Racial Justice Resources
We invite you to explore this list of resources as together we work to learn more about the complex issues surrounding racism. This is by no means an exhaustive list and we will continue to update it as we discover new resources that you may find helpful. If you're just getting started, we encourage you to check out our main Racial Justice Ministry page first.
Here's what you can find on this page:
+ Resources for Children and Youth
+ UMC Baltimore-Washington Conference Resources
BOOKS:
+ Fiction
MOVIES:
+ Movies Directed by Ava DuVernay
For Children and Youth:
Books to Support Talking with Children About Race
https://www.embracerace.org/resources/20-picture-books-for-2020
Explore Topics in Talking about Race with Kids -a Discussion Guide
https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/audiences/parent-caregiver
Worship Resources:
From Lament to Prophesy: A Litany for Black Lives by the Princeton University Office of Religious Life
https://youtu.be/xQLr_mGNVH8
Dismantling Racism: A Service of Lament, Repentance, Communion and Commitment by the United Methodist Church
https://www.umc.org/en/content/dismantling-racism-service-of-lament
Daily Prayers for Anti-Racism through the Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/praying-for-change-daily-prayers-for-anti-racism
Weekly Scripture, Prayers and Meditations on Racism from the National Council of Churches
https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/topics/weekly/
From the Baltimore-Washington Conference:
Racial Justice resources from the Baltimore-Washington Conference
Read fiction:
The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison
The Hate U Give
by Angie Thomas
Americanah
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Read non-fiction:
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
by Austin Channing Brown
Between the World and Me
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Cross and the Lynching Tree
by Dr. James Cone
How to Be an AntiRacist
by Ibram Kendi
Stamped from the Beginning: A Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
by Ibram X. Kendi
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
by Richard Rothstein
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
by Bryan Stevenson
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
by Isabel Wilkerson
NOTE, if purchasing books: list of Black-Owned bookstores
Watch movies from director Ava DuVernay:
In this thought-provoking documentary, scholars, activists and politicians analyze America’s skyrocketing prison population and the criminal justice system’s disparate impact on African Americans.
Selma
A 2014 historical drama film based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches initiated and directed by James Bevel, and led by Martin Luther King Jr., Hosea Williams, and John Lewis.
When They See Us (Netflix series)
Five teens from Harlem become trapped in a nightmare when they’re falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park. Based on the true story.
Watch documentaries:
I Am Not Your Negro
Master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, Remember This House. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin’s original words and flood of rich archival material. I Am Not Your Negro is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter.
Reconstruction, America After the Civil War
Henry Louis Gates Jr. presents a vital new four-hour PBS documentary series on Reconstruction: America After the Civil War. The series explores the transformative years following the American Civil War, when the nation struggled to rebuild itself in the face of profound loss, massive destruction, and revolutionary social change.
Watch other movies:
Fruitvale Station
Directed by Ryan Coogler, this Sundance award-winner follows the true events of a 22-year-old loving father and beloved son on the last day of his life before being fatally shot by police on New Year’s Day 2009.
Harriet
Directed by Kasi Lemmons, based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, HARRIET tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.
Just Mercy
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, “Just Mercy” is based on the true story of young lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his history-making battle for justice. It tells the story of his years battling for people in Alabama wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation.
The Hate U Give
Directed by George Tillman, Jr and based on the novel by Angie Thomas, "The Hate U Give" tells the story of a young teen who must constantly switch between two worlds - the poor, mostly black neighborhood where she lives and the wealthy, mostly white prep school that she attends. When her best friend is fatally shot she must find her voice and decide to stand up for what's right.
Watch videos/recorded webinars:
Policing and Just Society: Paths Forward (panel discussion at Washington National Cathedral, 8/20/20)
Hear how community members, including faith communities, can participate in effective policy making. Guests include former Mayors Sharon Pratt (District of Columbia) and Betsy Hodges (Minneapolis), Rushern Baker, former County Executive for Prince George’s County, and Frederick Davie, Executive Vice President of Union Theological Seminary and chair of the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board (charged with civilian oversight of the New York City Police Department)