WTL Author Forum [2024-05]: My Conversation with Jennifer Harvey About Her New Book, Antiracism as Daily Practice

Plus, updates on a new collaborative substack magazine, The Convocation

Dear #WhiteTooLong readers,

Last night, I hosted a live zoom event exclusively for paid subscribers: a conversation with Rev. Dr. Jennifer Harvey about her new book, Antiracism as Daily Practice: Refuse Shame, Change White Communities, and Help Create a Just World. Today, I’m happy to be able to share the conversation with all WTL subscribers. Tune in below for our wide-ranging conversation about refusing shame, changing white communities, and helping create a just world.

** Stay tuned! There will be more live author forum events announced soon. Become a paid subscriber today and get the opportunity to interact with leading authors writing about religion, race, and politics throughout the year. **

Gratefully,

Robby

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To watch my conversation with Jennifer Harvey, click the video below:

I was happy to offer an endorsement of Jennifer’s book. Here’s what I had to say:

Book summary:

Antiracism as Daily Practice illustrates the many ways white Americans―those newly waking to the crisis of racism in 2020 and those already aware―can choose behaviors in our everyday lives to grow racial justice. Full of real life stories, this book shows how vital it is for white people to engage in and with our families, through our social networks, in our neighborhoods, and at our jobs to make antiracism a daily living commitment. We have real power in our relationships with other white people―and not enough of us have used it. Dr. Harvey explains why we white people struggle with knowing what to do about racism, and explores the significance of emotions like grief and anger (as well as the harmful role of shame) in really reckoning with the transformation and change needed in our communities to become the partners in justice that Black communities and other communities of color need and deserve. Not only is such transformation vital to the well-being of U.S. democracy. It’s vital to the freedom and wholeness of white people too.

About Jennifer:

Dr. Jennifer Harvey is a writer and educator long engaged in racial justice and white antiracism. Her books include the New York Times bestseller Raising White Kids and Dear White Christians. She has written for the New York Times and CNN. She also appeared on CNN’s Town Hall on Racism with Sesame Street, and has been heard on NPR’s "All Things Considered" and “It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders.” Raised in Denver, Colorado, Dr. Harvey served nearly twenty years at Drake University as both professor and Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion. She is now the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

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An Invitation to The Convocation

ICYMI, here’s an invitation to join a collaborative project we’ve dubbed The Convocation, which brings into one place a collection of the best writing from each of our Substack newsletters, along with a biweekly video podcast. Here’s the team:

• Footnotes by Jemar Tisby

• The Cottage by Diana Butler Bass;

• Du Mez CONNECTIONS by Kristin Du Mez; and

• White Too Long by Robert P. Jones; and

You can subscribe (it’s free) here:

And here’s the latest episode of The Convocation Unscripted, where we discuss “The Republican Carnival and the Harris Launch.” Stay tuned, we’ll be launching this as an audio podcast next month.

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ICYMI: Previous Author Forums on #WhiteTooLong