Racial Justice
Vision and Purpose of this Guide
If you've been around our church for a while, you've heard us say that we exist to grow disciples who authentically follow Jesus Christ so that our communities are transformed. Part of our discipleship to Jesus is the process of being transformed by the Holy Spirit into people who care about what God cares about. God deeply cares about justice and we long to become people of justice. As followers of Jesus, we are commissioned to be agents of reconciliation, to put an end to oppression and racism in all forms, and to speak up on behalf of the marginalized in our society.
The following are resources to equip and educate our Baseline community in the areas of racism, oppression, injustice, and inequity. Our hope is that our hearts would be stirred to action in response to all forms of oppression and injustices in our world today.
This list is by no means exhaustive. Rather, it is a jumping-off point. For many of us, the best place to start is listening and learning. We recognize that we are all at different points on the journey of learning when it comes to conversations around race. If you feel overwhelmed or don't know where to start, consider choosing just one of the articles to read or one of the sermons to listen to. We trust that the Holy Spirit will continue to lead and guide as we lean in to these conversations.
If you're curious to learn more about Baseline's Biblical understanding of racial justice, we'd encourage you to read this letter from the leadership team.
Sermons, Media, Books & Articles
Media
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How We Respond: Critical Conversations About Race for Your Family, Church & Community | Q Ideas
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Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton | PG-13) — Amazon Prime or YouTube (free through June 2020)
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13th (Ava DuVernay | TV-MA) — Netflix and currently Free on YouTube
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I Am Not Your Negro (Raoul Peck | PG-13) — Amazon Prime
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Selma (Ava DuVernay | PG-13) — Available to rent
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When They See Us (Ava DuVernay | TV-MA) — Netflix
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The Color of Compromise (Jemar Tisby | 18+) — Amazon Prime
Sermons
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The Family Table | Sermon from Albert Tate, Fellowship Church
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Disrupting Racism | Sermon from Dave Lomas, Reality SF
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A Conversation about Race, Justice and the Gospel | Interview with Bryan Loritts, Church of the City: Franklin
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Can You Drink the Cup | Sermon from Rich Villodas, New Life Fellowship Church
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Race & Justice | Sermon from Mark Strong, Bridgetown Church
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Use Your Privilege | Sermon from John Ortberg, Menlo Church
Books
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Insider Outsider: My Journey as a Stranger in White Evangelicalism and My Hope for Us All by Bryan Loritts
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The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby
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Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times by Soong Chan Rah
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I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
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Let Justice Roll Down by John M. Perkins
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White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White by Daniel Hill
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Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Christian Smith and Michael O Emerson
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Healing Our Broken Humanity: Practices for Revitalizing the Church and Renewing the World by Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Graham Hill
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The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
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Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
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The Heart of Racial Justice: How Soul Change Leads to Social Change by Brenda Salter NcNeil and Rick Richardson
Articles
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"Pastor, Can't We Just Preach the Gospel?" by Andrew Arndt
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“Racial Reconciliation May Not Be What You Think It Is” by Rich Villodas
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“George Floyd, Empathy, and Making Room for the Fire” by Jay Kim
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“Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo, PhD
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“Eight Black Church Leaders on Ahmaud Arbery Injustice” by Gena Thomas
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“Black Parents Describe ‘The Talk’” by Germaine Lopez
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"Why Do White Christians Remain Silent?" by Derek Vreeland
Resources for Children and Parents
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Talking to Children About Racial Bias by Ashaunta Anderson & Jacqueline Dougé (Article)
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“Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America” by Jennifer Harvey (Book)
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“A Family Guide to Talking About Race by American Anthropological Association” (Article)
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A Kids Book About Racism by Jelani Memory (Children’s book)
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Let’s Talk: How to Talk to Your Kids About Race — PBS (Videos)
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Click here to access a guide for helping your children develop a heart for racial justice. Sonja (children's director) and Jeff (youth director) put together this guide.