As we shared last week, we care deeply about seeking justice and equality for communities experiencing oppression and injustice. We are particularly moved and saddened by the reality of racism and systemic injustice for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous & People of Color), which has never been more apparent and clear than right now. We also know we have a long way to go on our journey toward active anti-racism as an organization and as individuals who are seeking to love and serve all people like Jesus. We invite you to join us.
To black communities, indigenous communities, and people of color everywhere, we see you, we hear you, and we hurt with you. We’re committed to showing up for the long, hard work of fighting for equality, fighting against racism, and dignifying and elevating your lives and stories while continuing to serve those in often-overlooked communities.
To anyone who is reeling from the last two weeks of news and protests and is seeking to learn and understand more about the problem of racism in our country, we want to share a list of resources to help you get started. The books (the majority from a Christian perspective) and films listed below introduce these topics, tell important stories and invite you to engage in the work of sacrificially loving your neighbors—every single one. They articulate many different perspectives (some that may be new to you) and are meant to challenge and wake us up to the real injustice at work in our world today and how we might begin to see people in their distress and do something to make a difference.
Books
The books listed here come highly recommended by members of our staff or by others already engaged in this work. It doesn’t matter where you start, but hopefully, these titles spark your curiosity and desire to know more.
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
by Austin Channing Brown
The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church's Complicity in Racism
by Jemar Tisby
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
by Bryan Stevenson
White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White
by Daniel Hill
The Myth of Equality: Uncovering the Roots of Injustice and Privilege
by Ken Wytsma
Dream With Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win
by John M. Perkins
The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right
by Lisa Sharon Harper
EM partners with multiple churches who are part of the Diné/Navajo Nation in Arizona and New Mexico. The following 2 books are great resources for exploring the issues of race and justice through the lens of native communities.
Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery
by Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah
Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys: A Native American Expression of the Jesus Way
by Richard Twiss
Films
There are many incredible stories told through film depicting the history and experience of black Americans, indigenous communities, and people of color. These are a few that particularly speak to the collective moment we’re experiencing in America right now.
12 Years a Slave
Selma
Just Mercy
13th (Documentary)
When They See Us (3-Part Miniseries)
More Mission Stories
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