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I Bring the Voices of My People: A Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation (Prophetic Christianity
Disrupting the racist and sexist biases in conversations on reconciliation Chanequa Walker-Barnes offers a compelling argument that the Christian racial reconciliation movement is incapable of responding to modern-day racism. She demonstrates how reconciliation’s roots in the evangelical, male-centered Promise Keepers’ movement has resulted in a patriarchal and largely symbolic effort, focused upon improving relationships between men from various racial-ethnic groups. Walker-Barnes argues that highlighting the voices of women of color is critical to developing any genuine efforts toward reconciliation. Drawing upon intersectionality theory and critical race studies, she demonstrates how living at the intersection of racism and sexism exposes women of color to unique experiences of gendered racism that are not about relationships, but rather are about systems of power and inequity. Refuting the idea that race and racism are “one-size-fits-all,” I Bring the Voices of My People highlights the particular work that White Americans must do to repent of racism and to work toward racial justice and offers a constructive view of reconciliation that prioritizes eliminating racial injustice and healing the damage that it has done to African Americans and other people of color.
280 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2019
67 people are currently reading
1567 people want to read
About the author
Chanequa Walker-Barnes
6 books151 followersDr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes is a theologian and psychologist whose mission is to serve as a catalyst for healing, justice, and reconciliation in the Christian church and beyond. Dr. Walker-Barnes has earned degrees from Emory University (B.A., Psychology and African-American/African Studies), the University of Miami (M.S. and Ph.D., Clinical Child/Family Psychology), and Duke University (M.Div., Certificate in Gender, Theology, and Ministry).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
December 30, 2019
It’s an odd thing to rate and review one’s own book. But women don’t toot our own horns often enough, so I’m trying to learn the skill of self-aggrandizement. Or is it self-confidence?
No really, I’m including this because I need it to count for my 2019 reading challenge. After weeks of trying to finish all the books that were at various stages of reading, I’m still one book behind. And while I was trying to figure out why I was behind when it seems like I’ve done so much reading this year, I realized that it’s because I spent a lot of time reading and re-reading the same book: my book!
And plus, I think my book is pretty darn awesome. I wanted to write something about Christian racial reconciliation since I was introduced to the movement in 2005. But there were so many voices that I wanted to be sure that mine offered something different. So I kept reading and attending conferences until I figured out the something different. There is so much bad information out there about what race, racism, and reconciliation are about - especially in U.S. Christian contexts, with their heavily patriarchal cultures. So I wrote this book to disrupt and “correct” this misinformation, and to try to do my part in the ministry of reconciliation to which I believe that all Christians have been called.
No really, I’m including this because I need it to count for my 2019 reading challenge. After weeks of trying to finish all the books that were at various stages of reading, I’m still one book behind. And while I was trying to figure out why I was behind when it seems like I’ve done so much reading this year, I realized that it’s because I spent a lot of time reading and re-reading the same book: my book!
And plus, I think my book is pretty darn awesome. I wanted to write something about Christian racial reconciliation since I was introduced to the movement in 2005. But there were so many voices that I wanted to be sure that mine offered something different. So I kept reading and attending conferences until I figured out the something different. There is so much bad information out there about what race, racism, and reconciliation are about - especially in U.S. Christian contexts, with their heavily patriarchal cultures. So I wrote this book to disrupt and “correct” this misinformation, and to try to do my part in the ministry of reconciliation to which I believe that all Christians have been called.
November 12, 2019
Fabulous, thought-provoking, and sorely needed. Whereas much of the evangelical discussion around racial reconciliation has focused on White men and Black men coming together, this book comes from a womanist perspective. It is incredibly well-researched and well-informed, yet remains accessible to people like myself who do not have advanced degrees. This will now be my go-to book to recommend to people who come from a Christian background and want to learn more about racism and the paths forward.
December 31, 2019
Absolutely essential reading for any Christian interested or engaged in racial justice or reconciliation movements. Dr. Walker-Barnes has gifted the Church with the truth about our pitfalls--even in our attempts to reconcile. I'll be revisiting this one often.
December 12, 2019
This book is a must read for anyone interested in racial reconciliation. I cannot say this truth enough. Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes argues that for too long, our society has ignored the voices of women of color in discussions about racial reconciliation. As a result of this reality, we struggle to understand the true nature of racial injustice and thus also fail to recognize the depth of what racial reconciliation could mean. This book matters to ongoing discussions about the pursuit of racial reconciliation. Even more, ‘I Bring the Voices of My People’ works to shift the racial reconciliation movement from one focused on “proximity, dialogue, forgiveness, and friendship” to one focused on “liberation, justice, and transformation.” (pg. 203) In this masterful work, Walker-Barnes illuminates all that our society stands to gain when we listen to the voices of women on the margins.
January 31, 2020
I was so looking forward to reading this book. I wanted to hear a womanist perspective on racial reconciliation. I had grown weary of the approaches to racial reconciliation that tended toward seeking racial harmony without racial justice, and deep inside just knew from the title, Dr. Walker-Barnes would provide a framework that challenged the racial reconciliation status quo, as well as provide a vision that could truly address racial injustice. She did not disappoint.
Using five broad sections Walker-Barnes provides an overview of the history of race and racism--from so-called scientific racism (which was no science), to the social-construction of race to the new racism of color-blind racism. She does a marvelous job of unpacking the history, deconstructing the white supremacist foundations of race, yet honoring the reality of the effects of race in our lives. She writes, "The fact that race is socially constructed does not mean that it is not real." I absolutely loved that she continued to reiterate that race is not about feelings but about systems of oppression. In my experience, too many people want to ignore the reality of racism and seek to garner interracial "kum ba ya."
Walker-Barnes' frameworks are so informative. She builds upon black feminist author Patria Hill Collins' framework on power dynamics that is helpful in understanding the many layers from which racism operates. She then provides concrete examples. The four pillars of white supremacy that she shares and expands was eye opening to me: commodification, extermination, demonization, and indoctrination. Without addressing power dynamics that uphold racism, the process that keep white supremacy alive, and the intersectional nature of oppression, no plan or approach to racial reconciliation will even be sufficient.
Walker-Barnes offers a womanist framework for reconciliation that turns traditional racial reconciliation on its head. She provides very clear explanations of intersectionality and why intersectionality is critical to working toward racial reconciliation.
My favorite part of the book was the powerful vision Dr Walker-Barnes cast of the journey toward reconciliation using a specific example from Black women's literature. I won't share much more, so there are no spoilers in this review. But her vision for racial reconciliation came to life for me, as I saw the transformation that took place in the example she provided. That transformative example reinforced for me why her vision is a must for any person, group or organization working toward racial reconciliation. The journey must be transformative for whites who say they want racial reconciliation as well as for people of color who fight for racial justice.
I will be going back to this book time and again.
Using five broad sections Walker-Barnes provides an overview of the history of race and racism--from so-called scientific racism (which was no science), to the social-construction of race to the new racism of color-blind racism. She does a marvelous job of unpacking the history, deconstructing the white supremacist foundations of race, yet honoring the reality of the effects of race in our lives. She writes, "The fact that race is socially constructed does not mean that it is not real." I absolutely loved that she continued to reiterate that race is not about feelings but about systems of oppression. In my experience, too many people want to ignore the reality of racism and seek to garner interracial "kum ba ya."
Walker-Barnes' frameworks are so informative. She builds upon black feminist author Patria Hill Collins' framework on power dynamics that is helpful in understanding the many layers from which racism operates. She then provides concrete examples. The four pillars of white supremacy that she shares and expands was eye opening to me: commodification, extermination, demonization, and indoctrination. Without addressing power dynamics that uphold racism, the process that keep white supremacy alive, and the intersectional nature of oppression, no plan or approach to racial reconciliation will even be sufficient.
Walker-Barnes offers a womanist framework for reconciliation that turns traditional racial reconciliation on its head. She provides very clear explanations of intersectionality and why intersectionality is critical to working toward racial reconciliation.
My favorite part of the book was the powerful vision Dr Walker-Barnes cast of the journey toward reconciliation using a specific example from Black women's literature. I won't share much more, so there are no spoilers in this review. But her vision for racial reconciliation came to life for me, as I saw the transformation that took place in the example she provided. That transformative example reinforced for me why her vision is a must for any person, group or organization working toward racial reconciliation. The journey must be transformative for whites who say they want racial reconciliation as well as for people of color who fight for racial justice.
I will be going back to this book time and again.
January 2, 2020
This book is so damn good. Walker-Barnes takes some thorny topics, like gendered racism and the problems with racial reconciliation in the church, and leads the reader through them with clarity and truth. She patiently breaks down the areas where others have glossed over necessary nuance; for example, when we talk about gendered racism facing women of color, we have to understand that that manifests differently for Native American women than for Asian women and differently for Latinx women than African American women, and it also manifests differently within each of those groups because of colorism. Walker-Barnes also explains how race can be both a social construct and an absolute reality, and why both of those pieces matter to this conversation. I highlighted many passages and am left with much to ponder. For all Christians and anyone else concerned with racial justice, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
July 7, 2020
Read a few books on systemic racism? Time to up your game with this scholarly text on reconciliation. Dr. Walker-Barnes critiques previous attempts at racial reconciliation, in Christian settings, and offers practical steps forward, from the intersection of race and gender. I would share all of my favorite highlights, but that would be like giving the book away. So I will share one that resonated with me, “It is only by being on the margins that the oppressor and the oppressed can work together to deconstruct the center.”(chapter 5)
July 10, 2020
First few chapters are academic. Even so she hooked me by chapter 4. Definitely a new entry to the understanding and practice of racial reconciliation, and not for the faint of heart.
December 16, 2019
An excellent, timely, well-researched, and refreshingly personal vision of racial reconciliation. Her conversation on color blindness is particularly helpful. For anyone who's tired of the Promise Keepers version of racial reconciliation, I Bring the Voices of My People is a robust and concrete vision.
May 28, 2020
If you are interested in the work of racial reconciliation and are ready to be deeply challenged and confronted by concepts and thoughts about the deep impact of racism in America today you must read this book. It is not for the faint of heart but it is incredibly valuable and deeply necessary.
October 5, 2020
Probably the best book on racial reconciliation in the church, both correcting and challenging the usual narrative, supplying hope and resources/examples for those already doing the work, and encouraging those who are exhausted/depleted.
December 24, 2020
This is a great book. It pulled together in one place so much of what I have read. Highly recommend.
Read
January 17, 2023I suppose I haven't been as up on the evangelical approach to racial reconciliation because I don't consider myself evangelical. Sure, I've heard of Promise Keepers, but I've never really paid them much mind. Walker-Barnes's book is a scholarly yet deeply personal dive into the topic.
Walker-Barnes calls it a vision because she has no illusions about the difficulty of the topic. Her book points out that White Supremacy is the enemy and that we, as white people, should accept the responsibility of fixing what we have broken. She goes so far as to say that racial reconciliation is impossible, but then she quotes my favorite verse: All things are possible with God.
Much of the book was not new to me since I've read a number of other books on racism; however, her lens is a new one and one that I appreciated. Her analysis of The Color Purple as a model for reconciliation especially resonated with this old English major.
If I could sum up the book, I would include the following quotes:
"Much of what passes for racial reconciliation feels like an interracial playdate." i.e. Making friends isn't enough. We as a society owe genuine atonement and, yes, reparations for the harm that's been caused by centuries of racism.
"In racial reconciliation, this means that White people must move from the center to the margins because they finally realize that the white supremacy that lies at the center of the human imagination is not actually divine; it is an idol....It is only by being on the margins that the oppressor and the oppressed can work together to deconstruct the center."
Walker-Barnes calls it a vision because she has no illusions about the difficulty of the topic. Her book points out that White Supremacy is the enemy and that we, as white people, should accept the responsibility of fixing what we have broken. She goes so far as to say that racial reconciliation is impossible, but then she quotes my favorite verse: All things are possible with God.
Much of the book was not new to me since I've read a number of other books on racism; however, her lens is a new one and one that I appreciated. Her analysis of The Color Purple as a model for reconciliation especially resonated with this old English major.
If I could sum up the book, I would include the following quotes:
"Much of what passes for racial reconciliation feels like an interracial playdate." i.e. Making friends isn't enough. We as a society owe genuine atonement and, yes, reparations for the harm that's been caused by centuries of racism.
"In racial reconciliation, this means that White people must move from the center to the margins because they finally realize that the white supremacy that lies at the center of the human imagination is not actually divine; it is an idol....It is only by being on the margins that the oppressor and the oppressed can work together to deconstruct the center."
February 21, 2020
I believe in racial reconciliation with all of my being, but I know that I have a lot of work left to do. I am a white male heterosexual Christian, and as such, I benefit from certain privileges that go with that status. Part of me wants to believe that I'm just like everyone else, but it's not true. We are in fact all very different, and those differences make us who we are. For some that offers privileges. For others, it can be oppressive.
Books like Chaequa Walker-Barnes' "I Bring the Voices of My People" are not easy reads. It's not that the writing style is dense and foreboding. It's the subject matter, subject matter many of us would rather not engage with. Nevertheless, there is truth told here that we need to hear. Walker Barnes is an African-American Christian heterosexual woman, who teaches practical theology at McAfee School of Theology. She doesn't pull many punches. Nevertheless, she believes in racial reconciliation. She closes the book with a word of hope, but first, we have to do the work. And, that's not easy.
This is, as the subtitle reveals, a "Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation." It represents the intersection between race and gender that has come to be known as Womanist theology. She writes out of her own experience of racism and sexism. She writes as one who is evangelical in her theology, but because of her context finds herself between two worlds.
She begins the conversation by reminding us that racism isn't about friendship or feelings. We can be friends with persons of color and still be racists. Racism is about power and in the American context, whites have power in ways that others do not. Thus, we must start by defining terms, such as race and ethnicity. Race may be a social construction, but it holds the keys to power. One of the issues brought out early is symmetry. The idea of color-blindness functions as a way of equalizing something that isn't equal. It neglects differences in context, background, opportunity, and more. Ultimately, racism is about white supremacy. We have to deal with that!
If racism has to do with white supremacy and power, it doesn't stand alone. Remember this is a Womanist view of the subject. There are factors that come into play when we talk about racial reconciliation. Factors like gender. Thus, we must engage the conversation from an intersectional perspective. She notes that "Identity is always multilayered. That is, none of us exists as just a raced person. Our identities are complex combinations of race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, geographic origin, dis/ability status, religion, and so on" (p. 65). This multilayered nature of the conversation requires us to involve all of these factors in our conversations about racial reconciliation. One element of this conversation that I hadn't considered closely but which makes sense is colorism, the fact that in our culture we value whiteness, and thus we equate female beauty with the lightness of skin, as well as certain views of hair and body type. styles/forms. There is much more here to be engaged, all of which remind us that racial reconciliation is not an easy pathway.
Perhaps the most challenging chapter for a person like me is chapter 3, "The Unbearable Whiteness of Being." In other words, if we're going to have racial reconciliation, we're going to have to talk about whiteness. In other words, when we talk about race, we have to talk about being White and what that means in our context. For many persons of European ancestry, people like me, tend to see the world as if we are the norm. There is a built-in assumption that "White cultural values, beliefs, aesthetics, and yes, even people are inherently superior to those of all other people groups" (p. 115). She approaches this conversation from a perspective of pastoral theology and psychology. She writes that she approaches this conversation "as someone trained in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness and dysfunctional family systems," and thus she wants "to explore the notion of whiteness as a sociocultural system, indeed as a condition of moral injury, into which all White Americans --- regardless of their particular ethnic heritage or immigration history -- are socialized and in which they participate daily in ways that continuously reinforce White supremacy and undermine racial justice." (p. 116). I hadn't thought of whiteness involving moral injury, that is recognizing that our souls are injured and require healing. By the time we've finished this chapter, especially if we're white (and male) we will have had our vision of racial reconciliation upended and disrupted. We'll have discovered that this is a more difficult pathway than we imagined. Yet, it's necessary.
But, we're not quite ready for reconciliation. First, we must face the curse. Yes, it begins with a curse. Walker-Barnes uses Alice Walker's The Color Purple as a means of exploring the next step. She writes that reconciliation must begin with confrontational truth-telling if we're to reach liberation and reconciliation. I've not read the book nor seen the movie, but as Walker-Barnes lays this out here we see the power of the book and its message. The process of racial reconciliation can't end with white folks like me feeling good about our new friend of color, if, as she writes, "the material realities of people of color are unchanged" (p. 203). The goal here is ultimately wholeness, where oppression is no longer present. She writes that "racial reconciliation is part of God's ongoing and eschatological mission to restore wholeness and peace to a world broken by systemic injustice." (p. 204). That involves dismantling white supremacy.
The book concludes with a vision of hope that is rooted in what she calls spiritual strivings. The task of reconciliation may seem impossible, but there is hope if we see this as a spiritual movement of transformation. It involves standing in solidarity with one another, and for those of us who are White, that means stepping back from the center to the margins, so that others can experience the center.
This is a powerful book. It's a challenging one as well. Walker-Barnes writes with passion. She's not afraid to confront. Yet, she offers us a way forward. There is hope, but it will take commitment to a path that will require much of us to get there.
Books like Chaequa Walker-Barnes' "I Bring the Voices of My People" are not easy reads. It's not that the writing style is dense and foreboding. It's the subject matter, subject matter many of us would rather not engage with. Nevertheless, there is truth told here that we need to hear. Walker Barnes is an African-American Christian heterosexual woman, who teaches practical theology at McAfee School of Theology. She doesn't pull many punches. Nevertheless, she believes in racial reconciliation. She closes the book with a word of hope, but first, we have to do the work. And, that's not easy.
This is, as the subtitle reveals, a "Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation." It represents the intersection between race and gender that has come to be known as Womanist theology. She writes out of her own experience of racism and sexism. She writes as one who is evangelical in her theology, but because of her context finds herself between two worlds.
She begins the conversation by reminding us that racism isn't about friendship or feelings. We can be friends with persons of color and still be racists. Racism is about power and in the American context, whites have power in ways that others do not. Thus, we must start by defining terms, such as race and ethnicity. Race may be a social construction, but it holds the keys to power. One of the issues brought out early is symmetry. The idea of color-blindness functions as a way of equalizing something that isn't equal. It neglects differences in context, background, opportunity, and more. Ultimately, racism is about white supremacy. We have to deal with that!
If racism has to do with white supremacy and power, it doesn't stand alone. Remember this is a Womanist view of the subject. There are factors that come into play when we talk about racial reconciliation. Factors like gender. Thus, we must engage the conversation from an intersectional perspective. She notes that "Identity is always multilayered. That is, none of us exists as just a raced person. Our identities are complex combinations of race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, geographic origin, dis/ability status, religion, and so on" (p. 65). This multilayered nature of the conversation requires us to involve all of these factors in our conversations about racial reconciliation. One element of this conversation that I hadn't considered closely but which makes sense is colorism, the fact that in our culture we value whiteness, and thus we equate female beauty with the lightness of skin, as well as certain views of hair and body type. styles/forms. There is much more here to be engaged, all of which remind us that racial reconciliation is not an easy pathway.
Perhaps the most challenging chapter for a person like me is chapter 3, "The Unbearable Whiteness of Being." In other words, if we're going to have racial reconciliation, we're going to have to talk about whiteness. In other words, when we talk about race, we have to talk about being White and what that means in our context. For many persons of European ancestry, people like me, tend to see the world as if we are the norm. There is a built-in assumption that "White cultural values, beliefs, aesthetics, and yes, even people are inherently superior to those of all other people groups" (p. 115). She approaches this conversation from a perspective of pastoral theology and psychology. She writes that she approaches this conversation "as someone trained in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness and dysfunctional family systems," and thus she wants "to explore the notion of whiteness as a sociocultural system, indeed as a condition of moral injury, into which all White Americans --- regardless of their particular ethnic heritage or immigration history -- are socialized and in which they participate daily in ways that continuously reinforce White supremacy and undermine racial justice." (p. 116). I hadn't thought of whiteness involving moral injury, that is recognizing that our souls are injured and require healing. By the time we've finished this chapter, especially if we're white (and male) we will have had our vision of racial reconciliation upended and disrupted. We'll have discovered that this is a more difficult pathway than we imagined. Yet, it's necessary.
But, we're not quite ready for reconciliation. First, we must face the curse. Yes, it begins with a curse. Walker-Barnes uses Alice Walker's The Color Purple as a means of exploring the next step. She writes that reconciliation must begin with confrontational truth-telling if we're to reach liberation and reconciliation. I've not read the book nor seen the movie, but as Walker-Barnes lays this out here we see the power of the book and its message. The process of racial reconciliation can't end with white folks like me feeling good about our new friend of color, if, as she writes, "the material realities of people of color are unchanged" (p. 203). The goal here is ultimately wholeness, where oppression is no longer present. She writes that "racial reconciliation is part of God's ongoing and eschatological mission to restore wholeness and peace to a world broken by systemic injustice." (p. 204). That involves dismantling white supremacy.
The book concludes with a vision of hope that is rooted in what she calls spiritual strivings. The task of reconciliation may seem impossible, but there is hope if we see this as a spiritual movement of transformation. It involves standing in solidarity with one another, and for those of us who are White, that means stepping back from the center to the margins, so that others can experience the center.
This is a powerful book. It's a challenging one as well. Walker-Barnes writes with passion. She's not afraid to confront. Yet, she offers us a way forward. There is hope, but it will take commitment to a path that will require much of us to get there.
January 3, 2022
A really incredible book. Not that I’ve read a ton on racial reconciliation, but this has to be the best one yet. There are a lot of concepts that challenge me in my White evangelical background that I feel are really good
Read
April 13, 2021Read for class so no rating or review, but this was masterfully done and I will be going back to it multiple times, I'm sure.
April 27, 2021
Summary: Centering Black women's experience as a model for racial reconciliation.
Over the nearly 2 years since I Bring the Voice of My People, it has been consistently recommended by a range of people as one of the most important books in the field of Christian racial reconciliation. It has taken me too long to read it, but now that I have, I join my voice and agree, this is not only a book that should be read widely, I think it becomes one of the primary books that I will recommend early in White people's grappling with issues of race in the church.
Part of the book's strength is clear definitions and lots of examples and stories, like the definition of racial reconciliation and womanism early in the book.
A working definition that can guide readers in the first half of the book is this: Racial reconciliation is part of God’s ongoing and eschatological mission to restore wholeness and peace to a world broken by systemic injustice. Racial reconciliation focuses its efforts upon dismantling White supremacy, the systemic evil that denies and distorts the image of God inherent in all humans based upon the heretical belief that White aesthetics, values, and cultural norms bear the fullest representation of the imago Dei. White supremacy thus maintains that White people are superior to all other peoples, and it orders creation, identities, relationships, and social structures in ways that support this distortion and denial. p32
and
Taking its name from the word coined by Alice Walker, womanist theology can be defined as . . . the systematic, faith-based exploration of the many facets of African American women’s religiosity. Womanist theology is based on the complex realities of [B]lack women’s lives. Womanist scholars recognize and name the imagination and initiative that African American women have utilized in developing sophisticated religious responses to their lives. p32
The two main purposes of this being a Womanist view of racial reconciliation, according to Walker-Barnes, is a focus on Intersectionality and a focus on the wholistic view of healing and liberation. One of the best books I have read to introduce the reader to the concept of intersectionality is So You Want to Talk About Race. Still, I Bring the Voice of My People, not only does as good of a job introducing the concept of intersectionality, but it also brings many practical examples of why intersectionality is essential to racial reconciliation in the church and any discussion about race in the US. Again, many people have a poor understanding of what Intersectionality is. And Walker-Barnes, I think, frames it well.
Identity is not just additive; it is multiplicative. If I were writing it as an algebraic equation, I would write it like this: RacialGenderIdentity = Race + Gender + (Race*Gender) In other words, African American women will share some experiences with African American men by virtue of their race, and they will share some experiences with all women by virtue of their femaleness. But their location at the intersection of race and gender predisposes them to experiences of gendered racism that are qualitatively and quantitatively different from those of African American men (and certainly from White men), White women, and sometimes even other women of color. p33
So much of the book is framed in ways that many that oppose CRT would agree with. But Critical Race Theory is important in looking at structures of how the reality of Race came to be so powerful in the US. Much of the book's first half is either laying out the history and reality of race or the history and weaknesses of the Christian (especially Evangelical) racial reconciliation movement. That background cannot really be skipped because the shared understanding is essential to the constructive theological model of racial reconciliation at the end of the book. The framing of the modern conception of race requires a discussion of color-blind racism. This matters both for social understanding outside the church but also for a theological understanding inside the church, as this passage lays out:
Symmetrical treatment is the dominant Christian approach to racial reconciliation. The argument follows along these lines: Race is socially constructed, that is, a human rather than divine creation. Race obscures God’s intentions for humanity; therefore, it is sinful. All racial categories are equally sinful, that is, blackness is as problematic as whiteness. The solution is for Black people to stop seeing themselves as Black, for White people to stop seeing themselves as White, and for all of us to see ourselves as Christians. p62
Again, intersectionality is essential to the discussion because Womanist vision is to resist single-axis thinking:
Multiplicity recognizes that we are always raced and gendered, but also acknowledges that, in varying contexts, different aspects of our identity will be more salient. For example, in a predominantly White environment, my blackness may stand out and be the primary lens through which I interpret my experience. If I am in France, my Americanness may be the most salient factor. This approach to multiplicity is similar to the tendency in antiracist and antisexist organizing to treat race and gender as mutually exclusive domains that can be engaged separately from one another. When women of color are engaged in antiracist work with our male colleagues, we are often expected to assume a “race first, gender second” mentality, that is, to effectually relegate the non-raced layers of our identity to the background. When we are engaged in antisexist work with our White female peers, we are expected to do the same thing with respect to gender, focusing upon the universal experience of womanhood (as if such a thing exists). Both represent single-axis frameworks. And both are highly problematic for women of color. p91
I have appreciated Womanist perspectives as I have been reading through Dr. Wil Gafney's biblical work and Walker-Barnes on racial reconciliation because different people ask different questions, which matters to how issues are framed. No other book I have read on Christian racial reconciliation has had extended sections on colorism, beauty, and patriarchy. It is exactly this point that Brenda Salter McNeil points to when she discusses resistance to church involvement among the more recent racial justice movements. Because the church often has been patriarchal and/or primarily approaching justice with single-axis thinking, newer justice movements that Black women in decentralized power structures heavily organize are reluctant for church involvement because of the historic prioritization of male hierarchical leadership.
I could easily make this into an even more quote-focused post. I primarily listened to the audiobook but kept going back to the kindle edition to make highlights. (The kindle and audio are not synced, and there are several places where the audio has minor word errors or differences). If you want to look at my Goodreads pages, I have nearly 40 highlights and notes.
The second half of the book is an extended discussion of the book Color Purple by Alice Walker to give shared language and imagery from which Walker-Barnes builds a model of racial reconciliation. I have passed on my recommendation of the book to several, and I hope to have some good discussions with friends about the constructive model. I plan on rereading the book in a couple of months and think about some of the implications of her model. I am not going to try to describe the model in full, but present this long quote from the end of the book as a summary:
In this chapter, I have offered a model of racial reconciliation consistent with what Thurman calls “the discipline of reconciliation . . . [which] applies not only to ruptured human relations but also to disharmony within oneself created by inner conflict. The quality of reconciliation is that of wholeness; it seems to effect and further harmonious relations in a totally comprehensive climate.”78 Alice Walker’s The Color Purple exemplifies the wholistic nature of reconciliation that Thurman describes. It demonstrates how the lives and the narratives of women of color contain tremendous power to reveal the intersectional nature of oppression, the complicated legacy that it leaves, and the incredibly complex work that is required for liberation, healing, and transformation. It reveals that, more often than not, genuine racial reconciliation does not begin with an invitation to bridge building; neither does it require forgiveness of behaviors, attitudes, and social systems whose evil is of such a magnitude that they could be forgiven only by God. Instead, true racial reconciliation often begins with a curse. “Until you do right by me��� is the cry that must be uttered by the oppressed, and it is the challenge that must be met by the oppressor. To revisit and expand the definition that I offered in the introduction to this volume, racial reconciliation is part of God’s ongoing and eschatological mission to restore wholeness and peace to a world broken by systemic injustice. Racial reconciliation is a social justice movement that focuses upon dismantling White supremacy, the systemic evil that denies and distorts the image of God inherent in all humans based upon the heretical belief that White aesthetics, values, and cultural norms bear the fullest representation of the Imago Dei. p229
Walker-Barnes is modeling a deep reconciliation, not just visual diversity or casual friendship. The depth of her vision exceeds what an older model of racial reconciliation has as its image. At the same time, the depth of reconciliation modeled answers the critique of many anti-CRT Christians that suggest that CRT or anti-racism is incapable of being part of a Christian vision of wholeness.
I need to reread this to absorb the nuance and think through some of the implications for areas with different choices than what I have considered before. Still, I think this is among the most important books I have read on Christian racial reconciliation. Right now, the kindle edition is on sale for $3.99, so I highly recommend picking it up. The audiobook is not connected, so there is not a discount.
May 26, 2021
“Liberated people in transformed relationships creating a new world together—that is the work of building beloved community.”
“Racial reconciliation is a wholistic process that requires confrontational truth-telling, the liberation and healing of the oppressed, the repentance and conversion of the oppressor, and an ongoing commitment to building beloved community.”
This is one of the best books I’ve ever read on racial reconciliation. Dr. Walker-Barnes presents a womanist approach to reconciliation, which is intersectional and holistic. She addresses a much deeper look at underlying issues that aren’t always discussed in racial justice books and conversations. I really appreciated her in-depth discussion of colorism and some of the various harmful stereotypes of BIWOC.
She has an amazing chapter in which she uses The Color Purple as a model for reconciliation, which immediately sent me to read it after this one.
I highly recommend this especially to those who are engaged in the work of racial reconciliation in a Christian/church context. Thorough, thought-provoking, and powerful!
“Racial reconciliation is a wholistic process that requires confrontational truth-telling, the liberation and healing of the oppressed, the repentance and conversion of the oppressor, and an ongoing commitment to building beloved community.”
This is one of the best books I’ve ever read on racial reconciliation. Dr. Walker-Barnes presents a womanist approach to reconciliation, which is intersectional and holistic. She addresses a much deeper look at underlying issues that aren’t always discussed in racial justice books and conversations. I really appreciated her in-depth discussion of colorism and some of the various harmful stereotypes of BIWOC.
She has an amazing chapter in which she uses The Color Purple as a model for reconciliation, which immediately sent me to read it after this one.
I highly recommend this especially to those who are engaged in the work of racial reconciliation in a Christian/church context. Thorough, thought-provoking, and powerful!
January 11, 2021
It is impossible for me to be a healthy white male pastor/Christian without becoming a student of womanist voices like Chanequa Walker-Barnes. After awhile I just had to put the highlighter down, as I was highlighting everything.
Here's the core message to white readers: "Taking responsibility for the way in which white culture and white racial identity have been formed and distorted ought to be the primary work of white Christians who claim to desire racial reconciliation and racial justice." p 131
The book shows you the many ways that white Christians have tried to address racism, such as color-blindness and "racial reconciliation" efforts that put equal obligation on white people and POC to overcome racial division. Multicultural churches and just hanging out with one another isn't the solution, in fact they can be part of the problem.
Instead Walker-Barnes gives us four essential steps on the journey to dismantle racism in pursuit of racial reconciliation:
1. Confrontational Truth-telling.
2. Liberation and healing for the oppressed.
3. REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION OF [WHITE] OPPRESSORS.
4. Building beloved community.
She taught me so much about how white supremacy has shaped my identity and self esteem and the moral-injury it has caused me. She wonders rightly how in the world white people could ever assume that we are "unaffected by the lingering consequences of slavery?" And then, like James Baldwin also did, she goes on to show how screwed up we all actually are. She uses the concept of moral injury to diagnose the souls of white folks. It's a thing to behold.
I read this after George Floyd's murder in 2020, but am writing the review in January 2021 after the white supremacist insurrection at the Capitol. This has been the most helpful tool to help me understand the actions of ordinary good white racists who support blatant acts of systemic white supremacy; and helps me understand the faulty logic of Biden's demands to move on and focus on "healing." There is no healing without accountability, truth-telling, and radical repentance.
This is not an intro level book, but it is for anyone wanting to sharpen your eyes to what's really going on in the world and what the church can do about it.
Here's the core message to white readers: "Taking responsibility for the way in which white culture and white racial identity have been formed and distorted ought to be the primary work of white Christians who claim to desire racial reconciliation and racial justice." p 131
The book shows you the many ways that white Christians have tried to address racism, such as color-blindness and "racial reconciliation" efforts that put equal obligation on white people and POC to overcome racial division. Multicultural churches and just hanging out with one another isn't the solution, in fact they can be part of the problem.
Instead Walker-Barnes gives us four essential steps on the journey to dismantle racism in pursuit of racial reconciliation:
1. Confrontational Truth-telling.
2. Liberation and healing for the oppressed.
3. REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION OF [WHITE] OPPRESSORS.
4. Building beloved community.
She taught me so much about how white supremacy has shaped my identity and self esteem and the moral-injury it has caused me. She wonders rightly how in the world white people could ever assume that we are "unaffected by the lingering consequences of slavery?" And then, like James Baldwin also did, she goes on to show how screwed up we all actually are. She uses the concept of moral injury to diagnose the souls of white folks. It's a thing to behold.
I read this after George Floyd's murder in 2020, but am writing the review in January 2021 after the white supremacist insurrection at the Capitol. This has been the most helpful tool to help me understand the actions of ordinary good white racists who support blatant acts of systemic white supremacy; and helps me understand the faulty logic of Biden's demands to move on and focus on "healing." There is no healing without accountability, truth-telling, and radical repentance.
This is not an intro level book, but it is for anyone wanting to sharpen your eyes to what's really going on in the world and what the church can do about it.
January 2, 2021
I just took a race and diversity class this semester, and this book was essentially a beautiful summary to an $800 college class. Well worth the read. Reading about this topic from the perspective of a black woman of faith was something I had not done before (well overdue, obviously). Her views on reconciliation were persuasive. The context behind the need for reconciliation was also explained convincingly.
As a white woman, I would love to know more about how to do this work of reconciliation. Like she said, most people are not actively oppressing, they are simply living in a system where they benefit from an oppressive hierarchical order. How do we break from that privilege and do the work when all we do is make coffee every morning and try to find maybe a $13 per hour job if we are lucky and go to sleep at night and wake up and go to a church where women have no voice? How do we help break the narrative. How do we break from the oppression and support the victim? These are things I'm still uncertain about, and I don't have practical solutions. Not to worry, I'll keep educating myself and reading. This book gave a comprehensive understanding to the "why" but I'd like to know more about the "how".
As a white woman, I would love to know more about how to do this work of reconciliation. Like she said, most people are not actively oppressing, they are simply living in a system where they benefit from an oppressive hierarchical order. How do we break from that privilege and do the work when all we do is make coffee every morning and try to find maybe a $13 per hour job if we are lucky and go to sleep at night and wake up and go to a church where women have no voice? How do we help break the narrative. How do we break from the oppression and support the victim? These are things I'm still uncertain about, and I don't have practical solutions. Not to worry, I'll keep educating myself and reading. This book gave a comprehensive understanding to the "why" but I'd like to know more about the "how".
September 6, 2021
The best book I have ever read on race. (For context, I am a White woman.) A few elements of the outline from my 9 pages of notes:
1. Racism Is Not about Feelings or Friendship
"Four Pillars of White Supremacy" are commodification, extermination, demonization, and indoctrination. These can be expressed as the "questions that White supremacy poses upon encountering nonwhite peoples of the world: Should we exploit them...? Should we eradicate them...? Should we villify them...? Should we assimilate them...?" (51).
2. Racism Is Not a Stand-Alone Issue
RacialGenderIdentity is not just Race + Gender. It is Race + Gender + Race*Gender (66-68)
3. The Unbearable Whiteness of Being
"manifestations of the moral injury" of whiteness include "conformity, trust in authority, selective sight, and egoethnocentrism" (136).
4. Reconciliation Begins with a Curse
This chapter is going to be hard for many White evangelicals because The Color Purple is woven throughout as examples, when they would likely be expecting the Bible. Because of my own background of abuse, I related to the main character and loved her liberation
Four steps of reconciliation: "(1) confrontational truth-telling; (2) liberation and healing for the oppressed; (3) repentance and conversion for the oppressor; and (4) building beloved community" (163).
5. Our Spiritual Strivings
"six spiritual commitments that enable and sustain our participation in God's mission: being held captive, confessing and lamenting, standing in solidarity, keeping Sabbath, cultivating grace, and watching God" (208).
1. Racism Is Not about Feelings or Friendship
"Four Pillars of White Supremacy" are commodification, extermination, demonization, and indoctrination. These can be expressed as the "questions that White supremacy poses upon encountering nonwhite peoples of the world: Should we exploit them...? Should we eradicate them...? Should we villify them...? Should we assimilate them...?" (51).
2. Racism Is Not a Stand-Alone Issue
RacialGenderIdentity is not just Race + Gender. It is Race + Gender + Race*Gender (66-68)
3. The Unbearable Whiteness of Being
"manifestations of the moral injury" of whiteness include "conformity, trust in authority, selective sight, and egoethnocentrism" (136).
4. Reconciliation Begins with a Curse
This chapter is going to be hard for many White evangelicals because The Color Purple is woven throughout as examples, when they would likely be expecting the Bible. Because of my own background of abuse, I related to the main character and loved her liberation
Four steps of reconciliation: "(1) confrontational truth-telling; (2) liberation and healing for the oppressed; (3) repentance and conversion for the oppressor; and (4) building beloved community" (163).
5. Our Spiritual Strivings
"six spiritual commitments that enable and sustain our participation in God's mission: being held captive, confessing and lamenting, standing in solidarity, keeping Sabbath, cultivating grace, and watching God" (208).
March 15, 2022
An excellent book. Dr. Walker-Barnes covers what currently passes for racial reconciliation and discusses what is necessary if we are to move towards true reconciliation. She acknowledges that true reconciliation may seem like an impossible dream, but that in the midst of striving for the impossible we watch for God. Thus the 'prophetic Christianity' tagged on at the end of the title. Prophetic Christianity knows that we aren't where we should be, and that the road to that place is not easy, but it speaks into the gulf between where we are and where we need to be with a voice that moves us in the right direction.
Possibly my favorite chapter in the book is the one in which she breaks down Celie's journey in The Color Purple as it relates to reconciliation. Not only did it make me want to re-read TCP from this perspective, but it provided a tangible example that I could wrap my mind around.
This is a book that demands to be re-read, because I know I didn't absorb it all in one reading. As a blend between the prophetic and the practical, it belongs on the shelf (and in the hands) of anyone committed to moving towards a beloved community where everyone's full value is recognized and celebrated.
Possibly my favorite chapter in the book is the one in which she breaks down Celie's journey in The Color Purple as it relates to reconciliation. Not only did it make me want to re-read TCP from this perspective, but it provided a tangible example that I could wrap my mind around.
This is a book that demands to be re-read, because I know I didn't absorb it all in one reading. As a blend between the prophetic and the practical, it belongs on the shelf (and in the hands) of anyone committed to moving towards a beloved community where everyone's full value is recognized and celebrated.
February 11, 2022
Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes is graceful, eloquent and confrontational in her womanist vision for racial reconciliation. I have watched how Dr. Walker-Barnes' words and that of others have impacted my dear friend and pastor who as a Black woman is experiencing Black liberation and celebrating her Blackness as she invites others to experience the same in Jesus, the liberator. Black women and other women of color in leadership are essential to this racial reconciliation process, as Dr. Walker-Barnes explains. Dr. Walker-Barnes and her words confront me gracefully as a white woman who is complicit in what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. calls "the white moderate" in the church because of the ways I have been shaped by white supremacy, but they simultaneously bring me hope that active pursuit of liberation and healing for people of color (specifically women of color), learning and listening from people on the margins and in different contexts than me, and a deep and provocative faith in Jesus and the impossible will move myself and my community forward in creating a space of restoration, solidarity, healing, activism, rest, prayer, grace and love. Thank you, Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes.
February 24, 2020
I found this a very intelligent read. Especially powerful is the chapter on whiteness. Even though it may seem obvious, I was also struck by the notion that while white privilege is very important in the conversation about racism, the root of it all is really white supremacy — entrenched belief that white people are superior and deserve better than POC. We should continue to discuss the facts of privilege, but we must address this destructive root of supremacy if we ever want to eliminate racism. This makes so much sense. My only real issue with the book was that I didn’t feel that it kept a central focus on the topic it says it’s promoting: black women and reconciliation. To me, the book spoke much more broadly about racial justice issues only occasionally mentioning issues related directly to women. I found it difficult to follow any clear thread of this throughout the book. It was just a little disappointing as I was looking forward to a different, often marginalized, perspective.
July 29, 2020
I’ve been challenged by Walker-Barnes’ systematic and constructive critique of the white American church’s past efforts at racial reconciliation. As a working definition of racial reconciliation, Walker- Barnes offers this: “Racial reconciliation is part of God’s ongoing and eschatological mission to restore wholeness and peace to a world broken by systemic injustice...” (10). In other words, tackling racial reconciliation from a theological perspective means being reconciled to a vision that God has for humanity - what a hopeful image to work towards! I Bring the Voices of My People has challenged me to reframe my thinking on racial reconciliation. I’m now actively seeking to create spaces, conversations, and relationships with youth that do the work of reconciliation, namely: “restoring us [humans of all kinds] to right relationship with God, with humanity and creation, and with ourselves” (Walker-Barnes 176).
November 13, 2020
This book is tremendously important. Dr. Walker-Barnes gives us a robust and hopeful vision for racial reconciliation from the perspective of women of color. She offers a clear explanation of racism and the ways that women of color have been uniquely subject to oppressive systems. The book is very academic with tons of research and copious footnotes, but still deeply personal and compelling. Dr. Walker-Barnes writes of the complexities and nuances of racism with great wisdom. Her final chapter on spiritual practices to sustain us on the journey towards reconciliation was especially helpful. This is the absolute best book that I've read on racial justice and reconciliation. Highly recommend.
February 20, 2021
As a White woman who is also ordained clergy and who has been drawn to the work of racial reconciliation since I was very young, I am deeply grateful for this book and the author. I learned so much about the challenges of and obstacles to racial reconciliation. I also received a renewed sense of purpose and hope. It has been tempting, especially in recent years, to throw in the towel, to say that no matter how hard we try nothing will change. Walker-Barnes reminded me that as a follower of Christ: a) the work is not mine but God’s; b) I am not called to be successful, just obedient; c) one cannot be a Christian without entering into the work of reconciliation; and d) I come from a long line of ancestors who never saw the fulfillment of the work to which they gave their lives.
July 6, 2021
I appreciated this book for exposing me to a number of concepts that I had not encountered before, like:
- The Four Pillars of White Supremacy (drawn from the work of Andrea Smith*)
- Moral Injury
- Moral Repair
There were also several specific historical examples in the book that I hadn't encountered before, like the yellow-face actress in Doctor Strange (what?!? and also that story has layers, like they changed the casting from a Tibetan man in order to not offend China?!?) or the "Straight Outta Compton" colorist casting call.
Overall I found this a helpful book to wrestle with and stretch my categories.
*yes, I know: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/06/po...
- The Four Pillars of White Supremacy (drawn from the work of Andrea Smith*)
- Moral Injury
- Moral Repair
There were also several specific historical examples in the book that I hadn't encountered before, like the yellow-face actress in Doctor Strange (what?!? and also that story has layers, like they changed the casting from a Tibetan man in order to not offend China?!?) or the "Straight Outta Compton" colorist casting call.
Overall I found this a helpful book to wrestle with and stretch my categories.
*yes, I know: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/06/po...
January 28, 2025
Evaluating this book by its bibliography alone, it’s a treasure. I’m just starting my journey of reading womanist literature, and knowing I can come back to this book, flip through, and pick ten or more excellent books to read next, is exactly what I need.
If you are not Christian (or not Christian anymore), you might wonder if this book is worth reading. I would still strongly suggest it, specifically the chapters “Racism is not about Feelings or Friendship,” “Racism is not a Stand-Alone Issue,” “The Unbearable Whiteness of Being,” and “Reconciliation Begins with a Curse.” Um, I’m just now realizing that’s the majority of this book. You know what? Yes. The book is that good. It provides a vision for what we can and should be moving towards in community, even in 2025.
If you are not Christian (or not Christian anymore), you might wonder if this book is worth reading. I would still strongly suggest it, specifically the chapters “Racism is not about Feelings or Friendship,” “Racism is not a Stand-Alone Issue,” “The Unbearable Whiteness of Being,” and “Reconciliation Begins with a Curse.” Um, I’m just now realizing that’s the majority of this book. You know what? Yes. The book is that good. It provides a vision for what we can and should be moving towards in community, even in 2025.
May 21, 2021
Quite possibly the most challenging and thought-provoking book I've read on this subject. I learned so much from Dr. Walker-Barnes' work here. This book is invaluable for anyone who cares about true racial reconciliation, especially Christians for whom the work of reconciliation should be central, but only read it if you are willing to be challenged and corrected and taught. It explores the ways much of what is passing for racial reconciliation currently comes up short and provides a different framework that centers the wisdom and experiences of women of color. The depth and breadth of the research is remarkable, and I am walking away with a list of sources for further learning.
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