Challenging white privilege through religious education theory and practice

What is it about?

This article introduces the theme of the upcoming Religious Education Association's Annual Meeting that will address the challenges of white normativity. While white privilege has been a difficult problem to deal with, through religious education theory and practice it is possible to challenge white normativity through turning our classrooms and faith communities into brave spaces whereby the multiple strands that have contributed to white normativity can be untangled, examined and effectively addressed.

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Why is it important?

Racism and discrimination are present in most, if not all, cultures and societies globally. In particular, the subtleties of white normativity have made it difficult for the dominant cultures to recognize how entrenched white privilege has become. The inability of people around the world to see each other as created in the image of God makes it impossible to create beloved communities in all cultures and regions of the globe. The field of religious education, therefore, has an opportunity to reflect on, analyze and highlight white normativity and offer the ways and means to begin to tackle such a serious issue through developing brave spaces in our schools and faith communities as a beginning point of addressing the problem.