Welcome to this week’s Worship Resources 
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Thoughts for this week
Look at the poster image, are you aware of the protests currently taking place in America and in other cities around the world? Many people are angry about the unfairness and mistreatment of how black African American citizens are treated by the police and in other situations within their lives. They want to raise awareness of racism and are trying to change the opinions and actions of others. As some of the protests have turned violent, they have caused divided opinion. Some people believe that more peaceful methods should be used to help educate and initiate change.
Many people in America feel the police and the justice system treat black people unfairly compared to how they treat white people. African Americans are five times more likely to be sent to jail than white Americans. Does this surprise you?
Have you heard of the Black Lives Matters movement? Recent protests have brought the ongoing movement to the forefront of peoples’ attention all around the world. The movement campaigns against violence and racism and fights for equality for black people around the world, starting in 2013.
On Tuesday 2nd June, millions of people around the world shared a plain black image as part of ‘Black Tuesday’, a global event to protest against racial inequality. Organisers behind the movement asked people to, post a picture of a black square on their social media account, mute their account for the day and use the time they would otherwise be on social media to educate themselves on Black Lives Matter.
Watch the video. Do you think Blackout Tuesday was an effective way to raise awareness? What do you think the benefits are for pausing and using the time to learn? Can you think of any other ways to raise awareness about an issue we care about?
