Revd Dr Catherine Okoronkwo from Ferndale in Swindon has just been made adviser to +Viv on racial justice. She spoke to our PCC a few weeks ago. Here are some books Cathy suggested we might like to read,

  • We need to talk about race: Ben Lindsay
  • White Fragility: Robin DiAngelo
  • Brit(ish): Afua Hirsch
  • The Good Immigrant: Nikesh Sukla
  • Girl, Woman, Other: Bernardine, Evaristo
  • Things Fall Apart: Chinua Achebe

If you would rather listen than read, try a podcast from stancepodcast.com. She recommends On Whiteness: Conversation with Eula Biss
(from June 2020)

Cathy says: What I took from this is that we have to stop using fear of talking about race as an excuse not to talk. It’s only by talking about race, making an effort to listen and understand the life experiences of black and ethnic minority people that we can begin to make a difference.

It is not enough to pat ourselves on the back for being a diverse congregation. Let’s see if we can go deeper this during the autumn.