Words like “racial reconciliation” and “racial sensitivity” bring feelings and thoughts, but most of us are not doing a deep dive into the conversation… but we can and it’s not that hard. In this podcast, Robby and Lee interview Tyreke Wesley about the subtleties of racism, how we can personally reflect on our own experiences and shift perspectives leading towards unity.

Main Ideas

• The past narratives of racism in our culture and in our personal lives still impact today’s culture.
• Racism isn’t just overt and aggressive; it can also be a passive perspective of unexamined beliefs.
• Our personal past experiences impact our beliefs more than we normally acknowledge but we need to talk about them and acknowledge the real.
• Conversations about race with men we trust will help us grow in our understanding and ability to love others well.

Discussion Questions

1. How does knowing another person’s story affect the conversation? If you have ever experienced a change of heart toward someone after hearing their story, share.
2. What is your story with regard to race and relationships with people different than you racially or culturally? Be as honest and real as possible knowing you won’t be judged or “fixed” by the men in your group.
3. Are there any beliefs from your story that you may need to change your thinking on?
4. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” What fears do you have when you consider this topic?
5. What would keep you from watching a documentary or reading a book to go deeper on this subject? There are some suggestion in Part 2.

What does this mean (for me personally)?

What am I going to do about it (what step of faith is God inviting me to take)?

How can we help?