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So, you just finished reading these articles about Black/White race relations in InterVarsity. Wondering what you can possibly do about any of this? Wondering if there is hope? Of course!

For starters, think through the following questions as they relate to your fellowship:

1. In light of these women’s experiences (Rita Kendagor, Judith, Tyren, and Celeste), how would you evaluate your fellowship’s openness to people of different races, cultures, and ethnicities?

2. How is your fellowship a welcoming environment for ethnic-minority cultures?

3. Look around your campus and see what ethnic-specific (Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino) fellowships are there. Try to find out why these groups formed in the first place. What part (active or passive) did your fellowship play in these groups’ feeling the need to form their own fellowship? (It’s okay to ask!)

4. One definition of racism is “a system of advantage based on race.” It sounds simple, but it can be explored deeply. How might your fellowship need to repent for racism in the past or in this current generation? It may help to get the input of the people you talked to in number three above.

Other things you can do:

1. Invite Black and other non-white speakers for your large-group times.

2. Begin singing some Black and other non-white songs during large group worship time. (InterVarsity’s new CD, Worship Songs from the African-American Church Tradition is a great resource to start with.) Check out this CD on I-V’s web-site, at
http://www.urbana.org/u2000.worship.cfm or hear samples at
http://www.urbana.org/u2000.worship.plcdtracks.cfm

3. Purposefully befriend one Black or other non-white Christian on your campus this year.

Stay tuned for more articles here and on I-V’s web-site that show how God is moving multi-ethnically on campuses around the country.—Lisa Harper, staff in California, and Eileen Hocker