How to Fight Racism Study Guide

Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice

Jemar Tisby

• Publisher: Zondervan
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9780310113232
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Take the next step to confronting racism in relationships and in everyday life.

This 10-session, video-based study guide (DVD/video streaming sold separately) provides groups and individuals with practical tools and suggestions, actionable items, and real-world examples of change, to enable you to become proactive and effective in the fight for racial justice.

In his bestselling book, How to Fight Racism, Jemar Tisby urged readers to move beyond talking about racism and start equipping ourselves to fight against it. This study guide is the next step on that journey for small groups, churches, classes, and individuals.

Tisby unpacks his "A.R.C." model for racial justice, developing each of its stages in practical and empowering ways:

• Awareness (sessions 2—4) focuses on racial history, identity, and the image of God.
• Relationships (sessions 5—7) presents effective ways to do reconciliation, make friends, and build diverse communities.
• Commitment (sessions 8—10) concentrates on how to work for racial justice in your life, community, and country.

 

You'll be encouraged to reject passivity and become active participants in the struggle for human dignity across racial and ethnic lines.

The study guide—along with the video study—offers participants the opportunity to be part of the solution to racial problems and suggests that the application of these principles can offer us hope that will transform our nation and the world.

Designed for use with How to Fight Racism Video Study (9780310113249), sold separately.

Session 1

HOW TO FIGHT RACISM

Civil rights is often seen in social and political terms. We often fail to recognize this movement as one of the most significant faith-based campaigns in American history.

—SOON-CHAN RAH

Welcome

Welcome to session 1 of How to Fight Racism. The fact that you are here, listening to this teaching, meeting online or in-person as a group, and answering these questions means you’re willing to be part of this movement as we journey toward racial justice. The goal of this journey is for all of us to be better equipped in the fight against racism and take the necessary next steps toward equity and justice. I often hear people asking if racism is mostly a matter of personal attitudes and actions or if it’s the result of systemic structures and institutional policies. And my answer is, it’s both. Just look around and read the news. Racial justice must occur at both the individual and institutional levels. W. E. B. DuBois once said, “The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression,” and when that becomes true for you, then you will be ready to take the next steps toward racial justice. Now, only time will tell if the grassroots efforts to fight racism during the uprisings and protests of 2020 will lead to lasting transformation. But what is clear is that racial progress does not occur apart from the sustained efforts of people who dedicate themselves to fighting racism in all its forms. That’s why we’re here today. We need another generation of people willing to fight for freedom. We need a movement of people who will not back away in the face of racism and the lie of white supremacy. And I believe the key to fighting racism is by participating in a model I developed and refer to as the ARC of Racial Justice. The ARC of Racial Justice includes increasing your awareness by studying history, exploring your personal narrative and grasping what God says about the dignity of the human person. It includes learning to see that you cannot have true racial justice without developing authentic relationships with people who are different from you. And it is by building awareness and developing relationships that the ARC includes enabling you to make a commitment to dismantle racist attitudes, structures, laws, and policies—starting with your heart and moving out to the systems and structures of our nation and our world. As history demonstrates, we can find creative solutions to society’s most pressing problems—including racism—when people of goodwill get together and have hope. I’m guessing each one of you is carrying a spirit of hope today since you decided to show up for this conversation and take a good hard look at racial justice, so let’s get started.

Share

If you or any of your group members are just getting to know one another, take a few minutes to introduce yourselves. Then, to kick things off, briefly discuss one of the following statements:

• What sparks the desire for people to see change?

—or—

• How does someone develop a burden to combat racism?

Watch

Play the video segment for session 1. As you watch, use the following outline to record any thoughts or concepts that stand out to you.

Notes

Something Is Different

• George Floyd

• Breonna Taylor

• Ahmaud Arbery

• Christian Cooper

Signs of Change

Racial Justice

When people of goodwill get together, they can find creative solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

—JEMAR TISBY

What Do We Do?

How to Fight Racism provides the practical aspects of how to fight for racial justice.

The ARC of Racial Justice

• Awareness: building our knowledge and understanding about race and racism

• Relationships: all racial justice is relational and requires healthy friendships and collaboration in order to be on this journey together

• Commitment: it is a commitment to dismantle racist policies and promote policies that provide equity and justice

At some point we need to act on a systemic and institutional level to change racist patterns and practices.

—JEMAR TISBY

Considerations about the Arc of Racial Justice

• It’s not a linear process.

• It’s a never-ending process.

It’s not about perfect balance; it’s about a dynamic dance.

Racial Justice Is a Journey, Not a Destination

And the goals are:

• racial harmony

• equity

• justice

It’s about the people we become along the way and others who we meet along this path.

—JEMAR TISBY

The Progress of Racial Justice

Courageous Christianity

Christians are part of the problem and part of the solution.

Scripture provides a framework for the need and motivation of racia...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Ebook Instructions
• Contents
• Introduction
• How to Use This Guide
• Session 1: How to Fight Racism
• Part 1: Awareness
• Part 2: Relationships
• Part 3: Commitment
• Conclusion
• Closing Words
• Leader’s Guide