Antiracism Resources

Antiracism Resources for Churches

As members of Christ’s body, we are called to the work of restorative justice. We recognize that racism has long been a part of our country’s DNA. It’s not enough to be against racism, we also must do the work of anti-racism to remove racism at the personal, instutitional and systemic level.  

PLM Statement on Racism

Issued June 10, 2020

George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Emmett Till, and the list goes on and on back past the founding of our nation; individuals created in God’s image who were killed because of racism. Add to these the countless names of those deprived of opportunities for education, employment, housing, and community because of racism. We can and must do better in eliminating personal, organizational, and systemic racism. Most especially, the church must end its complicity in supporting and perpetuating racism in all its forms.

It is not enough to:

  • Hold our Bibles while standing in front of our churches.
  • Tell ourselves that we are not racist.
  • Make our private statements expressing sorrow and remorse.

We can and must do better.

It is not enough to:

  • Gather in the comfort of our lounges to study recommended resources.
  • Affirm that our best friends are not racist.
  • Post our public statements expressing sorrow and remorse.

We can and must do better.

We repent of:

  • Keeping the Word of God at arm’s length rather than having it permeate our hearts and actions.
  • Declining to identify the racist roots and tendencies in our hearts and structures.
  • Talking and writing while failing to listen and learn from those we have hurt.
  • Failing to act justly.
  • Failing to love mercy.
  • Failing to walk humbly with our God and with God’s Image-bearers.

We can and must do better.

We ask forgiveness from:

  • Those whom we have hurt by our actions.
  • Those we have allowed others to hurt and ignore.
  • Our God whose desire for diversity and unity we have not honored.

We can and must do better.

We must make recompense to:

  • Those whose wealth and lands we have stolen.
  • Those we have forced to live with little or no resources.
  • God who has provided in abundance for all of creation’s needs.

We can and must do better.

We commit ourselves to:

  • A relentless pursuit of truth about ourselves and how we can do better.
  • Listening to the voices of all God’s people regarding their needs and desires.
  •  Creating the environment where all can breathe in the spirit of love and peace.

We can and will do better.

So help us God!

Educational Resources 

Articles

From PC(USA)

 

Videos

From PC(USA)

 

Resources from Other Groups

From PC(USA)

Others

Activities to Promote Racial Justice

From PC(USA)

Books

Antiracist – Starter

 

Antiracist – Intermediate

 

Antiracist Literature – Topic Specific

 

Antiracist Literature – Biographies, Non-Fiction Novels, Person Narratives

 

Biblical/Theological

 

Books for Small Groups

Children’s Books

“20 Picture Books for 2020: Reading to Embrace Race, Provide Solace and Do Good” children’s books list compiled by Embrace Race

Children’s Books by Age

0-3          

3-5          

5-8          

9-12       

12+         

Teens and Young Adult

Transformative Justice

 

Miscellaneous

 

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Next Stated Meetings

The next regular Stated Meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 9, 2024, and will be hosted by First Presbyterian Church of Kalamazoo.

 Visit the Presbytery Meetings page of this website and watch the eDIGEST for updated information about how to register for the meeting and where to find the presbytery packet. Decisions about whether to gather in-person or online will be made closer to the meeting date.

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