Reviewed by Amanda Geers
This book is great for parents of children of any age as it's never too late to start in creating intentional postures as a family that seek healing, celebration, and hope for all of God's multiethnic, multicultural family. However, I'm grateful to have read this book now while my kids are young, as the authors helped me realize the importance of having intentional conversations around race even at the preschool level.
I particularly appreciated the chapter on having a posture of lament as a family. It showed me that the tendency to want to stay only in postures of praise, thankfulness, and celebration may arise from a place of privilege. The authors' suggestions for regularly joining in lament and processing the brokenness and hurt in this world was helpful both on an individual and family level.
Sharon McMahon has woven together moving stories of the lives of ordinary men and women who courageously struggled to advance the belief in racial justice and civil rights throughout American history. We realize many chapters of this history have largely been buried or unwritten.
This book has not only shed more light on the unknown chapters but her account of their lives inspires all generations to understand how crucial their work was. The details of the sacrifices and the faith and passion they demonstrated evoke deep gratitude and humility for the legacy they have left. We know the arc of justice is long and never complete. These stories paint a clearer picture of how far we have come and the knowledge that the work is far from complete.
Reviewed by: Heather Hedlund
What is the Doctrine of Discovery? Until a couple of years ago, I had never heard of it. I first learned about it in a TED talk by Mark Charles, and I'll admit his talk was surprising and challenging to me. Unsettling Truths explains the history of the Doctrine of Discovery, how it was used to justify colonization, slavery, and the theft of land from indigenous peoples.
The Doctrine of Discovery emerged from a series of papal bulls issued in the 1450's. The pope granted permission to European Christian monarchs to seize land they "discovered" if it was occupied by non-Christians and to submit those occupants to perpetual slavery. The immediate outcome was the institution of the slave trade from Africa by the Portuguese. It eventually led to the occupation and colonization of the Americas, the transatlantic slave trade, and the theft of land from Native Americans.
Reviewed by Patricia Barnes-Cannon
The movie, The Best of Enemies, is based on the book The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South, written by Osha Gray Davidson. Although the entire nation was undergoing the integration of schools in the early 1970s, Durham County presented an entirely unique concept to address the conflict at hand. This movie is based on the actual account of events that took place between the black and white communities of Durham. Using an interactive process, the community looked at its values and strengths. Amid much anger and fear the two co-leaders, one Black female community activist and one White male KKK activist, came to an agreement for the same goal.
by Grace H. Brown
"Nice White Parents" is a five-part podcast series which chronicles building a better public school system and the many factors preventing that progress. The series examines what is "arguably the most powerful force:" the unwitting role of white parents in shaping and perpetuating inequalities in our public schools. Focused on the case study of public schools in New York City over several decades, the series details the missteps and microaggressions of "nice" white parents to improve local schools which result in real harm to the school system and its students.
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