How to Fight Racism by Jemar Tisby
Learn the Image of God theology: Acts 1:8, Eph. 3:6, Rev. 7:9, Genesis 1:26-27: “God’s fingerprints rest upon every single person without restriction. The image of God extends to Black and white people, men and women, rich and poor, incarcerated and free, queer and straight, documented and undocumented, nondisabled and disabled, powerful and oppressed. All people equally bear the likeness of God and thus possess incalculable and inviolable value.”
“We all tend to selectively critique theological systems based on our cultural preferences and assumptions. Theologies developed by people of color should not receive any more or less scrutiny than those devised by European and white people. I believe there is much to learn from the theological insights of Palestinians, indigenous peoples, and Latin Americans, just to name a few. Yet I find it odd that some people seem more willing to learn from the theologies of slaveholders than the theologies of the enslaved and oppressed. The presumed theology and intellectual superiority of European and white sources is itself an example of white supremacy and should be confronted whenever you teach about biblical ideas of race and ethnicity.
“Teaching kids about race is similar in some ways to teaching kids about sex. Sex and sexuality are delicate topics that are personal and fraught with confusion and the potential for harm. At the same time, they are far too important not to discuss. If adults avoid teaching kids sexual ethics, then kids will likely get their information from potentially less helpful sources such as pop culture or their peers. The same is true regarding racial justice…Bumbling through a conversation about race is often better than not having a conversation at all. You must also realize that talking about race is not a one-time lecture but an ongoing dialogue. You cannot sit down and have the “race talk” with kids; you have many “race talks.”
“If you have not learned to lament, you have not learned to love. To love someone is to know and be known, which means opening oneself up to the possibility of being hurt by another.”
“Diversity is where everyone is invited to the party. Equity means that everyone gets to contribute to the playlist. Inclusion means that everyone has the opportunity to dance.” –Robert Sellers
“We cannot change the record of leaders and historical figures who held abhorrent racial views. What we can do is make sure these parts of their record are known just as much as the other parts. We can discuss the impact of their actions on people who held less power, had less money, and were part of groups considered minorities, subhuman, or “other.” Committing to finding people who did not think owning, segregating, or oppressing people because of their racial or ethnic background is a valuable racial justice practice. It expands our repertoire of people to learn from beyond our simplistic historical narratives. We should be careful about putting anyone on a pedestal, but surely there are better people to emulate than unrepentant racists.”