Disciple: Think Different: Racists Anonymous

One Charlotte-area church is part of a bold new approach to confronting racism

By Christine McTaggart and the Rev. Nathan King

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More and more people are becoming aware that, at its core, the end of racism is not just a matter of trying to treat people better or “be a better person.” As awareness grows, so does the understanding that racism is rooted in systemic traditions in which average, everyday, good people take part, in many cases without even realizing it’s the case. That can be a hard thing to realize, and many struggle with it.

Shying away from the knowledge will not solve the problem; more than ever, conversation is needed. Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC) in Concord, North Carolina, is taking part in Racists Anonymous, a relatively new program based on other, more familiar 12-step programs. Racists Anomymous seeks to create a safe place to have these conversations and develop a new way of living.

The Rev. Nathan King, pastor of TUCC, spoke with us about the program.

Christine McTaggart: Tell me about the Racists Anonymous (RA) program. When and how did it get started?

Nathan King: It began back in January 2016, perhaps as early as December 2015, out on the west coast with the Rev. Ron Buford. Ron is a United Church of Christ minister with the Congregational Church of Sunnyvale, and he began the program out there. The idea was to try it for 90 days and see what interest there was. After 90 days, there was a lot of interest in continuing the program, so they did that and invited others to join them. Ron asked for 20 partner congregations to start RA meetings. We were one of the first churches to jump on board with that. Dr. Carol Stanley spotted Ron’s call on Facebook and asked me what I thought. I thought it was a great idea and we ran it by our social justice team, and they thought it was a great idea, too.

CMc: Did it come with guidelines?

NK: Yes. Ron has a kit that contains background materials, the statement of the problem, a statement of the solution and the 12 steps.

CMc: Tell me about Trinity United Church of Christ. Why did you think it would be a good fit for this?

NK: Our church has been evolving into a social action/social justice congregation for the last 10 to 15 years. We have become an open and affirming United Church of Christ and have done a lot of work for equality for the LGBTQ community.

For the last two years, we’ve been having a number of discussions about events that started in Ferguson and gun violence [in general]. As the police shootings continued and were particularly perpetrated toward black men, we began to look more closely at the causes and issues around racism as well as white privilege. Last year a group from our church took part in a white privilege conference in Chapel Hill that was based on a curriculum announced at last summer’s [UCC] General Synod. And we just began reading – articles, books. We’ve just become more aware, and, as a church, we aspire to be a socially active church as a part of our calling in the way we follow Jesus.

CMc: How often are the meetings held?

NK: Weekly. We meet on Wednesdays from 6 until 7 p.m.

CMc: How many generally attend?

NK: We average 12 or 13 people per meeting. Faces come in and out for a variety of reasons, but it seems like every week there are at least one or two new faces.

CMc: Who attends?

NK: We have a mix of people. It’s pretty diverse, and not just in terms of race. There’s a good diversity in terms of personal identity, and ages range from early 20s to 70s and 80s. It’s a pretty big mix of people.

CMc: Why do you think people feel compelled to attend?

NK:  I think it’s partly because people are becoming more aware there’s a big problem in this country with how we treat people of color. Our actions are racist at times, we participate in systems of racial abuse, and with the stories in the last two years, particularly those involving police shootings of black men, there have been a lot more people tuned in to what’s going on, seeing the violence and beginning to ask questions about why this keeps happening and whether there isn’t something we can do about it.

Once people start educating themselves and start reading history from the perspective of people of color, it can create a place of uneasiness and turmoil, especially spiritually. That’s been a factor for a lot of people who come to our meetings.

CMc: What do you think they hope to get out of it?

NK: I think most people are really hoping to change behavior and thought patterns, to broaden the conversation and become more aware of what the issues are and how people of color have been treated. By changing behavior and thought patterns, the hope is that the systems will start to change.

CMc: How does the individual nature of RA tie in with the ongoing conversations focusing on the systemic elements of racism? Why is it important?

NK: It’s individuals that allow a system to perpetuate. If individuals were not racist, we would not participate in systems that are racist. Like any societal change, the [systemic walls] begin to chip when individuals start to make changes within themselves. RA meetings are not the end-all/be-all in and of themselves — they’re a piece of the solution. For the systems to change, individuals have to live into the new reality,
embrace the change and be the ones to perpetuate a new
way of being in relationship.

CMc: How have recent events in Charlotte affected the
conversations at meetings? Or have they reaffirmed what’s already being discussed?

NK: I think it’s a little bit of both. It’s changed the feeling of the meetings; they feel even more important. It’s also intensified the meetings to some degree, because people are able to see the problem much more closely than we did even a month ago. It’s made us realize this is really important work going on, and it’s made us realize that even more is needed. More of this work, more of these conversations. We need to hear about the experiences of people of color, recognize the pain and suffering that’s been inflicted and respond in a way that feels like we’re moving ourselves into a greater place.

CMc: What has surprised you most about these meetings?

NK: Probably the diversity present. I’ve been delighted to see 20- and 30-somethings in there as well as people of color that we so much need to be in the room with us. Otherwise we’re just a bunch of white people sitting in a room talking in a
vacuum. There’s been so much of that problem already; we haven’t listened to the stories of our black brothers and sisters.

CMc: What advice would you offer anyone wanting to start meetings?

NK: Two things. One would be to do some research. Attend some seminars, read some books and articles. Gather some people and see if there’s some support. Two, write to the Rev. Ron Buford, ask for a kit and follow the outline. He’ll send you what you need.

RACISTS ANONYMOUS 12 STEPS OF RECOVERY

1. I have come to admit that I am powerless over my addiction to racism in ways I am unable to recognize fully, let alone manage.
2. I believe that only a power greater than me can restore me in my humanness to the non-racist creature as God designed me to be.
3. For my own good and the good of future generations, I have decided to turn my will and my life over to the care of God insofar as I understand God.
4. I’ve made a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself concerning my bias toward others on the basis of race, gender, sex, sexual orientation, religion or any external physical difference such as size, ability, or adornment and more.
5. I have admitted to God, to myself and to another human being the exact nature of my wrongful thoughts and actions.
6. I am entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. I humbly asked God to remove my shortcomings.
8. I’ve made a list of all persons I have harmed and am willing to make amends insofar as this is possible.
9. I will make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them, others, or create more harm than good.
10. I will continue taking personal inventory, and when I behave wrongly, I will admit it promptly.
11. I will continually seek through prayer and meditation to improve my conscious contact with God insofar as I understand God, praying for knowledge of God’s Will and Wisdom for my life along with the power I need to carry that out.
12. As I have spiritual awakenings as the result of these steps, I will share this message with other race addicts as I seek to practice these principles in all my affairs.
    
    

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Christine McTaggart is the communications director for the Diocese of North Carolina. Contact the Rev. Nathan King to learn more about Racists Anonymous.