In response to the killing of George Floyd, staff members Ralph Lowe and Brian Wallace started a series of conversations entitled Awareness and Transformation: Conversations about Life, Race, and Faith. You can view the episodes on YouTube and copies of the videos are available for download for use and inclusion in online worship and other church programs.

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Disclaimer from Ralph and Brian: “The views expressed in these episodes are our personal views and should not be understood, in any way, to constitute an official position or view of Pittsburgh Presbytery”

The post Awareness and Transformation: Juneteenth Reflections (2023) appeared first on Pittsburgh Presbytery.

Season 2, Episode 3: What We Learned in 2020 (February 2021)

• America celebrated two federal holidays within two weeks. The Fourth of July, a holiday for almost 250 years, and Juneteenth, one just celebrated for the first time this year. Juneteenth (June 19th) commemorates the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved Africans in the Confederacy after the Civil war. As we celebrate this complicated historical event, present-day outlooks are unfortunately mixed concerning the importance of educating youth about American history, specifically the enslavement of Africans. What should our response be as Christians? What role does Critical Race Theory play in the teaching of American history and why is it important? 

In response to the killing of George Floyd, staff members Ralph Lowe (Director of Justice Ministries) and Brian Wallace (Associate Minister) started a series of conversations entitled Awareness and Transformation: Conversations about Life, Race, and Faith.  You can view the episodes on YouTube and copies of the videos are available for download below use and inclusion in online worship and other church programs.

You can subscribe through FeedBurner or iTunes

Disclaimer from Ralph and Brian: “The views expressed in these episodes are our personal views and should not be understood, in any way, to constitute an official position or view of Pittsburgh Presbytery”

Access all the episodes on the Awareness & Transformation page!

The post Awareness and Transformation: Juneteenth and Critical Race Theory appeared first on Pittsburgh Presbytery.

Season 2, Episode 1: What We Learned in 2020 (February 2021)

• 2020 was a year for the history books! A year we never want to revisit. One filled with racial tension, political unrest, natural disasters, and a paralyzing virus that left us feeling helpless and isolated. Join us as we close the book on, or rather set fire to, last year. In this first episode of Season Two, Ralph and Brian dive into reflecting on Awareness and Transformation 2020, what they learned, what they hoped you learned, and what we as Christians must do in 2021 to continue the pursuit for justice, peace, and love. 

In response to the killing of George Floyd, staff members Ralph Lowe (Director of Justice Ministries) and Brian Wallace (Associate Minister) started a series of conversations entitled Awareness and Transformation: Conversations about Life, Race, and Faith.  You can view the episodes on YouTube and copies of the videos are available for download below use and inclusion in online worship and other church programs.

You can subscribe through FeedBurner or iTunes

Download Links: High-Quality     Good Quality     Audio-Only

Disclaimer from Ralph and Brian: “The views expressed in these episodes are our personal views and should not be understood, in any way, to constitute an official position or view of Pittsburgh Presbytery”

Access all the episodes on the Awareness & Transformation page!

The post Awareness and Transformation: What We Learned in 2020 appeared first on Pittsburgh Presbytery.

Episode 6: Kneeling During the National Anthem (September 2020)

• Now that got your attention…Colin Kaepernick in 2016 knelt during the national anthem at the start of NFL games in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States. Since that time many have expressed outrage and support of Kaepernick’s actions. Recently the NHL, NBA, WNBA, NFL, and MLB players have knelt during the National Anthem in support of racial equality in this country. How do we respond as Christians to this seemingly divisive act of protest? 

In response to the killing of George Floyd, staff members Ralph Lowe (Director of Justice Ministries) and Brian Wallace (Associate Minister) started a series of conversations entitled Awareness and Transformation: Conversations about Life, Race, and Faith.  You can view the episodes on YouTube and copies of the videos are available for download for use and inclusion in online worship and other church programs.

You can subscribe through FeedBurner or iTunes

Disclaimer from Ralph and Brian: “The views expressed in these episodes are our personal views and should not be understood, in any way, to constitute an official position or view of Pittsburgh Presbytery”

Access all the episodes on the Awareness & Transformation page!

The post Awareness and Transformation: Kneeling During the National Anthem appeared first on Pittsburgh Presbytery.

Episode 5: Black lives matter, de-funding the police, and all THE things

• In a conversation that has been long in coming, Ralph and Brian tackle difficult topics including the biblical concept of social justice as it relates to black lives matter, educating our children, and investing in our communities.  This conversation may stretch the limits of your emotional stamina (because it sure stretched theirs!).  Episode 5’s conversation is a glimpse into how being a disciple of Jesus Christ can push us headfirst into the most challenging subjects of today.

In response to the killing of George Floyd, staff members Ralph Lowe (Director of Justice Ministries) and Brian Wallace (Associate Minister) started a series of conversations entitled Awareness and Transformation: Conversations about Life, Race, and Faith.  You can view the episodes on YouTube and copies of the videos are available for download for use and inclusion in online worship and other church programs.

You can subscribe through FeedBurner or iTunes

Disclaimer from Ralph and Brian: “The views expressed in these episodes are our personal views and should not be understood, in any way, to constitute an official position or view of Pittsburgh Presbytery”

Access all the episodes on the Awareness & Transformation page!

The post Awareness and Transformation: Black lives matter, de-funding the police, and all THE things appeared first on Pittsburgh Presbytery.

Episode 4: What about reverse racism?  (August 2020)

• In conversations about race, it’s not unusual for someone to ask “What about reverse racism?”  They point to affirmative action, “minorities encouraged to apply” statements, and other examples of situations where being something other than a white male seems to give you an advantage.  So, is there such a thing as reverse racism?  In this episode, Ralph and Brian talk about this question specifically and touch on a number of other topics including bias, power, access to systems, and more.  

In response to the killing of George Floyd, staff members Ralph Lowe (Director of Justice Ministries) and Brian Wallace (Associate Minister) started a series of conversations entitled Awareness and Transformation: Conversations about Life, Race, and Faith.  You can view the episodes on YouTube and copies of the videos are available for download for use and inclusion in online worship and other church programs.

Disclaimer from Ralph and Brian: “The views expressed in these episodes are our personal views and should not be understood, in any way, to constitute an official position or view of Pittsburgh Presbytery”

Access all the episodes on the Awareness & Transformation page!

The post Awareness and Transformation: What about reverse racism? appeared first on Pittsburgh Presbytery.

Episode 3: What is implicit bias? (July 2020)

• Remember the state representative from Ohio who asked if African-Americans are contracting coronavirus at higher rates because they don’t wash their hands as well?  In this episode, Ralph and Brian point to this as an example of what is called implicit bias.  Implicit bias refers to beliefs (conscious or unconscious), attitudes, and stereotypes that we all have that shape how we think, act, and feel about the world around us – and it’s very relevant to any conversation about race or racism.  They also talk about the importance of assuming the best in others when we talk about race and racism.  

In response to the killing of George Floyd, staff members Ralph Lowe (Director of Justice Ministries) and Brian Wallace (Associate Minister) started a series of conversations entitled Awareness and Transformation: Conversations about Life, Race, and Faith.  You can view the episodes on YouTube and copies of the videos are available for download for use and inclusion in online worship and other church programs.

Disclaimer from Ralph and Brian: “The views expressed in these episodes are our personal views and should not be understood, in any way, to constitute an official position or view of Pittsburgh Presbytery”

Access all the episodes on the Awareness & Transformation page!

The post Awareness and Transformation: What is implicit bias? appeared first on Pittsburgh Presbytery.

Episode 2: Defining Racist and Racism (June 2020)

• In this episode, Ralph and Brian dive deep into definitions.  Notably, how do we define two words: Racist and Racism.  They end up talking about “racist” as an identity”, “racism” like it’s a disease, terms like racist, nonracist, anti-racist, and more – and what is the Christian response?

In response to the killing of George Floyd, staff members Ralph Lowe (Director of Justice Ministries) and Brian Wallace (Associate Minister) started a series of conversations entitled Awareness and Transformation: Conversations about Life, Race, and Faith.  You can view the episodes on YouTube and copies of the videos are available for download for use and inclusion in online worship and other church programs.

Disclaimer from Ralph and Brian: “The views expressed in these episodes are our personal views and should not be understood, in any way, to constitute an official position or view of Pittsburgh Presbytery”

Access all the episodes on the Awareness & Transformation page!

The post Awareness and Transformation: Defining racist and racism appeared first on Pittsburgh Presbytery.

Episode 1: Let’s Talk (June 2020)

• This is the follow-up piece to the introduction above.  In it, Ralph and Brian cover a variety of race-related conversations including growing up in Pittsburgh as a black man, growing up in the suburbs as a white man, encounters with law enforcement, playing the “race card”, interracial marriage, choosing where you shop based on race, and more. 

In response to the killing of George Floyd, staff members Ralph Lowe (Director of Justice Ministries) and Brian Wallace (Associate Minister) started a series of conversations entitled Awareness and Transformation: Conversations about Life, Race, and Faith.  You can view the episodes on YouTube and copies of the videos are available for download for use and inclusion in online worship and other church programs.

Disclaimer from Ralph and Brian: “The views expressed in these episodes are our personal views and should not be understood, in any way, to constitute an official position or view of Pittsburgh Presbytery”

Access all the episodes on the Awareness & Transformation page!

The post Awareness and Transformation: Let’s Talk appeared first on Pittsburgh Presbytery.