Silencing White Noise: Six Practices to Overcome Our Inaction on Race

“If we abandon racial justice, we abandon God,” contends pastor Francois (Christian Minister’s Manual) in this lucid clarion call. To combat “the racist ideas, speech, silence, and misrepresentations that protect and perpetuate Whiteness”—what Francois calls “white noise”—he offers six “oral, attitudinal, and behavioral practices that... build the moral muscle to topple Whiteness.” The author suggests that white supremacy is a form of idolatry in which whiteness assumes the significance of a deity. Countering it requires embracing racial differences as “gifts of creation.” Francois examines U.S. Christian churches’ role in supporting slavery and encourages Christians to confront the ongoing impact of historical injustices by listening to marginalized voices and making connections between past and present manifestations of oppression. Other practices include urging white people to acknowledge the ways they benefit from white privilege and discussing “what they are willing to sacrifice” to pursue racial justice. Francois packs this stunning manifesto full of history and theory, providing reliably sharp analysis whether dissecting the Bible or Foucault. This is a superior volume on Christian antiracism. (Aug.)