Saint Andrew Christian Church Saint Andrew Christian Church Race - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Saint Andrew Christian Church Saint Andrew Christian Church

Race and the Black Black/White White Dynamic

Brian Foster

Genesis

• March 2008: Frustration with mainstream media’s

vitriolic response to Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s comments, and attempts to link to then-candidate Barack Obama (he was a member of Rev. Wright’s congregation)

• April 2008: Conversation with Holly, expressing interest

in helping SACC explore a dialogue about race; task force formed to develop forum for discussion (Brandon Gilvin, Mark Kind, David Everson, Viannella Halsall, Sarah Goodwin, Emanuel Cooper)

• July 2009: Finalized outline for August symposium, over

three successive Sundays

(no, not the Bible)

• Adult Education guest speaker

presentations – Where we were – Where we are – Where we need to go

• Small group discussions

Three weeks is NOT NEARLY enough time to explore this topic

Key Learning Key Learning

Saint Andrew Christian Church Saint Andrew Christian Church

• 1. www.sacchome.org

click on the “BLOG” link at the top of the page

• 2. BLOGROLL

click on “Saint Andrew Multicultural blogging and journaling project” link

http://standyjournal.wordpress.com/ http://standyjournal.wordpress.com/

Blog titles

• 11/17/08: “The ‘N’ Word” – self-explanatory
• 11/20/08:

11/20/08: “ “Answering a college friend Answering a college friend’ ’s question about the election s question about the election” ” – – emotions surrounding Barack Obama emotions surrounding Barack Obama’ ’s election victory s election victory

• 11/23/08: “Look forward and celebrate our diversity” – personal reflections
• f experiences and actions with regard to race
• 12/18/08:

12/18/08: “ “Obama cures racism! News at 11 Obama cures racism! News at 11…” …” – – cautionary about cautionary about assuming Obama victory = racist attitudes have subsided assuming Obama victory = racist attitudes have subsided

• 12/23/08: “I take it back – I DID vote for Obama because he’s black” –

Obama victory is already ‘change we can believe in’

• 12/23/08:

12/23/08: “ “new history. new ways. new history. new ways.” ” – – racist family history juxtaposed against racist family history juxtaposed against today today’ ’s blended racial makeup s blended racial makeup

• 1/20/09: “Beyond slavery” – testament of and intent behind “Uncle Tom’s

Cabin”

• 1/23/09:

1/23/09: “ “My Inauguration Memories My Inauguration Memories” ” – – five five-

• day journal of pilgrimage to

day journal of pilgrimage to Obama Obama’ ’s inauguration ceremony s inauguration ceremony

Blog titles (continued)

• 3/2/09: “A case to face race in this place” – lament that, instead of living in

a ‘Star Trek’ world, SACC’s ‘sacred conversations’ are still necessary today

• 4/3/09:

4/3/09: “ “In Moats In Moats’ ’ case, policeman case, policeman’ ’s actions not the s actions not the ‘ ‘real real’ ’ issue issue” ” – – Moats Moats incident reflects police attitudes/conceits regarding minorities incident reflects police attitudes/conceits regarding minorities

• 5/3/09: “My ‘beauty pageant’ answer: world peace” – better understanding
• f each other could ultimately lead to peace and happiness we all seek
• 5/23/09:

5/23/09: “ “Cute picture Cute picture” ” – – photo caption of boy touching Obama photo caption of boy touching Obama’ ’s hair in s hair in Oval Office Oval Office

• 6/27/09: “Let’s become the men (and women) in the mirror” – Michael

Jackson song inspires introspection and action

• 7/20/09:

7/20/09: “ “Memo to Pat Buchanan (RE: Affirmative Action) Memo to Pat Buchanan (RE: Affirmative Action)” ” – – open letter to

• pen letter to

conservative pundit defining and defending Executive Order 11246 conservative pundit defining and defending Executive Order 11246

• 8/14/09: “A dose of ‘conservative liberalism’…or ‘liberal conservatism’” –

discussion of liberal and conservative ideologies

• 9/14/09:

9/14/09: “ “The man in the (rear view) mirror The man in the (rear view) mirror” ” – – black basketball pioneers black basketball pioneers who made it possible for today who made it possible for today’ ’s multimillionaire NBA players s multimillionaire NBA players

Blog titles (continued)

• 9/15/09: “White fright” –white home owners moving out of neighborhoods,

and perceived animosity from blacks towards whites who remained

• 9/17/09:

9/17/09: “ “Exploiting stereotypes to fight slavery Exploiting stereotypes to fight slavery” ” --

• - revisiting purpose of

revisiting purpose of Harriet Beecher Stowe in writing Harriet Beecher Stowe in writing “ “Uncle Tom Uncle Tom’ ’s Cabin s Cabin” ”

• 9/21/09: “Racism 101” – defining racism, discrimination, bias, prejudice,

white privilege and black anger

• 10/17/09:

10/17/09: “ “John Brown sought equality and abolition John Brown sought equality and abolition” ” – – the the “ “real real” ” John John Brown, 150 years after his Harper Brown, 150 years after his Harper’ ’s Ferry raid s Ferry raid

• 10/18/09: “What can abolish racism? L-O-V-E” – interracial romance

inadvertently promotes racial understanding, love, and peace

Suggested reading

• 3/18/08 magazine article, “Of National Lies and Racial Amnesia:

Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama and the Audacity of Truth” by Tim Wise

• 8/19/09:

8/19/09: “ “We need a history lesson about Nazis We need a history lesson about Nazis” ” by Leonard Pitts by Leonard Pitts

• 9/15/09: “Carter again cites racism as factor in Obama’s

treatment” ~CNN.com

• 9/24/09:

9/24/09: “ “It It’ ’s hard for kids to reject hip hop culture s hard for kids to reject hip hop culture” ” by Jason by Jason Whitlock Whitlock (my personal odyssey)

What What’ ’s Next? s Next?

Continue Continue the sacred conversations (Adult Education, blog, etc.) the sacred conversations (Adult Education, blog, etc.)