Better
when
we’re
back
Together
21-Day Race Equity Challenge
Friends,
The desire to engage in this 21 Day Challenge began a few months ago, when we realized that our congregation would continue to be in a state of social isolation through the summer. The Adult Faith Formation Council of our congregation has lifted up that among other things, we have a lot of work to do in regards to racial equity. With permission from Eddie Moore Jr., the creator of this challenge, we are offering this page as a resource for all. This 21 Day Challenge will by no means be the end of the work we need to do, instead it is a humble beginning on a long and important journey.
The Adult Faith Formation team challenges you to enter into a season of learning, beginning with this 21-Day Race Equity Challenge, a first step in confessing wrongs and moving toward justice. In engaging, you will be exposed to voices and perspectives different than your own through articles, videos, and podcasts. Each day you will choose one way of engagement and reflect in a journal. At the end of the challenge, I encourage you to connect and share your insights with a friend.
John Magnuson
Associate Pastor for Discipleship
The Challenge
Pick one of the resources listed every day for 21 days.
Diversify your understanding by doing some of each.
Track and reflect by using the planning tool below.
Share your reflections at the end of the challenge.
Pray for the places you are challenged and for those you are learning about whose lives may be different than yours.
Watch
This is Us, Dr. Eddie Glaude explains why blaming current racial tensions on Donald Trump misses the point. (3 minutes)
Racism is Real, A split-screen video depicting the differential in the white and black lived experience. (3 minutes)
Confronting ‘intergroup anxiety’: Can you try too hard to be fair? Explores why we may get tongue tied and blunder when we encounter people from groups unfamiliar to us. (5 minutes)
CBS News Analysis: 50 states, 50 different ways of teaching America’s past, Ibram X. Kendi reviews current history curriculum production and use across the U.S. (5 minutes)
The Disturbing History of the Suburbs, An “Adam Ruins Everything” episode that quickly and humorously educates how redlining came to be. (6 minutes)
What Kind of Asian Are You? Humorous two minute YouTube video that illustrates the utter silliness of the way many white Americans interact with Asian Americans. (2 minutes)
Birth of a White Nation, Keynote speech by legal scholar Jacqueline Battalora, offers a blow-by-blow description of the moment the idea of, and word for, “white” people entered U.S. legal code. (36 minutes)
13th, Netflix documentary by Ava DuVernay about the connection between US Slavery and the present day mass incarceration system. (1 hour, 40 minutes)
How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them, TED Talk by Vernā Myers, encourages work vigorously to counter balance bias by connecting with and learning about and from the groups we fear. (19 minutes)
The danger of a single story, TED Talk by Chimamanda Adiche, offers insight to the phenomenon of using small bits of information to imagine who a person is. (18 minutes)
How to deconstruct racism, one headline at a time, TED Talk by Baratunde Thurston that explores patterns revealing our racist framing, language, and behaviors. (10 minutes)
Indigenous People React to Indigenous Representation in Film And TV, Conversation with a diverse range of Indigenous people by FBE about media depictions of Indigenous people, Columbus day, and Indigenous identity. (15 minutes)
What Being Hispanic and Latinx Means in the United States, Fernanda Ponce shares what she’s learning about the misunderstanding and related mistreatment of the incredibly diverse ethnic category people in U.S. call Hispanic. (12 minutes)
Tyler Merrit Project: Before You Call (3 minutes)
Read
10 Ways Well-Meaning White Teachers Bring Racism Into Our Schools, by Jamie Utt
21 Racial Microaggressions You Hear on a Daily Basis, by Heben Nigatu
Climbing the White Escalator, by Betsy Leondar-Wright
Explaining White Privilege To A Broke White Person, by
Guide to Allyship, Created by Amélie Lamont
It’s Not Just the South: Here’s How Everyone Can Resist White Supremacy, by Sarah van Gelder
Making America White Again, by Toni Morrison
Understanding the Racial Wealth Gap, by Amy Traub, Laura Sullivan, Tatjana Mescheded, & Tom Shapiro
What White Children Need to Know About Race, by Ali MIchael and Elenora Bartoli
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, by Peggy McIntosh
Presbytery of Charlotte letter from Antiracism Team
My President Was Black, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Caught Up In God, by Willie James Jennings
Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?, by Ibram X Kendi
Listen
Code Switch, hosted by journalists Gene Demby and Shereen Marisol Meraji
Black Like Me, host Dr. Alex Gee
Scene on Radio – Seeing White Series, host John Biewen and collaborator Chenjerai Kumanyika
TED Radio Hour – Mary Bassett: How Does Racism Affect Your Health? host Guy Raz speaks with Dr. Mary T. Bassett, Director of the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University
Here & Now – Without Slavery, Would The U.S. Be The Leading Economic Power? host Jeremy Hobson and author Edward Baptist
NPR Morning Edition – You Cannot Divorce Race From Immigration journalist Rachel Martin talks to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas
Pod Save the People, Activism. Social Justice. Culture. Politics. On Pod Save the People, organizer and activist DeRay Mckesson
Notice
Test Your Awareness: Do The Test, This video shows us the importance of paying attention, and how much more we see when we are looking for particular things around us.
Use each question below separately as one day’s challenge.
- Who is and is not represented in ads?
- What are the last five books you read? What is the racial mix of the authors?
- What is the racial mix of the main characters in your favorite TV shows? Movies?
- Who is filling what kinds of jobs/social roles in your world? Can you correlate any of this to racial identity?
Pledges
These folks have pledged to take the 21-day challenge and be better when we’re back together.
Looking forward to this challenge!
So glad you are participating Mary Howard, spread the news!
This has been very engaging so far, and I’m spreading the word. Thanks for putting it together!!!
May we ask friends/family outside of MPPC if they’d like to participate ?
I’m going to!
The more who are committed to being better…the better!
It’s more than a month, but I am here now, Jannica. I have been looking for this for quite a while.
This looks amazing!
❤️✌️
Wow, this is awesome!! Thanks so much for choosing racial equity as a focus and for thoughtfully assembling such a great list of resources. Excited to start growing better!!
Looking forward to growing together Elizabeth!
This is exciting and I look forward to participating with the group.
Looking forward to your participation Mary Lou!!
Great work, John. What an amazing learning tool with so many different learning opportunities. Thank you!
It will be a great journey and challenge over the next 21 days, thankful for all who have done the hard work to provide these resources. May their voices be heard.
Looking forward to learning more!
Laura, glad you will be joining along! What a blessing to learn alongside one another.
This looks great, John! Thanks so much for putting this together.
Barbara, glad you will be joining along! So glad to know a number of our community will be working on this together.
Such an important part of our call to do justice; I’m so grateful for the opportunity to confront the many obstacles to racial equity with our faith community. Thank you for organizing!
Bess, glad you will be joining along! May we begin this journey together, and continue on after the 21 days as well!
Thanks, John. Look forward to participating.
Thankful for a faithful community to walk together in this challenge, glad you will be participating Tracy!
What an incredible offering of resources! I am looking forward to participating.
Glad you will be participating Fay! A great variety of resources, challenging and fruitful.
This is SUCH a great idea. Thank you so much for putting all of it together! I’m really looking forward to learning more and discussing with everybody.
Excited for you to join along Elizabeth! Spread the word, and let’s be “Better when we’re back together!”
So excited to get started with this. What a wonderful opportunity for us all. And what a great list of resources to study. Thanks for getting this organized.
Wendy, glad you will be joining us. Stay tuned as we will be adding even more resources!
Thank you for this. I am the pastor of Church of the Pilgrims in Washington DC. I will not be able to join you in conversation, but I would like to join you in the challenge and invite the congregation to do so as well. Very important work for us all to do together.
Jan, wonderful when congregations can join in this work together. May the word be spread and the work continue. Peace to you!
Thank you for putting this together. I am looking forward to digging in.
Lecil, glad you can join and thanks for sharing this with others!
Jodi Picoult’s books are often so dark and this book is in many ways. “Small, Great Things” …… a novel that offers an incredible insight into our racism. I had not finished it just 5 minutes earlier when this invitation popped up in my in-box. The spirit speaks loud and clear.
Dabney, it is fitting that as we start this “challenge” on Pentecost, that you are open to the ways in which the Spirit is moving in your life! Glad you will be joining, and I will have to check out Jodi Picoult’s book!
I think this is a great idea, and several members of our community at Central Presbyterian in Atlanta are excited to get started!
Janet, so glad you and others from your community will be joining us, what a joy it is to be connected together by the Spirit. May we join in this important work.
Thanks for this opportunity, John. What a significant way to spend our time during isolation. I look forward to this challenging way to prepare ourselves for “what’s next”!!
Kathy, glad you are joining on! Looking forward to journeying together.
As part of the community of Central Pres in Atlanta, I’m eager to be part of this essential conversation. Thanks to John Magnuson and Myers Park Pres for your vision and openness.
Linda, glad you all at Central Pres are joining us!
This is wonderful, John – thank you!
Beth, glad you are joining along!
Looking forward to this challenge! Thank you, John!
Courtney, looking forward to the challenge as well! May we seek to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.
Seems like a great learning experience
Yes Jennifer! May our understanding lead to a new way of being!
This is great. Thanks John.
Glad you are joining along Will, looking forward to it!
Great program John. I am looking forward to participating in this challenge.
Joe, glad you are joining along!
An incredible offering of resources! Thanks so much and looking forward to the challenge.
Glad you are joining along Marsha! Blessings to you as we begin this journey together.
Members of First Presbyterian Church, Asheville are joining you. Thanks John and MPPC!
Julie, glad First Pres. is joining along. Be sure to check out Eddie Moore’s website for even more resources. He visited us in the fall and has allowed us to adapt this challenge from his resources! https://www.eddiemoorejr.com/
This is a wonderful opportunity for me during the next 21 days.
Thanks, John.
Blessings Dot, it will be a great three weeks of growth for us all. Hopefully just the beginning.
John,
We’re challenging all of Black Mountain Presbyterian Church to take the challenge as well! Thanks to you and Myers Park for offering this! We’re grateful!
Mary Katherine, glad to know we will be joined by our brothers and sisters at Black Mountain. Blessings to you all!
Thank you for this initiative!
Thanks for joining along Michael!
Thank you for initiating this! It is important. I’m the pastor of a PCUSA church in northeastern Pennsylvania, and will challenge my congregation to take the challenge.
Bill, thankful for pastors like you who are engaging with their congregations in this way. Blessings!
Thanks MPPC and John for compiling and sharing these resources!
Caroline, we are thankful for you all in joining along. And thankful for Dr. Eddie Moore who visited us in the fall and originated this idea and allowed us to adapt it. Check out his website for even more resources! https://www.eddiemoorejr.com/
I appreciate the thoroughness of the resource guide with links to the you tube videos, blogs, and written articles. How can we not take advantage of this special learning opportunity. Will be interested in hearing and reading the various perspectives of the speakers and authors.
Glad you are joining in Lou! We are thankful to Eddie Moore for coming up with this challenge idea, and his graciousness in letting us adapt it. Check out his website for even more resources! https://www.eddiemoorejr.com/
Thank you so much for allowing others outside your particular church to join in. I hope many of our Park Road Baptist members will be joining in. This is so well put together! Thanks for sharing.
Amy, glad you all can join along. We were blessed by hearing Dr. Eddie Moore speak in the fall, and he came up with the 21 day challenge idea and was gracious to let us adapt it. Check out his website for even more resources. https://www.eddiemoorejr.com/
I signed up and am looking forward to this challenge. It is so important now. I don’t see my name On the list of those who have signed up and just want to be sure I am included. I don’t know if it takes time for new names to be included.
Judy, we have been overwhelmed with great response to the challenge. If you don’t get an e-mail update by tomorrow, let me know. Thanks for joining along.
I am looking forward to broadening my perceptions, leaning more about how to do my part, and hopefully seeing results. Thank you, John, for setting this up!
Sophie, glad you are joining along. May we be transformed together by God’s grace!
Glad to be on this journey together. May the Spirit’s wind transform us!
Amen
The video, “Racism is Real” clearly pulled together messages heard over the years.
Could someone tell me how to fill in the spread sheet in Google forms? I can not figure that out, and can not even print it to manually fill it out. I am on track, and would like to log in every day.
I figured it out. I now have the Excel spreadsheet saved, and am good to go.
Glad you figured that out, sorry there was difficulty with the form. Glad we are on this journey together.
I am super grateful to have found this. It is a tremendous idea and I have shared it with my congregation at The Temple.
Video on intergroup anxiety was interesting. Helps me to understand more about the necessity to be person focused and not different focused. To be authentic.
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll check this one out today.
Thanks for sharing your insights Janet!
May these resources bring us all to new understandings!
Amen and amen. Reformed and always being reformed, and transformed. Come Holy Spirit!
Thank you for challenging me and our community! In my third day. Learning and, hopefully, growing.
Day by day Paul we are in this work together, thanks for your faithfulness.
Thank you for this. So glad to be able to participate, even from Woodstock, GA
Glad you can join us Rebecca!
Thank you for offering this opportunity. Much appreciated.
Blessings to you Kitty on this journey.
Thanks for the resources and the opportunity to reflect
May learning and reflection (and action) become a part of our new normal. Thanks for sharing Joe!
Thank you for this. I’m all in!
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to grow and learn together!
May we share this in our presbytery, giving you credit, of course!
Kathi, please feel free to share the resources, and be sure to give credit to Dr. Eddie Moore for his creation of the 21 day challenge. He graciously let us adapt this for our context in this time. eddiemoorejr.com/
Blessings to you all.
Thankful
Read the article on 10 ways well meaning white teachers bring racism into the schools. Also took the IAT test to assess white/black preference. Being a retired teacher, I found it to be a great tool for reflection on my career and past co-workers. Having grown up in a union city and living most of my adult life in a small town, I found that my younger years and beliefs have held true to my adult life.
This Jay-Z powerful illustration of what I felt at the rise of the Tea Party- glad to start this series
Thank you, John for organizing this platform. I’m a little late, but as they say “better late……..!”
“21 Micro avressions” was very good read! People say these a lot without realizing their effect
I’m not sure how to get started.
Hey Carol, glad you are joining along. The challenge is self guided, so each day just long on to the website or download our app, and pick one piece to engage with. I hope this helps, if you have any more questions please reach out again!
I’m not sure how to get started
I’ve been watching When They See Us on Netflix this weekend and I started reading The New Jim Crow. BOTH have been on my watchlist/bookshelf for a year because I thought it would be too hard/too sad to take in. I realize when I feel sadness or pain and want to turn it off, that’s my privilege talking. Keep watching/reading. Thanks for this opportunity.
This Is one of the best resource lists I’ve ever seen. I’m very grateful to have it and for the work that went into compiling it.
Pam, we are thankful for the work of Eddie Moore Jr. who compiled this list! Glad you are enjoying
Happy to join this challenge. I have added these resource to a Google document I am compiling with resources on anti-racism. You can email me at pcchatel@gmail.com to request a link to my Google Document.
Recently read an article about the school district in my hometown. I was surprised and shamed at the same time. As a child I was not aware of the Govt. segregation policies that made my hometown so divided. It also helped me to understand what I heard as the White Flight to the suburbs. The video “Understanding the History of the Suburbs” clearly clarifies the role of the govt. in perpetuating racism.
This was so great for me personally and I’ve shared it with several others. What a great gathering of information and awareness. It has been very eye-opening and enlightening. Thank you!