The cornerstone of a conversation about race is who we are and whose we are. We gather as community before a forgiving and loving God. As a church, we have made certain commitments of faith to God and with each other. It is within such commitments that we are able to have helpful conversations about race.
The most helpful conversations about race happen when people have some knowledge of the racialized history of the United States. Learning racial context is learning the role that race plays within life’s contextual experiences, such as where we live, work, worship, are schooled, and enjoy recreation. Race influences such day-to-day experiences as going to the store, buying a car, catching a cab, applying for a job, buying a house, or receiving medical care—the list goes on. You can download a historical timeline at womenoftheelca.org under the resources tab and on the racial justice page that shows part of the racialized framework that was established and then maintained by our mostly White nation.
This message is excerpted from “How to have helpful conversations about race in the church,” written by Inez Torres Davis, a 2016 Women of the ELCA resource. Today we commemorate Bartholomew, Apostle.
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