Racial Justice for the Long Haul: How White Christian Advocates Persevere (and Why)

Summary

Many White Christians feel convicted when they hear of racial injustice but aren't sure what they can do. They often become overwhelmed by deep divisions, conflicting priorities, and historical burdens. They need a clearer vision for engagement with racial justice and reconciliation that goes beyond easy answers or simplistic optimism. Isn't there anyone who has found a way forward?

Anthropologist Christine Jeske has studied precisely this question. Her one-of-a-kind research started by asking people of color about their work and experience with White advocates of racial justice. She then studied the postures, ideas, and actions of those they recommended as positive examples.

In Racial Justice for the Long Haul, Jeske presents her findings on what makes for an effective, enduring approach, revealing shared threads in the lives of White Christians who have faithfully embraced the call to advocate for justice. By abandoning simplistic answers and confronting the depths of suffering and injustice, they discover a bold way of hope that perseveres. This book features a unique methodology of interviews with Christian leaders of color and White advocates, makes qualitative ethnographic research accessible, and provides concrete examples of how White Christians can grow―and persist―in working for racial justice.