Readings in White Supremacy, Racism and the Dangers of False Religion: 1) Rituals of Blood by Orlando Patterson

A growing concern that I have been having over the course of the last 16 years is that American Christianity has not fully reckoned with its white supremacist roots.  As American Christianity presumes and enjoys a sort of moral voice in America, this gap in our moral understanding and the white washing of our history leaves all of us vulnerable to a type of implicit racism that empowers and emboldens white supremacists.

Before jumping right in on reading Orlando Patterson's Rituals of Blood (which I must say was viscerally a worse experience than being forced to watch "A Nightmare on Elm Street" at a Baptist youth group party when I was 13) I would recommend two things to get started.

1. Watch this video called  "Terror Lynching in America"  
2. Read this article "The Promise and Peril of Christian Solidarity: Lynching in the Christian South"

From there we will start in on 'Rituals of Blood'.  I do hope that there's some dialogue around this and so please feel free to post comments, reactions, songs, poems, prayers, laments, paintings, etc.