The following collection of articles cover different ideas and aspects of understanding diversity and equal rights for all. We are all brothers and sisters in God. None of us are better or less than the other.
Taking Action Against Racism
Being antiracist requires ongoing, often difficult work. It’s normal and okay to make mistakes and experience feelings of guilt, discomfort, and sadness during this process. Remember that the work you’re doing is important and necessary, and to push through tough emotions.
NEW POSTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2020:
It's More Than Racism: Isabel Wilkerson Explains America's Caste System
WALKING TOGETHER: Growing in Awareness and Accountability
WHITES FOR RACIAL EQUITY - Online Courses
A Prayer for the Wounded Heart of Humanity
We call upon God’s Love in this important moment, knowing that Divine Love is the greatest power in the Universe. We pray for the wounded heart of humanity as we grieve, rage, cry, and despair over injustice and inequity. May Divine Love enfold and comfort everyone who is hurting. May Divine Wisdom guide each person and institution in taking inspired action to ensure that all are celebrated for their inherent goodness as a part of God’s creation. May we remain resolute in walking the course of human rights and social justice for all. We pray in the spirit of unity, love, and oneness. Amen
A Letter to Roy. He's the black guy in my pictures.
Jesus Was Divisive. A Black Pastor's Message to White Christians
An Open Letter to My Fellow White Christians
What I Said When My White Friend Asked for My Black Opinion on White Privilege
Shariff Abdullah’s New Campaign in 2020
A Campaign for an Awakening Humanity - Jan 30 - April 4
64 Days - correlates with the Season for Non-Violence
https://commonway.org/activities/
Sign up to get on mailing list.
Ted Talk: https://youtu.be/VBkVpYeSrzQ
Commonway's Goals:
1. To maximize the transformation of consciousness, as quickly and effectively as possible.
2. To catalyze the understanding and practice of our universal values, especially the primary value of inclusivity.
3. To bring our collective behavior in line with our consciousness and values.
Compassion Warrior - Boot Camp for White Allies, Dr. David Campt
Website: http://www.davidcampt.com
Unity Center - San Diego, CA - Dr. David Campt Workshop: (slight static)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlsAofG5AbM&feature=youtu.be
https://www.kusi.com/dismantling-racism-workshop-at-the-unity-center/
Books
Abdullah, Shariff, JD, and Leslie Hamilton, Practicing Inclusivity, A Workbook for Transformation, Commonway Publishing, Portland, OR, 2016.
Abdullah, Shariff, JD, Creating a World that Works for All, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., San Francisco, CA, 1999.
Alexander, Michelle, The New Jim Crow—Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, The New Press, New York, NY, 2011.
Brown, Tracy, Stained Glass Spirit - Becoming a Spiritual Community Where Oneness Does Not Require Sameness, self-published, 2018.
Website: StainedGlassSpirit.net
Paperback: https://amzn.to/2UjV2Cm
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2FDEagy
Cannon, Mae Elise, Social Justice Handbook—Small Steps for a Better World,
InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 2009.
Diangelo, Robin, White Fragility—Why It’s so Hard for White People to Talk
About Racism, Beacon Press, Boston, MA, 2018.
Kim, Grace Ji-Sun, Embracing the Other—The Transformative Spirit of Love,
William Eerdsman Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 2015.
Robbins, Steve L, PhD, What If—Short Stories to Spark Inclusion & Diversity
Dialogue, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, Boston, MA, 2008, 2018.
Schrag, Peter, Not Fit For Our Society—Nativism and Immigration, University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA, 2010.
St. Onge, Patricia, et al., Embracing Cultural Competency—A Roadmap for Nonprofit Capacity Builders, Alliance for Nonprofit Management (Fieldstone Alliance), 2009.
Websites/Videos
www.crackingthecodes.org (accessed 2/17/17)
https://youtu.be/Wf9QBnPK6Yg (accessed 2/17/17)
#DiversityStoryteller
The Promise: A Lesson in White Privilege - Phyllis Unterschuetz
(CTC)Mirrors of Privilege: Understanding White Privilege 1:59
What it takes to be racially literate (Priya Vulchi and Winona Guo | TEDWomen 2017)
Why I chose my LGBTQ daughter over the Evangelical Church | Susan Cottrell | TEDxMileHigh
DiversityInc - Advice on how to respond to “I don’t see color” - (explains good
intent / negative impact of microagressions and how to respond and give feedback)
The King Center for Non-Violent Social Change
Eva Patterson - Unconscious Bias
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-dsB_2EulQ
How to Outsmart Your Own Unconscious Bias | Valerie Alexander |
World Trust - Social Impact through Film and Dialogue
Saying Goodbye to 2018’s Seesaw of Outrage and Numbness by Deepa Iyer:
Movies for Black History Month
Just Mercy - Bryan Stevenson’s story of freeing a man on death row in Alabama
Harriett - the story of Harriet Tubman
13th - Directed by Ava DuVernay
White Like Me - Tim Wise - on YouTube
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June 20, 2020 Moral March on Washington
https://actionnetwork.org/forms/rsvp-for-june-20-2020-mass-poor-peoples-
assembly-moral-march-on-washington?source=CAC
Anti-racist Resources (Huge List!)
Here is a shorter link: bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES
StirFry Seminar and Consulting (in California)
https://www.stirfryseminars.com/
https://stirfryseminars.com/resources/handouts.php https://stirfryseminars.com/resources/handouts/Topic-2-05.pdf
From Crucial Conversations:
Here is the link to the Style Under Stress assessment. http://www.vitalsmarts.com/ styleunderstress.aspx
When have crucial conversations:
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Start With Heart
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Learn to Look
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Make It Safe
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Master My Stories
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State My Path
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Move to Action
“Our brain creates associations to help us make sense of the world.”
We can be/are unwitting accomplices...in inequities, perpetuating them without an awareness of what and how we’re doing it. Our brains have already stored up so many patterns of associations (so much information)...brains always scanning looking for repeat patterns.
16 million - implicit association bias tests - gender bias is there for all of us - we all have some.“Go to transforming the conversation from blame and shame to committed action.”
Harvard Implicit Bias Test
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial- justice-f2d18b0e0234
Showing up for Racial Justice
https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org
Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A Washington
Unity Worldwide Ministries Spiritual Social Action Focus Forward Team presents
Raj Sisodia: “The Healing Organization” https://youtu.be/LWs6HFOkNEY
Safwan Shah,Founder & CEO of PayActiv: “Timely Earned Wage Access” https://youtu.be/BF01dG-ikug
Valerie Alexander: “How to Outsmart Your Own Unconscious Bias”. https://youtu.be/GP-cqFLS8Q4
Sample Discussion Questions
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Whywouldthistopicbeimportantforourchurchesandourworldrightnow?
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Howdidthiscliphelptoshiftyourself-awareness?Whatnewinsightscametomind?
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WhatarethethreethingsmentionedinValerieAlexander’sclipthatwecandoaboutourbiases?
Can you give an example of each?
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Whatwouldbeyourdaily/weekly/monthlyplantohealandrestorewhenyounoticeyourown
biases?
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Howwouldthisbeanexampleofthepracticalapplicationof“beingthechangeyouwanttosee”?
Or would it be? Why or why not?
Tell Your Story - (in small groups)
1. Describeanexampleofwhenyouwereinthemiddleofasituationandnoticedyourownbias? Has this ever happened to you? Can you describe what feelings came up for you? What did you do or wish you had done? What did you learn? (There are only lessons.)
2. Why do you think we need to “outsmart” our unconscious bias?
3. What has changed or is changing for you now in terms of you think about bias? or about
4. What can you do in your community to raise awareness and shift awareness to more conscious inclusivity?
5. In our spiritual communities, where do you think unconscious bias shows up the most? the least?
Group De-brief
What did you learn? Any aha’s? Surprises? or no surprises?
What do you think about Valerie Alexander’s statement? “That’s the problem with unexamined behavior is that we think we are treating others equally and we’re not. Our brain is not letting us.” Are we willing to step into the driver’s seat?
Remember: When the amygdala (old brain) encounters something different - - we can turn the unexpected into the expected. We can:
1. VISUALIZEsituationsbeforetheyhappen(whatevermentalpictureyouget,changeit).
2. EXAMINE-Whenweencountertheunexpected,havetheCOURAGEtoexamineyourthoughts. 3. NORMALIZE-Makeaconsciousefforttoexposeyourselftowhatisunexpectedanddoesn’t
need to be. Make them expected.
We must ask ourselves - are we willing to examine our own inner beliefs that have been unexamined and are running on autopilot? Ask: Where do we have unexamined behavior? Where do I need to look? Who’s in my social circle? Who’s in my social media groups? Why?
Why are we only around “like-minded” people?
Do we want to be a part of the solution? Do we want to be about creating and being the change we want to see?
If yes, then awareness is key. For healing and transformation to take place, we all have to become aware; we must develop even greater self awareness. Ask ourselves - Where is my work to be done so that we can move our society forward?
RESOURCES
From “Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity - Conversation Guide” (world-trust.org)
Glossary of terms:
Bias–prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. Unconscious or implicit bias refers to biases that we carry without awareness. To learn more about implicit bias and to take an implicit association test online, visit Project Implicit at https:// implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
Abdullah, Shariff M and Leslie Hamilton. Practicing Inclusivity - A Workbook for Transformation. Portland: Commonway Publishing, 2015, 2016.
Mackey, John and Rag Sisodia. Conscious Capitalism.
Robbins, Steve L. What If—Short Stories to Spark Inclusion & Diversity Dialogue. Boston: Nicholas
Brealey Publishing, 2008.