This course faces the challenge of antiracism work in the 21st century by acknowledging it will take more than our minds and sheer will to confront racist oppression. We make the case for nurturing a spiritual foundation in order to build the necessary components of resilience, authenticity, and community. Upon conclusion, students will be able to identify the components of their own antiracist spirituality, articulate an accountability statement, and create a roadmap of their own spiritual practices to nurture resilience for the long haul. Drawing on the common foundations of the world’s spiritual traditions, this course does not advocate a specific religious tradition but does make reference to instructors’ faith background.

Module 1: Framing (an) Antiracist Spirituality

In this class we will begin by reflecting on the meaning of spirituality from differing spiritual traditions. The instructors will also share stories from their own work of connection spirituality to antiracism efforts. The class will also examine a central definition of racism and provide a framework for defining an antiracist spirituality. The class will conclude with participants applying this framework to their own spiritual practices and orientation.

Module 2: Racial Conflict Transformed

The work of dismantling racism always includes conflict. Rather than avoiding conflict, this class provides resources for addressing conflict and crisis in ways that draw on the best of the world’s spiritual traditions. Students will learn about differing kinds of racial crisis and embodiment of spirituality while facing crisis. The class will also explore strategies for integrating conflict transformation work with anti-racist spiritualities and offer stories of working through racial conflicts from the instructors’ thirty years of working together.

Module 3: Popular Culture & Antiracist Spirituality

Popular culture and an antiracist spirituality seem entirely disconnected. In this class, we will examine how the two are not only deeply intertwined but also identify means of using popular culture to strength an antiracist spirituality. We will together examine and draw upon many examples from music, movies, books, and social media. Students will complete this class with the ability to make use of popular culture resources while also avoiding pitfalls that come from engaging with them without attention to a spiritual framework.

Module 4: Antiracist Spirituality Realized

This class builds on the previous three sessions to apply an antiracist spirituality. We will look at five ways to dismantle racism through spirituality by 1) building community; 2) accepting the discipline of accountability; 3) walking deeper into rather than away from racial identity; 4) doing the work with joy (because joy is resistance); and 5) recognizing the sacred in the midst of struggle. Participants will complete this class with a plan for implementing each of these principles in their own lives.

Students who take this course will:

• Define what an antiracist spirituality means to them.
• Integrate an antiracist spirituality into their work to dismantle racism.
• Prepare for crisis using spiritual and conflict transformation resources.
• Apply insight from popular culture to practicing an antiracist spirituality.
• Develop a statement of accountability.
• Demonstrate facility with discussing and integrating racial identity into antiracism work.
• Identify spiritual practices to foster joy in the midst of the work.

*Please note, this is a pre-recorded course and may mention old course requirements such as final quizzes and certificates of completion. We no longer offer final quizzes or issue certificates of completion.