Report from All Saints’ Conversation on White Privilege

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On June 15, 35 Saints, ranging in age from early 20s to early 90s, gathered on Zoom for a sincere, complex, compassionate and searching conversation on racism and white people’s role in creating a more just society for our siblings of color. The conversation went so well that participants asked me to give the congregation a report on our gathering in hopes that others might join the conversation. We brainstormed some ideas for other things we can do together, individually and as a community of faith to learn and act in ways that are in keeping with our baptismal promise to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being.

Here are a few ideas we came up with:

• Read parishioner Karen Telleen-Lawton’s thoughtful Noozhawk article “Black Lives Matter”
• Learn more about the advantages systemic racism confers on white people by reading a 2018 article on the subject, “What is White Privilege Really?”
• Seek opportunities to learn about the experiences of our siblings of color. Our next step together will be discussing the film “Just Mercy.” (See more details in this week’s Bell Tower.)

These are just a few next steps defined by those who participated in the conversation. I am confident that other communal steps will come, and that many of you are already doing work in your own lives to transform the sin of racism into God’s intended reality of reconciled love for all creation. If you have an idea of how we might do this together, please be in touch to let me know.

Rev. Aimée