Resources on Jesus, Justice and Race by African Americans

BOOKS

• KIDS
  • God’s Very Good Idea – Trillia Newbell
  • God Made Me and You – Shai Linne
  • ColorFull – Dorena Williamson
• AMERICAN CHURCH HISTORY
  • The Color of Compromise – Jemar Tisby
    • A historical view of racism and prejudice in the American Church from its founding to the present
• CHURCH LEADERSHIP/DISCIPLESHIP
  • The HD Leader – Derwin Gray
    • Understanding the theological necessity of building and pursuing multi-ethnic churches as a beautiful picture of the Gospel
  • Woke Church – Eric Mason
    • Learning how the Gospel wakes us up to racial injustice and transforms us into active agents of justice and reconciliation
  • Disunity in Christ  - Christena Cleveland 
    • Growing in unity with brothers and sisters who think and look different than you
• AUTOBIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass – Frederick Douglass
    • The story of a Christian and former-slave who was a powerful voice and writer in the abolition of slavery in the 19^th century 
  • Mother to Son – Jasmine Holmes
    • Letters from a Christian black mother to her son on his identity in Jesus and the life Jesus invites him into
  • Said I Wasn’t Gonna Tell Nobody –  James Cone
    • The life story of the founder of Black Liberation Theology and his challenges in white Christian academia in the 1960s
• SOCIAL JUSTICE
  • The New Jim Crow – Michelle Alexander
    • Understanding the disproportionate and mass incarceration of African Americans and people of color in America

CONFERENCE VIDEOS + TALKS

• MLK50 –  “Gospel Reflections from the Mountaintop 2018”
  • https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/conference/mlk50/ 
• Just Gospel 2019 – “Reconcile us, O Lord” 
  • https://thefrontporch.org/2019/07/videos-from-just-gospel-19-are-here/
• Racism in the American Church – A Conversation with Restored LA
  • https://youtu.be/mLxNGSpZv3w
• Just Gospel 2017 - “What Role Does the Bible Have in Justice?”
  • https://thefrontporch.org/talk/what-role-does-the-bible-have-in-justice/

PODCASTS

• Pass the Mic
  • Discussions and interviews addressing the core concerns of African Americans biblically.
• Jude 3 Project
  • Helping the Christian community know what they believe and why they believe it with an emphasis on equipping those of African descent in the United States and abroad.
• Church Politics (The AND Campaign)
  • In-depth political analysis from a Christian worldview with Michael Wear & Justin Giboney

PREACHERS + TEACHERS

• Derwin Gray - Pastor of Transformation Church
• Jackie Hill-Perry – Author and Teacher
• Thabiti Anyabwile - Pastor of Anacostia River Church
• Trillia Newbell - Author and Teacher
• Eric Mason – Pastor of Epiphany Fellowship Church
• H.B. Charles Jr. – Pastor of Shiloh Church

MUSIC

• WORSHIP
  • Tye Tribbett
  • Tasha Cobbs Leonard
  • Kirk Franklin
  • Sean C. Johnson
• CHRISTIAN RAP
  • Propaganda
  • Jackie Hill-Perry 
  • Lecrae
  • Eshon Burgandy

MOVIES

• Just Mercy
  • Based on the true story of Bryan Stevenson, an African American Christian lawyer, who fights against the injustice of the law system
• Selma 
  • Based on the Selma to Montgomery voting rights march in 1965 led by Martin Luther King Jr. 

WEBSITES

• The Front Porch - thefrontporch.org
  • Conversations about biblical faithfulness in African-American churches and beyond 
• The Witness – thewitnessbcc.com
  • A black Christian collective that engages issues of religion, race, justice and culture from a biblical perspective

SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWS

• Jackie Hill Perry
• Thabiti Anyabwile
• Trilla Newbell
• Jarvis J. Williams
• Jasmine L. Holmes
• Mika Edmondson

If this list is overwhelming, here is my opinion on where to start:

• Read: The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby
• Listen: Precious Puritans by Propaganda
• Watch: Just Mercy