Spotlight on “Bridging the Rivers of Difference” Catherine Meeks

Praise for Bridging the Rivers of Difference

“Without a vision, the people perish. Catherine Meeks has a vision for a way forward which is presented in Bridging the Rivers of Difference: A Proclamation of Unity in Resistance that challenges Asian Americans, Latinos, African Americans and Indigenous People to remember their ancestral heritage and its empowerment as they seek ways to form strong collaborative partnerships in their resistance to racism.”—The Honorable Andrew Young, former Ambassador to the United Nations

In Bridging the Rivers of Difference, “Meeks calls on four major underrepresented groups—Indigenous Peoples, African-Americans, Asian Americans, and Latin Americans—to band together and invites whites who are willing to be more than allies and become pilgrims to join in the effort to overturn the systemic racism that is embedded within our culture….[N]eeds to be heard by Americans who want us to become the America we long to be…..”—Gregory E. Sterling, The Reverend Henry L. Slack Dean, The Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, Yale Divinity School

In Bridging the Rivers of Difference, “By prioritizing the experiences and agency of people of color to work for themselves in solidarity with one another, Catherine Meeks invites us to frame coalition building through an honest reckoning with our past. She lays bare the ways that many anti-racist movements and teachings have actually deepened the divides between the four major groups of people of color, and in doing so offers us a humbling and challenging path to a more authentic form of unity and resistance.”—Heidi J. Kim, Executive Director, The Episcopal Coalition for Racial Equity and Justice

“[Bridging the Rivers of Difference]…is essential reading for people of color and white people as a guide to moving from participating in systems of oppression towards becoming a united community of allies and co-resisters. Through the reciprocity of sharing our unique cultural gifts and wisdom traditions grounded in pre-colonial teachings, the Beloved Community can and will create a lifegiving and healing narrative for a way forward together, a story grounded in respect for creation and in the celebration of our diversity.”—The Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton, Shackan First Nation, Nicola Tribal Association

“With clarity, courage, and intellectual rigor, it examines how racial division is rooted in the practice of “othering,” while challenging readers to confront the dynamics of competition, exclusion, and the damaging narrative of inferiority that continues to shape society….Timely, provocative, and deeply humane, [Bridging the Rivers of Difference] is an essential contribution to the ongoing conversation about justice, unity, and our shared future. It…informs the mind, stirs the conscience, and calls each of us to participate in building a more equitable world.”—Jerlena Griffin-Desta, Ph.D., Retired Vice President Strategic Initiatives & Diversity, Sonoma State University

“With erudite precision, a profound sense of humanity, and characteristic good humor, Bridging the Rivers of Difference accompanies the reader on a rich journey to uncover the pathways for universal sacred worth and shared prosperity. Challenging yet deeply soul-nourishing, Dr. Meeks makes it evident that a more harmonious world is not a distant dream, but is within our collective grasp.”—Elliot Watts, attorney, Chair, Bishop’s Advisory Committee, Church of the Common Ground