How White Christian Sisters Can “Be the Bridge” for Racial Justice

Racial reconciliation is difficult work. Racial hostility and segregation do not dissolve by coming together for a group hug, embracing “colorblind” ideology, or ignoring the sins of our past.

Reconciliation begins when we say, “I won’t stay silent and let the sin of racism ravage what God created as good (racial and ethnic diversity).” Reconciliation continues when we empty ourselves of our pride, as well as our need to be right, to be heard, or to feel understood.

Racial reconciliation work will rip your soul into pieces and flip your worldview upside down. It is slow work that requires commitment, prayer, and sacrifice.

— Whiteness 101, Be The Bridge

On February 27, 2018, four white Sisters gathered around a small table in an echoing church hall to dip a toe in the vast waters of racial reconciliation. Our guide was Be The Bridge, a Christian nonprofit with the mission to inspire “the church to have a distinctive and transformative response to racial division” and “the Church to be present and intentional towards racial reconciliation.”

The document that framed our discussion was “Whiteness 101: Foundational Principles Every White Bridge Builder Needs to Understand.” Over the course of two hours, we explored the concepts of white identity, white privilege, white fragility, and white supremacy, and examined the (often previously unexamined) influence of whiteness in our own lives.

Such self-examination and awakening is but one step on the road to racial justice and unity, but it’s a critical one, and we encourage all interested Sisters to gather a couple friends and work through this document together. Other Be The Bridge steps include:

• Start Here: videos and guides to begin your journey. And as our Be The Bridge liaison put it, “Start with prayer. Lots of prayer. Listen to the voice of God. Ask Him to lead you to others with the same heart. Pray for opportunities.”
• Resources: Find a slew of information on the BTB Get Involved page.
• Connect on Facebook: You’ll find more resources under the “Files” tab on the left side of the BTB Facebook group.
• Download the 2017 revised Bridge to Racial Unity Discussion Guide 2.0 and Leader’s Guide.
• Find a group IRL: Note that “Be The Bridge isn’t organized to maintain a directory of active groups because it functions as a grassroots organization, and usually the 8+ week process becomes a closed group to encourage authenticity and trust.” So if you’re looking to sync up with other people committed to the cause of racial reconciliation, here are some steps:

1. Add your name and contact info to the Google doc called “Be the Bridge Members By City and State”, located under “Files” on the left side of the Facebook page.
2. Find a Group via the BTB website: https://beabridgebuilder.com/find-a-group/. (And if you already have a group but haven’t registered it yet, please do so here.)
3. Try searching “Be the Bridge” or “BTB,” plus the name of your town/city/area in the Facebook search box. (Again, existing admins, please post a link to your group along with your group’s name in the comments.)

• Start a Group: Feeling called to lead a group? Check out these materials:

1. FAQs about leading a BTB Group
2. Podcast Leader Training by Tasha Morrison
3. Join the Leaders Facebook where leader trainings are always posted and you can ask questions about your group

• Connect with your church: You can share this Christianity Today interview with your pastors and community members to introduce the topic.

Have you had experience with Be The Bridge? Tell us about it at spcsisterhoodchronicles@gmail.com!