Episode 119 :: Dr. Jemar Tisby :: Stories of How to Fight Racism

Dr. Jemar Tisby is an author, educator, historian and speaker on a mission to share truths from the Black experience, witnessed and known in his own life, particularly within the Christian sphere. He sums it up this way: “To me as a historian that’s what I do is I tell stories. I tell stories of import and consequence and try to contextualize them to make them stand out for how they’re still relevant for others today.” He shares with us today his story of his experiences growing up, and later through becoming a Christian in high school through a predominately white evangelical church where he began the strange dance of growing in his faith and knowledge of Christ, while most commonly being one of the only people of color in the room.

Dr. Jemar’s story, and his work in trying to call racism out into the light and then address it, especially within the church has been wildly transformative in my life. His book The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism was so incredibly eye opening and galvanizing. His next book How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Towards Racial Justice takes that to the next level. There’s an adult version, and now a youth edition. In our conversation today, Dr. Jemar shares some of the key ideologies of his books, and how to begin addressing some of the pressing issues we may not even be aware of in our own churches, families, and communities. We want to examine the foundations that have been laid historically and see how they are still impacting people and communities today so that if it's being repeated we do something about it or that we take great stewarding care to dare not repeat it.

One key point Dr. Jemar makes is that much of the dialogue around racial justice in many Christian spaces is heavy on the diagnosis and light on the prescription. He faces that issue head on in his works, and in this conversation, saturated in scripture and full of a desire to see Christians grow in this area and in their faith as a whole. Dr. Jemar challenges us, equips. and encourages us with how we engage this work of racial justice well and not add to the hurt in our attempts to help.

There is so much that is challenging about this conversation, my friends, but this is hard and holy work. I hope this conversation galvanizes you today, and that wherever the Lord leads you in your response, you would grow in your knowledge of Him, His love for you, and His love for all of His creation. You matter to Him. Your neighbor matters to Him. Your stories matter.

Connecting with Dr. Jemar Tisby and his work:

Audiobooks

Books

Facebook

Founder of The Witness: a Black Christian Collective

Instagram

Podcast: Pass the Mic

Twitter

Website

Our episode’s sponsor: Tony Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty

Episode Sponsor: Tony Crabtree of Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty

Home buyer guide: http://bit.ly/buyersguidecrabtreehomes

Seller guide: http://bit.ly/sellerguidecrabtreehomes

References:

Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan

Lebron James

“Space Jam: The New Legacy”

“Space Jam” the OG 0=)

University of Notre Dame

Dorena Williamson- our conversations on episodes 10, 11 and 110

Reformed theology (for the record, no one is saying they disagree with much of the statues of reformed theology. It's the exclusivity of people of color and the white centricity that’s the issue)

Ku Klux Klan

Segregation

Jim Crow Laws

Adhesive bandages creating multiple skin tone options (AS OF JUNE 2020!!!!!!)

The Color of Compromise: The Truth of the American Church’s Complicity in Racism

The Color of Compromise Bible Study

Mississippi Delta- cotton country

How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice

How to Fight Racism: Youth Edition

Withholding parts of the Bible from enslaved peoples so that they would not feel entitled to freedom

Enslaved peoples receiving a different ordinance of baptism so that they felt free in Christ, but still obedient to their masters

ARC of Racial Justice: Awareness, Relationships, Commitment