Become Anti-Racist
“I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Councilor or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to 'order' than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice [...]”
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Letter From a Birmingham Jail
An anti-racist is one who actively opposes racism and promotes racial tolerance. Becoming one involves a personal commitment that goes beyond not saying or doing anything overtly racist. It takes intentionality and often getting out of your comfort zone. Here are things that an anti-racist can do (adapted from America & Moore 21-Day Challenge):
PRAY
Visit the Prayer page, but in the meantime…
- Pray for the Church to be the leading voice for racial justice through modeling Spirit-led action
- Pray for your own personal journey towards becoming more racially aware
- Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in routine anguish over racial injustices
- 1 John 2:9-11: “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness…”
READ
Visit the Get Educated page, but in the meantime…
- The Color of compromise (Jemar Tisby). RUN hosted a book discussion with this book.
- The Myth of Equality (Ken Wytsma)
- How to be Antiracist (Ibram X. Kendi)
LISTEN
Visit the Get Educated page, but in the meantime…
- Be intentional to start listening to the voices of black people and people of color. This could be a friend or coworker, or black authors and educators writing about these topics
- Understanding Racism 101 by RUN’s Equipping the Church Community Team
- Joint sermon series from Calvary & Unity from Feb 2019
ENGAGE/DO
Visit the RUN Events page, but in the meantime…
- Get to know a neighbor of color by inviting them to lunch or coffee
- Go out of your way to be kind to people of color in public. There are enough people doing the opposite.
- Commit times twice per month to educate yourself or engage in public support or racial justice
- Join RUN!
REFLECT
- Ask yourself (in a non-cliche manner) what Jesus would do and say on the topic of racial justice
- Pause during your next prayer time to ask where the areas of growth are for you. What is preventing you from becoming more engaged, and is that something that can change?
CONNECT
- RUN’s Facebook Page, where Christ-centered racial justice news and events are regularly shared
- Get on RUN’s list serve for Champions for regular (but not too regular) updates on ways to learn and get involved