I recently had the amazing and surprising privilege of being a guest panelist in a conversation hosted by Oprah Winfrey with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and four other panelists (more on this in a later post). The purpose of this conversation was to hear from each of the five panelists as we have been grappling with racism in our own lives and in the world around us. Specifically, we discussed how some of Dr. Kendi’s ideas in his latest book, How to Be an Antiracist, have shaped our understanding of racism and what we will do about racism moving forward. I was intentionally chosen for the panel because I am a White, male, “evangelical” pastor.
The purpose of this article is not to talk about this conversation I had with Oprah, Dr. Kendi, and the other panelists. Instead, I want to use this space to address what I have found helpful in Dr. Kendi’s ideas, as well as what I disagree with and must ultimately reject from his ideas.