Welcome to the 17th week of The Challenge!
Our 18-Week Challenge gives us an opportunity to read articles, listen to podcasts, and view videos dealing with the roots of racial injustice, the systemic racist policies in our institutions, and our own misconceptions of racism. The Challenge creates a dedicated time and space for us to reflect on our own personal experiences, biases, and assumptions. Each week you will be sent a new prompt to explore.
Week 17: December 18
There are two weeks remaining to the Challenge, and there are still countless articles, podcasts, videos, and talks to choose from to guide us on our journey to understanding systemic racism and making anti-racism a verb. However, this week’s selection could not be more timely. It is the December 10th podcast from MSNBC’s Into America series entitled Critical Condition. It takes an in-depth look at the hotly-debated closing of Mercy Hospital in Chicago. Jitu Brown, a community organizer from Chicago’s south side, explains this is just another illustration of systemic racism or as he calls it “institutionalized lovelessness”. You’ll also hear from people whose lives are dependent on the care they receive at Mercy. (Running time is 30 minutes.)
Save the Date: There’s been so much to digest during the Challenge! On Wednesday, January 6th at 7:00pm please join us to reflect, unpack, and discuss the Challenge and plan next steps to make anti-racism a verb. We will provide a safe virtual space for open conversation. To register, visit https://ncjwcns.org/events/challenge010621
Post your reaction to this week’s prompt. Discuss it with other Challenge participants. Join our closed Facebook Group. Here’s how: Visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/602463427350589,
click join and answer the three membership questions.
