#RacialRec: Mission Incomplete

I admit I started this series with pretty ambitious goals. I was so excited for honest dialog that I wanted to jump in with both feet. We jumped together and we have had great dialog. This racial reconciliation series was broken into three parts: Diversity and the Church (with a focus on multi-cultural churches), Dr. John Piper’s Bloodlines book discussion with Trillia Newbell, and the Neglected Voices of the Church (including interviews of Indian, Asian, Hispanic, and African American Christian leaders).

We will continue to explore the topic of racial reconciliation in the coming years, how racism is perpetuated over time, and how the gospel of Jesus is the best hope for breaking this vicious cycle. A viewing of CNN’s Anderson Cooper’s “A Look at Race Relations through a Child’s Eyes,” published this year, reveals we still have a long way to go because at a young age (some as early as six years old), children are still being introduced to racist thought processes in their homes.

Considering our present reality, here are a few desired interviews and research I want to address at a later time on the blog:

• Interracial marriages
• Parents raising biracial or multiethnic children
• The growing trend of parents who adopt across racial/ethnic lines
• White male Christian leaders views on this topic
• What role does race, profiling, and discrimination play in a child’s academic success (exploring everything from public school education, the “gatekeepers” of private Christian education, minorities who home-school, evaluating reading and math scores as well as drop out rates among minority students, minority students and their various college experiences)
• Christian organization leaders who focus on reconciliation (ex. Christian Community Development Association, The Mosaix Global Network, etc)
• What do minorities think when white voices share their stories? (one of my thoughts after the success of “The Help”)
• How does lack of opportunity and loss of hope contribute to violence and prison careers for some minority males?
• The power of mentoring
• What difference does it make the Jesus was a Jew? How are our theology and faith practices distorted when we paint Jesus in our own image?
• Why the idea of a post racial America is pretty much a myth
• How do fear, bitterness, and anger prevent us from loving our neighbors?
• Whites who are led by minority leaders

That’s my list. Surrounding the theme of racial reconciliation, I’m interested in what topics you would like to discuss in the future. Let me know in the comment section. Also, please share if you know people or organizations I should contact concerning the above mentioned topics.

We wrap up this series with our summary and recommended reading on tomorrow. Thanks for following, participating, and sharing this discussion.

© Natasha Sistrunk Robinson 2012