how to reduce racial bias
Telling people they’re racist, sexist, and xenophobic is going to get you exactly nowhere.
How then do we approach this issue?
The key to these conversations, though, is empathy. And it will take a lot of empathy — not just for one conversation but many, many conversations in several settings over possibly many years. It won’t be easy, but if we want to address some people’s deeply entrenched racial attitudes, it may be the only way.
Such an empathy can only come the love of God. We must first see each and every other as an individual child of God. There will likely be many biases that need to be overcome which will take a lot of time and a lot of effort. This sounds hard. “Why should these people get such a gracious pass when we have received no grace?” But did Christ not show you much undeserved mercy? Should we not go and do likewise?
To abandon the white community for the sake of diversity means we end up with Mr. Trump. We need missionaries to go to white communities, too.
- Sean Michael Watkins on Navigating the Trauma of Trump
I will prophesy, that the gospel which was twisted in such a way that drove black men and women into the cities, fully rectified, will empower them back into the hidden corners of this nation bringing the good news. How blessed their feet shall be! There well may be martyrs in this cause – let us who have not been gifted with such a burden not sit idly.
There’s an unfortunate lack of understanding that interactions across groups can be positive and enrich rather than divide. That’s what people who do live in pretty homogeneous parts of the country just don’t know. They’ve never experienced it.
Though “this is not our fault, it is our problem” (attributions to Sean Michael Watkins). The easy thing to do would be to sit by, watch, write Facebook posts that go into the echo chamber of oblivion. We must also enter into the hard work, having challenging conversations and relationships with those who are not ‘woke’. For if we exercise the privilege of disengagement, we will have become the pharisaical hypocrite.
A wise friend has said, “racial reconciliation will cost you your life.” Let us surrender our lives before the King, carry our cross, and do the hard work of reconciliation.