Dear Joe,

“I found this great description of the “alt-right” by Joe Carter, “The alt-right—short for “alternative right”—is an umbrella term for a host of disparate nationalist and populist groups associated with the white identity cause/movement. The term brings together white supremacists (e.g., neo-Nazis), religious racialists (e.g., Kinists), neo-pagans (e.g., Heathenry), internet trolls (e.g., 4chan’s /pol/), and others enamored with white identity and racialism…At the core of the alt-right movement is idolatry—the idol of ‘whiteness.’” https://blogs.efca.org/strands-of-thought/posts/who-and-what-is-the-alt-right-and-what-is-a-christian-response

And so, my answer is simple. Educate yourself about white supremacy, study anti-racism, and find ways to show up as an ally to marginalized folks. Recognize your privilege, listen to marginalized folks, believe their experiences, have difficult conversations, advocate for their rights, and amplify their voices. Be attentive to oppression and microaggressions that are happening in your workplaces, communities, schools, churches, etc., and interrupt and call out these behaviors. Show up at local town halls and county sessions, make your voice for equality heard, sign petitions, and donate to organizations supporting marginalized communities.

Change can only occur when individuals change. Start with yourself and examine how white supremacy shows up in your life. Begin the arduous process of dismantling it in your own life, mind and theology.

Below are some resources and organizations to support:

NAACP: https://naacp.org/campaigns/our-2025

ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/petition/stop-project-2025-tyranny

NUL: https://nul.org/stop-project-2025

Embracing Equity, anti-racism training: https://www.embracingequity.org/post/anti-racism-training-become-an-agent-of-change-and-promote-equity

Linked In anti-racism traininings: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/topics/anti-racism

Dr. Resmaa Menakem, Somatic Abolitionism: https://resmaa.com/

Dr. Resmaa Menakem is a therapist and trauma specialist who activates the wisdom of elders. He is the leading voice on racialized trauma and the creator of Somatic Abolitionism, which utilizes the body and its natural resilience as mechanisms for healing racialized trauma.

Layla Saad, an East African, Arab, British, Black, Muslim woman living in Qatar, came up with an impressive answer — a 28-day process that she calls a "personal anti-racism tool" designed to teach those with white privilege how systemic racism works and how they can stop contributing to white supremacy in the world. https://laylafsaad.com/

~ Rev. Deshna Shine