This month we’re talking with Pastor Bill Gibbons, Pastor of Community Engagement at New Hope United Methodist Church (Rochester, NY) and Dr. John Miller, Pastor of Education at Living Word Temple of Restoration (Rochester, NY) about Black History Month! Join us for a discussion centered on highlighting black voices, the challenge and the beauty of multi-ethnic church communities, and what it takes to be anti-racist: in our homes, churches, and communities. As we discussed in the interview, Black History Month is both an opportunity to celebrate black voices and contributions, and an invitation to reflect on the disparities we see in the world around us and our role, individually and corporately, in the fight for social justice and racial reconciliation. Below is a full list of the individuals, books, and resources mentioned in this podcast: Resources on Black History Month including historical context, this year’s themes, and links to panels and other content from a secular perspective can be found at: https://blackhistorymonth.gov/ Dr. John’s list of recommended resources: Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman Discusses the person of Jesus, and how he came not for the “elite,” but for the “down and out.” Thurman’s book was an inspiration for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Black Theology & Black Power by James H. Cone A product of the civil rights and black power movements of the 1960’s, Cone highlights how liberation is at the heart of the gospel. Kingdom Beyond Color, Re-Examining the Phenomenon of Racism by Leonard Lovett Discusses the idea of Biblical reconciliation and how racism is, at its core, a spiritual problem. Stony the Road We Trod by Cain Hope Felder A study of of African American Biblical Interpretation The African American Church Community in Rochester, NY (1900-1940) by Ingrid Overacker A historical narrative that follows the stories and contributions of four churches in the city of Rochester between 1900-1940 African Christianity: An African Story - Ogbu U Kalu An important academic study with many contributors that discusses Christianity in Africa as written by Africans rather than from a Euro-centric perspective. Pastor Bill’s List of recommended resources: Dominique Dubois Gilliard - Director of Racial Righteousness and Reconciliation for the Love Mercy Do Justice (LMDJ) initiative. Gilliard’s work includes an in-depth look at incarceration in the United States. Latasha Morrison - Latasha is a coach, consultant, and speaker who focuses her work on developing a healthy diversity in organizations and churches and is the author of Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s heart for Racial Reconciliation. Austin Channing Brown NYT bestselling author of I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, Austin is passionate about racial justice and the celebration of black womanhood. Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community? By Dr. Martin Luther King As applicable today as the day it was written, this and other writings by Dr. King reach through the years and speak prophetically into our homes, churches, and society. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - Bryan is a public interest lawyer who founded the Equal Justice Initiative and has dedicated his life to helping the poor, condemned and incarcerated. Becoming Brave by Brenda Salter McNeil Calls the church to a radical pursuit of racial justice, today.
