[blockquote type=”left”]”Many white liberals in sundown towns and suburbs worry about social ostracism, so their anti-racism never gets voiced beyond the confines of home….Many residents of sundown towns expressed displeasure with their town’s anti-black policies when they talked with me. Their disapproval seemed sincere, but they never mentioned voicing such sentiments to their fellow townspeople.” (244)[/blockquote]

Good or bad, what would get you ostracized in your town? In your church? In your job?

Are there any deeply held beliefs you wish you could push back on? My husband works for city government, and one time our son wrote a letter to the editor about a problem caused by the city that affected him, and there were more than a few comments made to my husband about the security of his job. That was frustrating, and it was a minor issue.

Is there anything you are willing to be ostracized for? Do you have any fears or worries in sharing your opinions with people?

How do we view and treat the ostracized? Are we seeking truth? How might we challenge the status quo? Are we becoming people who can stand for justice in the absence of it?

What do you want to be known for supporting?

Brueggemann says in The Prophetic Imagination that “The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us.”

What is the dominant thinking when it comes to race and segregation? What are some alternative views? How can we foster people who are willing to pursue alternatives to dominant culture?

What would you need to be able to pursue alternative ways of living?

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This series is available in a handy 40 page pdf that includes journaling space for the personal questions.

Buy now

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An Integrated Life

a series studying the book Sundown Towns by James Loewen

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Part 1 – A Series
Part 2 – Our Racist Foundations
Part 3 – What Are We Taught Is Normal?
Part 4 – All Whites Are Responsible
Part 5 – What Are You Known For Supporting
Part 6 – What Makes You Stay Silent?
Part 7 – Gravitating Towards the Comfortable
Part 8 – Social Exclusion
Part 9 – Restrictive Covenants and Governments
Part 10 – Do You Live in a Sundown Town? Before You Say No…
Part 11 – Still Forming Sundown Towns Today
Part 12 – Sundown Suburbs = NIMBY

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