Developing eyes to see: A study of a multi-congregational anti-racism initiative

This research contributes to the newly emerging literature on racialization and religion. It demonstrates how racial phenomena are structured in the historically-specific settings of three local congregations and examines how particular practices and institutional procedures produce racial inequality. The focus of this study has been to understand the lived-experiences of race for people of color and for whites in these congregations, particularly giving voice to those who been silenced in the past. It explores how differential access to power based on race leads to a differential distribution of resources within these congregations and how power given to certain groups eventually leads to privileges and resources flowing to some but not others. This differential access to power is revealed in: (1) who has influence within the congregations and whose preferences count in the primary functions of the congregation, including worship, programming, and outreach; (2) how leadership is determined and who has authority to make decisions; (3) who has access to information and how that affects the control of resources; (4) how accountability is handled within the structures of the congregations. These findings provide concrete examples of how institutional racism in the contemporary setting of the local congregation perpetuates a racialized society. This study also explores how institutional racism is reinforced by internalized messages of racial superiority or racial oppression as revealed in the language respondents use and the rhetorical positions they assume when describing their experience of race in their congregations. An important finding of this research is that whites within these congregations need to develop a growing consciousness of how their race affects their own daily lives as well as the life of the congregation. Open and honest dialogue about the connection between institutional racism and internalized racism is very important if there is to be any hope of dismantling it.; This research has been approached from the perspective of a scholar-practitioner. It is embedded within and contributes to a body of literature that recognizes that racism is not static based merely on some distant past but is constantly changing and such change is viewed as a normal component of the racialized system. Further the project has immediate relevance to a community and it is motivated by a call for action. Examining institutional racism in the congregation offers the possibility for action beyond the church as well. For the study participants, their experience within the congregation around race represents a microcosm of those encountered in society-at-large. The findings of this study can also inform scholars who seek to understand institutional racism in other organizations by providing a framework for analyzing both institutional aspects of racism as well as internalized aspects of racism. Thus, the research holds significance for faith-based institutions as well as for policymakers and scholars interested in bridging race and class barriers and establishing a more equitable world.