​The Truth & Reconciliation Group seeks to inform and engage the congregation and community in racial truths and reconciliation through awareness, discussion, education, and a call to action.

The Truth and Reconciliation group would like to create opportunities for our congregation to be exposed to and learn information that is culturally diverse. Our goal is to provide easily accessible links that include reading material, videos, and images on topics that the congregation may know little about. Awareness will hopefully lead to discussion in our homes, in our church, and in our community. We plan to include and will identify which links are appropriate for families with younger members as well as those that are for adults only.   In addition, the group has sponsored an annual Celebration of International Human Rights Day and offered movies and books for discussion.

Books and Articles

*Although this is a children’s book, please note that this is a difficult topic and should be viewed by parents/guardians ahead of time to see if it is appropriate for their young ones.
This month the Truth and Reconciliation Group would like to encourage the congregation at Slackwood Presbyterian Church to view a book that addresses racial injustice with young people and fosters child empowerment. The book is titled Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story about Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, PhD, ABPP, Marietta Collins, PhD, and Ann Hazzard, PhD, ABPP, Illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin. The objective of this book is to encourage parent-child conversations about race, link past and modern-day racism, teach children of all races to counter racial injustice and value diversity, and touch on emerging issues, such as racial aspects of immigration debate. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whR_JIzknpo (7:51)  
​We encourage you to read LuLu the One and Only by Lynette Mawhinny. This book is
appropriate for all ages and is about finding what makes each of us special. In the story,
LuLu, a biracial child, tries to figure out how to answer the question, “What are you?”
The book’s message is one of encouragement that celebrates our differences and those
things that make us unique. Our Christian Education committee recently provided the
opportunity for those interested to read and discuss the book after worship service.‌
https://www.maginationpressfamily.org/stress-anxiety-in-kids/lulu-the-one-and-only/‌ ‌
(5:04)‌ 

Noteworthy People

Katherine Johnson  (appropriate for families)
Many people have seen the movie Hidden Figures (2016). The movie is the story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program. Katherine Johnson, scientist, is one of the women depicted in the movie. The links provided are articles about her life. 
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/katherine-johnson-the-girl-who-loved-to-count (3:43) 
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/video/nasa-trailblazer-katherine-johnson (4:56)

Groups of People to Learn About

Food

An article on soul food (appropriate for families)
https://africanamericancultureslp.weebly.com/food.html
Buttery Sweetened Cornbread: Lazarus Lynch (appropriate for families)
https://www.sonofasouthernchef.com/food/buttery-sweetened-cornbread

Music

“I’m Gonna Live so God Can Use Me”
The Sensational Nightingales
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu2nL5EEOCc (6:42)