[blockquote type=”center”]In Harrison, Arkansas, in 1905, white “rioters swept through Harrison‘s black neighborhood with terrible intent. The mob of 20 or 30 men, armed with guns and clubs, reportedly tied men to trees and whipped them, tied men and women together and threw them in a 4-foot hole in Crooked Creek, burned several homes, and warned all Negroes to leave town that night, which most of them did without taking any of their belongings.” (37)[/blockquote]

What are some of your beliefs and opinions about race? What are your gut reactions about yourself as it relates to race and class? What about others?

Is it possible that some of those thoughts and feelings have been formed from a place of privilege?

Taking implicit bias tests through Project Implicit can be a good exercise.

[blockquote type=”center”]”The Reconstruction amendments (13th, 14th, and 15th) provided African Americans with a roughly equal footing in America, most whites felt. If they were still at the bottom, it must be their own fault……To this day, public opinion polls show that many nonblack Americans – especially those who live in towns that have few African Americans whom they might get to know as individuals – still believe these generalizations, at least when they are phrased more politely.” (38)[/blockquote]

To this day. What does it mean to be formed by a place and its history? What are we taught is normal? Does normal automatically equal right and good? What if we’ve unknowingly been taught to be racist?

How can we cultivate our imagination to envision something better? Is it possible to change things that we think are ‘that’s just the way it is’?

What things?

What things would you want to change?

What sparks your imagination?

What would it look like to read the end of 1 Samuel with the view of David not being the good guy? The Philistines are giving hospitality to the man who killed their hero. What does it feel like to see goodness in someone we’ve been taught to dislike? And David. David, our handsome hero. Here, he kills and plunders – and then is upset when a slightly lesser offense is done to him. And then he is willing to pick up arms against his country – in the same battle that kills his best friend. Why do we praise David so much? What might we see if we scrutinize his behavior? What can we learn by humanizing both David and the Philistines?

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This series is available in a handy 40 page pdf that includes journaling space for the personal questions.

Buy now

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An Integrated Life

a series studying the book Sundown Towns by James Loewen

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Part 1 – A Series
Part 2 – Our Racist Foundations
Part 3 – What Are We Taught Is Normal?
Part 4 – All Whites Are Responsible
Part 5 – What Are You Known For Supporting
Part 6 – What Makes You Stay Silent?
Part 7 – Gravitating Towards the Comfortable
Part 8 – Social Exclusion
Part 9 – Restrictive Covenants and Governments
Part 10 – Do You Live in a Sundown Town? Before You Say No…
Part 11 – Still Forming Sundown Towns Today
Part 12 – Sundown Suburbs = NIMBY
Part 13 – City Schools, Suburb Schools
Part 14 – What Are You Supporting With Your Way of Life?
Part 15 – Living In Fear
Part 16 – An Historical Comparison
Part 17 – Hidden Fault Lines
Part 18 – Reputations Are Important
Part 19 – Until We Solve the Problem of Sundown Neighborhoods…
Part 20 – The TL;DR Version

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