Westminster’s work with racial equity is an ongoing learning process. We invite you to dive into the resources below and reflect on the perspective they may offer you.
While we recommend these resources, our recommendation is not an endorsement of everything presented. We encourage you to engage in this work with an open heart and spiritual discernment.
+ Watch
Statement on Racial Violence from J. Herbert Nelson (8:04)
We Have a Choice by Jonathan Walton – Dean of the Wake Forest Divinity School (8:23)
Trevor Noah Commentary (18:12)
Tyler Merrit Project: Before You Call the Cops (3:09)
Riot is the Language of the Unheard, Martin Luther King, Jr. (2:45 min)
How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them, TED Talk by Vernā Myers(17:53)
The danger of a single story, TED Talk by Chimamanda Adiche(18:34)
How to deconstruct racism, one headline at a time, TED Talk by Baratunde Thurston(16:43)
Just Mercy (2:16:00)
You can rent "Just Mercy" for free in June through a variety of digital movie services in the US, including Apple TV, FandangoNow, Google Play, Amazon Prime Video, Redbox, the PlayStation Store, Vudu, Microsoft, and YouTube.
13th, A Netflix Documentary (01:40:00)
Fruitvale Station on Netflix (01:25:00)
+ LISTEN
Pod Save the People (Multple Episodes Available)
Seeing White (Multiple Episodes Available)
1619 a New York Times audio series, hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones (Multiple Episodes Available)
Code Switch: A Decade of Watching Black People Die (22:00)
Mary Bassett: How Does Racism Affect Your Health?(11:49)
A Conversation n Mindfulness, Bias and Racial Justice (1:27:52)
Black Americans Bear the Brunt of the Covid-19 Pandemic's Economic Impact, NPR (3:00)
+ READ
Statement By Dr. Brian Blount, President of Union Presbyterian Seminary
Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., University of North Carolina Greensboro Message From the Chancellor
Who Gets to Be Afraid in America? by Ibram X. Kendi
Highly-segregated areas of poverty on the rise in Greensboro by Sayaka Matsuoka for Triad City Beat
Whiteness provided by the National Museum of Aftrican American History and Culture
The Dispropoortionate Risks of Driving While Black by Sharon LaFraniere and Andrew W. Lehren
Frisking of young runner should not have happened by Justin Outling
Reflections from a Token Black Friend by Ramesh A Nagarajah
Performative Allyship Is Deadly (Here’s What to Do Instead) by Holiday Phillips
+ ACT
Articles about action:
Guide to Allyship by Amélie Lamont
75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice by Coriinne Shutack
11 Things You Can Do To Help Black Lives Matter End Police Violence by Lincoln Anthony Blades
Other steps you can take:
- Donate to a local or national nonprofit working for racial equity like NCCJ of the Piedmont Triad or Faith Action.
- Patronize an African-American-owned business or research the positions of businesses where you spend your dollars.
- Make a yard, window or car sign to show your support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
- Participate in a protest, march, prayer session or vigil in person or online.
- Write or call your elected officials to share your views.
- Follow anti-racist accounts and black artists on Instagram and Facebook.
+ Children and Families
Parent Tool Kit: How to Talk to Kids aboout Race and Racism
Washington Post: How to Talk to Kids About Racism
Parent Map: How to Talk to Kids About Race
Bible Project: Justice (6:18)
The Atlantic: How to Talk to Kids About Race (2:56)
Parents Face Difficult Conversations with Children after George Floyd's Death (3:42)
Safe Space Radio: Talking to White Kids About Race & Racism
Books for Children
A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
We’re Different, We’re the Same (Sesame Street) by Bobbi Kates
We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures by Amnesty International
Let’s Talk about Race by Julius Lester
Most People by Michael Leannah
Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higginbotham
Psalm Twenty-Three – illustrated by Tim Ladwig
+ Youth and Families
SA Today: George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. What do we tell our children?
The National Museum of African American History and Culture: Talking About Race
Princeton Theological Seminary: Talking Race with Youth
The ABC's of Diversity With Carolyn Helsel and Joy Harris-Smith
I Am (available on multiple platforms)
The Hate You Give (available on multiple platforms)
So You Want to Talk About Race video from Ijeoma Oluo (51:45)
Books for Youth or Youth Parents
Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America by Dr. Jennifer Harvey
My Name is Child of God… Not “Those People”: A First Person Look at Poverty by Julie Dinsmore
Talking About Race and Racism by Ijeoma Oluo
More Than Words: 10 Values for Modern Families by Erin Wathen
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely (strong language)