Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation

Morrison, social justice advocate and founder of Be the Bridge, a nonprofit that focuses on racial reconciliation, invites readers to join her mission of using biblical principles of lamentation, confession, and forgiveness to overcome racial division in her persuasive debut. During college, Morrison writes, she realized few people understood the history of black America—including her and her black friends—and so she started making a concerted effort to bring up African culture and African-American history in conversation. The idea for her nonprofit (now an organization with over 1,000 community groups across five countries) sprang from those conversations. She makes a strong argument that the white Christian church bears a responsibility for past sins of slavery, which has furthered racism and oppression. Morrison emphasizes that recognizing brokenness isn’t enough—awareness must be followed by action, and she calls for churches and the American government to make a formal apology. Morrison tone’s is firm yet compassionate: “God is inviting all of us to be active participants in racial reconciliation... if we come together in the posture of humility, we can start to bridge the racial divide.” Each chapter ends with a prayer and discussion questions. Though aimed at church groups, Morrison’s clear-eyed vision will aid any reader trying to understand and overcome systemic, internalized racism. (Oct.)