According to recent surveys and studies, race relations in the United States are the worst they've been since the 1990s, and many would argue that life for most minorities has not significantly improved since the civil rights era of the 1960s. For so many, the dream of true equality has dissolved into a reality of prejudice, fear, and violence as a way of life. John M. Perkins has been there from the beginning. Raised by his sharecropping grandparents, Perkins fled Mississippi in 1947 after his brother was fatally shot by a police officer. He led voter registration efforts in 1964, worked for school desegregation in 1967, and was imprisoned and tortured in 1970. Through it all, he has remained determined to seek justice and reconciliation based in Christ's redemptive work. "Justice is something that every generation has to strive for," he says. And despite the setbacks of recent years, Perkins finds hope in the young people he has met all across the nation who are hard at work, bringing about reconciliation in God's name and offering acceptance to all. Dream with Me is his look back at a life devoted to seeking justice for all God's people, as well as a look forward to what he sees as a potentially historic breakthrough for people of every race.

Dream with Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win

Biographies & Memoirs

Perkins, John M.

Community & Culture

Baker Books

Re-imagine Leading and Following in a World Longing for True Justice, Compassion and FreedomFollowers of Christ yearn to see the world changed in compassionate, positive, effective ways. As prophetic voices, Shane Claiborne and John Perkins lead the way in this move to be the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus. One is young, a self proclaimed reformed redneck who grew up in the hills of Tennessee and now lives in inner city Philadelphia. The other is decades older, an African-American civil rights leader who was almost beaten to death by police in Mississippi, and went on to found a reconciliation movement and counsel three American presidents. Claiborne and Perkins draw on more than a century of combined following and learning, activism and leading. Together they craft a timely message for ordinary people willing to take radical steps to see real change happen.In Follow Me to Freedom, Claiborne and Perkins lead the way toward justice for all, unfolding a proven strategy as ancient as the patriarchs of faith and as fresh as the needs of every human heart. Starting with Moses as a model, they re-imagine leading and following in a world desperate for true social justice, compassion, and freedom. They offer practical ways to internalize and live out God's promise of freedom in the twenty-first century. Followers of Christ will not only be inspired but also catalyzed into action, and the world will never be the same.

Follow Me to Freedom: Leading and Following As an Ordinary Radical

Religion & Spirituality

Claiborne, Shane

Christian Books & Bibles

The next generation hungers for strong, visionary, ethical, and passionate leaders. Where do we start in this day where we lack leadership at all levels? The authors of this breakout book contend that leaders of tomorrow are among us, but they need to be identified, trained, and empowered. John M. Perkins casts the biblical vision that has started a movement. Wayne Gordon has rolled up his sleeves at the grassroots level to spark the transformation of a Chicago neighborhood. Together (and with friends) they founded the Christian Community Development Association. Now they put in this book the stories and lessons of discovery, growth, mistakes, success, and lives changed. They are ready to hand batons of leadership, especially for poor and under-resourced communities, over to the next generation. With this book, they do just that!

Leadership Revolution: Developing the Vision & Practice of Freedom & Justice

Something is wrong in our society. Deeply wrong. The belief that all lives matter is at the heart of our founding documents--but we must admit that this conviction has never truly reflected reality in America. Movements such as Black Lives Matter have arisen in response to recent displays of violence and mistreatment, and some of us defensively answer back, "All lives matter." But do they? Really? This book is an exploration of that question. It delves into history and current events, into Christian teaching and personal stories, in order to start a conversation about the way forward. Its raw but hopeful words will help move us from apathy to empathy and from empathy to action. We cannot do everything. But we can each do something.

Do All Lives Matter?: The Issues We Can No Longer Ignore and the Solutions We All Long For

Politics & Social Sciences

Wayne Gordon

Social Sciences

Dr. Perkins’ final manifesto on race, faith, and reconciliation We are living in historic times. Not since the civil rights movement of the 60s has our country been this vigorously engaged in the reconciliation conversation. There is a great opportunity right now for culture to change, to be a more perfect union. However, it cannot be done without the church, because the faith of the people is more powerful than any law government can enact. 
The church is the heart and moral compass of a nation. To turn a country away from God, you must sideline the church. To turn a nation to God, the church must turn first. Racism won't end in America until the church is reconciled first. Then—and only then—can it spiritually and morally lead the way.
Dr. John M. Perkins is a leading civil rights activist today. He grew up in a Mississippi sharecropping family, was an early pioneer of the civil rights movement, and has dedicated his life to the cause of racial equality. In this, his crowning work, Dr. Perkins speaks honestly to the church about reconciliation, discipleship, and justice... and what it really takes to live out biblical reconciliation. 
He offers a call to repentance to both the white church and the black church. He explains how band-aid approaches of the past won't do. And while applauding these starter efforts, he holds that true reconciliation won't happen until we get more intentional and relational. True friendships must happen, and on every level. This will take the whole church, not just the pastors and staff. 
The racial reconciliation of our churches and nation won't be done with big campaigns or through mass media. It will come one loving, sacrificial relationship at a time. The gospel and all that it encompasses has always traveled best relationally. We have much to learn from each other and each have unique poverties that can only be filled by one another. The way forward is to become "wounded healers" who bandage each other up as we discover what the family of God really looks like. Real relationships, sacrificial love between actual people, is the way forward. Nothing less will do.

One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race and Love

Moody Publishers

"I believe He Calls Me Friend is one of the most important books of our day, from one of the last living prophets of the Civil Rights Era."
–Nick Hall, Founder of Pulse movement, author of Reset: Jesus Changes Everything
What if friendship is the key to changing the world?
As a follow-up to his landmark work One Blood, Dr. John Perkins helps readers take the next step to make justice and love a reality. Sometimes people ask Dr. Perkins how to make a difference in the world, his simple answer is this, "Be friends. First with God. Then with others—every kind of other you can think of. Because the simple, powerful, messy, explosive truth is: the world is changed one friendship at a time." In He Calls Me Friend, Dr. Perkins argues that God is not distant and disconnected. He is the Friend who woos us, died for us, and lives within us. This Friend fills our empty places and shows us how to be friends with others. Along the way, Dr. Perkins shares his life experiences, explores biblical stories, and features profiles from several of his own personal friendships.
In a world that’s growing increasingly fragmented, isolated, and lonely, discover the power of friendship from a true expert in the art.

He Calls Me Friend: The Healing Power of Friendship in a Lonely World

<div> Can joy come from suffering? We think of suffering as the worst of all evils. Our culture tells us to avoid it at all costs. But can suffering produce growth in us when we learn to endure it . . . then value it . . . then allow God to redeem it? John Perkins' response to suffering at the hands of a white sheriff in a Mississippi jail became the springboard that God used to put him in front of U.S. presidents, international politicians, and evangelical church leaders. Perkins sees endurance in suffering as a virtue that makes us more like Christ and ultimately produces uncommon joy in the heart of the sufferer who trusts in Him. Christ walked the path of love all the way to the cross, and even&nbsp;in the midst our brokenness, we can do the same. In Count It All Joy, you will be encouraged to lean into suffering when it comes your way, stand alongside others who suffer, and believe that God will repurpose your suffering according to His good plan. God doesn't intend your life to be free of all suffering. Instead, He wants you trust Him in the midst of it and discover the unexpected joy that trials can produce. </div>

Count it All Joy: The Ridiculous Paradox of Suffering

<div>Dr. Perkins' final manifesto on race, faith, and reconciliation We are living in historic times. Not since the civil rights movement of the 60s has our country been&nbsp;this vigorously engaged in the reconciliation conversation. There is a great opportunity right now for culture to change, to be a more perfect union. However, it cannot be done without the church, because the faith of the people is more powerful than any law government can enact. The church is the heart and moral compass of a nation. To turn a country away from God, you must sideline the church. To turn a nation to God, the church must turn first. Racism won't end in America until the church is reconciled first. Then--and only then--can&nbsp;it&nbsp;spiritually and morally lead the way. Dr. John M. Perkins is a leading civil rights activist today. He grew up in a Mississippi sharecropping family, was an early pioneer of the civil rights movement, and has dedicated his life to the cause of racial equality. In this, his crowning work, Dr. Perkins speaks honestly to the church about reconciliation, discipleship, and justice... and what it really takes to live out biblical reconciliation. He offers a call to repentance to both the white church and the black church. He explains how band-aid approaches of the past won't do. And while applauding these starter efforts, he holds that true reconciliation won't happen until we get more intentional and relational. True friendships must happen, and on every level. This will take the whole church, not just the pastors and staff. The racial reconciliation of our churches and nation won't be done with big campaigns or through mass media. It will come one loving, sacrificial relationship at a time. The gospel and all that it encompasses has always traveled best relationally. We have much to learn from each other and each have unique poverties that can only be filled by one another. The way forward is to become "wounded healers" who bandage each other up as we discover what the family of God really looks like. Real relationships, sacrificial love between actual people, is the way forward. Nothing less will do. </div>

His brother died in his arms, shot by a deputy marshal; he was beaten and tortured by the sheriff and state police. Through it all he returned good for evil, progress for prejudice, and brought hope to black and white alike. The gripping true story of what happens when faith thrusts a person into the midst of a struggle against racism, oppression, and injustice.

Let Justice Roll Down

Baker Pub Group

This wonderful uplifting book: Resurrecting Hope by John Perkins with Jo Kadleck is a powerful book of stories of how God is moving to reach our Cities. Resurrecting Hope provides an exciting look at 12 churches that God is using to make a difference in their Cities. Read all about innovation partnerships between suburban and urban churches

Resurrecting Hope

History

Kadlecek, Jo

World

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Perkins, John M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Perkins, John M.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Perkins, John M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Dream with Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win

Follow Me to Freedom: Leading and Following As an Ordinary Radical

Leadership Revolution: Developing the Vision & Practice of Freedom & Justice

Do All Lives Matter?: The Issues We Can No Longer Ignore and the Solutions We All Long For

One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race and Love

He Calls Me Friend: The Healing Power of Friendship in a Lonely World

Count it All Joy: The Ridiculous Paradox of Suffering

One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race and Love

Let Justice Roll Down

Resurrecting Hope