21-Day Ignatian Racial Equity Challenge
Learn, Pray, and Act for Racial Justice
For 21 days, we challenge you to enter into the complex work of understanding the realities of racial injustice and anti-Blackness in the U.S. The Ignatian Racial Equity Challenge is designed for all participants, regardless of race, ethnicity, prior anti-racism work, age or background and will include opportunities to learn, pray, and act on different themes of racial equity. Additional specific resources will be provided for white people, who benefit from and perpetuate racist systems in our society, both intentionally and unintentionally.
Thank you for walking this journey with an open mind and heart.
Why is ISN hosting this challenge, and where did the idea come from?
St. Ignatius and the Jesuits lived by the motto “for the greater glory of God” and were willing to travel as needed to respond to the needs of the Church. The need for racial justice work in the lives of individuals and the Church is clear and that the work of anti-racism is indeed “For the Greater Glory of God.” ISN hopes that the challenge will provide a way for people to begin or continue the process of anti-racism in their lives and communities by exploring racial equity in light of our faith and Ignatian Spirituality.
Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. and Debby Irving are credited as the original creators of the 21-Day Challenge format, and the challenge has been adapted by many organizations across the country, including the YWCA of Cleveland, which inspired ISN’s version of the challenge.
What is the format of the challenge?
A daily email will be sent with resources that invite you to learn, pray, and act on a particular racial justice topic. In the learn section, the STARTING OUT resource is intended for people newer to the work of anti-racism. The GOING DEEPER resource is intended for people who have a solid foundation in anti-racism. However, feel free to explore all of the content as time allows.
While you will receive approximately 5 resources daily, it is not expected that you read or do everything in the email. Explore the resources, and pick 1 or 2 items that you believe will best help you to engage with the topic for the day.
An additional “For White People” section will be included in most emails. As people who benefit from and perpetuate racist systems in our society, intentionally or unintentionally, white people need to engage in specific work around anti-racism.
Who can participate?
The challenge is designed for anyone to participate, regardless of race, ethnicity, prior anti-racism work, age, or background.
Can I do the challenge with other people?
Yes! While it is not required to complete the challenge as a group, we encourage you to reach out to another person or small group of people. Going through the 21-day challenge as a group will help with accountability and will have the added benefit of providing conversation and prayer partners throughout the experience.
What happens if I miss some of the daily prompts?
Ideally you will engage with even a small amount of the material daily from Monday through Friday. Save additional resources or longer resources for the weekend. We encourage you to try to intentionally schedule a particular time each day to engage with the material for the duration of the challenge to make it more likely that you will remain faithful to the practice.
If you do fall behind, don’t worry! The links for each of the days will remain active so that you can come back to the resources as you are able. You will also have the weekend to catch up. Please remember that this process is about QUALITY of engagement not quantity of resources consumed. If you engage with ONE resource in a meaningful way daily, that’s enough. This work and learning will last a lifetime, so do what you can to make it sustainable.
How do weekends work?
New content will not be sent during the weekend; however, that does not mean that the challenge stops. St. Ignatius invites us into the practice of “repetition” in our prayer practice. During repetition we return to a previous prayer period in order to become more attentive to the movements of God in our heart. In that spirit, during the weekends throughout the challenge, you are invited into prayerful consideration of the past week.
As you look back over the week, which themes produced a strong emotion or left you wanting to explore more? Engage with a resource you didn’t have time to use during the week, explore the additional resource for the day, or take time to prayerfully journal or talk to God about what came up for you in relation to a theme.
Why 21 days?
While we recognize that racial injustice will not end in a period of three weeks, studies show that committing sustained attention to a particular area in our life for 21 days can be the starting point for new habits and enduring change. Setting intentional time aside to attempt to grow in our social justice habits and prayerful contemplation around racial equity, power, and privilege can help us to grow individually towards lives of anti-racism. Our individual commitment is what will ultimately help to transform structures of the Catholic Church and world.
Sign up for Challenge Emails
You can participate in the challenge via a daily email by registering here. You can also participate via the website below.
Day 1: Defining the Terms
Conversation around racism has increased dramatically in recent months. However, people often use vocabulary around racial injustice in different ways and with different understandings of what words mean. For example, some people hear the term white supremacy and think it is the same as white nationalism. Today, we invite you to explore resources that will help us to define a shared vocabulary for the duration of the challenge.
LEARN:
PRAY: An Examen for Racism | Jesuit Conference of the United States and Canada (audio available)
This Examen explores how our actions and privilege contribute to the destruction of the dignity and humanity of the Black community in the U.S.
ACT: Invite a friend to join the challenge so that you have a conversation and accountability partner.
FOR WHITE PEOPLE: After reading the definitions, we understand that racism and white supremacy are systems and more than interpersonal niceness between people. All white people benefit from racist systems. Have you ever considered racism to include more than interpersonal interactions, and how do you personally benefit from racist systems?
Additional Resources: Let’s Get to the Root of Racial Injustice | TED Talk (20 minutes)
Day 2: What does it mean to be non-racist and anti-racist?
A person claiming not to be racist is different than a person actively doing the work of anti-racism. Today’s resources explore the critical difference between being non-racist and anti-racist, and what that means in the context of faith and justice. Being anti-racist doesn’t mean that you always know the correct action to take or what to say in every situation. It does require that you act and work against racism wherever it arises, especially in yourself.
LEARN:
PRAY: Lay Down Your Life | Ignatian Solidarity Network
Often, we are afraid of naming when we are racist. As Peter’s fear caused him to deny his friend Jesus, our fear prevents us from naming for ourselves moments when we are complicit in and contribute to racism.
ACT: In your daily life, who do you interact with, what media do you consume, where do you shop? Reflect on these and other daily and lifestyle choices—how do the ways you move in world reflect being anti-racist?
FOR WHITE PEOPLE: Explore this Google Doc that contains scaffolded anti-racism resources and attempt to find yourself on the stages of white identity development. Complete one of the activities or “what to do next” steps in that category.
Additional Resources:
Day 3: White Supremacy
One of Monday’s resources, the Racial Equity Tools Glossary, helped us to better understand the meaning of the terms white privilege and white supremacy as they relate to our racial equity work. Today, we dig deeper into the ways that whiteness and racism are integrally connected.
LEARN:
Getting Started:
Going Deeper:
PRAY: Selection from a talk by Dr. James Cone about The Cross and the Lynching Tree*
[PLEASE NOTE: this video includes images of lynchings.]
ACT: Choose an action from the article, “6 Ways to be anti-racist because being ‘not racist’ isn’t enough.”
FOR WHITE PEOPLE:
Additional resources:
Day 4: Anti-Blackness
Understanding anti-Blackness is central to understanding the social, economic, and cultural realities of race in the U.S. Today’s resources will draw you into understanding and lamenting the historical and present day manifestations of anti-Blackness in our society and its systems.
LEARN:
PRAY:
ACT: Support a Black-owned business, either online or in your community.
FOR WHITE PEOPLE:
Additional Resources:
Day 5: Microaggressions
The Racial Equity Tools Glossary defines microaggressions as “everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership.” Today, we will explore the reality of microaggressions, along with colorblindness, which is problematic in that it denies the realities of racism.
LEARN:
PRAY: Prayer for Dismantling Racism | Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary of the Woods
ACT:
FOR WHITE PEOPLE:
Additional Resources:
Day 6: Act of Repetition
St. Ignatius invites us into the practice of “repetition” in prayer in which we return to a previous prayer period in order to become more attentive to the movements of God in our heart. In that spirit, you are invited to revisit resources from the past week. Use the questions below as a guide.
Day 7: Act of Repetition
St. Ignatius invites us into the practice of “repetition” in prayer in which we return to a previous prayer period in order to become more attentive to the movements of God in our heart. In that spirit, you are invited into prayerful consideration of the past week. Use one or all of the prompts below:
Day 8: Racism and the Catholic Church
This week, we will examine racism and the culture of white supremacy through the lens of the Catholic Church. While we recognize that the Church has a history of speaking out against racism, including a variety of pastoral letters and documents, today we will begin with an overview of the Church’s historical and ongoing role in racism.
LEARN:
Getting started:
Going deeper:
PRAY:
ACT:
How can your parish initiate or deepen your commitment to racial justice and equity? Join with lay and ordained leaders from churches across the U.S. to explore ways to bring racial justice work to life in your parish through reflection, conversation, prayer, and action. View the accompanying workbook at: igsol.net/parish-workbook
FOR WHITE PEOPLE:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Day 9: Catholic Social Teaching, the Gospel, and Race
Today, we take a look at what we can learn about how we are called to work for racial equity through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching, the Gospel, and through the work of Black Catholic leaders and theologians.
LEARN:
Getting started:
Going deeper:
PRAY:
ACT:
FOR WHITE PEOPLE:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Day 10: A Catholic Response to Racism
After starting our week with an exploration of the history of racism in relation to the Catholic Church and what the Catholic faith teaches about racial equity, we ask: how do we respond, both as individuals and as a Church?
LEARN:
Getting started:
Going deeper:
PRAY:
ACT:
FOR WHITE PEOPLE:
FOR NON-BLACK POC:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Day 11: A Culture of White Supremacy: Jesuit Institutions, Slavery, and Equity (Part 1 - History)
Today’s resources will help you understand the reality of the U.S. Jesuits’ involvement in the sale and exploitation of enslaved Black people. We ask you to engage with these resources not as an indictment of just a few Jesuit institutions, but as a tangible example of the Catholic Church’s historical role in building a culture of white supremacy.
Due to the complexity and importance of the topic, there are a wealth of resources in today’s email. Give yourself permission to choose a few to engage with and save the rest for later in the week.
Not connected to the Jesuit network? Check out the “additional resources” section for a look at this issue in a broader Catholic context.
LEARN:
Getting started:
Going deeper:
PRAY:
ACT:
FOR WHITE PEOPLE:
ADDITIONAL JESUIT NETWORK RESOURCES:
ADDITIONAL CATHOLIC RESOURCES:
Day 12: A Culture of White Supremacy: Jesuit Institutions, Slavery, and Equity (Part 2 - Reparations and Reconciliation)
Explore the call Jesuit and other Catholic institutions are challenged to answer today to work towards reconciliation as a result of the legacy of slavery.
LEARN:
Getting Started:
Going Deeper:
PRAY:
ACT:
FOR WHITE PEOPLE:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Day 13: Act of Repetition
St. Ignatius invites us into the practice of “repetition” in prayer in which we return to a previous prayer period in order to become more attentive to the movements of God in our heart. In that spirit, you are invited to revisit resources from the past week. Use the questions below as a guide.
Day 14: Act of Repetition
St. Ignatius invites us into the practice of “repetition” in prayer in which we return to a previous prayer period in order to become more attentive to the movements of God in our heart. In that spirit, you are invited into prayerful consideration of the past week. Use one or all of the prompts below:
Day 15: Racism and Housing
This week, we will be exploring racial equity in relation to five systemic justice issues that are prevalent in our society—housing, environment, healthcare, mass incarceration, and policing.
LEARN:
Getting started:
Going deeper:
PRAY:
ACT:
FOR WHITE PEOPLE:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Day 16: Racism and the Environment
LEARN:
Getting started:
Going deeper:
PRAY:
ACT:
FOR WHITE PEOPLE:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Day 17: Racism and Healthcare
LEARN:
Getting started:
Going deeper:
PRAY:
ACT:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Day 18: Racism and Mass Incarceration
LEARN:
Getting started:
Going deeper:
PRAY:
ACT:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Day 19: Racism and Policing
LEARN:
Getting Started:
Going Deeper:
PRAY:
ACT:
FOR WHITE PEOPLE:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Day 20: Act of Repetition
St. Ignatius invites us into the practice of “repetition” in prayer in which we return to a previous prayer period in order to become more attentive to the movements of God in our heart. In that spirit, you are invited to revisit resources from the past week. Use the questions below as a guide.
Day 21: Closing
VOTE
JOIN THE VOTING AS AN ACT OF LOVE CAMPAIGN:
Your vote has power to change systems of injustice and inequity! Join ISN’s Voting as an Act of Love campaign.
Take the pledge, then mobilize your community to exercise the right and responsibility to vote for candidates and issues that support the common good and concern for the most vulnerable people in our society. Learn more.
PRAY
ACT
Provide feedback to ISN regarding your experience with the 21-Day Ignatian Racial Equity Challenge, and share your action plan with us for continuing and deepening your work for racial equity in the future. Complete the survey.