Danville Congregational Church Anti-Racism Resources
- Danville Congregational Church Anti-Racism Team
- While racism is a lived reality for people of color, the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis awoke many white communities across the U.S. to a simple truth. Racism is still foundational for our country and the institutions we rely on and work for. Members of our church community have felt compelled to acknowledge and challenge racism in our communities. In response, an anti-racist team has formed at DCC to examine the role of racism in shaping our society and culture, and how we can promote a response that will expel it altogether. This self-chosen team consists of DCC members Bill Armstrong, Laura Beaver, Kristin Chambers, Deborah Daily, Barbara DeBarger, Bette Felton, Doug Leich, Mary Kay McClure, Robin Taylor, and Fiona Klassen. This fall, the team created a mission statement that will serve as a guide moving forward:
- We, the DCC Anti-Racism Team, are congregation members committed to:
-
-
- Understanding white supremacy and intersecting systems of oppression
- Learning about what it takes to be anti-racist
- Guiding, supporting, and inspiring members of the congregation to take part in anti-racism work
-
-
- The objective of this team is to interrupt, disrupt, and dismantle racism in ourselves and across our broader community. We commit to individually and collectively follow a life-long journey of transformation. We recognize that everyone is at different stages in their understanding of racism and some may be unsure about how to participate in this anti-racism work. Just know that we welcome all members of our congregation to take part in this work, no matter where you are in this journey, and are considering ways to invite you to join us in this effort. All it takes is the belief that racism needs to be challenged and dismantled. During our first meeting in July 2020, we agreed to meet bi-weekly and pledged to further our learning about racism and white supremacy, to be vulnerable with each other, and to learn from our mistakes. Some ideas under consideration include:
- Discussions groups based upon materials involving racism
- Workshops to learn about upcoming ballot issues, candidates and positions
- Exhibiting anti-racist values when casting votes
- Hosting educators on effective communication and how to challenge racism in different communities
- If you have questions about our work or ideas you want to share with the team, please contact fiona.p.klassen@gmail.com
- The objective of this team is to interrupt, disrupt, and dismantle racism in ourselves and across our broader community. We commit to individually and collectively follow a life-long journey of transformation. We recognize that everyone is at different stages in their understanding of racism and some may be unsure about how to participate in this anti-racism work. Just know that we welcome all members of our congregation to take part in this work, no matter where you are in this journey, and are considering ways to invite you to join us in this effort. All it takes is the belief that racism needs to be challenged and dismantled. During our first meeting in July 2020, we agreed to meet bi-weekly and pledged to further our learning about racism and white supremacy, to be vulnerable with each other, and to learn from our mistakes. Some ideas under consideration include:
- DCC Anti-Racism Team Activities
- Second Hour Coffee Chats
- The DCC Anti-Racism Team invites you all to join us during second hour on selected Sundays from 11:00am to Noon for a series of events we are calling Coffee Chats. These will be informal spaces for dialogue with some members of the team where we welcome you to bring your questions and reflections on anti-racism work. We envision this to be a time to learn from each other, and if desired, brainstorm ways to find answers to the questions we bring forth to the discussion. Feel free to join whichever (or however many) session(s) you are available for. There will be different team members present each week.
- January 24 — Doug Leich & Mary Kay McClure
- February 7— Kristin Chambers & Bill Armstrong
- February 21—TBD
- Second Hour Coffee Chats
-
- Book Study Group
- Join us in reading and reflecting on the book, Dear Church: A Love Letter from A Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the US, by Lenny Duncan. We will gather in four sessions, the first to give an overview of the book and co-create a covenant to guide how we will engage with each other, and the following three sessions to discuss each of the three parts of the book. We ask that those who decide to take part in this book study, to commit to attending all four sessions, and commit to reading the chosen section prior to attending each session so we can all engage in the discussion.
- Preparation:
- We recommend supporting independent book stores when purchasing this book, for example Rakestraw in Danville, and especially Black-owned bookstores, such as Marcus Books and The Collective, both in Oakland. The book is also available for Kindle and as an audiobook.
- https://www.rakestrawbooks.com/book/9781506452562
- https://bookshop.org/books/dear-church-a-love-letter-from-a-black-preacher-to-the-whitest-denomination-in-the-us/9781506452562
- https://www.thecollectiveoakland.com/book/9781506452562
- Book Study Group
-
-
- Schedule:
- Orientation: February 2, 7-9pm
- Section 1: March 2, 7-9pm
- Section 2: March 16, 7-9pm
- Section 3: March 30, 7-9pm
- Orientation Meeting Zoom Link:
- https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89276736833?pwd=NFpPZm8vS0s2bC9ydk5aY3MraDRJdz09
- Meeting ID: 892 7673 6833
- Passcode: 1KVi5u
- Schedule:
-
-
- Anti-Racism Learning Series
- Join us in engaging in monthly events in which we discuss and reflect on different articles/podcasts/videos/speakers as a way of learning together about many different topics in anti-racism. Each of these sessions will be stand alone, so you are welcome to join whichever and however many sessions you choose. Our first meeting will be an orientation to co-create our curriculum for this series. Please come with your ideas of what you want to learn about!
- Preparation:
- We will send out the learning materials in advance of each session. We request that those who plan to attend sessions come prepared having engaged with the materials before each discussion.
- Schedule: TBD
- Zoom link: Will be created for each event and sent out monthly with the preparatory materials.
- Anti-Racism Learning Series
Anti-Racism Community Resources
Upcoming Community Events [New]
- Race and Racism: Deepening Your Personal Understanding and Consciousness
Wednesday, January 27, 5:00-6:30 PM, with Dr. Lori Watson, hosted by AAUW - Dispatches from the Race War, Virtual Book Launch, by author Tim Wise
Thursday, January 28, 1:00-2:00 PM, hosted by SpeakOut - Anti-Racism 101: How to Show Up for Racial Justice
Thursday, January 28, 6:00-7:30 PM, hosted by SURJ Bay Area - Anti-Racism Series: Implicit Bias Training, with Fresh “Lev” White
Sunday, January 31, 2:30-5:00 PM, hosted by Interfaith Council of CCC
Anti Racism Resources
The following is a list of resources you can access to engage in anti-racism work.
Click here for ways you can help right now.
26 Ways to be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets
Things to Listen to [New]
- 1619 by The New York Times
- Pod for the Cause by The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights
- About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
- Code Switch by NPR
- Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast by Race Forward
For Children
- Anti-Racism Resources for Children [Updated]
For Young People
- Anti-Racism Books for Young People [Updated]
- What is Privilege (YouTube) [New]
For Parents
For Adults
- Anti-Racism Reading List [Updated]
For families with young people
(not all appropriate for all ages of children)
- Filmography for Black History, Black Experience
- NEW: Warner Bros. has made the 2019 civil rights drama Just Mercy free to stream to educate viewers on systemic racism. You can stream it for free right now on Amazon.
- Bay Area cultural sites to visit (not recommended at this time)
- Talking with Kids about Race: Reading Between the Lines [curated list of reads]
If you would like to suggest additions to these lists, please email us.