Faith & Racial Equity: Exploring Power & Privilege

Our eight-week program awakens small groups to the economic systems, public policies, cultural norms, and hidden biases that empower some and oppress others.

“We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.” – James Baldwin

Do you want to address racism in your faith community, but you don’t know where to begin?

Faith & Racial Equity: Exploring Power & Privilege is an 8-week module that awakens groups to the economic systems, public policies, cultural norms, and hidden biases that empower some and oppress others. The first half of the module introduces a framework for understanding and recognizing racial disparities in power and privilege. Sessions 5-8 take a deeper dive into specific issues related to power and privilege, including affirmative action, the school-to-prison pipeline, the criminal justice system, and powerful biases in media representation. As with all JustFaith programs, participants will explore how their faith should inform their response to their learning, as well as discern action steps for working toward racial equity in their own communities.

Please note that Faith and Racial Equity is not for the faint of heart! The module is designed for participants who are willing to wrestle with hard questions and take an honest look at their own attitudes, assumptions, and choices. However, through spiritual grounding and community-building, participants find support and belonging throughout their journey to personal transformation and social action.

Program Overview

We encourage co-facilitation by two participants or individuals who have already been through the program.

Sessions

Faith & Racial Equity: Exploring Power & Privilege consists of eight 2½-hour sessions. All sessions include prayer, dialogue, active listening, and relationship-building. Some sessions may include videos and/or a guest speaker.

Participation

JustFaith Ministries recommends that a group be approximately eight to fifteen people.

Resources

Participants read two books that will challenge them with stories and concepts to transform their understanding of racism and privilege in their local and national contexts. A third book guides them in a weekly spiritual practice. During each session, videos and short articles provide the basis for conversation and learning, while songs, prayers, and liturgies ground participants in a sense of belonging and spiritual family. Click here for the book list.

Immersion and Retreat

In order to build community and Scriptural grounding, Faith and Racial Equity includes a one-day retreat, during which participants join in prayer, introspective reflection, and holy conversation around their personal experiences with race and privilege.

The immersion connects participants with community organizations already engaged in racial justice efforts. This real-world experience guides groups in discerning how they can put their learning into action.

Click here for
Faith and Racial Equity Overview and Sample Click here for
Faith and Racial Equity Promotion Kit

“Our Faith and Racial Equity virtual program (via Zoom) with 12 of us (including co-facilitators) exceeded by expectations! In addition to co-facilitators, 1 group member handled the "tech" transitions - what a blessing! This was a serious commitment for 9 weeks! My co-facilitators ordered materials, emailed group members and set up our weekly planning sessions. My role in sharing presentation duties was infinitely easier because of the detailed script and videos provided. The emphasis on Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit increased our abilities to speak our truth and maintain hope dealing with the monumental task of acknowledging white privilege and the pain of racism.”

“I applaud the JustFaith Ministries leadership for having the insight and courage to sponsor these modules on race and white privilege, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be involved in their development. These modules have an advantage over similar secular workshops because they take place in a faith-based environment with an emphasis on spiritual growth. We not only delve into the truth about the history of racism in the U.S., but we also go into depth, without blaming or shaming any individuals, about how we, as well-intentioned people of goodwill, have all inadvertently been socialized to be adversely affected by institutional racism. Race is an uncomfortable subject for most of us to talk about, but these modules encourage respect and kindness so that awareness and growth along this spiritual journey will take place in a safe environment with fellow believers who seek the truth.”

“Transformative is the single word that comes to mind. This program challenges us to deal with (and not just examine) the reality of racial injustice on individuals, families, and communities as well as entire segments of our country. We are blessed by having multi-generational African Americans in our group that put flesh to the words of our texts that detail the impact of historical prejudices. In other words, this is not an academic exercise, this is the reality of life lived under and through the historical abuse of laws, processes, power, and privilege. You must deal with this reality. ”

PROGRAM PRICING

Affordable Pricing for Groups
Please note: White Fragility and I’m Still Here are in high demand and we are out of stock as of 6/24/2020 and not expecting more stock until mid-July. Besides high demand, their shipping warehouses are operating slower than normal due to COVID.

Churches, Parishes, Organizations

$175

Program Includes:

- Comprehensive materials for each session
- Facilitation scripts and guidance
- Immersion guidance
- Direct access to program staff for support
- Additional resources – approx $10 per group and $40 per participant
  All other materials are web-based

Faith and Racial Equity 2020-21
$175

Have Other Questions?

Email us here

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”