makes our economy worse -- and not just in ways that harm people of color, says public policy expert Heather C. McGhee. From her research and travels across the US, McGhee shares startling insights into how racism fuels bad policymaking and drains our economic potential -- and offers a crucial rethink on what we can do to create a more prosperous nation for all.
"How to Be an Antiracist" with Ibram X. Kendi (June 3, 2020 episode of Unlocking Us podcast hosted by Brené Brown)
A discussion about racial disparities, policy, and equality, but most importantly "How to be an Antiracist."
"Back to Biz with Katie and Box: Bishop T.D. Jakes and Opal Tometi" (June 2, 2020 episode of Next Question with Katie Couric podcast)
In the aftermath of the George Floyd killing, Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John speak with Bishop T.D. Jakes, founder and senior pastor of The Potter's House, and Black Lives Matter co-founder Opal Tometi about what justice should look like.
1619 (A New York Times podcast)
In August of 1619, a ship carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans arrived in the English colony of Virginia. America was not yet America, but this was the moment it began. No aspect of the country that would be formed here has been untouched by the 250 years of slavery that followed. On the 400th anniversary of this fateful moment, it is time to tell the story.
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