A great article from a few months ago that is still relevant

[gzt]

I didn't see this posted, so I'm posting it: Beyond Ferguson

So I encourage my readers to engage a difficult process, one that has been a journey for me as well, by doing the following:
–Ask yourself what your unearned privileges are, how you feel about those privileges, and how you feel about people of color (if you are white). Acknowledge your privileges, your biases, and try to see your own blind spots which may keep you in the role of oppressor (like not only locking your car doors unnecessarily, but trying to rationalize your way out of it).
–Pursue further education on how our society has ended up where it is. The documentaries (both available on Netflix and other easily accessed outlets) and websites in this article are a good place to start.
–Try to exercise empathy for others whose experience is not the same as yours. Take yourself and your feelings out of the picture and simply try to imagine what their experience has been like.
–Look around at your life. How diverse is your life, your community, your parish? I used to think I was so multicultural because of my Greek heritage, my Orthodox faith, and a few people in my life who were from other races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Then I realized that, in fact, I was quite encapsulated. The vast majority of people in my life were like me- Greek and Orthodox. Look at your own parish family. How many people of color are there in your parish? How many non-Greeks are there, if you are in a Greek Orthodox parish? We Orthodox are in the unique position in our parishes of being a majority among minorities. We have parishes based on ethnic backgrounds. And even our parishes which are based on being “American” are typically still white faces! Where is everyone else? Maybe the best place to begin is our own parish’s outreach committee.

 

[ArmyMatt]

good find, great stuff to think about

 

[rusmeister]

I am completely turned off by all calls to "look at our racism" and "white privilege". I might as well speak of "yellow privilege" in China.

I enjoy icons of black saints and Asian martyrs, as they affirm the universality of our Faith. And I do agree that empathy for our neighbor is essential in loving him. I agree that, if our neighbors, those surrounding us in our community are black, or red, or yellow, or even white, and we don't see them in our parish, that we ought to look at whether we are living and communicating the Gospel to them. I also agree that our personal sins contribute to the division between us and our neighbors of different color or ethnicity.
But I still turn off when people start implying that we are racist. It's boring, and barks up the wrong tree.

 

[gzt]

There are several other questions to address if you find that one unpalatable.