Spirituality and Racial Justice: Changing Systems and Structures

Spirituality and Racial Justice: Changing Systems and Structures introduces the tools participants need to address racism at a systemic level — whether they decide to work for criminal justice reform, advocate for fair housing, close the racial wealth gap, or dismantle racism within their workplaces, places of worship, or other communities to which they belong. In this program, which contains eight regular sessions, plus an opening retreat and an immersion experience, small groups learn about key obstacles to racial justice that are embedded within our institutions, systems, and structures. They are then equipped to mobilize people and resources to dismantle those obstacles.  Through grounding in mindfulness and meditation, your group will leave the program ready to work for racial justice in your nation, local community, and the institutions of which you are a part.Before taking this program, we highly recommend taking one of JustFaith Ministries’ other racial justice programs, Spirituality and Racial Equity or Spirituality and Racial Healing. Both provide foundational information to understanding racist systems and structures.

Spirituality and Racial Justice is not based on any one specific religion or denomination. It is designed for a more broadly spiritual audience. Those who are unaffiliated with a church or religious tradition or who identify as “spiritual but not religious” will find the program content relevant and meaningful. This version of the program may also resonate with an interfaith audience. Meditative practices at the beginning and end of each session provide a spiritual foundation for the program. These practices draw from Hindu and Buddhist practices of mindfulness but do not arise from any one particular religious tradition. (A specifically Christian version of “Faith and Racial Justice” is also available).