Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent and How to Speak Up

You have a voice. And you have God's permission to use it. In some communities, certain voices are amplified and elevated while others are erased and suppressed. It can be hard to speak up, especially in the ugliness of social media. Power dynamics keep us silent and marginalized, especially when race, ethnicity, and gender are factors. What can we do about it? Activist Kathy Khang roots our voice and identity in the image of God. Because God created us in our ethnicity and gender, our voice is uniquely expressed through the totality of who we are. We are created to speak, and we can both speak up for ourselves and speak out on behalf of others. Khang offers insights from faithful heroes who raised their voices for the sake of God's justice, and she shows how we can do the same today, in person, in social media, in organizations, and in the public square. Be silent no more. If you have wondered when and how to speak, hear God's invitation to you to find and steward your authentic voice, whether in word or deed, to communicate the good news in a messed-up world. As you discern God's voice calling you to speak, you will discover how your voice sounds as you express God's heart to others. And the world will hear you loud and clear. Review "Khang brings a bold and challenging perspective on 'voice' to the evangelical Christian lifestyle and a refreshing approach to the convergence of religion and culture." -- Publishers Weekly, May 28, 2018"If you've ever wrestled with when or how to speak up, then you'll be excited to hear about this . . . book from author Kathy Khang. 'You have a voice,' the book's description reads. 'And you have God’s permission to use it.' Khang explores how we find our unique voices in the imago Dei, and how to raise our voice as God has called us to." -- Cat Knarr, Faithfully Magazine, April 27, 2018"In these days of intense political division, online vitriol, and alternative facts, we desperately need these perspectives and stories to help us see the whole picture of God's coming kingdom. For the sake of the gospel, we should each be willing to undergo the costly, yet ultimately redemptive process of sharing our voice with the world. And we should each seek out opportunities to call out this gift in others. That's what Khang does wonderfully in Raise Your Voice. She is both mentor and advocate, challenging each of us to add our unique voices to the God-honoring chorus and speak up." -- Dorcas Cheng-Tozun, Evangelicals for Social Action, July 30, 2018 Review "The book works so well, I think, in part because Kathy Khang's unique perspective grounds her reflections in real stories, while still making space for others to have different experiences. This remarkably human and dialogic mode acts as an invitation for other voices to join in the discussion, which is one of the secrets of assertiveness. Khang's voice is not one that seeks to dominate?and yet it is definitely not passive. On the contrary, her voice assertively and persistently sticks up for her own needs and those of others, using her own individuality and idiom to do so while fully acknowledging the challenges of those acts and that position." -- D. S. Leiter, Englewood Review of Books, Fall 2018 About the Author Kathy Khang is a speaker, journalist, and activist. She has worked in campus ministry for more than twenty years, with expertise in issues of gender, ethnicity, justice, and leadership development. She is a columnist for Sojourners magazine, a writer for Faith and Leadership, and a coauthor of More Than Serving Tea: Asian American Women on Expectations, Relationships, Leadership and Faith.