Racism
Sherwood Park Alliance Church Statements on Racism
Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada National Statement on Racism
These last few weeks have been hard to watch the deep unrest that has been happening around the globe. This situation has been tough for many many people as we have seen again how deeply divided we (including the church) are over race and social status. For people of faith this is not the time to be silent. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.”
This certainly is a time to be listening to each other.
Psalm 46:1-2 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
These last few weeks have been hard to watch the deep unrest that has been happening around the globe. This situation has been tough for many many people as we have seen again how deeply divided we (including the church) are over race and social status. For people of faith this is not the time to be silent. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.”
This certainly is a time to be listening to each other.
Psalm 46:1-2 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
Here are a couple of sermon conversations that have been helpful to some people:
Become the Bridge – John Gray and Steven Furtick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7jTUfNyPkE&t=10s
Skin in the Game – Andy Stanley
https://store.northpoint.org/products/skin-in-the-game-message
Resources from the Division
Kevin Cameron’s News Alert
ATA Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xykFMD-x9TE
Anti-racism Resources from Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley
List of Books, Websites and Podcasts
Ibram X. Kendi’s Books and Reading List
The 1619 Project
Stories:
-teachers who experience racism in schools from other teachers, administrators, students and parents
-teachers who are marginalized or fired by their colleagues for advocating for change
-teachers who reflect on how they were mistreated as students by racist teachers
-there are teachers and librarians at #DisruptTexts who are challenging biases in curriculum
-and principals who want to “talk about the #AmyCooper Teacher in schools”
Teaching Tolerance - has several helpful resources, including this article about what white educators can do about racism
Resources from the Alberta Teachers' Association
What To Do?
Below are five recommendations based on interviews with teachers of color (reprinted with permission of Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center):
1. Read, Read, Read
Learn more about racism and white supremacy. Reading (or watching or listening) can answer questions and give you the space to work out your own racial identity.
2. Listen
Be present with educators, students and families of color. Actively listen. What concerns do they have? Chances are they see issues inside the school that you don’t. Two interviewees suggested neighborhood walks.
3. Avoid Making Conversations About You
If a colleague of color comes to you with a concern, ask yourself, “Am I using my privilege to amplify the concerns of educators of color in my building, or am I drowning them out?”
4. Connect
Find or build a group of people for accountability. Focus on generating conversations with white colleagues, and make sure you are staying accountable to people of color. BARWE has free resources to get started.
5. Use Your Power and Take Action
Look for inequities: Are people being left out? Are people being treated unfairly? If you notice something, speak up and take action. Lift some of the burden from your colleagues of color. If you’re an administrator, consider how you are directing school- and district-level professional development and policy.