My Favorite Links on Race

Posted by Carey McDonald // December 4th 2013 // Guides and Tools, Social Justice, Thanksgivukkah // no comments

Race in America is a complex subject, but there are some great tools out there for you to start the conversation. We are called by our faith to work for justice, to create welcoming communities, and to honor our individual gifts, and confronting issues of race and ethnicity sit at the heart of that calling. Below is a hand-selected list my favorite links out there on the interwebs, perfect for jump starting discussions among folks of across all ages:

Blogs 

• Code Switch – This NPR blog is one of the best places for new takes on race and culture, particularly the intersection of race with other identities and issues (like gender and class).

            >> npr.org/blogs/codeswitch

• Colorlines – Pretty much the clearinghouse for all timely, thoughtful commentary and resources for discussions of race (here’s one of my all-time top favorite videos); their tagline is “News for Action” so they offer a strong focus on justice issues and current events.

            >> colorlines.com

Interactive Projects

• The Race Card Project – How much can you fit into six words? Michele Norris’ series asks us to distill race into a single, short sentence. Amazing how powerful these “cards” can be.

            >> theracecardproject.com

• Un-Fair Campaign – Started by a community coalition in Duluth, MN that organized to raise awareness of white skin-privilege their community. Awesome visual and multimedia resources for starting this discussion and taking action.

            >> unfaircampaign.org

• Racial Dot Map – You can see on a map where people of different races live, try zooming into your area! Cool stuff, compiled from 2010 Census data. I love maps.

            >> www.coopercenter.org/demographics/Racial-Dot-Map

Educational Resources

• Teaching Tolerance – The educational arm of the anti-hate Southern Poverty Law Center, they offer outstanding classroom activities for all ages around a range of issues of identity and justice. Search by age range, subject or resource type. I love their Speak Up Pocket Card!

            >> tolerance.org

• Finding Your Roots – A PBS series hosted by famed scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., these videos profile well-known Americans who are grappling with their own racial history, revealed by DNA research. Clips are great for kicking off a small group discussion.

            >> understandingrace.org

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