Racial Justice Group Blog
How to Reduce Online Racism
This week’s recommendation is shared by Bill Tammeus.
Among the many places that racist comments are found is online. How can you avoid contributing to that problem and maybe even assist in solving it?
Interview with Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings
This week's recommendation is shared by Deb Meinke.
Kansas City Black History Site
This week’s recommendation is shared by Ellen Long.
As we celebrate Black History Month, I’d like to recommend the KC Black History website, kcblackhistory.org, as a wonderful resource that offers a wealth of information about the lives, talents and community activism of many Black Kansas Citians.
Testimony: African American Artists Collective
This week’s recommendation is shared by Gwen Ervin.
I want to encourage everyone at Second to view the Nelson-Atkins’ current exhibit “Testimony.”
MLK’s Amazing 1964 Interview with Robert Penn Warren
This week’s recommendation is shared by Ellen Long.
Recent Books by Indigenous Authors from NPR’s Codeswitch
This week’s recommendation is shared by Rev. Deb Meinke.
Need a last-minute gift for the readers in your life? Check out recently published books by Indigenous authors on the NPR Codeswitch episode “The Characters are the Light” (available here).
Book Recommendation: “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy”
This week’s recommendation is shared by Carolyn Nesbitt.
Emmanuel Acho is known for his years playing football (Texas Longhorns and NFL) and currently as a sports announcer with FoxSports. He can also be found on a YouTube series having some "uncomfortable conversations” about racial issues from his perspective. This book Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy follows his best-selling book with similar title, just ends in “….. Man.” So there are multiple ways for people of all ages to spend some time learning more about how to be an informed and effective anti-racist.
Land Acknowledgment a First Step toward Justice
This fall, Second Presbyterian Church is planting native plants along 55th St. and sharing the following land acknowledgement:
“Second Presbyterian Church acknowledges that all of our activities take place on ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples. Like many other properties in the Kansas City area, our building is located on the traditional lands of the Kansa/Kaw, Osage, Kickapoo, Óčheti Sakówin (also known as the Sioux Nations) -- lands that were stolen or obtained through unfair or dishonest treaties.
May our words and these plants honor those ancestors who loved this land before us, and may our actions serve to restore the vitality of their sacred lands for their descendants.”
“Brother Eagle, Sister Sky”
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.
KC Hispanic News Celebrates 25th Anniversary
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.
What Well-Meaning White People Need to Know about Race
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.
Hispanic-Latino Heritage: A History
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.
“How America Fractured Into Four Parts”
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.
Three Podcast Recommendations
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.
The Use and Misuse of Race in Health Care
This week's recommendation is shared by Josephine Njoroge.
"The Use and Misuse of Race in Health Care"
“Justice Reimagined” Series
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
Recommended Summer Listening
This week, we have three terrific anti-racism recommendations from Deb Meinke to jump start your summer listening.