Anti-Racism Resources for Youth and Youth Leaders
Curriculum
Talking about Race and Privilege (Free)
This downloadable lesson is from National Association of School Psychologists. It is not faith-based, but breaks down the concept of privilege really well and allows the students an opportunity to reflect on the ways they have privilege and how that affects them.
Recommended Books
Be the Bridge Youth Reading List
Unify ($9.99)
Unify is a five-week curriculum series from the Youth Cartel designed to introduce teenagers to a biblical understanding of reconciliation. This biblical foundation will set them up to be reconcilers in our world for the sake of the gospel. While the content could be customized for middle school students, the concepts may best be understood and embraced by older students.
This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell and Aurelia Durand - "Who are you? What is racism? Where does it come from? Why does it exist? What can you do to disrupt it? Learn about social identities, the history of racism and resistance against it, and how you can use your anti-racist lens and voice to move the world toward equity and liberation.” — This book is written for kids and teens and would be good to work through with your youth.
How to Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi - "Antiracism is a transformative concept that reorients and reenergizes the conversation about racism--and, even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other."
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo - "Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.”
Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum - "Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, argues that straight talk about our racial identities is essential if we are serious about enabling communication across racial and ethnic divides."
Waking Up White by Debby Irving - "For twenty-five years, Debby Irving sensed inexplicable racial tensions in her personal and professional relationships. As a colleague and neighbor, she worried about offending people she dearly wanted to befriend. As an arts administrator, she didn't understand why her diversity efforts lacked traction. As a teacher, she found her best efforts to reach out to students and families of color left her wondering what she was missing. Then, in 2009, one "aha!" moment launched an adventure of discovery and insight that drastically shifted her worldview and upended her life plan. In Waking Up White, Irving tells her often cringe-worthy story with such openness that readers will turn every page rooting for her-and ultimately for all of us."
White Awake by Daniel Hill - "In this compelling and timely book, Hill shows you the seven stages to expect on your own path to cultural awakening. It's crucial to understand both personal and social realities in the areas of race, culture, and identity. This book will give you a new perspective on being white and also empower you to be an agent of reconciliation in our increasingly diverse and divided world."
The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby - "Is a perfect book for pastors and other faith leaders, students, non-students, book clubs, small group studies, history lovers, and all lifelong learners The Color of Compromise is not a call to shame or a platform to blame white evangelical Christians. It is a call from a place of love and desire to fight for a more racially unified church that no longer compromises what the Bible teaches about human dignity and equality. A call that challenges black and white Christians alike to standup now and begin implementing the concrete ways Tisby outlines, all for a more equitable and inclusive environment among God's people. Starting today.
Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi - "Some Americans insist that we're living in a post-racial society. But racist thought is not just alive and well in America--it is more sophisticated and more insidious than ever. And as award-winning historian Ibram X. Kendi argues, racist ideas have a long and lingering history, one in which nearly every great American thinker is complicit. In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti-black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. He uses the life stories of five major American intellectuals to drive this history: Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and legendary activist Angela Davis."
Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi - A retelling of Ibram X. Kendi's Stamped from the Beginning for young adults. "Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas--and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives."
Disunity in Christ by Christena Cleveland "With a personal touch and the trained eye of a social psychologist, Cleveland brings to bear the latest studies and research on the unseen dynamics at work that tend to separate us from others. Learn why Christians who have a heart for unity have such a hard time actually uniting. The author provides real insight for ministry leaders who have attempted to build bridges across boundaries. Here are the tools we need to understand how we can overcome the hidden forces that divide us."
I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown - "In a time when nearly all institutions (schools, churches, universities, businesses) claim to value "diversity" in their mission statements, I'm Still Here is a powerful account of how and why our actions so often fall short of our words. Austin writes in breathtaking detail about her journey to self-worth and the pitfalls that kill our attempts at racial justice, in stories that bear witness to the complexity of America's social fabric--from Black Cleveland neighborhoods to private schools in the middle-class suburbs, from prison walls to the boardrooms at majority-white organizations."
Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison - "In an era where we seem to be increasingly divided along racial lines, many are hesitant to step into the gap, fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing. At times the silence, particularly within the church, seems deafening. But change begins with an honest conversation among a group of Christians willing to give a voice to unspoken hurts, hidden fears, and mounting tensions. These ongoing dialogues have formed the foundation of a global movement called Be the Bridge—a nonprofit organization whose goal is to equip the church to have a distinctive and transformative response to racism and racial division."
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - "Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer's coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice."
The Color of Law 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 by Michelle Alexander - "Seldom does a book have the impact of Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow. Since it was first published in 2010, it has been cited in judicial decisions and has been adopted in campus-wide and community-wide reads; it helped inspire the creation of the Marshall Project and the new $100 million Art for Justice Fund; it has been the winner of numerous prizes, including the prestigious NAACP Image Award; and it has spent nearly 250 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list."
Anxious to Talk About It by Carolyn Helsel - "In Anxious to Talk About It, pastor and professor Carolyn B. Helsel draws on her successful experiences with white congregations to offer us tools to embrace and explore these anxious feelings. Through the sharing of our stories, new insights on racial identity, and spiritual practices to help you engage racial justice concerns prayerfully, you'll begin to overcome your anxiety and learn to join conversations with less fear, more compassion, and more knowledge of self, others, and the important issues at stake. Helsel's words and guidance will inspire you to receive the gifts that come through these difficult conversations and point to how you can get further involved in the important work around race relations."
Videos
How to deconstruct racism, one headline at a time - TED Talk with Baratunde Thurston
"Baratunde Thurston explores the phenomenon of white Americans calling the police on black Americans who have committed the crimes of ... eating, walking or generally "living while black." In this profound, thought-provoking and often hilarious talk, he reveals the power of language to change stories of trauma into stories of healing -- while challenging us all to level up.” (17 minutes)
Color Blind or Color Brave? TED Talk with Mellody Hobson
“The subject of race can be very touchy. As finance executive Mellody Hobson says, it's a "conversational third rail." But, she says, that's exactly why we need to start talking about it. In this engaging, persuasive talk, Hobson makes the case that speaking openly about race — and particularly about diversity in hiring -- makes for better businesses and a better society.”
Articles
Black History Month Resources for 2023 from Building Faith (January 24, 2023)
Two Ingigenous thought leaders to inform students’ identity and belonging from Fuller Youth Institute (November 5, 2021)
Teens Teach Adults About Dismantling Racism from Building Faith (July 12, 2021)
How Asian American theology can help all young people explore identity from Fuller Youth Institute (May 12, 2021)
Engaging Teenagers in Faithful Conversations about Race from Fuller Youth Institute (November 3, 2020)
4 Spiritual Practices for the Journey Toward Anti-Racism from Fuller Youth Institute (July 9, 2020)
Step: An Opportunity to Watch and Reflect with Youth from Building Faith June 18, 2020
Don’t Be a Bystander: Resources for Those in the Movement for Change from Fuller Youth Institute (June 11, 2020)
Statement on racial violence from J. Herbert Nelson, Stated Clerk of the PC (USA)
"The recent deaths of three African Americans have once again raised concern about racial injustice across the country, including the cities where the deaths occurred. The Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) says there is work to be done.” (8 minutes)
13th by Ava DuVernay
“Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars, director Ava DuVernay's examination of the U.S. prison system looks at how the country's history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America.” Available on Netflix and YouTube— Pairs very well with The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander (100 minutes)
Unpacking the White Savior Complex from Affinity Magazine (April 21, 2019)
Carolyn B. Helsel: How can white Christians talk faithfully about racism? from Faith and Leadership (April 17, 2018)
How to Talk to Children About Racism, Prejudice, and Protests - An Age-by Age Guide from Hey Sigmund
Learn more about Juneteenth:
Plan a Virtual Juneteenth Celebration from Build Faith (May 13, 2021)
So You Want to Learn About Juneteenth? from the New York Times (June 19, 2020)
Juneteenth Celebrations Grow from Presbyterian Mission Agency (May 20, 2020)
Teaching Juneteenth from Learning for Justice (June 12, 2019)
What is Juneteenth? from African American History Blog
So You Want to Talk About Race: A Conversation with author Ijeoma Oluo
“Ijeoma Oluo is one of the most influential people in Seattle, according to Seattle Magazine. She's also the Editor-At-Large at The Establishment - a media platform run and funded by women.
She discusses why it's so hard talk about race and why we must do it anyway”. (50 minutes)
How Racial Bias Works — And How to Disrupt it TED Talk with Jennifer Eberhardt
“Our brains create categories to make sense of the world, recognize patterns and make quick decisions. But this ability to categorize also exacts a heavy toll in the form of unconscious bias. In this powerful talk, psychologist Jennifer L. Eberhardt explores how our biases unfairly target Black people at all levels of society -- from schools and social media to policing and criminal justice -- and discusses how creating points of friction can help us actively interrupt and address this troubling problem.” (14 minutes)
Resources
Racial Justice Resources from the PC(USA)
Network for Dismantling Racism from the Synod of the Sun
Matthew 25 Resources from the PC(USA)