Skip to main content
WHERE TO START?

There are so many great resources on this topic, so where should I start? Well, frankly, just getting started is a positive step in and of itself! But to help you with that first step we have put together some of the resources that Vienna Presbyterian Church (VPC) groups have used in the past, as well as some resources that we think are especially good as entry-points into the discussion. None of these resources speak for VPC, and likely many of the authors or speakers on this list would agree and disagree with different aspects of VPC’s practice or faith, but we believe that we can only learn if we engage with people and works that have different perspectives,  experiences, and knowledge bases from us.

Past Resources that VPC Groups Have Used
  • VPC’s Session Statement on Race
  • Christ and Culture Sunday Morning Learning Community- Has done a number of great sessions on racism and its effects on the Church, join us on Zoom!
  • Foundations Sunday Morning Learning Community- Uncommon Ground—Living Faithfully in a World of Difference by Tim Keller and John Inazu, join us on Zoom!
  • Apprentices Sunday Morning Learning Community- Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation by Latasha Morrison, join us on Zoom!
  • Race and the Gospel Series with Pastors Bryan Loritts and Matt Chandler used for a small group discussion during Jan-February
  • Nicole Martin talk
  • The Northern Virginia Great Banquet Community has a fantastic ongoing learning opportunity: “Un”comfortable, Courageous Conversations.
Books
  • The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby—details in a concise book how racism and the church have intertwined in American
    • Want to go deeper? Check out the trilogy on the civil rights movement covering 1954-1968 by Taylor Branch (Parting the Waters, Pillar of Fire, and At Canaan’s Edge) and The Warmth of Other Suns and Caste by Isabel
  • Reading While Black by Esau McCaulley—part personal testimony and part hermeneutics, Esau McCaulley lays bare the hope and power of African American perspectives on the
    • Also check out: The BibleProject Podcast Episode with Esau McCaulley on Reading While Black
Articles/Letters
Movies/Multimedia
  • Just Mercy and True Justice—These two movies detail issues of racial inequality in our criminal justice system and how Bryan Stevenson, led by his faith, has worked for
  • Holy Post- Race in America—This shorter video by Phil Vischer of the Holy Post podcast gives an overview of some of the history of racism in America and how its impact continues to this day, focusing particularly on the experience of African
  • How to Fight Racism—A series with Jemar Tisby on RightNow Media (VPC can get you free access, just contact the MRRH or Engagement team.
For Children and Families
  • The Gospel in Color— By providing a biblical lens for viewing race, racism, and reconciliation, The Gospel In Color helps kids understand big ideas in a highly accessible
  • We are Grateful by Traci Sorrell—This book takes kids through the four seasons and highlights the practice of thanksgiving in each season from the perspective of the Cherokee
  • The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi—Names are important in the bible and in our lives. This book helps children understand that names that are unusual to them also have great meaning and
Music

Here is a Spotify playlist for Black History put together by Dominique Gilliard.

Other Lists/Resources
  • National Capital Presbytery’s Dismantling Racism effort has a fantastic longer list of resources.

The website The Witness has a great list broken down by age.

WordPress Image Lightbox