Standing Together for Racial Justice

Resources to Grow in Racial Awareness and Understanding

Dear Friends,

We are living in extraordinary times, calling for greatly increased awareness and education on the issues of racism and racial injustice in our country. In the wake of the cruel and senseless murder of George Floyd — not the only, just the latest example of unconscionable racial injustice in our country — we have an opportunity to transform our ideas, our understanding, and our behavior. This landing page offers key resources for more fully and deeply educating ourselves about racism in America. Let us make this a turning point moment in our consciousness and in our community — a true living example of transforming lives to transform the world.

If you have additional top-recommended resources to add to our list, please let me know by emailing me at revpaula@unityren.org. As our hearts become more open, our way will become clear, in terms of additional classes, conversations, and initiatives that can make a positive difference.

Thank you for the gift of sharing this important journey with you.

Much love,

Rev. Paula

Films

“13th”

Also from Ava DuVernay, this documentary explores the United States prison system and how it is tied to the nation’s history of racial inequality.

How to watch: Netflix has made “13th” available to watch for free on YouTube.

“White Like Me”

2013 documentary exploring racism in the U.S. through the lens of whiteness, based on the book by Tim Wise. (We plan to purchase this for Unity Renaissance)

“I Am Not Your Negro”

Based on James Baldwin’s unfinished work “Remember This House,” which was meant to be a reflection on the assassination of his friends Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., this film is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson using Baldwin’s words.

How to watch: Available to stream for free on PBS.

“The African-Americans: Many Rivers to Cross”

This six-episode miniseries from historian and filmmaker Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a full survey of African-American history. Other works from Gates, including “Reconstruction: America After the Civil War” and “Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise,” are also currently free to watch.

How to watch: Available to stream for free on PBS.

“Harriet”

The true story of African-American abolitionist Harriet Tubman’s work with the Underground Railroad.

How to watch: Available on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play and other platforms. Also available on loan from Unity Renaissance.

Twelve Years a Slave

2013 pre-Civil War drama, Academy Award Winner.

“Selma”

This Oscar-nominated film (directed by Ava DuVernay) tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s campaign to secure equal voting rights by marching from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.

How to watch: Paramount has made “Selma” available for free on all digital platforms, including iTunes and Amazon, through the end of June.

Podcasts

“Seeing White”

14-part series from 2017 on Scene On Radio.

“The 1619 Project”

New York Times magazine project, aimed at reframing the legacy of slavery in America.

“Fresh Air Interviews” with Terry Gross

Interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of “Between the World and Me,” and with Bryan Stevenson, attorney and author of “Just Mercy.”