An accompanied course for those moving from programs and studies
to disrupting systems and transforming the world around them.
Antiracism as a Way of Being
Antiracism is not a program, a mission project, or even this course. Antiracism is a way of being. In order to shift how we move and breathe in the world, we must first look at the ways of being upholding the systems of oppression we seek to dismantle. Only then can we consider new practices and ways of embodying the life-giving values we seek to animate.
When you begin to change yourself, you affect change in the systems around you. It starts with you.
6 sessions broken into shorter videos of content and application
Questions and supplemental materials to process, reflect, and unpack as you go
Delivered on NEXT Church’s e-learning platform – Teachable
Antiracism as a Way of Being is a six-module video series developed for NEXT Church by Crossroads Antiracism Organizing & Training. Each module contains multiple short videos (5-10 minutes) along with supplemental materials and reflection questions. Each module takes about an hour to work through, on average. It asks the following questions:
- What does antiracism require of you?
- How are different forms of oppression linked?
- What embodied values will transform our institutions and ourselves?
- What makes our lives, our very beings, an act of resistance?
About the Modules
MODULE 1 - Antiracism as a Way of Being
What is antiracism?
The series opening module will frame antiracism as a way of being, one seeking not just the inclusion of people of color in the church but working for the dismantling of all the structural barriers that hinder the flourishing and liberation of all creation. The module will also explore common misconceptions about what antiracism is and will feature a panel conversation exploring the implications of antiracism as a way of being for the church and her leaders.
MODULE 2 - White Supremacy and Systemic Racism
What is the ideology of White Supremacy and how does it create systemic racism?
Module 2 will frame the ideology of white supremacy and systemic racism and explore what race is and how it shapes individuals and communities. The module will then consider the role of U.S. Christianity in the legitimization and normalization of the ideology of white supremacy and systemic racism. Finally, it will explore how this legitimization arrests the faith development of individuals and communities hindering their participation in the elimination of the sin of racism and bigotry.
MODULE 3 - Power at the Center and Borderlands
How has white Christianity in the United States served as legitimator and propagator of the ideology of white supremacy and systemic racism?
This module will consider how systems and institutions broadly, and Christianity in the United States in particular, get caught up in perpetuating a status quo that upholds and legitimizes white supremacy and racism as the norm, resulting in a misshaped Christian identity. To further explore this, we introduce a tool called a power analysis, which helps us to better understand how power is organized in our culture.
We will also consider the role of institutions in facilitating racist misuses of power. The power analysis framework used at Crossroads is called Center/Borderlands, and it is inspired by the work of Dr. Gloria Anzaldua, a Chicana, lesbian cultural theorist, the author of the book Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza.
MODULE 4 - White Institutional Values
How do White Institutional Values co-opt our imagination?
This module will dig deeper into white institutional values that legitimize and facilitate the dominance of whiteness, justifying the harm experienced by people of color and their communities. Further exploration will consider how these actions hinder faithful Christian living. If leaders hope to catalyze change, it is critically important they’re aware of how rooted U.S. Christianity is in the ideology of white supremacy and values.
MODULE 5 - Transforming Values
How do Transforming Values disrupt white dominance?
This module will build on Module 4 by presenting six transforming values countering the values previously introduced. The values will be placed in-context, exploring them with depth, and considering the implications of cultivating these in the church. These transforming values, when animated by both individuals and the institutions they make up, open possibilities for mutual accountability preparing communities to emerge with a vision of justice and repair that includes human relationships and the natural world.
MODULE 6 - Now What?
What will the church have to cultivate and set aside to become an antiracist institution?
Now what? Four panelists reflect on what must be cultivated and what must be set aside to animate antiracism and make concrete the realm of God on earth:
- Cultivating Radical Vision and Imagination: Why it Matters? with Shawna Bowman
- Framing Racism as a Moral and Theological Problem with Jessica Vazquez Torres
- For Reconciliation to Organizing for Liberation with Michael Russell
- Nurturing Authentic Relationships by Doing Our Own Work with Larissa Kwong Abazia
And ultimately, this series is simply a beginning. Keep the work going. What is next for you?
“As a coach and antiracism facilitator with NEXT Church, I’ve worked with multiple iterations of Crossroads’ resources. Each video series has been better than the one before. This latest version somehow manages to be both deeply grounded and exceedingly user-friendly, with clear takeaways and thoughtful next steps.”
Why Accompaniment?
At NEXT Church, we believe we are better when we go together. We need each other in order to move from head knowledge to accountable action. This road is bumpy, with plenty of twists and turns. Our antiracism digital resources are accompanied by a trained NEXT Church coach – not because they are experts in content, but because they are highly skilled at moving groups and individuals towards deep reflection and actionable next steps.
Package Overview
Accompanied Individual
Engage the series on your own schedule and pace accompanied by a trained NEXT Church coach to boost your learnings with a clear focus. This package is designed for one individual. The course will be delivered on NEXT Church’s e-learning platform, Teachable. To engage the rich content and move from head to action, each video segment is followed by a short, required question for personal reflection. This package includes:
- full access to the self-paced course
- an assigned coach
- two 50-minutes coaching sessions (one before beginning the course and one at the end)
- a letter of completion (available once all course work is done and both coaching sessions have been completed)
Great for:
personal continuing education, onboarding new staff members, compliance with policy requirements
Accompanied Group
This package is designed for groups who want to engage the course as a collective and have a leader to facilitate discussion and reflection. The course will be delivered on NEXT Church’s e-learning platform, Teachable, to each member of the group. This will require each group member to create their own account, unless videos are only shown in a group setting. Each group will have a NEXT Church coach that will accompany the group leader during implementation.
This package includes:
- 10 participants (additional participants can be added for $39/person)
- an assigned coach to accompany the group leader
- one 50-minute preparation coaching session with the group leader
- one 50-minute follow up coaching session with the group leader
- email communication with your coach throughout the implementation (We plan on about one email per session, if additional coaching is needed during implementation, these are billed at $90/50-minute session.)
Great for:
groups with a skilled leader, small group study, antiracism team or committee
Accompanied Group of Individuals
This package is designed for groups of individuals who want to engage the course self-paced, but benefit from group coaching from two NEXT Church coaches at the beginning and end. The course will be delivered on NEXT Church’s e-learning platform, Teachable, to each individual in the group. This will require each individual to create their own account. To engage the rich content and move from head to action, each video segment is followed by a short, required question for personal reflection.
This package includes:
- 5 participants (email us for additional participants)
- two assigned coaches
- two 50-minutes group coaching sessions (one before beginning the course and one at the end)
- a letter of completion (available once all course work is done and both coaching sessions have been completed)
Great for:
onboarding a new class of session members, continued learning for a staff, compliance with policy requirements
Group with Full Coaching
This package is designed for groups who want to engage the course as a collective with the virtual leadership of two trained NEXT Church coaches. The course will be delivered on NEXT Church’s e-learning platform, Teachable, to each member of the group. This will require each group member to create their own account.
This package includes:
- 10 participants (email us to inquire about additional participants)
- two assigned coaches to accompany and lead the group
- one 50-minute preparation coaching session with 2-3 stakeholders
- six 1-hour virtual group coaching sessions with two NEXT Church coaches
- one 1-hour follow up group coaching session designed for impact through discerning next steps
- if additional coaching is needed during implementation, these are billed at $90/50-minute session
Great for:
groups looking for deep investment in impact, small group study, antiracism team or committee, presbytery/conference group
Group Coaching packages can be custom built to meet the needs and desired impact of a group. It is recommended groups consider additional individual coaching hours for groups representing differing contexts. Email Jen James for further inquiry.Â
In-Person Options
Our NEXT Church coaches facilitate conversation in the room, engage participants by uncovering their wonderings and insights, and encourage leaders to move towards impact when they leave the room. This style of hybrid learning combines online content learning with in-person group coaching. In-person options are available based on the season and capacity of our Coaching Team.
In-person packages can be custom built to meet the needs and desired impact of a group. Email Jen James for further inquiry.Â
Package Comparison
Register for the Course
$39.00 – $2,999.00
Series Leadership
Shawna Bowman
facilitator
Ryan Lents
facilitator
Jessica Vazquez Torres
facilitator
Larissa Kwong Abazia
contributor
Zoe Krause
contributor
Sherita Love
contributor
Michael Russell
contributor
Laura Cheifetz
lead curriculum writer
Questions
For questions about the series, contact Jen James, Program and Operations Director.
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