Becoming Anti-Racist: Indiana’s Largest Methodist Church Takes A Stand For Racial Justice | Podcast Episode 10

It is a tense time in our nation, when race equity is igniting a firestorm of resistance in some of our schools, politics, and communities. But there are people from every race and ethnicity standing up for racial justice, including the biggest Methodist church in the state of Indiana, with a largely white congregation.

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis launched a new initiative called “Becoming Anti-Racist” with a commitment to help change our communities—a project borne out of a tragedy that rocked our nation.

Due to our own race equity work, we wanted to learn more about their initiative and find out how you can get involved. Listen to our podcast, “Your Voice. Their Future.”

PODCAST PARTICIPANTS

• Cindy Booth / Child Advocates CEO
• Betty Brandt / St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
• Jill English / Chief of Community, Equity, and Inclusion
• Angela Cain / Communications Consultant / Podcast Host

LISTEN TO EPISODE 10 NOW

LINKS FROM SHOW:

• St. Luke’s United Methodist Church “Becoming Anti-Racist” Initiative: https://www.stlukesumc.com/antiracist#overview
• George Tompkins Memorial: Forgotten No Longer:  https://www.stlukesumc.com/antiracist/article/a-lynching-in-the-cold-springs-woods-the-sinister-case-of-george-tompkins
• Chalkbeat: Critical Race Theory legislation: https://www.chalkbeat.org/22525983/map-critical-race-theory-legislation-teaching-racism
• Reaction to Indiana House Bill 1134 – Critical Race Theory Inspired Legislation: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2022/02/22/indiana-hb-1134-lawmakers-limit-debate-parents-feel-unheard/6878896001/
• Child Advocates Interrupting Racism for Children workshops: https://www.childadvocates.net/programs/irfc/
• Child Advocates’ Programs: https://www.childadvocates.net/programs/

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

• What made St. Luke’s United Methodist Church launch ‘Becoming Anti-Racist’ and how its congregation is responding
• An examination of racism, why it may look different than you think and how it’s not just the KKK
• How racism can flourish even unconsciously and how your intentions may be different than your actions
• How our biases impact children and how that can affect how they view people from different races or even how Black children view themselves
• Why St. Luke’s United Methodist Church is taking part in a Memorial for the only Black man lynched in Marion County and what the church hopes we learn from it
• How learning from our past, and not erasing it, keeps us from repeating it
• A discussion on state legislatures, including in Indiana, working to restrict talk of what it calls ‘divisive concepts’, such as race or racism, in schools
• An examination of who is really uncomfortable talking about race, and how ignoring those topics, and a portion of America’s history, hurts Black and brown children
• What white audiences and others surprisingly say about American history when they attend Child Advocates’ “Interrupting Racism for Children” workshops
• An examination of our history’s impact on Black and marginalized communities today
• What St. Luke’s United Methodist Church teaches children about our nation’s history
• A discussion on how today’s technology teaches our children about diversity and why they are smarter than we give them credit for
• Is the heart of racism a ‘fear of the other?’ A discussion on how building relationships with others can lead to more love, less fear
• Why St. Luke’s United Methodist Church is hosting a “Freedom School” this summer hoping to raise the next generation of justice leaders and how you can volunteer
• How you can join Child Advocates and St. Luke’s movement to stand up for justice and race equity and build a better world for children, so that their race is never a predictor of their life outcomes

Please subscribe, rate, review, and share Your Voice. Their Future.

Thank you for joining us on our podcast as we use our collective voices to create a better world for all children.

LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES

• Episode 9 – How A Child Advocates’ Program Helps Vulnerable Children Find a Safe Home Sooner
• Episode 8 – The Stories of Children Facing Abuse and How Child Advocates Fights for Justice
• Episode 7 – Why Children Facing Abuse Deserve A Free Attorney
• Episode 6 – How Abuse and Neglect Can Impact a Child’s Education
• Episode 5 – Interrupting Racism: As Racial Tension Rises, Race Equity Program Grows
• Episode 4 – Family Judge Talks Racism, Jail, & Impact on Kids
• Episode 3 – What’s the Truth About Critical Race Theory? Hear from a Professor with Firsthand Knowledge
• Episode 2 – If Racism Affects Our Children’s Future, Why Are We Afraid to Talk About It?
• Episode 1 – How You Can Change a Child’s Future