Seeing My Skin: a Story of Wrestling With Whiteness by Peter Jarrett-Schell

PETER JARRETT-SCHELL is Pastor of Calvary Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. and a facilitator at the Kaleidoscope Institute, training competent leaders for culturally diverse communities. As the white pastor of a historically Black congregation, the husband of a Black woman, and the father of a bi‑racial son, he has wrestled with the question of Whiteness for many years. With humor, and a sharp, easily-readable style, Peter Jarrett-Schell delves deeply into how Whiteness has shaped his life. By telling his story, he challenges readers to personally consider the role of race in their own lives.

In recent years, white institutions, congregations, and individuals have all begun to wrestle with their racial legacy. But these reflections often get lost abstracting ideas of “white privilege,” “white fragility,” “structural racism,” and the like, until they become nothing more than jargon. This book challenges its readers to look closely at how these concepts show up in their everyday lives. By examining how Whiteness has distorted his own perceptions, relationships, and sense of self, Jarrett-Schell argues for the personal stakes that white people have in dismantling racism, and offers the creative possibilities that emerge when we begin to do the work.