3065 Making Anti-Racism Initiatives Work in Our Congregations

Journey Toward Wholeness Anti-Racism Panel

	Rev. Jeanne Lloyd
	Roy Money
	Carl McCargo
	Al Benford
	Sister Bette Lumpkin
	Carol Shoemaker

Rev. Jeanne Lloyd (moderator), Community Minister in Clara Barton District, doing anti-racism work
Roy Money, Member, Transformation Team, Unitarian Society of New Haven, Hamden Connecticut
Carl McCargo, Unitarian Universalist Society of Greater Springfield, Massachusetts
Al Benford, Unitarian Society, Hartford, Connecticut
Sister Bette Lumpkin, Bethel AME Church, Bloomfield, Connecticut
Carol Shoemaker, Universalist Church of West Hartford, Connecticut

Rev. Jeanne Lloyd said that one of the hardest things to find within the process of anti-racism work is a common language; the same words mean different things to people of different backgrounds. This is where it gets difficult, in teasing out the language while you work out the relationships. This workshop presented five different models of anti-racism work, teasing out that common language.

Al Benford reported on the process that CUREJ (Congregations United for Racial Equality and Justice used to develop their program. This program is a collaborative venture by the UU congregations in the Greater Hartford area, working in conjunction with an African Methodist Episcopal church. (Details of the program are found in Handout 1)

Carol Shoemaker reported that their program is divided into three components: 1) education 2) fellowship, social activities (getting together) and 3) social action. For that they chose to work with the environmental coalition of Hartford. They found that the geographic separation of the different congregations led to some logistic challenges.

“Conversations on race” study groups worked very well. Participants met in structured discussions over a five-week period with facilitators trained by the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ). These discussions were followed by Jubilee I and Jubilee II workshops put on through the Journey Toward Wholeness program. Although Journey For Wholeness is primarily set up for educating a white congregation, when there is a Black congregation involved, as in this case, it may be just as effective to create your own curriculum. This model provides the opportunity for more accountability and ownership. To implement this accountability, the program should be designed by all who will be involved. The work is difficult but highly rewarding.

Sister Bette Lumpkin, of the Bethel AME Church, said that it takes courage to talk about white power, within one’s own group as well as between other groups. It takes a long time to build up trust. She recommends Race Matters by Cornel West, as well as The Reckoning: What Blacks Owe to Each Other by Randall Robinson.

Roy Money stated that many of the social action programs of the UU Society of New Haven go back to the mid-60s. The continued the work through hosting a Jubilee Workshop in 1999, so many members thought their work with racism was complete. But there was more that needed to be done. A core group of four people started the process of educating the congregation as to the various guises of racism, including economic and institutional forms. They developed a Statement of Goals for their congregation (See Handout 2), and also held an anti-racism service featuring a “Wall of History of Racism and Resistance to Racism.”

They also held a four-session dialog with an African-American Muslim mosque. It was obvious that neither group knew much about the other but by the end of the four weeks there was a growing desire to have contact with each other, to talk about faith as well as race issues.

In dealing with race, Money said that many people are just over-committed at home, work and around the church, and it is a challenge to engage them on an issue that involves blame and guilt. Accountability is also a touchy subject that provides challenges in the process.

Carl McCargo, a member of the Transformation Team, said that Journey Toward Wholeness is a lot of work. It’s called a curriculum, but it’s really personal. It calls for growth, communication and active listening. Racism fragments us. Yet if you hate one group, you can’t be whole; hence the name "Journey Towards Wholeness" which asks us to love and understand, not to hate.
When asked what “hook” can be used to help get a program started, the participants said you need to have a critical mass of at least four to six people to get the program off the group. Once you educate people about racism and they realize their humanness is not full but fragmented, they are more interested in participating.

Workship Handout #2

Congregations United for Racial Equality and Justice (CUREJ)

Member Congregations
Bethel AME-Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, 1154 Bloomfield Ave., Bloomfield, CT 06002 (860) 243-5778, bachurch01@snet.net Rev. Dr. Alvan N. Johnson, Jr.

UCWH: Universalist Church of West Hartford, 433 Fern Street, West Hartford, CT 06107
(860) 233-3669, universalist.church@snet.net Rev. Jan Nielsen, jnielsen@gis.net

USH: Unitarian Society of Hartford, 50 Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105 (860) 233-9897,
first.unitarian@snet.net, Rev. Terasa Cooley, revtgcool@cs.com

UUS: East-Unitarian Universalist Society: East, 153 West Vernon Street, Manchester, CT 06040
(860) 646-5151, uuse153@aol.com, Rev. Joshua Pawelek, spascetta@msn.com

Community Ministry Consultant--- Rev. Jeanne Lloyd, (860) 658-6162 JLloyd@uuma.org

GLOSSARY

Accountability
The concept of being held responsible for ones actions and attitudes. In the context of anti-racism, accountability requires sensitivity to, interaction with, and inclusion of, people of color in discussion of and decisions about anti-racist activities.

Anti-racism
A conscious and intentional effort to eradicate racism in all of its forms-individual, cultural and institutional. Deconstruction of racist attitudes, institutions and cultural norms is a process that requires analysis, skills and commitment.

Crossroads Ministries
Anti-Racism training organization based in Chicago, IL. Works primarily with faith-based institutions.

Cultural Racism
The use of power by a dominant culture (whites) to perpetuate their cultural heritage and impose it on others, while destroying the culture of ethnic minorities. Power + Ethnocentrism = Cultural Racism.

Ethnocentrism
The tendency to favor and believe in the superiority of one's own culture and disfavor minority cultures.

GA
General Assembly, the annual conference of UUA that includes informational meetings, the business meeting, adoption of policy resolutions, and every four years, the election of the President and Moderator of UUA.

GHUUAR
Greater Hartford Unitarian Universalists Against Racism is the former name of CUREJ. The name was changed to recognize the participation of other religious groups along with UUs.

Greater Hartford Interfaith Coalition for Equity and Justice (ICEJ)
An organization started in the summer of 2000 by clergy and people of faith to address pressing issues, problems, inequities and opportunities in the Greater Hartford area. Meetings are monthly on the second Thursday, at the First Church of the Living God, 70 Whitney St., Hartford.

Several CUREJ members are active in ICEJ.
ICEJ-- See Greater Hartford Interfaith Coalition for Equity and Justice.

Jubilee World
Name given to workshops created by UUA to help develop a common definition of racism and educate participants about institutional racism and white privilege. Jubilee I is the beginning level and is required before participating in the more intense Jubilee II. (JTW website)

Oppression
The systematic subjugation of a social group by a group with access to power, or,
Prejudice + Power = Oppression.

Peoples Institute for Survival and Beyond
Anti-Racism training organization based in New Orleans, LA. Works primarily with Community Organizations and Community activists.

Prejudice
Preconceived judgment or opinion, and adverse opinion formed with insufficient knowledge, or an irrational attitude of hostility toward an individual, group, 'race' or their supposed characteristics.

Racism
An attitude, action or institutional structure that subordinates a person or group because of skin color, combined with the power to carry out discriminatory practices through the major institutions of society.

UUA
Unitarian Universalist Association is the name given to the collective Unitarian Universalist Congregations. There is an administrative structure, and reference to "UUA" commonly is understood as referring to the administration.

White (skin) privilege
The ability to be perceived positively based on physical appearance (white/lighter complexions) resulting in unsolicited social economic and cultural benefits. Often the person holding this privilege is unaware of the "invisible package of unearned benefits," yet the benefits are taken for granted, and assumed to be "the way things should be."

Unitarian Universalist Principles
We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote
The inherent worth and dignity of every person
Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations
and in society at large
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part.

Workshop Handout #2

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