Dear White Peacemakers

Before seeing the description for the recently published book Dear White Peacemakers, I wasn't familiar with Osheta Moore. After finishing this book, I am definitely more familiar with her as she addresses her readers as friend. As her writing comes from her heart and her experiences, she definitely wries as one frend to another and frequently mentions the drinks or food she would serve if we were at her table. I have followed her on social media and encourage you do so too!

Dear White Peacemakers: Dismantling Racism with Grit and Grace has so many "WOW!" moments throughout the book. I was reading an e-copy, and my notes option was being used frequently. I would often stop to read a section out loud to my husband or other family members. Moore does a wonderful job of meshing her own experiences, current events, and some research. As she lives in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region, she had a front row seat to George Floyd's tragic and untimely death and draws upon that as well as other racially fueled deaths and instances over the last few years. This experience combined with her own experiences and leading an anti-racism study tour provides numerous resources for her to draw upon.

I don't want to give away all of Moore's best content, but I do want to provide a taste of what you will learn. A key concept Moore emphasizes, as you can tell by the title, is the importance of peacemaking rather than peacekeeping. Moore explains that peacekeeping is status quo while peacemaking is "partnering with God to create shalom." She also emphasizes throughout the book that an importance part of peacemaking is to refrain from dehumanizing other people. Moore indicates that White Supremacy has dehumanized others and that as peacemakers we much remember that everyone is a human created in the image of God and that we must reclaim humanity for all people. Throughout Dear White Peacemakers, Moore references the Sermon on the Mount frequently as well as other scripture passages.

As a librarian who teaches information literacy and evaluation of information, several sections of Dear White Peacemakers stood out specifically. In one section, Moore notes that white supremacy emphasizes researched information that has been written and published over lived experiences. This was a great reminder of how publishing and information in general privileges certain populations and disadvantages others and the importance of seeking out diverse opinions and viewpoints. Moore also cautions individuals who may wish to express solidarity with individuals of other ethnic backgrounds by appropriating holidays, celebrations, and symbols. Moore emphasizes a difference between appreciating other cultures and appropriating it into your own. She encourages individuals to "cite their sources" by naming the specific person or place from where it comes.

Each chapter begins with a scripture passage and a letter from Moore to Dear White Peacemakers where she shares personally an introduction to the chapter's content. Likewise, each chapter ends with a scripture and a breath prayer based on the scripture passage. My one regret while reading the book is that I didn't stop to write each of the breath prayers down for later use. Dear White Peacemakers is not a book you read quickly but is a book you need to sit with for a while. I feel it is a book I will return to frequently.