
Cary Presbyterian is a Matthew 25 church. What does that mean? Matthew 25 is an initiative of the PC(USA) that serves to focus and energize existing and future ministries of participating congregations. It is inspired by Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 25: 31-46, where Jesus made it clear that what we do matters to God and how we treat others is important to God. Dismantling Structural Racism is one of the pillars of PC(USA)’s Matthew 25 initiative. The resources below help us to understand the concept of Structural Racism.
CPC's Social Justice Ministry is dedicated to respectful communication forums that raise awareness of and promote dialogue around issues of social justice. All CPCers are welcome to join our meetings, and our events are open to the church and broader communities.
Read
Online:
- Glossary - important terms for understanding the issues of dismantling structural racism and promoting racial equity, developed by The Aspen Institute.
- Race + Housing 101 - Wake County Habitat for Humanity's Forging Ahead on Affordable Housing page.
- Talking About Race - tools and guidance for conversations about race.
Books:
- How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
- Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson
- The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
- How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith
Listen
- Scene on Radio: Seeing White - A 14-part series about where the notion of whiteness came from and what it means.
- How the Word is Passed - Author Dr. Clint Smith interviewed by Brené Brown.
- School Colors - A series about how race, class, and power shape American cities and schools.
- 1619 - Nikole Hannah-Jones' series about how slavery has transformed America.
- Nice White Parents - Chana Joffe-Walt's series about white parents and public schools.
- In the Light: The Betrayal - Dr. Anita Phillips on the intersection of racism, diversity, and the church.
Watch
- How to Deconstruct Racism, One Headline at a Time - Baratunde Thurston’s TED Talk.
- Segregated by Design - A documentary examining how American cities were segregated unconstitutionally.
- What Happens When I Try to Talk Race with White People - A PBS Newshour interview with British journalist Renni Eddo-Lodge.
- We Need to Talk about an Injustice - A TED Talk by Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and author of Just Mercy.
- Race and the Church - A video series and discussion from NEXT Church, a community of PC(USA) leaders.
