QUICK UPDATE: Several people called our attention to the speech by Julian Bond that was recently given at St. John’s University and is now available at the MPR site. It touches on many of the themes we worked on during our time together.

This course analyzes institutionalized racism and proposes a series of frameworks from within Christian Education for engaging and dismantling racism, and for supporting multicultural congregational learning. Students are required to take the IDI Inventory prior to the weekend workshop, and to participate in an intensive three-day workshop on dismantling racism as part of the course.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Taking this class will meet the dismantling racism workshop requirement for cross cultural study. You must accomplish that requirement prior to embarking on one of the cross-cultural trips, but in order for that program to know that you want this class to fulfill that requirement, you must ALSO register through Rod Maeker’s office. Simply registering for this class with the Registrar does NOT notify the cross cultural office.

Course Objectives

1. •To understand the impact of racism in particular institutions and begin to explore dismantling racism strategies
   

2. •To introduce students to the literature of dismantling racism, connecting it to challenges within religious education
   

3. •To provide a context in which students develop and nurture respect for the diverse ways in which adults (especially themselves!) learn
   

4. •To provide a context in which students critically reflect upon educational leadership, and their own role in facilitating such
   

5. •To nurture a learning community in which students can engage and reflect upon their own teaching and learning practices
   

6. •To nurture leadership in education for communities of faith more broadly
   

Course Requirements

Attend and participate in the entire “Living into Christ’s New Creation: Confronting Racism” workshop to be held on Luther’s campus and at Jordan New Life congregation, October 24-26, 2008. Please note that you must be present for the entire workshop, which meets Friday evening from 6 pm to 9 pm, Saturday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, and Sunday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.

Read A Many Colored Kingdom: Multicultural Dynamics for Spiritual Formation by E. Conde-Frazier, S. Kang, and G. Parrett (Brazos, 2004),

Read Race Matters by Cornel West (Vintage, 1994).

Read Difficult Conversations by Stone, Patton, Heen and Fisher (Penguin, 2000).

then choose one of the following to read:

Ending Racism in the Church, edited by S. Davies and Sr. Paul Teresa Hennessee (United Church Press, 1998)

The Church Enslaved, by Tony Campolo and Michael Battle (Fortress, 2005)

White Theology: Outing Supremacy in Modernity, by James. Perkinson (Palgrave MacMillan, 2004)

Do a self-assessment using the  Educational Leadership competencies document.

Once you’ve done the self-assessment, choose one or two competencies to work on. You will then need to demonstrate your learning on that competency (or competencies) in some concrete way.  Doing so might entail writing a 10-12 page reflection paper based on the workshop, or developing a learning unit for a specific context , or participating in further training of some sort that evaluates your competency. This demonstration is due to Prof. Mary Hess by December 15th.

Finally, pull out your portfolio from ED1, and reflect upon where you are at this stage of your educational process. Send Dr. Hess a brief email by December 15th that notes at least one insight from that reflection.