Study Questions Week 1

Watch the movie Remember the Titans. You can find it on Disney+ for streaming (has a few foul words). There is also a copy of the DVD in the church office. Just call (336 625-2224) and reserve it. The movie is rated for ages 10 and up so please use your discretion for your family.

Arrange for a time for discussion with your family, or get a group of friends together virtually. If you want to use the church’s Zoom account, you can also call the church office to set that up.

I know these are a lot of questions about the movie below. Feel free to use some or all of them and also feel free to add your own study questions and points of discussion. Make sure everyone in your group has the opportunity to speak. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead your discussion with honesty. End the discussion with the prayer at the end of the study questions. There are questions for children also included in this guide.

1. The opening of the movie shows the black community surrounding Coach Boone and the white community surrounding Coach Yoast. Do you think that helps or hurts the situation? Are there times when you have joined in with a group simply because of the color of your skin? 2. Gary shows up to bus on the way to camp and immediately confronts Coach Boone and says “your people” and other things that are divisive. Throughout the movie, there are times when words are used to divide and categorize. What are some of the words that people use that stereotypes a race or group of people? 3. When they are moving into the dorms for football camp, tempers flare over a poster and then a fight breaks out between Gary and Julius. Later Coach Boone tells the team that “Football is about harassing anger into a team that can achieve perfection.” Do you feel angry about racial tensions? Are you ever anger at someone who is different than you? What can we do instead of letting our anger control us? 4. What do you think about Louie Lastik? He just moved there and does not seem to abide by the rules. He said “someone said football and I come running.” What allowed him to be different? Do you have courage to go against our cultural norms? 5. Coach Yoast made the players talk to other players of a different race until they got to know one another. Take time to contact someone this week that is of a different race and have a conversation with them. 6. Coach Boone takes the team on a 3am run in the woods and they end up at Gettysburg battle field. He gives a speech saying “they were fighting the same fight we are still fighting among ourselves today.” He quoted a soldier who said “Hatred destroyed my family” and then told the team to listen to the dead men’s souls and “if we too do not come together…we too will be destroyed.” Then charges the team to respect one another even if they do not like one another. Why are we still fighting this fight? What can we do to stop this fighting and come together? Individually? As a family? As a church? 7. What was the turning point for the team? When did their hearts start to change? Read Psalm 51. 8. There are other prejudices that are subtly mentioned in the movie- Petey questioning Sunshine’s sexuality, Coach Boone making comment that Cheryl should be home “playing with dolls” instead of loving football. When have you experienced exclusion in your life and how did that make you feel? What are the other prejudices that we face in our society and what can we do to eliminate them? 9. When Gary introduces Julius to Emma, his girlfriend, at the opening of school where there are a lot of protests, Emma refuses to shake his hand and walks off in disgust. Have you ever felt that way in your heart? Ever let it show? Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone’s disgust targeted at you? God forgives us for the times we have had thoughts or done things to hurt others, and also expects us to change to do better. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. 10. After the Titans won the first game, they are celebrating downtown and Emma and Ray show up in car trying to get Gary to go with them to the hill to celebrate. Emma tells Gary “What are you trying to do Gary? … You are not running in the same direction with us…You have your priorities all mixed up.” Gary knows that this will cost him his friendships. Have you ever felt peer pressure to go along with the crowd, even when it is not something you want to do? Did you stand up to them? Did it cost you anything? 11. When the boys go to the diner to get a meal, the owner refuses to serve Julius. What can we do about businesses that discriminate or businesses that we know are owned by people who are racist? (We have to do the hard work to find out where we spend our money and what businesses we support and do more to support black owned businesses). 12. Scene with Coach Yoast and Coach Boone in the office- discussion about how hard Coach Boone is and says “you are coddling them…you are crippling them for life.” Sometimes what we think we are doing is helpful, and sometimes it really is not. We project our cultural understandings on others. How can we be more aware of when we do that? 13. Scene with Gary and his mom when Gary is going to go play basketball with Julius and the boys at the Berg. Gary’s mom says “If your father was still alive” and Gary gets upset with his mom and says “give him a chance. Get to know him”. (Later Gary’s mother comes to accept and love Julius). Are their members of our family who are racist or prejudiced? How do you deal with that? 14. At the end of that scene, Gary’s mother says “you are coming to church with your mother”, implying that the church has a different understanding than Gary does. Are there still churches today that promote exclusion and racism? What can we do as a church that loves and accepts all? What can we do more to make sure everyone is safe, accepted and loved at First-St.Luke? 15. Scene in the diner with assistant coach and Coash Yoast has to take a stand with his friend. Has your stand for justice ever cost you a friend? 16. Scene after the brick is thrown through Coach Boone’s window where Coach Yoast basically blames Coach Boone for the adding fuel to the fire. “Maybe you got a taste of what my girls go through all the time.” What can we do to understand more about the bias that we project on others? How can we walk in another person’s shoes? 17. Talk about the relationship between Nikki and Cheryl. How are they different? How are they the same? Do they become friends? 18. When Gary tells Coach Boone that he wants Ray off the team, why did he do that? They have been friends for a long time and Gary took courage to take a stand and not allow that to be part of the team. He had zero tolerance for bullying. Have there been times when you have taken a similar stand? Are there times when you could have spoken up and did not? If so, why do you think that happened? 19. After a big game, Julius is heading over to the Gary’s house, presumably in a white neighborhood, and Julius stopped by a police officer. How do you think Julius felt when he saw the police officer? What do you think about the police brutality of many African Americans in America? Are all police officers hateful to black people? (no of course not.) 20. For parents that remember the civil rights movement in the 1960s and early 70s, the setting of this movie, recall your memories and share with your children. Invite grandparents (virtually) to talk to the children about their memories and what their family did during this time. 21. Do you think the movie promotes any stereotypes of either the white or black community? If so, which ones and what we can do in our time to erase these stereotypes? 22. The scene of regional game where referee was being unfair and then Coach Yoast confronts the referee. Coach Yoast did not make Hall of Fame because those in charge denied him. How do we fight injustice when those in power do wrong? 23. In the championship game locker room, Coach Yoast says “you have taught this city how to trust the soul of a man rather than the looks of him.” How does Jesus want us to look at others? 24. When Gary is hurt in the car accident, Julius is the only one he wants to see. What happened to allow Julius and Gary become such close friends?

Other Resources for Youth and Adults There are many more Methodist links and many more resources that are helpful but here are a few Methodist links. There are lots of books. You are also encouraged to watch , rated for ages 13 and up, which is free on Amazon Prime right now (has foul language). There are other movies that address race relations which are helpful too. https://www.gcorr.org https://www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/download-resources/racial-justice-tools-for- leaders.pdf https://www.umc.org/en/content/ways-united-methodists-can-take-a-stand-against-racism https://www.gcorr.org/deconstruction-white-privilege-a-discussion-guide/ https://www.umc.org/en/how-we-serve/advocating-for-justice/racial-justice https://www.wnccumc.org/justice-reconciliation

Questions for Children

1. Does Jesus love everybody? Do you think we should? Is there anyone you have trouble getting along with at school or church? Why? What can you do to get along with them better? 2. Describe your friends and tell me what is special about them. See if race is at the top of the characteristics they list. And discuss with them why they picked the things they listed. 3. If your children know about the death of George Floyd and what is happening in our nation (and they probably all do), talk to them and ask them how they feel. Do not negate anything they say unless it is something that is concerning and then gently guide them to correct thinking. 4. Here are some excellent resources for parents and grandparents to use to help teach our children about race (thanks to one of our great teachers for these links!). There are other great resources but these are a few. Please take the time to read. https://www.npr.org/2019/04/24/716700866/talking-race-with-young- children?fbclid=IwAR262i36JkNreR2lYg0pPPHDPL9u6iyHSVkMV2vrR3Ehdl-1oG- 0ZlXKMrY https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/teaching-tolerance/talking- about-race-with-kids/ https://www.prettygooddesign.org/blog/Blog%20Post%20Title%20One-5new4 https://www.embracerace.org/resources/26-childrens-books-to-support-conversations- on-race-racism-resistance

Prayer Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us again, fall afresh on the world, Open us to allow your Spirit to fill our very being. We remember our brothers and sisters all across the world, We acknowledge the pain of racial oppression and hurt throughout our nation. Inspire each of us to work more faithfully for justice and dignity of life everywhere. Raise our vision above the barriers or color, culture and creed that separate us. Give us wisdom as we deal with one another. Help us to recognize and to respect different ways, rather than to judge. In the Spirit of Jesus, who came not to be served, but to serve, help us to walk in the world. Help us to reach out our hands with help and open our hearts in love. Awake in us the desire to seek your way of serving you in the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.