Racial Justice Task Force
With UU Bloomington’s adoption of the 8th principle, the Racial Justice Task Force will intentionally focus on ways we, as one part of this congregation, can truly “walk the walk” of the principle. Together we are journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.
We have identified four major themes that will guide our activities during this phase of our journey:
- We will deepen our understanding of racial injustice and its historical context.
- We will raise our awareness of current racial justice issues in our communities – issues that may be invisible to many of us in our day-to-day lives.
- We will build and strengthen relationships with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in our communities.
- We will engage in service activities led by BIPOC groups.
As we journey, we will ask ourselves:
- What have we failed to see that has allowed racism and other oppressions to continue?
- What needs to change on personal and institutional levels to dismantle racism and other oppressions?
- How can the task force advance these changes?
In February 2021, we began a Congregational Read of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. More information is available here.
Contact Task Force Co-Chairs Ruth Aydt (aydt@nullicloud.com) or Martha Oakley (oakley@nullindiana.edu) for more information.
Resources
Please check back for updates to this section which is very much a work-in-progress.
Books
- Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
- How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
- Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt, PhD
- Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum, PhD
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
- When Getting Along Is Not Enough by Maureen Walker
- Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
- The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
Podcasts
- Nice White Parents, from Serial/NYTimes: Reporter Chana Joffe-Walt says progressive white parents may say they want their kids to go to diverse schools — but the reality tells a different story. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/23/podcasts/nice-white-parents-serial.html (If this link requires a NYTimes subscription, try looking for it on your podcast provider – should be available to all at no charge)
Other Resources
- Criminal Justice in Monroe County, Indiana: A Long-Range Perspective
- Videos produced by Alan Backler contact Martha Foster for information: MarthaLETV@nullgmail.com:
Resilience: Indiana’s Untold Story, stage performance written by Dr. Gladys DeVane and Liz Mitchell
Rev. Ernie Butler, 2nd Baptist Bloomington
Living with Jim Crow in Monroe County
