Prayer for Highland Park
Jesus said we are the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13). I heard someone else comment that all too often we tell people, “Go to the church! There’s salt there!” when we should be out sprinkling salt w…
The Northern Illinois Conference Anti-Racism Task Force and their partners, are pleased to announce our 2022 Speaker Series.
During this 4-part series that extends into December and includes a 6-week book study in the fall, we will journey together to prayerfully learn, engage, and tackle our personal and corporate role in addressing racism.
The goals of the Speaker Series include….
- Increasing cultural competency through dialogue about the contexts, causes, and impacts of racism
- Reducing implicit bias by exploring cultural frameworks
- Learning our Methodist racial history—both in our complicity but also in our notable efforts to dismantle racism.
We invite you to journey with us.
Upcoming Events
Undenied: No Longer Willing to be Unheard
Thursday, September 22, 2022, 12:00 - 1:30 PM
Rev. Chebon Kernell shares insights and learning related to indigenous communities’ history, present work being done, and how we can be in solidarity as we prepare for the future.
In-person (Our Redeemer's in Schaumburg) and Online
Speaker: Rev. Chebon Kernell, UMC Native American Comprehensive
Moderator: Rev. Pamela Pirtle
Called: Doing God's Work for the Beloved Community
Thursday, December 1, 2022, 12:00 - 1:30 PM
Dr. Hart addresses what the local church can do to combat the continuation of racism in the church and in society.
In-person and via Zoom
Speaker: Dr. Drew G.I. Hart
Past Events:
Unsilenced: Our Stories, Our Voices
Thursday, March 24, 2022, 12:00-1:30 PM
Representatives from the Northern Illinois Conference and their neighboring Indiana Conference share stories about the impact that racism has had on them.
via Zoom
Speakers: Tim Alexander, Rev. Sandy Harlan, Dr. Betty Hart, & Rev. Dr. Michelle Oberwise Lacock
Unafraid: Stand up for Social Justice
Thursday, June 23, 2022, 12:00 -1:30 PM
Representatives from different conferences discuss what the local church and their conferences are doing to address racism.
via Zoom
Speakers: Rev. Derrek Belase, Rev. David Lagos-Fonseca, Rev. Dana Neuhauser, Rev. Brian Tillman, & Rev. Kathy L. Williams
Moderator: Rev. Pamela Pirtle
Resources from the Events:
- Download the text typed in the Chat from the March 24 event or the June 23 event.
- Learn more about the work of the NIC Anti-Racism Task Force.
- Learn more about the IN Covenant to Being "IN Against Racism!" - Action Network
- Learn what is coming up next in our 2022 Speaker Series here.
- If you would like to become active in the work of the Anti-racism Task Force, consider joining the NIC Anti-Racism Taskforce Champion Team.
- Participate in the 2022 NIC Rally Against Racism
- Informative videos from the IN Conference - Covenant for Anti-Racism: Where Do We Go from Here…Chaos or Community? An Exploration of John Wesley, Methodism and Racism
- Connecting Faith and Justice - Youth Lectionary B Curriculum from UMC Church & Society - The curriculum is designed to help students actively engage the intersection of faith and justice and explore why our faith compels us toward justice. It is available to download today for free.
Read the panelists' book recommendations:
- Sandy Harlan
- Dr. Betty Hart
- By the Light of the Moon
- Prayers in the Black Tradition - with Richard Bowyer and Charlotte Meade.
- Drew G. I. Hart
- Chapters by Michelle Oberwise Lacock in the following books:
Recommended Reading:
- An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States (REVISIONING HISTORY) by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
- Diversity Beyond Lip Service: A Coaching Guide For Challenging Bias by La’Wana Harris
- Educating All God’s Children: What Christians Can and Should Do to Improve Public Education for Low-Income Kids by Karen Baker Fulgham
- How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice by Jemar Tisby
- I Bring the Voices of My People: A Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
- I’m Black, I’m Christian, I’m Methodist edited by Rudy Rasmus
- Massacre at Sand Creek: How Methodists Were Involved in an American Tragedy by Gary L. Roberts
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad (Young Reader's Edition also available)
- Ministering Cross-Culturally: A Model for Effective Personal Relationships by Sherwood G. Lingenfelter and Marvin Keene Mayers
- Multiethnic Conversations: An Eight-Week Journey Toward Unity in Your Church by Mark DeYmaz and Oneya Fennell Okuwobi
- My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem
- On This Spirit Walk: The Voices of Native American and Indigenous Peoples by Henrietta Mann and Anita Phillips
- Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence: Understanding and Facilitating Difficult Dialogues on Race by Derald Wing Sue
- Radical Reconciliation: Beyond Political Pietism and Christian Quietism by Curtiss Paul DeYoung and Allan Aubrey Boesak
- The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline, and New Hope for Beloved Community by Stephanie Spellers
- The Diversity Gap: Where Good Intentions Meet True Cultural Change by Bethany Wilkinson
- The Cross and the Lynching Tree By James H. Cone
- The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus' Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted by Obery M. Hendricks Jr.
- The Racial Healing Handbook by Anneliese Singh
- We Can’t Talk About That At Work: How To Talk About Race, Religion, Politics, and Other Polarizing Topics by Mary-Francis Winters
- Who Lynched Willie Earle: Preaching to Confront Racism by Bishop William H. Willimon
Speakers Series Partners:
Anti-Racism Task Force of the Northern Illinois Conference
Church & Society
General Commission on the Status and Role of Women
Great Plains United Methodist Conference
Indiana United Methodist Conference
Minnesota United Methodist Conference
Native American Comprehensive Plan
North Georgia United Methodist Conference
Our Saviour’s United Methodist Church