Rooted in faith and hope, this book first examines the nature and effects of racism - including racism in the church - through stories, candor, analysis, and wit; then it presents a vision for racial justice in church and community, with a wealth of "chewable bites" for congregations seeking to be faithful and inclusive in today's arena of emerging diversity.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"...Each chapter [of Fulfilling the Dream] ends with Searchings of Heart, Mind, Faith, and Society - a set of questions for reflection which makes this a helpful study guide for groups. Some of the best parts of the book are found in one of the four appendices: "Opportunity Areas for Chewable Bites." ...The "chewable bites" consist of thirteen pages of specific suggestions for action in six areas: Church Leadership, Worship, Church Context and Communication, Stewardship, Christian Education, and Engagement With the Community. I would add a final "bite": Schedule an adult Sunday school class using Fulfilling the Dream as a text." -- Dolores Klinsky Walker, Provident Book finder, August-September, 1999
"Specific concrete strategies for challenging and beginning to undo racism are worth their weight in gold. Ronice Branding's book ... contains those strategies, especially as applied to congregations. She makes a strong case for the fact that the work of challenging racism is a profoundly spiritual task, one in which each of us and each one of our congregations needs to partake. ...This book is an important contribution to the enormous task of undoing the evil that is racism in our society. You will find it affirming, strongly rooted in scripture, practical and very challenging." -- Kathy McGinnis, Newsletter of the Parenting for Peace and Justice Network; May, 1999
"Specific concrete strategies for challenging and beginning to undo racism are worth their weight in gold. Ronice Branding's book ... contains those strategies, especially as applied to congregations. She makes a strong case for the fact that the work of challenging racism is a profoundly spiritual task, one in which each of us and each one of our congregations needs to partake. ...This book is an important contribution to the enormous task of undoing the evil that is racism in our society. You will find it affirming, strongly rooted in scripture, practical and very challenging." -- Kathy McGinnis, Newsletter of the Parenting for Peace and Justice Network; May, 1999
From the Author
Hello! Thank you for these moments to tell you about Fulfilling the Dream and why it was written.
I am a recovering racist. For those whose skin is white, it is a daunting challenge to ever be fully freed of the negative stereotypes about people of color that began lodging in our brains in childhood before we had a choice in the matter - stereotypes that continue to recycle themselves as hybrids in today's culture. Furthermore, my white skin continues to accord me privileges that are unearned and unjust, even though they are unsought. Living in such a context can subtly skew one's sense of self.
To become aware of the toll that racism extracts from all of us, personally and as nation, is to begin to disarm the beast of its power over us, freeing us to begin journeys of justice. The assassination of Martin Luther King was the genesis of my own journey, starting with well-meaning but uninformed paternalism in the sixties and grass roots antiracism community activism in the seventies. It continued in a vocation of social justice advocacy and education in the eighties, and in the nineties it has included local organizing, writing, and facilitating antiracism training. Much of this has been in the context of the life of faith and the church.
I am struck by the timeliness of words written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to the clergy of Birmingham in 1963: "(W)e are moving toward the exit of the twentieth century with a religious community largely adjusted to the status quo, standing as a taillight behind other community agencies rather than a headlight leading (people) to a higher level of justice." Sadly, in many churches this is still the reality, even in these days of ever-increasing racial and ethnic diversity. While mainline denominations have made prophetic pronouncements and passed resolutions condemning our nation's racism, it is not unusual for church systems to still reflect the realities of institutional and cultural racism. Sometimes the status quo persists in local congregations because people feel ill-equipped, and even fearful, to work for change, not believing their efforts could be significant in the necessary work for racial justice
To be relevant in these new times, congregations must grow beyond feelings of fear and dread to deal truthfully and faithfully with issues of race and inclusion. Mainline churches of European heritage must equip themselves with new insights, skills, and sensitivities for meaningful ministry and evangelism in this diverse society. More is needed beyond the occasional sermon, for a guilt trip doth not a faith journey make.
Fulfilling the Dream is written to be a spirited and accessible wellspring that says: Yes! You and your congregation CAN make a difference; you CAN respond faithfully to God's will for justice and human dignity. Beyond pronouncements and resolutions, you can teach by example what it means to BE the Beloved Community of which Dr. King spoke.
The book is rooted in faith and hope, examining the nature and effects of racism with stories, candor, analysis, and wit. Beyond this, it presents a vision for racial justice in church and community, fleshed out with a framework of values for determining faith-based action. A cache of "chewable bites" in the appendix will help congregations discern the doable in their particular contexts, and there is grist for reflection and discussion in the Searchings section that concludes each chapter.
The church still holds the promise for realizing Martin Luther King's dream, with hard work yet to be done in leading people to a higher level of justice. Beyond resolutions, legalism, and political correctness, churches must show the way with acts of partnership and justice that reflect moral and theological integrity. When we begin to allow God's grace to transform us, laying down attitudes and behavior of privilege, surrendering policies and practices of dominance and exclusion, then we will know resurrection in relationships and ministry. In this faith journey of reconciliation, we will discover a glimpse of God's realm, right in the neighborhood. And that is what this book is all about.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent guide for confronting racism,
By Mary S. Webber, former Director, Center for R... (Tucson, Arizona) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fulfilling the Dream: Confronting the Challenge of Racism (Paperback)
_Fulfilling the Dream_ is a book that would fill the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with hope. Written by a white laywoman, it is an honestassessment of both personal struggle on the issueand a critical but loving examination of the failures of religious institutions in addressing this most essential of contemporary problems. As a woman of faith, Branding helps us withthoughtful questions that deepen reflection and draw on the spiritual powers that enable all of us to do the hard work of confronting the demons in ourselves and our society. Having worked with students at a major university, I see this as a text that would be extremely useful for college chaplains and student study groups. I could not recommend it more highly.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Review of Fulfilling the Dream,
By Rev. Timothy S. Schultz (Black Jack Baptist Church, St. Louis, Missouri) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fulfilling the Dream: Confronting the Challenge of Racism (Paperback)
Fulfilling the Dream: Confronting the Challenge of Racism fills the need for tangible solutions toward battling the racism that infects our families, communities and places of worship. Study groups within my community and within the congregation I pastor have learned from Branding's faith-based insights not only how to identify racism's powers, but "what to do next" to eradicate, with God's help, destructive prejudice from our private and corporate life. Fulfilling the Dream is an indispensible manual for doing practical liberation theology North American-style.
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