This week's recommendation is shared by Marcia Tammeus.

With Native American themes currently in vogue, and environmental awareness a hot issue, this timely picture book scores perfect marks in both arenas. The story is an adaptation of a speech delivered by Chief Seattle at treaty negotiations in the 1850s.

National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15-October 15, recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.

Locally, KC Hispanic News is one of the many contributions of the Latino community to Kansas City. The weekly bilingual newspaper, which has a readership of 35,000 people, is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.

This week’s recommendation is shared by Josephine Njoroge.

This article reports an interview with Bryan Stevenson who is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. There are many points made in the article which may cause white people to pause, listen and take in more deeply what is being said.

This week’s recommendation is shared by Ellen Long.

Please take advantage of a wonderful online resource created by the KCK Public Library in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month. It only takes a few minutes to view the timeline and gain some knowledge and insights into our history.

This week’s recommendation is shared by Bill Tammeus.

This article from the July/August The Atlantic Magazine offers insights into America’s past that may help us see a way into our future together.

This week, Deb Meinke recommends three podcasts — Sam Sanders’ “It’s Been a Minute,” Rebecca Nagle’s second season of “This Land,” and “Code Switch,” NPR’s podcast on race.

This week's recommendation is shared by Josephine Njoroge.

"The Use and Misuse of Race in Health Care"

This week’s recommendation is shared by Bill Tammeus.

The National Catholic Reporter has begun a series called “Justice Reimagined,” about racial disparities in the U.S. The first article — about prison populations — posted June 1. The series can be found at the link below.

Justice Reimagined | National Catholic Reporter

This week, we have three terrific anti-racism recommendations from Deb Meinke to jump start your summer listening.

May 31 is the 100th anniversary of the Black Massacre in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Known as the "Black Wall Street," Greenwood was destroyed and up to 300 people were killed in 1921. The massacre was the worst act of racial violence in U.S. history. There are many TV programs coming up that discuss the massacre and its cover up by Tulsa.

This week’s recommendation is shared by Josephine Njoroge and Bill Tammeus.

Nathaniel Bozarth, who produced the “Dividing Lines” tour that many of us have driven, has produced a new version with added material that you can watch on a mobile device or a desktop computer.

This week's recommendation is shared by Lydia Jeter.

Love is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times
by Bishop Michael Curry

This week’s anti-racism recommended resource is shared by Geneva McAuley.

In a recent article, the staff of Chicago Parent recommended five kid-friendly podcasts that discuss race and diversity. These podcasts can help teach children about anti-racism work as they hear real stories, learn about history and figure out what to do next.

This week's recommendation is shared by Ellen Long.

This interview, entitled "How to Address the Surge of Anti-Asian Hate Crimes" was aired on March 4, 2021 on PBS News Hour. Amanda Nguyen, activist and one of the participants in the interview, is quoted here.

"In order for there to be true peace, one must hold up a light to the darkest corners of our experience," Nguyen added. "In order for us to heal as a nation we must learn, we must acknowledge where we are at now, and then together working cross-community, we're able to move forward into a more equitable future."

Watch the video here. The discussion begins about 1 minute, 30 seconds into the video.

This week’s anti-racism recommendations, shared by Deb Meinke, are two podcasts: (1) “The Promise,” which focuses on the state of integrated public education in Nashville, TN, and (2) Episode 34 of the Lady Science podcast, “Women and the National Parks: Race and Gender in the Making of the National Parks.”

What is structural racism?
Dismantling structural racism is one of Second's commitments as a Matthew 25 church. The Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture has done a great job of explaining this and other terms that often get used when talking about racism. Take a look at these definitions, noting which ones are new to you.

This week’s recommendation from our Anti-Racism Group is shared by Carolyn Nesbitt.

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's books and ideas resonate with us, expanding our knowledge and leading us to seek and support anti-racism efforts through awareness and action. Last month, Dr. Kindi and Netflix announced they will be partnering to adapt three of his bestselling books -- "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America," "Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You," and "Antiracist Baby" -- for the screen. Learn more.

This week, in recognition of Black History Month, we have two recommended reading lists from Geneva McAuley. The first is a reading list for young kids and elementary students from Today’s Parent, available here. The second list, for youth and young adults, is provided by Epic Reads and is available here.

In a video published by The Kansas City Star this week, Hakima Payne, founder of Uzazi Village, describes the important role doulas can play in promoting better birth outcomes for Black mothers and infants.

This week's recommendation, from Marcia Tammeus, is a video clip from the Today Show in which Jon Bon Jovi introduces his amazing pastor.