The list below is by no means exhaustive, but is designed to give our community a starting place for helpful resources on race and America.
Juneteenth
According to recent statistics, the awareness and recognition of Juneteenth have significantly increased. In 2022, the percentage of Americans who were aware of Juneteenth rose to 63%, a notable increase from 42% in the previous year. However, there is still progress to be made as only 17% of employers in the United States currently recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday for their employees. Here are a few resources that can be valuable additions to your Juneteenth celebrations:
- Black Mental Health Resources by Wake Forest University
- Racial Justice Resources by Best Value Schools
- Racial Justice Resources for Educators by American University School of Education
Warner Library also has a number of books, articles, and other resources about Juneteenth, from the holiday's history to how it can be celebrated today. Here is a link to an Eagle Search result list for the subject heading "Juneteenth", as well as a link to a Research Starter on the subject.
Stop AAPI Hate
Co-founders Russell Jeung, Cynthia Choi, and Manjusha Kulkarni created their project Stop AAPI Hate in March 2020 to track information regarding the increase of violence against Asian Americans in the early stages of the pandemic. Thanks to their work, it becomes clear how widespread and common this was, and the reports linked below continue to provide analyses of current-day trends.
AAPI Data
If you are looking for statistical data on Asian American/Pacific Islanders in the US, go to the AAPI Data site where the information is gathered into easy to read charts and graphs. Great for visual learners and those who want to visualize the diversity of the AAPI community.
Southeast Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
This website specifically covers stories of Americans from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Due to the specifics of the stories, the information within the site is more focused on topics such as immigration, refugee support, and asylum seekers.
Pew Research Center Report
"Pew has been one of the few larger research and polling groups that have invested in understanding the AAPI community. On May 8, 2023, a large-scale report, led by Neil Ruiz, the son of Filipino immigrants, was released highlighting attitudes and perspectives from the AAPI community. Ruiz heads up the New Research Initiatives at Pew and will continue to release insights throughout May 2023." (from Christians for Social Action blog post written by Nikki Toyama-Szeto, Executive Director of CSA)
Websites
The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth
Provided by the National Museum of African American History & Culture at the Smithsonian, this website details the history of Juneteenth and how it became a holiday. "The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a community space... where historical events like Juneteenth are shared and new stories with equal urgency are told." Check out the rest of their site to read more stories like Juneteenth.
Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States
In January 2021, the White House released a “Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.” Roth sums up the memorandum as “acknowledging their role in furthering xenophobic sentiments and proposing ways to prevent discrimination, harassment, bullying, and hate crimes against AAPI individuals.”
Slavery, History, Memory and Reconciliation Project
Brought to you by the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, "the Slavery, History, Memory, and Reconciliation Project is committed to a transformative process of truth-telling, reconciliation, and healing that, in conversation with the descendants of people held in bondage, acknowledges historical harms, seeks to repair relationships, and works within our communities to address the legacies of slavery that persist in the form of racial inequities today." Included are various resources about organizations, history, and genealogy tools on this topic.
Korean-American Ministry Resources (KAMR)
The Korean-American Ministry Resources (KAMR) is "a non-profit ministry that has been providing resources to the entire Korean-American Christian community for over 20 years." Included are links to job opportunities for Korean-American ministry positions.
Civil Rights Digital Library
According to the website, "The Civil Rights Digital Library promotes an enhanced understanding of the Movement by helping users discover primary sources and other educational materials from libraries, archives, museums, public broadcasters, and others on a national scale." The site includes unedited news film, educator resources, online articles, and more.
Christians for Social Action
Christians for Social Action (CSA) is "a group of scholar-activists, stirring the imagination for a fuller expression of Christian faithfulness and a more just society." Previously named Evangelicals for Social Action, CSA joined Eastern University and Palmer Theological Seminary in 2005 with the opening of The Sider Center, named for CSA's founder and Palmer Theological Seminary professor, Dr. Ron Sider.
NewCORE - A New Conversation on Race and Ethnicity
The mission of NewCORE is to harness the power of sincere conversation about race and ethnicity and use it to break down barriers, facilitate mutual understanding and respect, build bridges, and promote truth, justice and reconciliation. Rev. Steven Lawrence, Board Chair, is an Eastern alumni, and Dr. Marsha Brown Woodard, Eastern faculty, is the Vice President of NewCORE.
Civil Rights and Social Justice - Provided by HeinOnline
HeinOnline’s Civil Rights and Social Justice database brings together a diverse offering of publications covering civil rights in the United States as their legal protections and definitions are expanded to cover more and more Americans. A varied collection of books on many civil rights topics and a list of prominent civil rights organizations help take the research beyond HeinOnline.
Baylor Conversations: Our Responsibility as Christians to Elevate Conversations on Race, Peacemaking and Conciliation
Baylor University President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., and three distinguished faculty guests held a webinar-style conversation exploring how, as a Christian university with a community called to offer the grace and peace of Christ to all of God’s people, we should lean into the current events, build upon our actions to date, and elevate the difficult, uncomfortable but important conversations – with actionable steps – regarding race, privilege, violence and conciliation in America.
Anti-Racism Digital Library
Created by Louisville Seminary, the Anti-racism Digital Library is an archive collection of resources about people, groups, and projects who are building inclusive and caring communities. Specific collections include Anti-Racist Identity, The Christian Imagination, and the Intercultural Community, PC, among others.
Movies
Just Mercy
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and based on the memoir of the same name, Just Mercy tells the powerful and thought-provoking story of young lawyer Bryan Stevenson ’81- an Eastern alum - and his historic battle for justice.
Stream it from Swank Digital Campus (link coming in the fall)
Rent the DVD from the EU Library (link coming in the fall)
Buy it on Amazon
Browse additional resources by Equal Justice Initiative
13th
Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars including EU Alumnus Bryan Stevenson ’81, director Ava DuVernay's examination of the U.S. prison system looks at the country's history of racial inequality and its impact on the high rate of incarceration in America in this piercing, Oscar-nominated film.
The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross
This series provides a detailed account of African American history, from the origins of slavery on the African continent up to today in America.
(Also on Amazon Prime Video)
Short Videos
“The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed”
These African-American men, each killed by police or other authority figures, are the subjects of a powerful multi-movement choral work by Atlanta-based composer Joel Thompson and produced by the University of Michigan, followed by Glory from the motion picture "Selma." Arranged by Eugene Rogers. ( *Image from University of Michigan video still.)
“Grace, Justice, & Mercy”: A Conversation between Tim Keller and Bryan Stevenson ’81
An hour-long presentation from 2016 on Justice and Mercy. Keller provides the Biblical basis for Justice with a call to response, and Bryan talks about race and justice, including a shout out to Eastern University ("great school") around the 33 minute mark.
“Eastern University’s Service of Lament, Grief, and Hope”
An hour-long service observing a “Day of Grief, Lament, and Hope” on June 5, 2020, in response to George Floyd’s death.
Articles
“Researching Critical Race Theory in HeinOnline”
By Lauren Mattiuzzo
An article explaining critical race theory and how it can be researched using specific HeinOnline databases, as provided by Eastern.
“One-third of Asian Americans fear threats, physical attacks and most say violence against them is rising”
By Neil G. Ruiz, Khadijah Edwards and Mark Hugo Lopez
This article from the Pew Research Center covers the most recent data regarding anti-AAPI hate. According to the April 2021 Pew Research Center survey, one-third of Asian Americans fear threats and physical attacks, and most say violence against them is rising.
“@BlackLiturgies Expresses the Sacred Truth of Black Life”
By Jeania Ree V. Moore
Newly published by Sojourners Magazine, this article introduces readers to Cole Arthur Riley, author of viral Instagram account, @BlackLiturgies, "where Black spiritual words live in dignity, lament, rage, and liberation to the glory of God." Read the article either online or in print at Warner Library.
NPR supports and serves Hispanic/Latino/Latinx Heritage Month
Click below to read an article written by Vanessa Romo of NPR about the history of Hispanic/Latino/Latinx Heritage Month and the complications surrounding it.
“Hip-Hop & the Global Imprint of a Black Cultural Form”
By Marcyliena Morgan & Dionne Bennett
This essay examines the global movement of the hip-hop nation and its artistic incorporation into global youth culture. It considers how that movement is both a social and political process that integrates symbols of African American culture and political struggle.
“Jesus and the Disinherited”
By Christian Collins Winn
An article recounting Howard Thurman’s book Jesus and the Disinherited and how the lessons therein apply especially to today’s uncertainties.
Read the article on Christianity Today
“Courage to Reconcile: Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, DMin ‘00, DD ‘17”
By Denise McMillan
An interview with Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, the EU 2017 Commencement speaker, on the work of reconciliation, originally published in EASTERN, The Magazine of Eastern University in Fall/Winter 2017.
The Case for Reparations: Digital Project - A collection of articles gathered from The Atlantic on the subject of reparations for racial inequity.
Diversity Matters: Race, Ethnicity, and Christian Higher Education: The Spring 2020 issue of Advance, the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities’ magazine, was entirely focused on the issues of diversity in Christian campuses and includes many articles on the subject.
Blog Posts
“8 Things White Youth Pastors Can Do About Racism”
By Theo Davis
Eastern alumnus Theo Davis writes a blog post offering eight concrete actions all youth pastors, but especially those who are white, can do to help support their students in standing up against racism.
Read the blog post on Download Youth Ministry
Listen to the related podcast from Youth Ministry Hacks
World Day of Social Justice on February 20
To celebrate World Day of Social Justice (February 20), the Warner Memorial Library created a blog post listing several new resources we've acquired over the past year about social justice. Click below to read the list and check them out today!
“HBCUs, Black Women, and STEM”
By Caroline Harper
This post is the third in a series on campus climate and STEM success. ACE is partnering with the National Center for Institutional Diversity at University of Michigan on the series.
“Researching the Facts About Police Brutality and Racial Disparity”
Read up on the death of George Floyd, the resulting protests, and learn how to research police brutality in HeinOnline's Criminal Justice & Criminology database.
“MLK and the Violence of White Silence”
By Travis Jones
"Every year in the U.S., people from various stripes scramble to showcase their favorite Martin Luther King Jr. quotes to honor his legacy and the national holiday. And every year, it is clear that people, largely across race and political party, have widely different conceptions of who MLK was, and what he was all about."
“White Silence is Racial Violence: Don't Get Defensive, Get Informed”
By Crystal Jackson
"There has been a call to amplify melanated voices across social media. While the conversations around social justice shift to emphasize the perspective of those who have been marginalized, I feel like this is a good time for white people to talk to other white people about how we are — knowingly or unknowingly — contributing to oppression.."
Podcasts & Webinars
We need to talk about an injustice: A TED Talk by Bryan Stevenson
In an engaging and personal talk -- with cameo appearances from his grandmother and Rosa Parks -- human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson shares some hard truths about America's justice system, starting with a massive imbalance along racial lines: a third of the country's black male population has been incarcerated at some point in their lives. These issues, which are wrapped up in America's unexamined history, are rarely talked about with this level of candor, insight and persuasiveness.
K-Pod Archives
According to their homepage, "K-Pod is a series dedicated to the stories of Korean Americans in arts and culture. Hosts Catherine Hong and Juliana Sohn talk to artists, writers, designers, directors, musicians, chefs and other creatives about their work, their lives, and how they came to forge their careers."
How to resolve racially stressful situations: A TED Talk by Howard C. Stevenson
If we hope to heal the racial tensions that threaten to tear the fabric of society apart, we're going to need the skills to openly express ourselves in racially stressful situations. Through racial literacy -- the ability to read, recast and resolve these situations -- psychologist Howard C. Stevenson helps children and parents reduce and manage stress and trauma. In this inspiring, quietly awesome talk, learn more about how this approach to decoding racial threat can help youth build confidence and stand up for themselves in productive ways.
Breaking the Cycle of Racism Webinar - Presented by: Christians for Social Action
Eastern University’s Christians for Social Action/Sider Center has a long-standing racial justice program. As part of that, it has created a series of webinars on the subject, as well as a list of resources to help engage with racial justice.
Code Switch
Code Switch is a race and culture outlet and a weekly podcast from NPR (National Public Radio) that launched in 2016.
Books
Race Matters
By Cornel West
First published in 1993 on the one-year anniversary of the L.A. riots, Race Matters was a national best-seller, and it has since become a groundbreaking classic on race in America. Race Matters contains West's most powerful essays on the issues relevant to black Americans today: despair, black conservatism, black-Jewish relations, myths about black sexuality, the crisis in leadership in the black community, and the legacy of Malcolm X.
Who Will Be A Witness?: Igniting Activism for God's Justice, Love, and Deliverance
By Drew G.I. Hart
"At a time when many feel disillusioned and distressed, Hart calls the church to action, offering a way forward that is deeply rooted in the life and witness of Jesus. Dr. Hart's testimony is powerful, personal, and profound, serving as a compass that points the church to the future and offers us a path toward meaningful social change and a more faithful witness to the way of Jesus." (Publisher's Site)
How to Fight Racism
By Jemar Tisby
'Those recently awakened or reawakened to the need to pursue racial justice who find themselves wondering 'What's next?' will find the answer here. With authority, clarity, and compassion, Tisby invites readers of all races to join in a transformative journey of learning and doing, a journey marked by both resilience and hope. This is an invaluable book that points the way to deep and enduring change.' -- KRISTIN KOBES DU MEZ, professor of history, Calvin University, author of Jesus and John Wayne
Buy it on Amazon
Read more about this title in Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Fall 2021 magazine
Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America
By Michael Eric Dyson
Long Time Coming grapples with the cultural and social forces that have shaped our nation in the brutal crucible of race. In five beautifully argued chapters―each addressed to a black martyr from Breonna Taylor to Rev. Clementa Pinckney―Dyson traces the genealogy of anti-blackness from the slave ship to the street corner where Floyd lost his life―and where America gained its will to confront the ugly truth of systemic racism. Ending with a poignant plea for hope, Dyson’s exciting new book points the way to social redemption.
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together
By Heather McGhee
A New York Times best seller, one of today’s most insightful and influential thinkers offers a powerful exploration of inequality and the lesson that generations of Americans have failed to learn: Racism has a cost for everyone—not just for people of color.
Between the World and Me: Notes on the First 150 Years in America
By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Hailed by Toni Morrison as “required reading,” a bold and personal literary exploration of America’s racial history by “the most important essayist in a generation and a writer who changed the national political conversation about race” (Rolling Stone)
Additional Books to Read:
Memoirs:
- Black Boy by Richard Wright
- Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington
Novels:
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- Georges by Alexandre Dumas
- Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin
