By Hannah Nightingale - November 24, 2021
As the holiday season brings the familiar sight of Salvation Army red buckets by storefronts, the charity is demanding that white people donate more than coins this year: they want a "sincere" apology to black people.
The Christian charity has implemented critical race theory-based teachings for its donors, and its Alexandria-based leadership created an "International Social Justice Commission," which has developed and released a "resource" to "educate" its white donors, volunteers and employees.
In a document obtained by Central Nova News titled "Let's Talk About Racism," they state that Christianity is inherently racist, and that white people need to "lament, repent and apologize for biases or racist ideologies held and actions committed."
"Many have come to believe that we live in a post-racial society, but racism is very real for our brothers and sisters who are refused jobs and housing, denied basic rights and brutalized and oppressed simply because of the color of their skin," one lesson explains.
"There is an urgent need for Christians to evaluate racist attitudes and practices in light of our faith, and to live faithfully in today's world."
In an accompanying worksheet titled "Study Guide on Racism," they argue that "The subtle nature of racism is such that people who are not consciously racist easily function with the privileges, empowerment and benefits of the dominant ethnicity, thus unintentionally perpetuating injustice."
They state that racism can be so entrenched in society that "people can unintentionally and unwittingly perpetuate racial division."
"For instance, devout Christians who naively use racial epithets or a well-intentioned Sunday School curriculum that only uses white photography and imagery," they continue. They list in the learning document that there are a number of challenges that the "white culture" needs to address.
They state that people need to stop denying that racism and systemic racism don't exist, which is "still at work to keep white Americans in power."
They also state that people need to stop being colorblind.
"While this might sound helpful, it actually ignores the God-given differences we all possess, as well as the beautiful cultures of our Black and Brown brothers and sisters. Instead of trying to be colorblind, try seeing the beauty in our differences, and welcome them into your homes churches and workplaces. Being colorblind also ignores the discrimination our Black and Brown brothers and sisters face and does not allow us to address racism properly," they state.
They offer some remedies for correcting such problems, including reading texts like White Awake and White Fragility, intentionally establishing relationships with people of color, and regularly engaging in conversations about race.
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