Episode 34: My Sista’s Keeper, Resisting Defensiveness on Social Media

On this episode of My Sista’s Keeper, Abby and I discuss how to hopefully resist the spirit of defensiveness when talking about race, specifically on social media. We consider some practical ways to emulate Jesus’ posture toward others described in 1 Peter 2:23, “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”

We also discuss the terms backfire effect and confirmation bias, and engage listener comments and questions such as how to know when to enter into an online conversation, when to just keep scrolling, and how to encourage offline extensions of online dialogue.

We mention:

• The nonprofit organization Abby works for, His Grace Foundation, which serves patients and families on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit of Texas Children’s Hospital: www.hisgracefoundation.org

• The Beautiful Creatures book series: http://thenovl.com/BeautifulCreatures

• The Backfire Effect as described in a comic strip: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/believe

• Confirmation Bias: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/science-choice/201504/what-is-confirmation-bias

• Books Lists

  • http://www.scrapingraisins.com/2016/07/70-race-resources-for-white-people/

  • https://electricliterature.com/34-books-by-women-of-color-to-read-this-year-581eda906a76

  • http://www.refinery29.com/2017/02/141801/best-books-by-black-female-authors

  • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/10-new-books-by-women-writers-of-color-to-add-to-your-must-read-list_us_58b49a75e4b060480e0b1184

• The Turner House by Angela Flournoy:  http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2015_f_aflournoy.html#.WRyYkRPyuRs

Want more Shalom in your life? Follow Shalom in the City on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @shalominthecity.You can find me, Osheta Moore, on Twitter @osheta, Instagram @oshetam and Pinterest. Abby is on Facebook @AbbyJoyAndersonPerry, on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest @abbyjperry and online at joywovendeep.com.