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Black and White: Disrupting Racism One Friendship at a Time
Working against racism is part of what it means to call Jesus Lord and Savior.Most of us don’t need to make speeches. We need to make friends. This is the core message of Black and racism can be disrupted by relationships. If you will risk forging friendships with those who do not look like you, it will change the way you see the world, and that could change the world. The authors, Teesha Hadra, a young African American woman, and John Hambrick, a sixty-year-old white man, bring a confident and redemptive tone to this hope because that is exactly what they’ve experienced. Black and White leverages their story, surrounding it with other’s stories, practical advice, and exploration of the systems of racism to motivate you to consider your own role in change. Learn about the various and often subtle ways racism continues to be a part of American culture. Discover how simple (albeit not always easy) it is to get involved in what God is doing to disrupt racism. Become equipped to take faithful, practical, next steps in obedience to God’s call to join the movement against racism. “Awareness creates discontent. A lack of awareness often results in complacency. When it comes to racism there’s no room for complacency. Especially for Christ followers. In Black & White my friends Teesha Hadra and John Hambrick stir our awareness. My hope—their hope—is that having become aware we will become permanently and passionately discontent with racism in all of its insidious forms and expressions.” —Andy Stanley, pastor and founder of North Point Community Church, author of Irresistible
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 28, 2020
Summary: Making the argument that racism is antithetical to the gospel and that the church needs to work to overcome it. With the primarily example that reaching out and building relationships as the best means to more fully understand and build coalitions within the church to overcome racism.
_______
If I had not met John Hambrick a couple times (he is one of the pastors at my church), I do not think I would have picked up Black and White: Disrupting Racism One Friendship at a Time. I do not need to be convinced that racism is one of the evils that must be confronted in society and especially within the church. And I am highly skeptical about the structure of addressing racism from individual relationships instead of from a more systemic perspective.
But I have met John and we have previously talked about racial issues more generally and within our own church. So I was willing to give this book a try. While this is a book that talks about individual relationships as a means to gain understanding about the racial divide in our world, it does not present racism as a problem of individual animus based on skin color, but as a systematic cultural problem (as I believe that it is.)
The friendship framing is not about solving the problem of racism as a whole, but to gain understanding. I do still have a problem with White people seeking out minorities to be friends with out of purely utilitarian purposes and not an actual desire for friendship, but that is not what this book is advocating.
Instead this is a look at what racism is, why the church needs to deal with it and a number of the common issues that prevent Christians from really addressing race. I have read pretty widely in research about racism and around history and methods of addressing racism, and there is much to commend here. Many of the best books I have read on racism are not from a Christian perspective. In most ways, the Christians writing about race are at least a step behind at this point. But while Black and White is pitched to a more introductory level, the background of the content is on point and not simplistic.
Coincidentally, I started going to a short-term small group dealing with racial issues within the church that is similar in theme. It is called Conversations and is based on a curriculum from another local church, which is also providing facilitator for the small group (you can read more about it here).
The small groups at our church are only four weeks, but after two weeks I was honestly extremely impressed with the work being done. So maybe I have under valued simple relationship building as one means to address racism.
Black & White is well written and easy to read. I finished it in just a couple days. The hard work is not reading or gaining information, but building relations. And while simple relationships are not a magic bullet, they can be as part of an intentional strategy of moving toward anti-racism, and they can be a helpful starting point for many.
My full review is also on my blog at http://bookwi.se/black-and-white/
Merged review:
Summary: Making the argument that racism is antithetical to the gospel and that the church needs to work to overcome it. With the primarily example that reaching out and building relationships as the best means to more fully understand and build coalitions within the church to overcome racism.
_______
If I had not met John Hambrick a couple times (he is one of the pastors at my church), I do not think I would have picked up Black and White: Disrupting Racism One Friendship at a Time. I do not need to be convinced that racism is one of the evils that must be confronted in society and especially within the church. And I am highly skeptical about the structure of addressing racism from individual relationships instead of from a more systemic perspective.
But I have met John and we have previously talked about racial issues more generally and within our own church. So I was willing to give this book a try. While this is a book that talks about individual relationships as a means to gain understanding about the racial divide in our world, it does not present racism as a problem of individual animus based on skin color, but as a systematic cultural problem (as I believe that it is.)
The friendship framing is not about solving the problem of racism as a whole, but to gain understanding. I do still have a problem with White people seeking out minorities to be friends with out of purely utilitarian purposes and not an actual desire for friendship, but that is not what this book is advocating.
Instead this is a look at what racism is, why the church needs to deal with it and a number of the common issues that prevent Christians from really addressing race. I have read pretty widely in research about racism and around history and methods of addressing racism, and there is much to commend here. Many of the best books I have read on racism are not from a Christian perspective. In most ways, the Christians writing about race are at least a step behind at this point. But while Black and White is pitched to a more introductory level, the background of the content is on point and not simplistic.
Coincidentally, I started going to a short-term small group dealing with racial issues within the church that is similar in theme. It is called Conversations and is based on a curriculum from another local church, which is also providing facilitator for the small group (you can read more about it here).
The small groups at our church are only four weeks, but after two weeks I was honestly extremely impressed with the work being done. So maybe I have under valued simple relationship building as one means to address racism.
Black & White is well written and easy to read. I finished it in just a couple days. The hard work is not reading or gaining information, but building relations. And while simple relationships are not a magic bullet, they can be as part of an intentional strategy of moving toward anti-racism, and they can be a helpful starting point for many.
My full review is also on my blog at http://bookwi.se/black-and-white/
_______
If I had not met John Hambrick a couple times (he is one of the pastors at my church), I do not think I would have picked up Black and White: Disrupting Racism One Friendship at a Time. I do not need to be convinced that racism is one of the evils that must be confronted in society and especially within the church. And I am highly skeptical about the structure of addressing racism from individual relationships instead of from a more systemic perspective.
But I have met John and we have previously talked about racial issues more generally and within our own church. So I was willing to give this book a try. While this is a book that talks about individual relationships as a means to gain understanding about the racial divide in our world, it does not present racism as a problem of individual animus based on skin color, but as a systematic cultural problem (as I believe that it is.)
The friendship framing is not about solving the problem of racism as a whole, but to gain understanding. I do still have a problem with White people seeking out minorities to be friends with out of purely utilitarian purposes and not an actual desire for friendship, but that is not what this book is advocating.
Instead this is a look at what racism is, why the church needs to deal with it and a number of the common issues that prevent Christians from really addressing race. I have read pretty widely in research about racism and around history and methods of addressing racism, and there is much to commend here. Many of the best books I have read on racism are not from a Christian perspective. In most ways, the Christians writing about race are at least a step behind at this point. But while Black and White is pitched to a more introductory level, the background of the content is on point and not simplistic.
Coincidentally, I started going to a short-term small group dealing with racial issues within the church that is similar in theme. It is called Conversations and is based on a curriculum from another local church, which is also providing facilitator for the small group (you can read more about it here).
The small groups at our church are only four weeks, but after two weeks I was honestly extremely impressed with the work being done. So maybe I have under valued simple relationship building as one means to address racism.
Black & White is well written and easy to read. I finished it in just a couple days. The hard work is not reading or gaining information, but building relations. And while simple relationships are not a magic bullet, they can be as part of an intentional strategy of moving toward anti-racism, and they can be a helpful starting point for many.
My full review is also on my blog at http://bookwi.se/black-and-white/
Merged review:
Summary: Making the argument that racism is antithetical to the gospel and that the church needs to work to overcome it. With the primarily example that reaching out and building relationships as the best means to more fully understand and build coalitions within the church to overcome racism.
_______
If I had not met John Hambrick a couple times (he is one of the pastors at my church), I do not think I would have picked up Black and White: Disrupting Racism One Friendship at a Time. I do not need to be convinced that racism is one of the evils that must be confronted in society and especially within the church. And I am highly skeptical about the structure of addressing racism from individual relationships instead of from a more systemic perspective.
But I have met John and we have previously talked about racial issues more generally and within our own church. So I was willing to give this book a try. While this is a book that talks about individual relationships as a means to gain understanding about the racial divide in our world, it does not present racism as a problem of individual animus based on skin color, but as a systematic cultural problem (as I believe that it is.)
The friendship framing is not about solving the problem of racism as a whole, but to gain understanding. I do still have a problem with White people seeking out minorities to be friends with out of purely utilitarian purposes and not an actual desire for friendship, but that is not what this book is advocating.
Instead this is a look at what racism is, why the church needs to deal with it and a number of the common issues that prevent Christians from really addressing race. I have read pretty widely in research about racism and around history and methods of addressing racism, and there is much to commend here. Many of the best books I have read on racism are not from a Christian perspective. In most ways, the Christians writing about race are at least a step behind at this point. But while Black and White is pitched to a more introductory level, the background of the content is on point and not simplistic.
Coincidentally, I started going to a short-term small group dealing with racial issues within the church that is similar in theme. It is called Conversations and is based on a curriculum from another local church, which is also providing facilitator for the small group (you can read more about it here).
The small groups at our church are only four weeks, but after two weeks I was honestly extremely impressed with the work being done. So maybe I have under valued simple relationship building as one means to address racism.
Black & White is well written and easy to read. I finished it in just a couple days. The hard work is not reading or gaining information, but building relations. And while simple relationships are not a magic bullet, they can be as part of an intentional strategy of moving toward anti-racism, and they can be a helpful starting point for many.
My full review is also on my blog at http://bookwi.se/black-and-white/
May 23, 2019
I wanted to like this more, but ultimately I felt like it was too careful of white people's feelings and not enough focused on the urgent, critical, life-threatening need for repentance and change.
White racism is killing us, and white Christian racism is killing the church, the Bride of Christ, in America.
This is a good enough book, and for a group study (for a group that would stick it out) it is probably fine. But that group would need a strong, informed, and connected leader (or leaders), and ideally such a book discussion would have black leaders directing conversations and stopping white nonsense rabbit trails.
I'm giving it to my pastor to read, as we're attempting to re-orient our congregation to be racially and ethnically inclusive, and there are some good tips here, but I was hoping for something stronger and more direct.
I felt that I can close this book and go away thinking "there are some good thoughts in here." But I am not compelled by this book to work out my own salvation after hearing these things. I feel that it provides a "here's something to think about it" option.
The authors write well, and mostly are clear and direct. There are some times when the naivety and white ignorance still shines through, even with the author team comprising an older white man and a younger black woman, both in ministry in a church. They are honest and funny and sober, but what I think is missing here is a sense of passion or urgency or even frightening despair over the state of the American white Christians.
The thesis, that one can begin to break the bondage of white racism by finding and forming relationships with black people, is charming, although if I were black I'd begin to feel like I was the Magic Stone that healed people when they touched me, and I'm pretty sure no one wants to feel that way. Relationships by themselves do not fix racism--there are endless stories of white people having black employees, family, spouses, and children, and white people in those stories are stone-cold racists.
What is necessary in the relationship is an honest determination to be honest and clear and utterly brutal about thoughts, and in that honesty to accept stern rebuke and correction. Being a friend of black people doesn't fix racism. Directly identifying and attacking, and ripping out and repenting, does. This book alludes to this second part, but in my opinion it approaches this delicate subject with too much delicacy.
I'd recommend it as a useful tool in your tool box if you're trying to figure out this white racism thing, and I think it fits the general point of view many white Christians have about repentance, that it's a matter of sidling along to the truth, but I think there might be stronger books out there--or there should be.
4 out of 5 stars.
White racism is killing us, and white Christian racism is killing the church, the Bride of Christ, in America.
This is a good enough book, and for a group study (for a group that would stick it out) it is probably fine. But that group would need a strong, informed, and connected leader (or leaders), and ideally such a book discussion would have black leaders directing conversations and stopping white nonsense rabbit trails.
I'm giving it to my pastor to read, as we're attempting to re-orient our congregation to be racially and ethnically inclusive, and there are some good tips here, but I was hoping for something stronger and more direct.
I felt that I can close this book and go away thinking "there are some good thoughts in here." But I am not compelled by this book to work out my own salvation after hearing these things. I feel that it provides a "here's something to think about it" option.
The authors write well, and mostly are clear and direct. There are some times when the naivety and white ignorance still shines through, even with the author team comprising an older white man and a younger black woman, both in ministry in a church. They are honest and funny and sober, but what I think is missing here is a sense of passion or urgency or even frightening despair over the state of the American white Christians.
The thesis, that one can begin to break the bondage of white racism by finding and forming relationships with black people, is charming, although if I were black I'd begin to feel like I was the Magic Stone that healed people when they touched me, and I'm pretty sure no one wants to feel that way. Relationships by themselves do not fix racism--there are endless stories of white people having black employees, family, spouses, and children, and white people in those stories are stone-cold racists.
What is necessary in the relationship is an honest determination to be honest and clear and utterly brutal about thoughts, and in that honesty to accept stern rebuke and correction. Being a friend of black people doesn't fix racism. Directly identifying and attacking, and ripping out and repenting, does. This book alludes to this second part, but in my opinion it approaches this delicate subject with too much delicacy.
I'd recommend it as a useful tool in your tool box if you're trying to figure out this white racism thing, and I think it fits the general point of view many white Christians have about repentance, that it's a matter of sidling along to the truth, but I think there might be stronger books out there--or there should be.
4 out of 5 stars.
June 23, 2021
This book is a good start to understanding racism and trying to end it starting within the church is a great idea.
February 9, 2020
"Friendship is a foundation for the concrete work of reforming systems and institutions infected with racism."
This is an incredible book that gives a unique perspective regarding taking our divided world and working our way to a better more loving world. This book helps each of us find a way to work against the racist systems in our world. This book is a well written, gentle push towards redemption
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts
This is an incredible book that gives a unique perspective regarding taking our divided world and working our way to a better more loving world. This book helps each of us find a way to work against the racist systems in our world. This book is a well written, gentle push towards redemption
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts
April 21, 2019
BLACK AND WHITE
DISRUPTING RACISM ONE FRIENDSHIP AT A TIME
BY TEESHA HADRA; JOHN HAMBRICK
ABINGDON PRESS
CHRISTIAN
PUB DATE 19 MAR 2019
I am reviewing a copy of Black and White through Abingdon Press and Netgalley:
In this book we are reminded that when acts of evil happen to humanity we are watching it happen to the very people who are created in God’s image! The book goes on to remind us that prejudice is not a Jesus thing but disrupting racism is!
Even in this day and age we often have lower expectations from those of Color, and though Segregation has been illegal for years, not everyone has equal access to education.
The authors go on to point that unless we desire God’s justice more than being right, we cannot change our hearts. We are reminded too that reconciliation isn’t necessary because a movement or a famous person says so, but it is because Jesus says reconciliation is necessary.
I found Black and White to be a powerful book that gives practical ways to think about and deal with prejudices,
I give Black and White five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
DISRUPTING RACISM ONE FRIENDSHIP AT A TIME
BY TEESHA HADRA; JOHN HAMBRICK
ABINGDON PRESS
CHRISTIAN
PUB DATE 19 MAR 2019
I am reviewing a copy of Black and White through Abingdon Press and Netgalley:
In this book we are reminded that when acts of evil happen to humanity we are watching it happen to the very people who are created in God’s image! The book goes on to remind us that prejudice is not a Jesus thing but disrupting racism is!
Even in this day and age we often have lower expectations from those of Color, and though Segregation has been illegal for years, not everyone has equal access to education.
The authors go on to point that unless we desire God’s justice more than being right, we cannot change our hearts. We are reminded too that reconciliation isn’t necessary because a movement or a famous person says so, but it is because Jesus says reconciliation is necessary.
I found Black and White to be a powerful book that gives practical ways to think about and deal with prejudices,
I give Black and White five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
May 6, 2019
Two people from different generations and upbringings, both serving at the same church become friends. While on this journey, they continue to have open dialogues in order to understand not only each other, but try to discuss ways to combat racism in the Christian Church. The one place where it tends to run rampant and shouldn't be.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a easy read and it is my prayer and hope that more will read it and maybe we can at least destroy this curse from the Christian Church.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a easy read and it is my prayer and hope that more will read it and maybe we can at least destroy this curse from the Christian Church.
December 21, 2020
Wasn’t expecting much of this book but was happily content by the end. This will be a great book for me to gift to many of my southern Christian friends that may not have as broad an understanding of racism in the US today—despite the many outstanding issues of 2020. Its a gentle, yet honest and challenging, read of pushing yourself from your own comfort zone to endorse the rights and value of other children of God who look less like you.
May 4, 2023
Ideas are solid, I’m not the target audience.
Written for older white evangelicals wary of ideas like systemic racism. To them I would recommend this book: it communicates some basic sociology and theology around race in a nonthreatening manner.
I read this as part of a church group, and was hoping for more of an in-depth challenge, à la Tisby. Didn’t find that here.
Written for older white evangelicals wary of ideas like systemic racism. To them I would recommend this book: it communicates some basic sociology and theology around race in a nonthreatening manner.
I read this as part of a church group, and was hoping for more of an in-depth challenge, à la Tisby. Didn’t find that here.
December 22, 2020
Well written view on addressing racism from a Christian perspective. Glad to have read and looking forward to joining a group conversation on it. Maybe suggesting we turn this into an advanced Lay Servant class in the UMC.
March 31, 2021
Interesting concepts regarding the various types of racial injustice from the perspectives of two people one of which being African American. However putting their ideas into practice continues to be challenging.
October 18, 2022
An essential read for any Christian in this day and age.
December 10, 2020
Can I be a catalyst for change? Can a person who doesn’t look like me, see me for who I am instead of the color of my skin? YES!!! All of the above is possible. It will take courage, kindness, patience, and perseverance. This book can make a positive impact in the fight of stomping out racism “one friendship at a time”. Full of “jewels and gems” to incorporate in everyday life. All while keeping you encouraged and providing hope through relevant scriptures and the authors’ experiences relevant to today.
Truly a MUST READ for anyone wanting to have a full understanding and how to be a positive part of making things change... now and beyond!
Truly a MUST READ for anyone wanting to have a full understanding and how to be a positive part of making things change... now and beyond!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews