The Little Books of Justice & Peacemaking is a great series of books that convey key arenas of scholarship, theory, and methodology in manageable sizes (about 100 pages each book or 1/2 a normal book size). A couple of weeks ago I did a quick review on The Little Book of Conflict Transformation by John Paul Lederach. I most recently worked through The LIttle Book of Racial Healing: Coming to the Table for Truth-Telling, Liberation, and Transformation by Thomas Norman DeWolf and Jodie Geddes.
This book has some overlap with some of the literature on trauma healing, but racial trauma is a specific form of trauma that needs more attention. This book provides a brief backdrop on what racial trauma is – it’s origins and the dynamics as well as the impact of racism and oppression on the identity of those involved on both sides. This is a mini-summary of white supremacy and contemporary racism as expressing generations of racism and inequity in society. That is helpful.
The racial healing component really is one main approach to facilitating racial healing. The authors draw on restorative justice work and the practice of circles to illustrate how people can build trust and work through traumatic life experiences and life in a fragmented society. Circles are an approach to reconciliation in group context as well as peacebuilding as well. Racial healing needs components of both reconciliation and peacebuilding and circles can do a great job to facilitate both if done well. It would require time, good facilitation, and commitment by involved parties. This is hard to achieve, but worth the investment.
This book maps out the process of a circle for the purpose of racial healing really well I think while introducing the reader to some key theory and literature related to both racism, trauma, and restorative justice practice. The book illustrates what is required to create an environment of trust, honesty, and peace. I think it could address the heart and the dynamics of forgiveness a bit more directly, but the book is not anchoring this process in a biblical framework. I think that is an important part to a gospel-centered circling process and peacebuilding. But this was a helpful book that has a lot of great content condensed into a concise package.
