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How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice by Jemar Tisby
adammuly's review against another edition
4.0
lkthomas07's review against another edition
5.0
adamrshields's review against another edition
4.0
Jemar Tisby has long been fighting against racism. He has an NYT bestselling history survey, The Color of Compromise. He is the co-founder of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective. He is in the final stages of his Ph.D. in history, focusing on 20th-century racial history. And he co-hosts the Pass The Mic podcast.
This is a very different book from Color of Compromise. Color of Compromise is a survey of the American church's racial history, especially its compromise concerning accepting racism in exchange for cultural power. Tisby says clearly in the introduction that How to Fight Racism responds to the standard question that he frequently gets, especially from White Christians, after presenting the problems of racism. How to Fight Racism is a book-length response to 'what can I do.'
The broad structure of the book is ARC (see link for a graphic detailing the concept). ARC is not linear, but a broad strategy that will look different from person to person and community to community. But generally, healthy response to racism will include some mix of ongoing awareness, relationship building, and a long-term commitment to systemic change. This may sound theoretical, but it is very practically focused. There are many stories to illustrate the suggestions. And while you certainly do not need to be a Christian to get value out of the book, it is a Christian book that is rooting the reasoning and methods of fighting racism in a Christian background.
How to Fight racism will be the most helpful read in a group. Because many aspects of racism are cultural, organizational, or legal, there are limits to individual actions. There are study guides for group discussion available. And I think that if you can read this in a group, especially a group within a church or organization, it can be a good jumping-off point toward organizational change that is systemic. Many other similar pieces (often article length) are oriented toward individuals.
I did see one review that said there was not much new or unique here. In some ways, I agree. Similar to how there is not much about prayer or bible reading or discipleship that is really new or unique, but we still need new books to teach and communicate to new contexts. We do still need books to talk about how to oppose racism and take different approaches.
How to Fight Racism is not also not trying to prove that racism exists. That is a different book. This book centered around practical, constructive opposition to racism, especially the type of work that Christians should do. And I hope it is a book that will be widely read and widely put into practice.
brandonc985's review against another edition
5.0
readsewknit's review against another edition
4.0
This may look like offering suggested interview questions to collect narratives from people of color. Or an acknowledgement of how not everyone might be receptive to such initiatives, and how to frame them in a way to communicate its value. Tisby also discusses the value of how a church can address failure in their past through honesty and confession, even if none of the principal characters are still living. He also touches on how to read the Bible to glean insight into God's heart when it comes to racism, and how diverse communities offer insight and cultivate empathy (even beyond race and ethnicity, a diverse community based on geography, gender, and class can shape a faith community by offering different experiences and revelations that can challenge and change us).
For those who particularly appreciate hearing works directly from the author, Jemar Tisby narrates his own book.
I found this an informative book that adds to the conversation taking place. Particularly as some churches have questioned outright the role of Critical Race Theory, Tisby's work may be better received than other books not necessarily framed by a person of faith.
(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
corriespondent's review against another edition
5.0
jadeleonardo's review against another edition
5.0
noahbw's review against another edition
4.0
neilrcoulter's review against another edition
5.0
The structure Tisby uses to guide this book is what he calls "the ARC of racial reconciliation": Awareness, Relationships, Commitment. Each of us is probably naturally drawn more to one of these areas than the others, but Tisby encourages us to intentionally spend time in all of them. Awareness is reading and learning about race issues; relationships involves seeking out friendships that take us out of the monocultural spheres that are easiest for us; and commitment is actively getting involved in social change for antiracism.
For me, my default area is definitely awareness; I could read all day long about any topic, and especially about race. It's the other two areas that Tisby challenged me the most. I'm in a phase of life where I barely have any friends at all—I love being with my family, and most of my time is spent at home with them, not out building other friendships—and most of my closest friends are white, and quite a lot like me. Tisby gave some good ideas for modifying that situation, and I'm already thinking through how I might broaden the scope of my friendships. For "commitment," I often feel that I have no influence to make any changes anywhere; mostly I sit in my house staring at my computer screen, editing other people's writing. Not very exciting or influential, though it suits me. Tisby's advice in the book is helpful, though figuring out what I should be doing in this area is still percolating in my thoughts. I'm not sure where it will end up, but I'm open to anything.
As the subtitle implies, the book is targeted particularly at Christians. But the jargon here is not too "insider-only," and because, as I mentioned, there are so few books that attempt to guide practical steps for antiracism, I think this book is worth anyone's time, not just Christians. But it is definitely recommended reading for all Christians and all churches. I hope churches, Sunday schools, and Bible studies will decide to read this book together and discuss how they'll respond to Tisby's encouragement.
How to Fight Racism assumes that the reader already knows the basics about racism in the US, so it's not the only book on the topic that a person should read. But pairing this with other books I've read recently, such as How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi, or Reading While Black, by Esau McCaulley, is perfect.