A new narrative on race.. - Together For The Common Good

Racial justice and the Common Good

There are many different ideas on how racial justice and structural change will be achieved. Not all of them can be regarded as ‘Common Good’.

The ‘white fragility’ approach is heavily promoted by the big corporates, and even by the Churches. However many leading Black thinkers reject this race-reductionist approach, arguing that it will fail to deliver, that it will drive further division and worse, that it is in itself a new form of racism. Meanwhile, those engaging in iconoclasm and performative gesture politics may be inadvertently maintaining the power dynamics that exploit and divide.

A Common Good approach requires a cross-racial, cross-class solidarity to resist the forces that dehumanise. It will involve constructive steps to address structural injustice, but above all it is about treating each other with grace and love. The only way to achieve true justice is through the obligations of love which are inseparable from relationships and from God, the source of love.

Watch the British conversation in the video below, or for an American perspective, watch the video discussion at the bottom of the page.

To go deeper, explore the links here:

Anti-racism training

Much of anti-racist training unfortunately draws on Critical Race Theory. Many people influenced by this approach are unaware of the underlying doctrine as it is rarely stated explicitly. It is a worldview at odds with Christianity but many organisations and even churches have been seduced by CRT’s divisive ‘white fragility’ narrative. However, there are alternatives, and we share two here.

The Equiano Project led by Inaya Folarin Iman draws on humanist thinking, providing talks, workshops and consultancy to charities, companies and organisations interested in a nuanced, balanced approach on issues of race, equality, diversity and inclusion.

Theory of Enchantment is a training business led by Chloe Valdery serving organisations and workplace environments, centering around a compassionate antiracism framework combining social emotional learning, character development and interpersonal growth as tools for leadership development.

Approaches to racial justice

It is vital to recognise the spectrum of opinion among Black communities and Black Christians. The Black theological tradition is rich and diverse: the loudest voices do not represent the entirety of it, and similarly, the most ubiquitous theologians do not represent the majority of Black church leaders. When it comes to approaches to racial justice this is no less true. Here we intentionally share material that promotes common good racial justice and which rejects race-reductionist ideologies.

Shelby Steele White Guilt: How Blacks & Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era

Remi Adekoya Biracial Britain: A Different Way of Looking at Race

Darrell B. Harrison How woke theology is weakening the (Black) church

Trevor Phillips:

Susannah Heschel Two Friends, Two Prophets: Martin Luther King Jr and Abraham Joshua Heschel

Alka Sehgal Cuthbert The Dangers of the New Anti-Racism

Batya Ungar-Sargon A New Black intelligentsia is pushing back

Revd Dr Esau McCaulley:

The Rainbow Coalition of Chicago, 1969 (documentary)

Richard Reeves better to fight for equality on mundane battlefields, not in protests

David Johnston for genuine diversity we must focus on substance not symbols

Howard Thurman Jesus and the Disinherited (book)