Episode 189: What’s The Problem With CRT? – “A Conversation About Fear, Faith and Racial Justice.”

There are a lot of things in the news lately about justice.  Seems like about every other week there is something – some new insult, a new threat, a fresh tragedy – that makes headlines and fill our social media feeds with something to get upset about.  It can be emotionally overwhelming and over time, exhausting. 

One of the many things that has made headlines more and more often is Critical Race Theory, or CRT for short.  More and more institutions and legislators are pushing back against CRT, “wokeness” and talk of racial injustice as if there is a general understanding that CRT is this bad thing that needs to be exterminated from public life.  But how many people really understand what CRT is… or how many people assume they know what it is, because they heard that it was dangerous from someone whose opinion matters to them?  What’s the problem with CRT? 

This is the question that prompted today’s Antioch Podcast conversation.  It was a conversation we had live in a webinar in conjunction with the YWCA’s annual Stand Against Racism event.  This year, the Antioch Podcast was honored to speak at this event in conjunction with our partners at Calvin University and the Christian Reformed Church of North America’s Office of Race Relations.  This 90-minute conversation is what we are about to share with you now.  Resources mentioned in this podcast, including our prior 5-part Antioch Podcast series on CRT – which we mention, can be found in the links on the episode page for this podcast.

The first voice you will hear is Idella Winfield, a staff member of the CRCNA’s Office of Race Relations, who opened up this presentation.

 


CREDITS:

THE ANTIOCH PODCAST MINISERIES CHRISTIANITY & CRT (With Study Guides)
Episode 115 Christianity & CRT – Understanding Social Justice
Episode 116 Christianity & CRT – Understanding Systemic Sin
Episode 117 Christianity & CRT – Understanding Marxism and Biblical Justice
Episode 119 Christianity & CRT – BLM & Traditional Biblical Sexuality
Episode 121 Christianity & CRT – An Interview With Dr. Kelly Hamren, Author of Understanding Critical Race Theory, Marxism and Biblical Ethics

 

PEOPLE OF COLOR who are CHRISTIAN AUTHORS AND INFLUENCERS

Robert Chao Romero – author of The Brown Church; co-author of Christianity and Critical Race Theory

Christina Edmondson – co-author of Faithful Antiracsm and co-host of Truth’s Table podcast

Lisa Sharon Harper – author of The Very Good Gospel and Fortune

Esau McCauley – author of Reading While Black

Natasha Robinson – author of A Sojourner’s Truth and Voices of Lament

Dante Stewart – author of Shouting’ in the Fire

Jemar Tisby – author of The Color of Compromise, How to Fight Racism, and founder of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective

Rich Villodas – author of the Deeply Formed Life

 

Other authors mentioned in this episode:

Ibram X Kendi – author of Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

Mark T. Mulder – author of Shades of White Flight: Evangelical Congregations and Urban Departure

 

Organizations mentioned in this episode:

CORR: Communities Organizing for Racial Equity https://www.corrnow.org

 

Additional Antioch-Related Antiracism Efforts:

The Ripple Consulting Pilot Cohort is a six month virtual cohort designed for white Community Leaders, Educators, Spiritual Leaders, and DEIB+ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Advocates to grow in awareness of the internalization process that has resulted from systemic racism. Bimonthly sessions include teaching, large and small group discussions, and inter-faith experientials.

Susie Dixon, one of our co-hosts will be co-facilitating the cohort. Go to https://forms.gle/wWujc6D3Tmjqc3WL8 for more information.