Healing Racial Divides: Finding Strength in Our Diversity

146 Pages·2019·5.751 MB·English

by  Terrell Carter

Can the church help America emerge from
Finding Strength in Our Diversity
its racist shadows to heal racial divides?
Terrell Carter, pastor, professor, and former police officer, unpacks healing
the deep roots of racism in America, examines how it continues to be
perpetuated today, and gives practical strategies for racial reconciliation. h
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“Whether leader or laity, readers are convicted to ponder—How did we move so far
l
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from God’s loving-kindness? Achieving solely that refl ective outcome is worthwhile, n
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yet Carter astutely moves us to hold up the mirror and ask—What about me?”

—VALERIE MILES-TRIBBLE, GRADUATE THEOLOGICAL UNION AND AMERICAN BAPTIST SEMINARY ra racial
OF THE WEST c
i
a
“Dr. Terrell Carter combines his experiences with the insights of theology, the social
l

sciences, law, and cultural analysis to address the key issue in America—the racial d
divide that inhibits our interactions and poisons public discourse.” —IRCEL HARRISON, iv
CENTRAL BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY i
d
“Dr. Carter masterfully weaves his own painful personal experiences, scholarly research, e divides
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biblical teaching, and the history of racial division into a book that is accessible and
relevant to folks at any level of understanding in the conversation of racial inequality.”
—JOHNNY LEWIS, SHAWNEE COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH , SHAWNEE, KANSAS
“With precision, Dr. Carter strips away the illusion that racism is only historical in this
country, yet his personal humility simultaneously disarms reader defensiveness.”
—MARK E. TIDSWORTH, PINNACLE LEADERSHIP ASSOCIATES
“This text dares to address oft-ignored disparities to offer practical ways that
congregations can seek to fully embody their calling.” —TYLER TANKERSLEY,
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI
“Dr. Terrell Carter provides a must-read for religious leaders who take seriously the
call to bring awareness to the active, unequal racial systems of today.”
—DAVID MCDANIEL, HOLMESWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
TERRELL CARTER is Director of Contextualized Learning and
Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Central Baptist C
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Theological Seminary in Shawnee, Kansas, and is the pastor of
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Webster Groves Baptist Church in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the TE
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author of several books, and a regular contributor to Ethics Daily,
Baptist News Global, Word and Way, and Huffi ngton Post.
Cover art by Terrell Carter
Meet the author at TerrellCarter.net
Study Guide available as a free download
atChalicePress.com/HealingRacialDivides Race/American Christianity/Anti-Racism
Join the discussion ISBN 978-0-827215-12-2
ChalicePress.com
TERRELL CARTER
9 780827 215122
Printed in the U.S.A.
“In Healing Racial Divides Dr. Carter touches on the pulse of
racialized issues challenging society and our sense of community.
Carter uses thorough definitions and insightful examples of lived
experiences to raise undeniable incongruities in perceptions that
create border walls among humanity. Whether leader or laity,
readers are convicted to ponder, How did we move so far from
God’s loving-kindness? Achieving solely that reflective outcome is
worthwhile, yet Carter astutely moves us to hold up the mirror and
ask,What about me?” —Valerie Miles-Tribble, Graduate Theological
Union and American Baptist Seminary of the West
“Dr. Terrell Carter is an artist, pastor, educator, and former police
officer. He combines these experiences with the insights of theology,
the social sciences, law, and cultural analysis to address the key
issue in America—the racial divide that inhibits our interactions
and poisons public discourse. Carter’s very personal engagement
with the topic encourages us to find strength rather than division
in our diversity. His approach is fresh, informative, and a source of
healing.” —Ircel Harrison, Central Baptist Theological Seminary
and Pinnacle Associates
“As a pastor what I appreciate most is that Dr. Carter masterfully
weaves his own painful personal experiences, scholarly research,
biblical teaching, and the history of racial division into a book that
is accessible and relevant to folks at any level of understanding
in the conversation of racial inequality. His book is a great tool
for any pastor or congregant seeking to begin or continue more
deeply the important work of racial justice and healing.” —Johnny
Lewis, Shawnee Community Christian Church, Shawnee, Kansas
“While reading another substantive book by Dr. Carter, I’m
resisting the urge to scribble quotes and shove them into the hands
of anyone I can find. Healing Racial Divides is a unique contribution
to healing racial brokenness due to Dr. Carter’s rich and unique
journey combined with keen academic insights. With precision,
Dr. Carter strips away the illusion that racism is only historical
in this country, yet his personal humility simultaneously disarms
reader defensiveness. Ultimately, Dr. Carter calls the Church to live
into its identity as a vessel of reconciliation in this divided world.
I suspect many readers will mirror my experience, quoting this
book most everywhere they can.” —Mark E. Tidsworth, President,
Pinnacle Leadership Associates
“Equipped with a pastor’s heart, a scholar’s mind, and a
boundless sense of justice, Terrell Carter has provided a
work that seeks first and foremost to change the very life of
a community of faith. This text dares to address oft-ignored
disparities and is approachable enough to offer practical ways
that congregations can seek to fully embody their calling.” —
Tyler Tankersley, First Baptist Church, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
“Healing Racial Divides is a needed book. For some privileged
communities, the racial divide is the third rail. Seek a closer
look, get too close, and the community of polarized privilege
will create more heat than light. Terrell Carter walks the racial
divide with some ease as he seeks the light of understanding.
This is a strong voice where the lines are drawn. Carter’s closing
chapter, ‘Finding Common Ground,’ shines brightly in the dark
with its sense of wisdom and hope.” —Keith Herron, St. Lucas
United Church of Christ, St. Louis, author of Living a Narrative
Life: Essays on the Power of Stories
“Dr. Carter uses a good blend of honest self-disclosure, personal
and theological reflection, and historical recounting in this
helpful book about racism and the road to recovery. He pulls
us into our own culpability and points us unerringly in the
direction of how to begin the journey to make things right.
After reading Carter’s words, I feel compelled to help both
of us—along with all of our brothers and sisters—become the
best versions of ourselves.” —Robin R. Sandbothe, Englewood
Baptist Church, and Director of Seminary Relations, Central
Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, Missouri
“Dr. Terrell Carter provides a must read for religious leaders who
take seriously the call to bring awareness to the active, unequal
racial systems of today. Combining both historical and biblical
lenses, Carter encourages churches to lead the charge in which
all are viewed as an equal child of God. This is a timely written
book that should not only stand on a pastor’s desk, but more
importantly seep into a pastor’s heart.” —David McDaniel,
Holmeswood Baptist Church, Kansas City, Missouri
Finding Strength in Our Diversity
healing
racial
divides
TERRELL CARTER
chalice
press
Saint Louis, Missouri
An imprint of Christian Board of Publication
Copyright ©2018 by Terrell Carter
All rights reserved. For permission to reuse content, please contact
Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923,
[phone], www.copyright.com.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James
Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
Cover art: Terrell Carter, copyright ©2018 by Terrell Carter. All rights
reserved.
Cover design: Vicky Vaughn Shea of Ponderosa Pine Design. Copyright
©2018. All rights reserved.

ChalicePress.com
Print 9780827215122
EPUB 9780827215139
EPDF 9780827215146
Printed in the United States of America
This book is dedicated to the many people who
supported me throughout the process of completing it.
To Brad Lyons and the staff at Chalice Press: Thank
you for your patience as I completed the manuscript
while juggling all the other things that life threw
my way. I greatly appreciated your compassion and
support.
To the congregations that have welcomed me and my
family and allowed me to learn what it means to be
a pastor, hopefully after God’s own heart: Harmony
Baptist Church, Broadway Baptist Church, Third
Baptist Church, and Webster Groves Baptist Church. I
have learned more from you than you have learned from
me.
To the Carter clan for continual love and patience.
To Genevieve and Jerry for life more abundantly.

CONTENTS
About the Cover viii
Introduction 1
1 Roots of Our Racial Division 17
2 The Normality of Whiteness 43
3 Aftereffects 65
4 Finding Common Ground 83
Conclusion 106
Notes 121
Selected Resources 129
ABOUT THE COVER
Author Terrell Carter discusses the artwork used on the cover:
The cover image, “Untitled,” comes from a series of
abstract images that I have been producing for several years
that has culminated in a body of work titled “Good Negroes.”
The images, which are nondescript and faceless, can represent
any person at any time. The only distinguishing features
are the various colors used to form their bodies. The images
represent the commonality that we all hold as human beings
and, at the same time, the diversity that we all uniquely
hold. They also represent my belief that we all originate
from a common creator, and although we sometimes use our
different physical aspects as ways to separate ourselves, in
the end we all come from the One who sees us as the same.
My artistic style is influenced by artists from the Harlem
Renaissance. Although many of those artists were classically
trained in painting and drawing, they produced work that
looked primitive and reflected their African heritage through
angular colorful images. My hope, as was theirs, is to break
long-held negative beliefs about African American culture
and show that, although it may differ in many ways from
white culture, it still holds multiple similarities.
viii
Introduction
“Racism is particularly alive and well in America. It is
America’s original sin and it is institutionalized at all
levels of society.”1
Do we need another book about race? Another book about
how divided our nation is? Can we not talk about something
else, like how to get along?
Some would say that racism no longer exists because our
nation finally elected its first African American president. Yet,
in one of the more shocking developments during Obama’s
tenure as president, polls showed that 55 percent of adults
believe that race relations within our nation, especially those
between blacks and whites, worsened during his eight years
in office.
Some might say that one of the biggest legacies left behind
by the Obama administration is widespread racial division.
When asked how serious a problem people thought racial
discrimination against blacks was in the U.S., three out of four
blacks said it was a problem, while two out of three whites
said it was not a problem.2 When asked if people thought that
the country’s criminal justice system treats whites and blacks
equally, most white respondents said it did, but most black
respondents said it did not. When asked about their feelings
toward the Black Lives Matter movement and whether it was
a good thing, 78 percent of African Americans thought the
movement was a good thing that held a legitimate purpose,
while 62 percent of whites said that it was not a good thing
and did not have a legitimate purpose.
This division was quantified even more clearly by the
general presidential election of 2016. For example, 88 percent
1