Racial Justice
We believe that Christ’s church is for all people. God calls each of us by name, and it is not our job to sort, divide, categorize, or exclude. But as “saints and sinners,” we know and experience God’s work of healing and restoring as well as the persistent human pain and injustices of racism in the world. This is where God has put us, in the thick of life, where we participate in what God is doing by insisting on justice and upholding human dignity for the inclusion of all people in the life of the church and society
ELCA RESOURCES
ELCA reaffirms commitment to combatting white supremacy (May 29, 2020)
Declaration of the ELCA to People of African Descent (2019)
Race, Ethnicity, and Culture Social Statement (1993)
American Indian & Alaska Native Strategic Plan
Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery
Recommended Books and Resources for Racial Justice Advocacy
Join the Southeastern Iowa Synod Anti-Racism Network. Here you will find resources for listening and learning that we hope will lead to action and the opportunity to engage others in the work for justice.
Family Resources
Video: Something Happened in Our Town
Video: Systemic Racism Explained
Article: How to Talk to Kids About Race
Library: Raising Anti-Racist White Children
Resources on African and African Descent History and the Church:
Luther’s Small Catechism with African Descent Reflections | Augsburg Fortress
Fortress Introduction to Black Church History | Augsburg Fortress
African Theology on the Way: Current Conversations | Augsburg Fortress
Stony the Road We Trod: African American Biblical Interpretation | Augsburg Fortress
The Bible and African Americans: A Brief History | Augsburg Fortress