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Pre-Post-Racial America: Spiritual Stories from the Front Lines
Those people. Their issues. The day's news and the ways we treat each other, overtly or subliminally, prove we are not yet living in post-racial America. It s hard to talk about race in America without everyone very quickly becoming defensive and shutting down.
What makes talking race even harder is that so few of us actually know each other in the fullness of our stories. A recent Reuters poll found 40% of White people have no friends of other races, and 25% of people of color only have friends of the same race.
Sandhya Jha addresses the hot topic in a way that is grounded in real people s stories and that offers solid biblical grounding for thinking about race relations in America, reminding us that God calls us to build Beloved Community.
Discussion questions at the end of each chapter provide starting points for reading groups.
What makes talking race even harder is that so few of us actually know each other in the fullness of our stories. A recent Reuters poll found 40% of White people have no friends of other races, and 25% of people of color only have friends of the same race.
Sandhya Jha addresses the hot topic in a way that is grounded in real people s stories and that offers solid biblical grounding for thinking about race relations in America, reminding us that God calls us to build Beloved Community.
Discussion questions at the end of each chapter provide starting points for reading groups.
160 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2015
20 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Sandhya Jha
5 books21 followersSandhya Jha serves as founder and director of the Oakland Peace Center, a collective of 40 organizations creating access, equity and dignity for all in Oakland and the Bay Area. She also serves as Director of Interfaith Programs for East Bay Housing Organizations, where she organizes faith communities to advocate for housing as a human right and spiritual mandate throughout California’s Bay Area. Former pastor of First Christian Church of Oakland and former regional staff with Christian Churches of Northern California-Nevada, Sandhya is the author of Room at the Table, the history of people of color in the Disciples of Christ, and Pre-Post-Racial America: Spiritual Stories from the Front Lines on the subject of race and spirituality in America. She serves as a consultant with Hope Partnership and an anti-racism/anti-oppression trainer with Reconciliation Ministries for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She is a faith-rooted organizer with Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (formerly Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice – CA) and is particularly proud of her podcast, Hope from the Hood, available on iTunes and at http://sandhyajha.com
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 8, 2017
Pre-Post-Racial America is an important work of our time. While at times I take issue with simple grammatical errors (they aren't glaring grammatical errors but rather are those common errors many of us learn in ninth grade), and while Jha could have written more and included more stories to make her points, the fact is that she has covered all that needs to be prophetically said in this world about tensions centering around race, ethnicity, and sexuality.
Most people, I think, will find themselves internally arguing, debating, and perhaps even yelling at Jha while reading one or more of these chapters. I myself did it while reading the chapters on liminality and intersectionality. But those conversations need to be had and Jha has done well to ground the conversations in people's lives and stories. That fosters understanding and dialogue rather than a you-say, I-say debate. What is true in the lives of real people cannot be debated. We can argue the concepts all we want, but since these conversations are grounded not in concepts but in stories, we have a greater understanding with one another.
I won't say this is a must-read. There are other books that could probably do the same job. But certainly this is an important read.
Most people, I think, will find themselves internally arguing, debating, and perhaps even yelling at Jha while reading one or more of these chapters. I myself did it while reading the chapters on liminality and intersectionality. But those conversations need to be had and Jha has done well to ground the conversations in people's lives and stories. That fosters understanding and dialogue rather than a you-say, I-say debate. What is true in the lives of real people cannot be debated. We can argue the concepts all we want, but since these conversations are grounded not in concepts but in stories, we have a greater understanding with one another.
I won't say this is a must-read. There are other books that could probably do the same job. But certainly this is an important read.
August 23, 2017
Hard subject to read and to write about. The author gave her perspective along with others who contributed to their experiences. It is too bad that America still cannot come to terms with racial acceptance. Some have been open and accepting for years yet there are groups that still continue creating problems. Our reading group choose this book last year 11-16 to do as our 8-17 read. The ironic thing we were started reading the book when all the termoil started in Charlotte. The author questions what will America be like in 50 years on racial acceptance. As a teen in the 1960's I beleive we asked the same questions.
August 30, 2017
I'd give this book 6 stars if I could. Over the past several months, I've read a number of books devoted to race issues, and this one may be the best of all of them -- and all of them have been excellent (you can check my books to find the others). Whether this really is the best, or whether it brought the themes all together in an amazingly effective and impactful way, I'm not sure. I suggest everyone read all of the race-related books I've read in 2017!
November 17, 2020
I read this for the Coffee Table Discussion group at church. Good book for discussion or reading. Often eye-opening.
March 24, 2017
Well written views on the minority experience in America from the experience and background of a south Asian Christian.
April 24, 2015
So, did the election of Barack Obama usher the United States into a new post-racial era? Have we reached the point where Martin Luther King's vision of a day when people would be judged not on the color of their skin, but on the content of their character? Well, if you've been watching the news you probably have guessed that such is not the case. We're not in the same place we were in in 1963, but while most of the legal barriers have been overturned, society remains largely segregated -- especially in the church.
Perhaps we live in what Sandhya Jha, a Disciples minister and activist calls a "pre-post-racial America. As is often the case in America the story of race and ethnicity is complicated. This is especially true today when a growing number of Americans identify as mixed race. While President Obama identifies as African American, his ancestry is both African (his father) and European (his mother), making him an exemplar of one who is mixed race. But such identifications aren't easy for us to comprehend. For instance, each year when I fill out the demographic report for the denomination there isn't a Mixed race category, just "other."
Well, Sandhya does identify as mixed race, though being lighter skinned she can pass as white (especially since she has red hair thanks to the Indian (South Asia) gift of henna as a hair dye. Her father is Indian and Hindu. Her mother is Scottish and Christian. Religiously she has followed the Christian tradition, but respects her father's religion. It is from that perspective that Sandhya writes this wonderfully powerful book for the church.
In the course of the book she takes from the Civil Rights Movement of fifty years in the past to the present situation. We are invited to wrestle with immigration, the stereotype of the angry black man, the stereotype of the perpetual foreigner (where are you from?), class issues, race and religion post 9/11, and more. She deals with the issue of white privilege and how this is navigated. This was an especially poignant chapter for me, for I am white, male, middle-class, straight, married, and highly educated. I'm not "wealthy" but I live pretty comfortably! She speaks to the challenges of living in a mixed race contxt, and what she calls the oppression Olympics. What is this? Well it has to do with the way in which minority communities are often pitted against each other. In this regard, she seeks to move us toward a more integrated self and an intersectional faith. What is intersectional faith? Well, it has to do with the many realities of our lives, and how they intersect to form our identity -- gender, ethnicity, social class, religion, orientation, etc. While it is important to name these intersections, we also must move beyond them, so that these don't limit us.
The goal, ultimately, is creation of the Beloved Community, which Martin Luther King spoke of, and which Jesus himself envisioned. What is this Beloved Community? Sandhya Jha writes that for her it is "where you and I get to express the complexity of who we are and share the richness of our gifts with one another in ways that benefit the whole community" ((p. 152). Beloved community emerges when we begin to listen to each other's stories, both the beautiful and the painful stories, and recognize our brokenness so as to find healing. In many ways we're not there, but that doesn't mean we can't move toward this vision, even as we seek to navigate life in "pre-post-racial America."
This is a powerful book. And yes, it can be uncomfortable at points to read this as a person of privilege, and yes I benefit from White Privilege. I needn't feel guilty about it, but if I don't recognize that I have certain benefits due to my race, gender, and educational standing, then I'm not in a position to listen to others. Thus, from my perspective, I am greatly appreciative of Sandhya's message, for it is a word of hope.
Perhaps we live in what Sandhya Jha, a Disciples minister and activist calls a "pre-post-racial America. As is often the case in America the story of race and ethnicity is complicated. This is especially true today when a growing number of Americans identify as mixed race. While President Obama identifies as African American, his ancestry is both African (his father) and European (his mother), making him an exemplar of one who is mixed race. But such identifications aren't easy for us to comprehend. For instance, each year when I fill out the demographic report for the denomination there isn't a Mixed race category, just "other."
Well, Sandhya does identify as mixed race, though being lighter skinned she can pass as white (especially since she has red hair thanks to the Indian (South Asia) gift of henna as a hair dye. Her father is Indian and Hindu. Her mother is Scottish and Christian. Religiously she has followed the Christian tradition, but respects her father's religion. It is from that perspective that Sandhya writes this wonderfully powerful book for the church.
In the course of the book she takes from the Civil Rights Movement of fifty years in the past to the present situation. We are invited to wrestle with immigration, the stereotype of the angry black man, the stereotype of the perpetual foreigner (where are you from?), class issues, race and religion post 9/11, and more. She deals with the issue of white privilege and how this is navigated. This was an especially poignant chapter for me, for I am white, male, middle-class, straight, married, and highly educated. I'm not "wealthy" but I live pretty comfortably! She speaks to the challenges of living in a mixed race contxt, and what she calls the oppression Olympics. What is this? Well it has to do with the way in which minority communities are often pitted against each other. In this regard, she seeks to move us toward a more integrated self and an intersectional faith. What is intersectional faith? Well, it has to do with the many realities of our lives, and how they intersect to form our identity -- gender, ethnicity, social class, religion, orientation, etc. While it is important to name these intersections, we also must move beyond them, so that these don't limit us.
The goal, ultimately, is creation of the Beloved Community, which Martin Luther King spoke of, and which Jesus himself envisioned. What is this Beloved Community? Sandhya Jha writes that for her it is "where you and I get to express the complexity of who we are and share the richness of our gifts with one another in ways that benefit the whole community" ((p. 152). Beloved community emerges when we begin to listen to each other's stories, both the beautiful and the painful stories, and recognize our brokenness so as to find healing. In many ways we're not there, but that doesn't mean we can't move toward this vision, even as we seek to navigate life in "pre-post-racial America."
This is a powerful book. And yes, it can be uncomfortable at points to read this as a person of privilege, and yes I benefit from White Privilege. I needn't feel guilty about it, but if I don't recognize that I have certain benefits due to my race, gender, and educational standing, then I'm not in a position to listen to others. Thus, from my perspective, I am greatly appreciative of Sandhya's message, for it is a word of hope.
July 27, 2015
Lots of local (Oakland, California) stories & dialogues illustrate this personal exploration, with many spiritual connections, of the history, theories, & methods of racial justice work.
As a white person looking for ways to better understand the racial issues being expressed around me, I read this hoping to build up some background knowledge without having to ask people of color to explain it all to me again from the beginning.
Now that I've read it, I feel better informed about some of the various perspectives different people might have. The author doesn't claim to be comprehensive or representative, she is merely recording conversations and relating ideas to stories from history & current situations. She doesn't draw up conclusions or give her ideas a rigid structure that would direct the reader's thoughts - which allows readers to draw their own conclusions and construct their own logical framework. However, I would prefer it if she presented a logical structure AND her own conclusions. I am capable of disagreeing with her, but I'd like to know what sense she makes of it.
Despite that minor criticism, this book has many deep thoughts stated succinctly by different people. For example, "Privilege looks a lot like thinking your intentions matter more than your impact." (p.116) I liked her description of what it looks like to be an "ally"; "having the relationships & humility to first listen to the people from those marginalized communities and then create space for their voices." (p. 46)
Reading this book, I can articulate better some things that I've noticed about myself and others: As a white person, I am more comfortable focusing on the community aspirations than on the lived realities in communities in poverty, for example.
I am not religious, so much of her discussion of the Beloved Community was outside of my experience, but I could relate to her wanting the churches to acknowledge the grief & trauma that people are suffering, and to acknowledge that the people who are suffering are all God's people, same as everyone. And I liked how she brought up Esther from the Bible as a person who could "pass" and therefore had the opportunity to advocate for oppressed people.
As a white person looking for ways to better understand the racial issues being expressed around me, I read this hoping to build up some background knowledge without having to ask people of color to explain it all to me again from the beginning.
Now that I've read it, I feel better informed about some of the various perspectives different people might have. The author doesn't claim to be comprehensive or representative, she is merely recording conversations and relating ideas to stories from history & current situations. She doesn't draw up conclusions or give her ideas a rigid structure that would direct the reader's thoughts - which allows readers to draw their own conclusions and construct their own logical framework. However, I would prefer it if she presented a logical structure AND her own conclusions. I am capable of disagreeing with her, but I'd like to know what sense she makes of it.
Despite that minor criticism, this book has many deep thoughts stated succinctly by different people. For example, "Privilege looks a lot like thinking your intentions matter more than your impact." (p.116) I liked her description of what it looks like to be an "ally"; "having the relationships & humility to first listen to the people from those marginalized communities and then create space for their voices." (p. 46)
Reading this book, I can articulate better some things that I've noticed about myself and others: As a white person, I am more comfortable focusing on the community aspirations than on the lived realities in communities in poverty, for example.
I am not religious, so much of her discussion of the Beloved Community was outside of my experience, but I could relate to her wanting the churches to acknowledge the grief & trauma that people are suffering, and to acknowledge that the people who are suffering are all God's people, same as everyone. And I liked how she brought up Esther from the Bible as a person who could "pass" and therefore had the opportunity to advocate for oppressed people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2016
I had to read this book slowly and carefully. Sandhya Jha's thoughtful and honest examination of race relations made me stop over and over to reflect. Jha includes personal stories of people who have worked through the complex and difficult ways we interact and what it means to be on the margins. When Jha discusses white privilege, she doesn't pull punches, and as someone who has lived a life of white privilege, I need the regular wake-up call. The Bible readings included were meaningful, and for me it was good to see the Bible used to support love and connection rather than to promote exclusion and hate.
This is an amazing book, and I am so glad I learned about it and had the chance to read it.
This is an amazing book, and I am so glad I learned about it and had the chance to read it.
May 13, 2016
I have been looking for a book like this for a long time. This book embodies issues of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and ties them all up very well with personal stories and stories/theology from the Bible. As a Hispanic American woman who considers herself a Progressive Christian, this book said everything I wanted and more. It's thought provoking and makes an excellent addition to the heated and controversial conversation/dialogue between race and theology that is going on in America today.
August 31, 2016
Really enjoyed this book in particular for how LOCAL it is. Jha is well connected to Oakland faith and activist communities and her systemic understanding of race is based on personal connections to real people.
Honest and compelling in its willingness to confront the complexities (not just black and white) of racial justice.
Honest and compelling in its willingness to confront the complexities (not just black and white) of racial justice.
September 25, 2016
Reflections on racism and xenophobia, and the still-beating promise of social justice from Sandhya Jha. Each chapter is grounded in the stories of real people, campaigns, communities, many from California, with a particular focus on what role faith communities can play in creating a better world.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews