Episode 56
RYM 056: Why Should We Care About Race In Our Youth Ministries?
As youth workers, one of our goals is to prepare students to be a light wherever they are. Navigating through issues such as the topic of race can be a very dark place. On this episode, join Stuart Hall, Sam Collier, Gerald Fadayomi, and Sarah Anderson for a crucial conversation on why we should care about race in our youth ministries. Learn how you can personally diversify your ministry’s context, and your world as a youth worker.
Voices In This Episode
EPISODE RECAP
- We need to prepare our students to be a light and a voice wherever they go. (9:30)
- We cannot raise the children we were. We have to raise the teenagers we have now. (11:00)
- You can’t celebrate what you don’t see. If you see every student the same, then you’ll never be able to celebrate the uniqueness that God has given them. (13:30)
- Our perspective is not reality all the time. (14:00)
- We’re so conditioned to care about our own. (15:30)
- Negative peace is peace with the absence of reconciliation. (17:00)
- The issue of race is not “just history.” It’s personal. It’s part of who our students are. (19:45)
- Emotions lead to actions. (23:00)
- When is the best time to talk about this topic with students? (28:00)
- Are you setting an example that someone of another race has value in your context? (28:30)
- When you are writing your messages, are you speaking to one audience or bringing in different perspectives? (37:30)
- A lack of empathy is pointing to an unintentional position of privilege. SH (45:00)
- You must diversify who you are learning from. (55:00)
- Ask yourself: What are you doing to learn about someone else’s culture? How is your heart when it comes to this matter? What are you doing to make your ministry more diverse? (57:00)
- We cannot continue to ask the people who have been persecuted and oppressed to be the ones to address the issue. (1:01:00)
QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE
“You can’t celebrate what you don’t see. If you see every student the same, you’ll never be able to celebrate the uniqueness that God has given them.” - @GeraldFadayomi Click To Tweet“Are you setting an example that someone of another race has value in?” Click To Tweet“A lack of empathy is pointing to an unintentional position of privilege.” - @IAmStuartHall Click To Tweet“Ask yourself: 1. What are you doing to learn about someone else’s culture? 2. How is your heart when it comes to this matter? 3. What are you doing to make your ministry more diverse?” Click To Tweet“The issue of race is not just history. It’s personal. It’s part of who our students are.” Click To Tweet
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Book: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Book: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Book: Blood at the Root by Patrick Phillips
Book: 12 Years A Slave by Solomon Northup
Book: A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Book: White Trash by Nancy Isenberg
Article: Slave Bible From The 1800s Omitted Key Passages That Could Incite Rebellion
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