Racial Justice Resource
As an Association we recognise that we need to work in the area of creating racial awareness and multicultural congregations and missions.
We want to intentionally shift our attitude, behaviour and culture and give ministers and churches the the tools to move forward in building a multicultural Association.
The Journey Report
The Faith and Society Executive outlined six recommendations for the Baptist Union to address which was unanimously approved by Baptist Together Council in March 2011, as an Association we agree with the recommendations and will use them as a basis to move forward. They key recommendations are:
Building Multicultural Congregations: to listen, work and gain understanding of and engage with the 'world church.'
Training: to develop effective multicultural training patterns
Multicultural Events: to organise, shape and participate in events that will reinforce the importance of cultural diversity
Establishing Culturally Inclusive Structures: to develop structures that are owned by representatives from both minority and majority cultures.
Baptist House: to work with staff at Baptist House to examine structures within the Association and Baptist Together.
Baptist Together Racial Justice Hub:
Baptist Together have a Racial JusticeHub that have produced resources for the church including analysis of a multicultural Church, studies of stories that shaped our movement and studies on embracing the world Click here to visit the national Racial Justice Hub
Embracing the World:
A manifesto for building culturally inclusive communities for your church Click Here to Download the Resource
Celebrating Black Women in Religious and Theological Education: Know their Names!
In honour of Women’s History Month, we are pleased to highlight the enormous contributions of ten African American (Womanist) religious and biblical scholars; here are ten groundbreaking texts in their respective academic field of study.
Racial Justice Training:
Baptist Together along with the United Reformed Church have produce 'We Belong' a racial justice training programme for accredited ministers.
Baptist Together has also produced a racial justice training resource called Just Aware.
Becoming Anti-Racist Reflective Reading Group:
We endorse a group of ministers and church members across our Baptist Family that are investing in reflective reading around becoming anti-racist.
We encourage all our ministers and church to read about becoming anti-racist, reflect and work towards justice from a place of understanding.
Becoming Anti-Racist Reflective Resources for Young People:
YouthScape have provide an article for Youth leaders to read on how you can open up the conversation with young people about becoming anti-racist. Click Here for the Article.
Here is a list of books for ages 0-16 to read on Black Lives Matter
Baptist Together have produced Wonderful Youth which enables young people of colour to read the Bible through their cultural and theological lenses. It is also an opportunity to broaden the horizons of young white people who might only be familiar with their own cultural lens. There are currently two resource - click here to view the one based on Ephesians 1-14 and here for the one based on 'No Outsiders'
Things to Watch:
Here is a list of things to watch to help increase your awareness:
13th on Netflix: it is an “intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States" first released in 2016.
When they See Us on Netflix: based on events of the 1989 of the Central Park jogger explores the lives and families of the five male suspects who were falsely accused then prosecuted on charges related to the rape and assault of a woman in central park
Just Mercy on Sky Movies/NowTV/Virgin Movies/Amazon: True story lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his battle for justice in Alabama defending those wrongly condemned of crime on death row.
BlacKkKlansman on Sky Movies / Amazon / NowTV: based on the 2014 memoir Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth - Set in the 1970s it follows the first African-American detective in the city police as he sets out to infiltrate and expose the local Ku Klux Klan chapter
The School That Tried to End Racism on 4 on Demand: follows a British School looking at how it help students overcome their unconscious bias
Things to Read:
Here is a list of things to read to help increase your awareness:
We Need to Talk About Race by Ben Lindsay
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad
The Windrush Betrayal: Exposing the Hostile Environment by Amelia Gentlemen
Ghost Ship: Institutional Racism and the Church of England by A.D.A France-Williams
Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga