I have never heard the phrase "America's Original Sin" spoken more than in this past month — never in my life.
Unfortunately, it took the 8 minutes 46 seconds for George Floyd to be publicly murdered to prompt white people in our nation to wake up. Perhaps partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the whole nation was watching and finally listening to a conversation about the last 401 years.
And this is no longer an endless discussion over details. Did Trayvon put up a fight? Did Rayshard Brooks need to run? Where was Ahmaud Arbery jogging, and what was going on in Breonna’s building? Did some protesters need to cause property damage? These old, irrelevant questions miss the point.
Finally, white people in America are realizing that relief and protection for Black people doesn’t come with debating the details of unjust death. For healing, for repentance, for change, we must first address the 401 years that got us here — the history that allows white people to murder Black people without consequence or any accountability.
We are in the midst of a kairos moment, a time of spiritual and cultural change. And many are asking: Does this moment have the momentum to lead to a movement to save and protect Black lives? I think it does. And I deeply hope it will.
My 2016 book, America’s Original Sin, was deliberately written by a white man. This is not just an issue for Black people to solve. White people, specifically white Christians, have a huge role in repenting and acting in the interest of protecting Black lives, our Black brothers and sisters. It is our responsibility to change our own behavior and our systems to make safety and space for Black people to thrive in our country and world.
America’s Original Sin makes that connection. This journey toward true equity, and then reconciliation, begins with white repentance for white supremacy and racism and the fatal consequences of these forces, followed by a daily pursuit of justice-oriented action. True repentance means turning around and going in an entirely new direction.
Part of the task for white people seeking to set off on this new path is gaining a deeper understanding of these issues, without expecting Black brothers and sisters in our lives to educate those of us who are white. As such, many excellent books about racism, anti-Blackness, white privilege, both historically and today, are readily available, and can help white people understand their responsibility to become anti-racist and how they can do so.
I was honored and moved that America's Original Sin, was included in a recent social media image (included above) of books for people desiring to become anti-racist. That image included so many fine recommendations that we were inspired to share it with all of you — a "summer reading list" especially for white people, and white Christians in particular, who want to deepen their understanding of systemic racism and anti-Blackness and strengthen their commitment to racial equity, justice, and healing.
I hope these resources will be helpful to you and yours in this kairos time — whether you are white and could therefore benefit from the knowledge in these books, and/or whether you share it with white people in your life who are seeking such resources, many in multi-racial communities, churches, and environments.
The road ahead will not be short or easy to walk. Civil society and, frankly civil peace, requires earning the public trust, which has been completely lost. It will take all of us to do that.
Blessings,
Jim Wallis
Founder and President, Sojourners |
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