Tag: inclusion
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Recommendation: The 1619 Project

When I speak and teach on racial reconciliation, one resource that I regularly recommend is The 1619 Project. Named for the year when the first ship containing enslaved Africans docked in United States, The 1619 Project provides a deeper historical perspective of the United States by delving into the atrocities of chattel slavery and the…
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Recommendation: Caste

Few books have the ability to educate very deeply on a particular topic, inspire readers to change their perspective, and provide a framework for action. This is especially true regarding the topic of race. Yet, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents accomplishes all of these. Isabel Wilkerson’s experience as a New York Times and Pulitzer…
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Recommendation: Who’s Black and Why?

Who’s Black and Why?: A Hidden Chapter from the Eighteenth-Century Invention of Race is without a doubt one of the most insightful books I’ve ever read. In my post addressing the question What is Race?, I list a few works that have helped form my understanding of race. This book has been quite influential in…
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3 Tips for Successful Diversity Efforts

Is your organization or ministry looking to start an initiative geared towards diversity? That’s a good thing! But, navigating the waters of diversity and inclusion efforts has great potential for miscommunication which can snowball and create more problems than solutions. Here are three thoughts on rolling out diversity efforts in ways that are clear, respectful,…
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What is Diversity?

As I was preparing to write this post I searched the internet for, “most misunderstood words.” Surprisingly, “diversity” was not on any of the lists that I found. I say this because I have seen several instances where one person was using the word (with a certain meaning in mind) and the hearer’s interpretation was…
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So, You Want to Be an Ally?

As a pastor and nonprofit leader in St. Louis, I speak regularly on racial reconciliation from a Christian worldview. When people outside of the Black community learn about the racial disparities regarding quality of life and the caste system of American history, it often breaks their hearts. The weightiness of these realizations stirs a desire…
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The Root of Peace

On the night that Jesus was born, angels appeared to a group of shepherds. They announced: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:14 ESV World peace has been dreamed about for as long as people have existed. Yet, wherever you have people, you have conflict, chaos, and…
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Know Your “Why” for Diversity

Unity and partnerships across ethnic and racial lines should be the mark of every church.
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The Way?

If you’ve watched The Mandalorian then you are familiar with the phrase, “this is the way.” The main character and his group uses the phrase to signify a certain code and system for life. It is to be upheld at all costs and never to be broken. Once someone signs up, they must adhere to…
