Social Justice Saturday: Resources for Understanding Structural Racism

Looking for a good book to read this winter that will give you new ideas to consider about personal and structural racism? Here are three the Social Justice Group recommends:

How to Be AnAntiracist, Ibram S. Kendi, 2019

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, Heather McGhee, 2021

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, Richard Rothstein, 2017



Social Justice Saturday: Who Should Receive Reparations?

"The purpose of reparations is full repair to the lives and future of Descendants of Africans that were Enslaved in the United States (DAEUS).  Real reparations must encompass a holistic approach that goes beyond focusing entirely on cash payouts.  The concept of full repair in discussions of reparations means to address the economic, educational, health, and healing needs" of DAEUS.

National Black Cultural Information Trust

more informaton at https://nbcit.org

Social Justice Saturday: Reparations?

As St. John’s undertakes a study and action focus on Reparations, we will offer some of our learning and questioning here—what is reparations, why is it important to our church, who decides what repair is necessary, and more. Here is one definition:

"When I say we need to reimagine reparations, I don't mean transferring wealth from one group to another, something critics are quick to decry as fundamentally unfair and backward-looking.


            I mean repairing American systems to eliminate the built-in racism that perpetuates injustices like the racial wealth gap, and in the process, making those systems work better for all of us."    Kimberly Atkins Stohr, The Emancipator, Boston Globe, April 24, 2022

 

                        What do you think of when you hear the term "Reparations?"

 

Social Justice Saturday: Monopoly, Economic Justice, and Elizabeth Magie

Monopoly wasn't invented by the Parker Brothers, nor the man they gave it credit for. In 1904, Monopoly was originally called The Landlord's Game, and was invented by a radical woman. Elizabeth Magie's original game had not one, but two sets of rules to choose from.

One was called "Prosperity", where every player won money anytime another gained a property. And the game was won by everyone playing only when the person with the least doubled their resources. A game of collaboration and social good.

The second set of rules was called "Monopoly", where players succeeded by taking properties and rent from those with less luck rolling the dice. The winner was the person who used their power to eliminate everyone else.

Magie's mission was to teach us how different we feel when playing Prosperity vs Monopoly, hoping that it would one day change national policies.

When the Parker Bros adopted the game, they erased Magie, they erased the "Prosperity" rules and celebrated "Monopoly". This is why very few games of Monopoly end in better friendships! Some even end friendships! What they couldn't erase was Magie's lesson.

In “Sustainable Human”