“The Birth of Eve,” 2018, from ‘New World Consciousness’ Courtesy of Harmonia Rosales

We plan to use the newsletter each week to call attention to some resources, podcast, articles, to learn more about black history as well as current ways we engage with race. Enfleshed is a site that we draw a lot of liturgy from, and they shared and article this week about the consequences of perceiving God as a white man. “‘Even early in life, the belief that God is white shapes how children evaluate actual human beings.’ [Steven O.] Roberts said.” Roberts is a psychologist and the lead researcher from Stanford which published their data last month. Indicating lifelong attitudes towards equity can be shaped in our churches by how we communicate about God to our children, and what images they are exposed to. Surveying U.S. Christians (adults), they found that “when people conceptualize God as a white man, they are more likely to perceive white male job candidates as more fit for leadership than black and female applicants.” Here are some traditional images we have associated with the divine reimagined as a black woman.