Victor M. Rodriguez

Becoming an Anti-Racist Church

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Barndt's new book provides an informed, incisive, and passionate analysis of the challenge racism poses to our collective ability to live out our faith. His title is explicit: this is an achievable objective for the Christian church of the twenty–first century. And Barndt provides here the theological, biblical, social, and historical underpinnings for this belief in accessible, persuasive language. This is a remarkable accomplishment considering Christian complicity in the structures and ideologies of racial oppression. People of faith who read this work will find both motivation and method to accomplish the task of building an anti–racist church.”

Deconstructing Racism

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“My training as a sociologist led me to focus on the role of race and racism in our society. After years of reading and researching, I became involved with two organizations which for decades participated in organizing and training against racism. During the 1980s I became involved with Crossroads as a trainer and a member of its board. Rev. Joseph Barndt was the leader of this national organization and focused his work on helping Christian denominations, particularly the Lutheran church, to become active participants in challenging racism in the church and in society. During the same period, I also met leaders of the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, a community anti-racist organization from New Orleans, Louisiana. These two allied organizations influenced each other in ways that strengthened their perspective and their work in anti-racism. I was privileged to meet Barbara Crain Major in many anti-racism training events where Rev. Joe Barndt and Barbara participated. As a sociologist and as an academic, I had a good theoretical understanding of racism as a systemic force in the United States, but my exposure to Joe and Barbara strengthened my understanding of the necessity of organizing to dismantle racism within our society’s institutions. Moving from a purely academic perspective, I was transformed by my exposure to these trainers and organizers, and I also became an anti-racist trainer. I collaborated with colleagues in the church and later in higher education. I have read numerous books and essays on racism, but this coauthored book provides a grounded understanding on how to dismantle racism within institutions and develops concepts and paths to build a path toward an anti-racist society. After decades of work and organization, this book united two of the most gifted and consistent national experts in how to build a path toward a third reconstruction, one that will lead our society to a more just, equitable experience for all. The alchemy that comes from the joint organizing and theoretical work of Barbara and Joe will provide people of faith and those who long for a just society the steps and the path to the deconstruction of racism and the construction of an anti-racist society for future generations.”