Course: “What it Means to Be White"
The Board of Christian Education would like to make LRUCC members aware of an opportunity being offered by the Rev. Joy Perkett, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Essex, Conn., and daughter of LRUCC members Bill and Doris Perkett. The Rev. Perkett is inviting folks from LRUCC to participate in the course, “What it Means to Be White.” This 9-week course will be offered to interested LRUCC and First Baptist Church members over Zoom starting in March. No need to travel to Connecticut to join in the program!
The course takes a life-altering look at what it means to be white, using the words of Black writers and directors to give us a mirror. The Rev. Perkett loves this course because it has been transformative for people across the political spectrum.
The Rev. Dr Ben Boswell, pastor of Myers Park Baptist Church, started this course. This course was inspired by Dr. Boswell’s life experiences as a white father struggling to raise a black daughter and as a white pastor struggling to lead predominantly white congregations in their pursuit of racial justice in an era of color-blind racism, resurging white supremacy, and Black Lives Matter. The intersection of these two struggles led Dr. Boswell to become dissatisfied with the way conversations about race and racism in white settings are often shallow and ineffective. Through a qualitative research process, Dr. Boswell discovered that by inviting white people to confront whiteness through the writings and films of black authors, intellectuals, and creatives in a small group circle of trust with practices of meditation and mindfulness, people racialized as white were able to see themselves with new eyes and transform dramatically from color-blind racism to take deeper responsibility for racial justice.
The Rev. Perkett’s colleague, the Rev. Tom Carr, will facilitate the “What Does lt Mean to Be White” course. He is a retired Connecticut American Baptist pastor who grew up in an interracial family. He will offer a unique perspective for the course. If there are too many people for the Rev. Carr’s group, the Rev. Perkett will facilitate a group.
Please contact Doris (703-663-7865) or Joy Perkett (revjperkett@gmail.com or 860-581-0493) for more information and/or to sign up to participate by February 20.
Interested in the “What it Means to Be White” course, but not able to commit to a 9-week live program? Consider viewing the White Privilege: Let’s Talk Webinar series offered by the UCC (Available online at: https://vimeopro.com/progressrenew/white-privilege-lets-talk).
Join Rev. John Dorhauer, Rev. Traci Blackmon and other national cross-denominatonal leaders in this webinar series on white privilege. They will lead us through four areas of focus: telling the story of your spiritual journey through the lens of race; looking at the dynamic of a culture in which whiteness is the established norm; learning how American attaches a cash value to whiteness; and inviting the participants to commit to becoming an ally in the pursuit of racial equity:
Day 1: The Big Picture – with John Dorhauer
Day 2: Spiritual Autobiography through the Lens of Race – with John Paddock
Day 3: Whiteness as the Norm – with Da Vita D. McCallister
Day 4: Whiteness as Cash Value – with Traci Blackmon
Day 5: On Being an Ally – with Stephen Ray