Anti Racism Resources
Below are some resources of discovery and experience for reflection. Resources are posted from most recent to least recent.
Standing Links:
The Episcopal Church - Racial Reconciliation Page
The Episcopal Intercultural Network
The Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church
The Union of Black Episcopalians
The Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing
- Center for Racial Healing YouTube Channel
Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color - Diocese of Olympia
Crossroads Anti-Racism
The Blog of Ruby Sales
- The Spirithouse Project
Intersectional Links:
Theological Foundation for LGBTQ+ Affirmation
TransEpiscopal
The Episcopal Church - Racial Reconciliation Page
The Episcopal Intercultural Network
The Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church
The Union of Black Episcopalians
The Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing
- Center for Racial Healing YouTube Channel
Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color - Diocese of Olympia
Crossroads Anti-Racism
The Blog of Ruby Sales
- The Spirithouse Project
Intersectional Links:
Theological Foundation for LGBTQ+ Affirmation
TransEpiscopal
Latest Posts:
February 10, 2024
The Tacoma Method - A Study of the Expulsion of the Chinese Population of Tacoma on November 3, 1885
The Tacoma Method - A Study of the Expulsion of the Chinese Population of Tacoma on November 3, 1885
September 20, 2022
Exploring Indigenous Theology: Two-Eyed Seeing, Vision Quests, and Sacred Stories
A workshop offered by The Rev. Cn. Mary Crist, Ed.D. (Blackfeet)
*for full presentation, scroll down to "update"
Exploring Indigenous Theology: Two-Eyed Seeing, Vision Quests, and Sacred Stories
A workshop offered by The Rev. Cn. Mary Crist, Ed.D. (Blackfeet)
*for full presentation, scroll down to "update"
June 21, 2022
Why are white nationalist groups targeting LGBTQ groups?
NPR Weekend Edition, June 19, 2022
Why are white nationalist groups targeting LGBTQ groups?
NPR Weekend Edition, June 19, 2022
June 3, 2022
Historic California report on systemic racism in law and policy hailed by slave reparations advocates
PBS Newshour, June 2, 2022
Historic California report on systemic racism in law and policy hailed by slave reparations advocates
PBS Newshour, June 2, 2022
May 18, 2022
An Open Letter to the Board of Trustees at Grove City College
By Dr. Jemar Tisby, PhD, May 18, 2022
An Open Letter to the Board of Trustees at Grove City College
By Dr. Jemar Tisby, PhD, May 18, 2022
May 18, 2022
Laws restricting lessons on racism are making it hard for teachers to discuss the massacre in Buffalo
By Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, May 18, 2022
Laws restricting lessons on racism are making it hard for teachers to discuss the massacre in Buffalo
By Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, May 18, 2022
May 17, 2022
The Ugly Backlash to Brown v. Board of Ed That No One Talks About
By Dr. Leslie T. Fenwick, PhD, Politico, May 17, 2022
The Ugly Backlash to Brown v. Board of Ed That No One Talks About
By Dr. Leslie T. Fenwick, PhD, Politico, May 17, 2022
May 17, 2022
U.S. report details church-state collusion on Indigenous schools
By Peter Smith, The Associated Press for PBS News Hour, May 14, 2022
U.S. report details church-state collusion on Indigenous schools
By Peter Smith, The Associated Press for PBS News Hour, May 14, 2022
February 7, 2022
The Church Cracked Open: "Before you can reconcile, you must reckon"
Presented by Trinity Church Wall Street, February 3, 2022
The Church Cracked Open: "Before you can reconcile, you must reckon"
Presented by Trinity Church Wall Street, February 3, 2022
January 11, 2022
Remembering Reverend Turner of White Earth Nation, who died of COVID
An Interview, National Public Radio, December 14, 2021
Remembering Reverend Turner of White Earth Nation, who died of COVID
An Interview, National Public Radio, December 14, 2021
October 28, 2021
Whiteness rooted in place: an interview with Willie James Jennings
By Matthew Vega, The Christian Century, October 26, 2021
Whiteness rooted in place: an interview with Willie James Jennings
By Matthew Vega, The Christian Century, October 26, 2021
October 26, 2021
7 things white Christians can do to address white supremacy at church
By Robert P. Jones - Religion News Service, October 15, 2021
7 things white Christians can do to address white supremacy at church
By Robert P. Jones - Religion News Service, October 15, 2021
August 9, 2021
Charles Loeb: The Black Reporter Who Exposed a Lie About the Atom Bomb
By William J. Broad - The New York Times, August 9, 2021
Charles Loeb: The Black Reporter Who Exposed a Lie About the Atom Bomb
By William J. Broad - The New York Times, August 9, 2021
August 1, 2021
Indigenous Reading List - collected by the Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color, Diocese of Olympia
Indigenous Reading List - collected by the Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color, Diocese of Olympia
July 14, 2021
Resources from local historian, Kurt Kim Schaefer, PhD:
- A Bitter Pill: Indian Reform Policy, Indian Acculturation, and the Puyallup Act of 1893, The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, Vol. 102, No. 1 (Winter 2010/2011), pp 14-28.
- The Promise and the Price of Contact: Puyallup Indian Acculturation, Federal Indian Policy and the City of Tacoma, 1832-1909, Dissertation, 2016
Resources from local historian, Kurt Kim Schaefer, PhD:
- A Bitter Pill: Indian Reform Policy, Indian Acculturation, and the Puyallup Act of 1893, The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, Vol. 102, No. 1 (Winter 2010/2011), pp 14-28.
- The Promise and the Price of Contact: Puyallup Indian Acculturation, Federal Indian Policy and the City of Tacoma, 1832-1909, Dissertation, 2016
June 24, 2021
Never-Aired Interview of James Baldwin, from ABC's 20/20, 1979
James Baldwin: Race, Media, and Psychoanalysis - A Panel Discussion Regarding the Lost Interview
Never-Aired Interview of James Baldwin, from ABC's 20/20, 1979
James Baldwin: Race, Media, and Psychoanalysis - A Panel Discussion Regarding the Lost Interview
June 19, 2021
Diocese of Olympia Circles of Color Present: Juneteenth Service of Freedom and Healing, Saturday, June 19, 2021 @ 12:30pm
Diocese of Olympia Circles of Color Present: Juneteenth Service of Freedom and Healing, Saturday, June 19, 2021 @ 12:30pm
June 15, 2021
Select Readings of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Interview by Alex Haley, Playboy, January 1965
The Drum Major Instinct
Where Do We Go From Here?
Showdown for Nonviolence
I See the Promised Land
Select Readings of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Interview by Alex Haley, Playboy, January 1965
The Drum Major Instinct
Where Do We Go From Here?
Showdown for Nonviolence
I See the Promised Land
June 9, 2021
Reparatory Justice and Reparations: Truth-Telling, Conciliation, and Healing, A panel presentation of the United Church of Christ (UCC)
Reparatory Justice and Reparations: Truth-Telling, Conciliation, and Healing, A panel presentation of the United Church of Christ (UCC)
May 26, 2021
Article: When Creation is Sacred: Restoring the Indigenous Jesus, by The Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton, Anglican Theological Review, 5/7/21
Article: When Creation is Sacred: Restoring the Indigenous Jesus, by The Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton, Anglican Theological Review, 5/7/21
April 25, 2021
One Service for Turtle Island - The Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color along with the Office of the Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia
One Service for Turtle Island - The Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color along with the Office of the Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia
April 22, 2021
From Lament to Action: Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Taskforce calls for urgent changes to culture of Church of England
- Full Report
From Lament to Action: Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Taskforce calls for urgent changes to culture of Church of England
- Full Report
April 19, 2021
Episcopal Church releases racial audit of leadership, citing nine patterns of racism in church culture
- Full Audit
- Executive Summary
Episcopal Church releases racial audit of leadership, citing nine patterns of racism in church culture
- Full Audit
- Executive Summary
April 6, 2021
The State of Black Bodies in the United States
This is a fantastic conversation amongst three incredible panelists: The Very Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas, The Rev. Traci Blackmon, and The Rev. Dr. Velda Love.
The State of Black Bodies in the United States
This is a fantastic conversation amongst three incredible panelists: The Very Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas, The Rev. Traci Blackmon, and The Rev. Dr. Velda Love.
March 31, 2021
Response to Hatred & Violence Against Asian Americans featuring The Rt. Rev. Diana Akiyama, Bishop of Oregon - A presentation of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing - March 29, 2021
Response to Hatred & Violence Against Asian Americans featuring The Rt. Rev. Diana Akiyama, Bishop of Oregon - A presentation of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing - March 29, 2021
March 25, 2021
Article: 'I Will Not Stand Silent.' 10 Asian Americans Reflect on Racism During the Pandemic and the Need for Equality, by Anna Purna Kambhampaty, Time Magazine, 6/25/20
Article: 'I Will Not Stand Silent.' 10 Asian Americans Reflect on Racism During the Pandemic and the Need for Equality, by Anna Purna Kambhampaty, Time Magazine, 6/25/20
March 10, 2021
WUWM (NPR Milwaukee): New Documentary Looks Back At Harry Belafonte's Historic Week Hosting 'The Tonight Show' In 1968 (link to view the documentary for free on Peacock TV is embedded in the article)
WUWM (NPR Milwaukee): New Documentary Looks Back At Harry Belafonte's Historic Week Hosting 'The Tonight Show' In 1968 (link to view the documentary for free on Peacock TV is embedded in the article)
March 9, 2021
Statement from The Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island, on Anti-Asian Violence
Statement from The Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island, on Anti-Asian Violence
March 8, 2021
Women of Color Hold Up More Than Half the Sky - A presentation of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing - December 8, 2020
Women of Color Hold Up More Than Half the Sky - A presentation of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing - December 8, 2020
March 6, 2021
A Meditation on Absalom Jones and St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Philadelphia with Stations of the Cross by Fr. Brandon Filbert of St. Timothy Episcopal Church, Salem, Oregon
A Meditation on Absalom Jones and St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Philadelphia with Stations of the Cross by Fr. Brandon Filbert of St. Timothy Episcopal Church, Salem, Oregon
March 5, 2021
"Jesus and the Disinherited" by Howard Thurman, New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1949 (now public domain).
"Jesus and the Disinherited" by Howard Thurman, New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1949 (now public domain).
March 4, 2021
An Invaluable Black Public Broadcasting Archive Is Now Accessible Online: From a report on sundown towns to interviews with Angela Davis and Emmett Till’s mother, here are highlights from the American Archive of Public Broadcasting.
by Cydnii Wilde Harris
An Invaluable Black Public Broadcasting Archive Is Now Accessible Online: From a report on sundown towns to interviews with Angela Davis and Emmett Till’s mother, here are highlights from the American Archive of Public Broadcasting.
by Cydnii Wilde Harris
March 2, 2021
"Still I Rise": A Poem by Maya Angelou, presented by friends of The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri
"Still I Rise": A Poem by Maya Angelou, presented by friends of The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri
February 26, 2021
Panel Discussion for NEWFEST (NYC) following the screening of Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2003)
Panel Discussion for NEWFEST (NYC) following the screening of Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2003)
February 25, 2021
Updated biography for the Feast of Absalom Jones (February 13th), the first Priest of Color in The Episcopal Church for Lesser Feasts and Fasts coordinated by The Honorable Byron Rushing, Vice-President of the House of Deputies for the General Convention of The Episcopal Church.
- 2021 Episcopal Diocese of New York Panel Discussion and Celebration regarding the life and legacy of Absalom Jones
Updated biography for the Feast of Absalom Jones (February 13th), the first Priest of Color in The Episcopal Church for Lesser Feasts and Fasts coordinated by The Honorable Byron Rushing, Vice-President of the House of Deputies for the General Convention of The Episcopal Church.
- 2021 Episcopal Diocese of New York Panel Discussion and Celebration regarding the life and legacy of Absalom Jones
February 19, 2021
WATCH: The Black Church
'This is truly one of the most important documentaries of our time." - Fr. Haynes
Yale Divinity School Panel Discussion on The Black Church
WATCH: The Black Church
'This is truly one of the most important documentaries of our time." - Fr. Haynes
Yale Divinity School Panel Discussion on The Black Church
February 18, 2021
WBUR's Here and Now Spotlight of "Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019", edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
WBUR's Here and Now Spotlight of "Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019", edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
February 17, 2021
NPR's Fresh Air Interview of Heather McGhee, author of "The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together"
NPR's Fresh Air Interview of Heather McGhee, author of "The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together"
February 11, 2021
Article: "The Childhood Journeys That Made Them Dreamers"
- New York Times, February 10, 2018
This article features our very own Kamau Chege!
On 2/11/18, Kamau wrote on Facebook:
“Thanks to everyone who's been reading and sharing this NYT piece. I talk about my journey to the U.S. and I think that's because the Times wanted the stories of journeys as a way of humanizing what is now a pretty politically charged debate over the Dream Act. But I wanna take a second to zoom out and talk what led up to that trip in the first place, which is inherently political.
When my parents were born, Kenya didn't exist. It was still British East Africa under colonial rule. When Kenya became independent and needed to rebuild, the only available options were structural adjustment loans from the IMF & World Bank (funded by the U.S.). Those loans crippled the economy my parents would've worked in through unfettered free trade, privatized and defunded schools that my sister and I would've attended, and destabilized the country for a generation overall.
The same story can be said about Mexico and NAFTA or so many other places.
The reason there's 11-12M undocumented immigrants in the U.S. - almost 4% of the population, nearly 1 in 20 people - it isn't because 11-12M all made the same "wrong choice". It's because they never had a real choice to begin with.
So instead of asking why people immigrate or stay illegally, we should be thinking about what responsibility the U.S. and other global powers have to rectify the decades of plunder and destabilization that force people into undocumentation.
In that sense, citizenship in the country that forced us to immigrate is really the least it can do.”
Article: "The Childhood Journeys That Made Them Dreamers"
- New York Times, February 10, 2018
This article features our very own Kamau Chege!
On 2/11/18, Kamau wrote on Facebook:
“Thanks to everyone who's been reading and sharing this NYT piece. I talk about my journey to the U.S. and I think that's because the Times wanted the stories of journeys as a way of humanizing what is now a pretty politically charged debate over the Dream Act. But I wanna take a second to zoom out and talk what led up to that trip in the first place, which is inherently political.
When my parents were born, Kenya didn't exist. It was still British East Africa under colonial rule. When Kenya became independent and needed to rebuild, the only available options were structural adjustment loans from the IMF & World Bank (funded by the U.S.). Those loans crippled the economy my parents would've worked in through unfettered free trade, privatized and defunded schools that my sister and I would've attended, and destabilized the country for a generation overall.
The same story can be said about Mexico and NAFTA or so many other places.
The reason there's 11-12M undocumented immigrants in the U.S. - almost 4% of the population, nearly 1 in 20 people - it isn't because 11-12M all made the same "wrong choice". It's because they never had a real choice to begin with.
So instead of asking why people immigrate or stay illegally, we should be thinking about what responsibility the U.S. and other global powers have to rectify the decades of plunder and destabilization that force people into undocumentation.
In that sense, citizenship in the country that forced us to immigrate is really the least it can do.”
February 10, 2021
Podcast: “Legacies and Chains: The Hidden Script” by The Rev. Dr. Carlton Turner
- Recorded by Wells Cathedral, England
Podcast: “Legacies and Chains: The Hidden Script” by The Rev. Dr. Carlton Turner
- Recorded by Wells Cathedral, England
January 12, 2021
What Shall We Say to These Things? Crafting a Social Gospel for the 21st Century
This is a brilliant conversation amongst three of the foremost thinkers and activists for freedom and the Gospel: The Rev. Traci Blackmon, Ruby Sales, and Brittany Packnett Cunningham.
What Shall We Say to These Things? Crafting a Social Gospel for the 21st Century
This is a brilliant conversation amongst three of the foremost thinkers and activists for freedom and the Gospel: The Rev. Traci Blackmon, Ruby Sales, and Brittany Packnett Cunningham.
November 20, 2020
Episcopal leaders rally Church in post-election Episcopal Justice Assembly
Last night, the Episcopal Justice Assembly met virtually! It was wonderful being with everyone in prayerful, challenging, and hopeful community.
Check out the resource list:
Our organizing team put together this Justice Resource list with more opportunities to get involved in the Poor People's Campaign, and resources for organizing, protest, and making change. Reach out to Phoebe Chatfield ([email protected]) if you have trouble accessing the resources or have other resources you'd like to share with this community.
Share the event recording:
A recording of last night's Assembly can be found in this Episcopal News Service article or in the "Jesus Movement and the Poor People's Campaign" Facebook group. Ms. Ruby Sales's introduction starts at 9:10 and she speaks until 35:35. Share the recording with your community!
In the name of the God who is love, and makes all things possible,
The Rev. Melanie Mullen ([email protected])
Director for Reconciliation, Justice & Creation Care
Office of the Presiding Bishop
Episcopal leaders rally Church in post-election Episcopal Justice Assembly
Last night, the Episcopal Justice Assembly met virtually! It was wonderful being with everyone in prayerful, challenging, and hopeful community.
Check out the resource list:
Our organizing team put together this Justice Resource list with more opportunities to get involved in the Poor People's Campaign, and resources for organizing, protest, and making change. Reach out to Phoebe Chatfield ([email protected]) if you have trouble accessing the resources or have other resources you'd like to share with this community.
Share the event recording:
A recording of last night's Assembly can be found in this Episcopal News Service article or in the "Jesus Movement and the Poor People's Campaign" Facebook group. Ms. Ruby Sales's introduction starts at 9:10 and she speaks until 35:35. Share the recording with your community!
In the name of the God who is love, and makes all things possible,
The Rev. Melanie Mullen ([email protected])
Director for Reconciliation, Justice & Creation Care
Office of the Presiding Bishop
November 9, 2020
KUOW interview with Sean Goode, Executive Director of Choose 180
Seattle Now: Reconciling our Differences
"Joe Biden may be the President Elect, but he’ll be leading a deeply divided country. Before we reconcile our differences we need to take a hard look at why they exist in the first place."
KUOW interview with Sean Goode, Executive Director of Choose 180
Seattle Now: Reconciling our Differences
"Joe Biden may be the President Elect, but he’ll be leading a deeply divided country. Before we reconcile our differences we need to take a hard look at why they exist in the first place."
October 23-24, 2020 - The 110th Annual Convention of the Diocese of Olympia
Towards Transforming Our Organizational Structures and Institutional Culture: Unpacking the Six Resolutions from Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color
- Resolutions with Actions
Convention Keynote Address: The Rev. Dr. Bradley Hauff, Missioner for Indigenous Ministries, The Episcopal Church
A Listening Circle of Voices in the Wilderness: People of Color Experiences of Pain and Perseverance in the Episcopal Church
Towards Transforming Our Organizational Structures and Institutional Culture: Unpacking the Six Resolutions from Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color
- Resolutions with Actions
Convention Keynote Address: The Rev. Dr. Bradley Hauff, Missioner for Indigenous Ministries, The Episcopal Church
A Listening Circle of Voices in the Wilderness: People of Color Experiences of Pain and Perseverance in the Episcopal Church
October 20, 2020
A Conversation with The Most Rev. Michael Curry
- Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing webinar recorded on October 15, 2020
A Conversation with The Most Rev. Michael Curry
- Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing webinar recorded on October 15, 2020
October 20, 2020
Talking to Children About Race and Racism
- Crossroads webinar recorded on August 19, 2020
- available for rent
Talking to Children About Race and Racism
- Crossroads webinar recorded on August 19, 2020
- available for rent
October 14, 2020
Resource:
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE
From Dismantling Racism: A Workbook for Social Change Groups, by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun, ChangeWork, 2001
Resource:
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE
From Dismantling Racism: A Workbook for Social Change Groups, by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun, ChangeWork, 2001
October 6, 2020
New Episcopal Resources:
- From the Pew to the Public Square: Ways for Episcopalians to Make Social Change
- The Episcopal Street Action Handbook
New Episcopal Resources:
- From the Pew to the Public Square: Ways for Episcopalians to Make Social Change
- The Episcopal Street Action Handbook
September 29, 2020
Society for the Increase of the Ministry panel discussion: "What will it take for the Episcopal Church to become an anti-racist organization?"
Society for the Increase of the Ministry panel discussion: "What will it take for the Episcopal Church to become an anti-racist organization?"
September 25, 2020
Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color
Resolutions for consideration at the
2020 Convention of the Diocese of Olympia
Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color
Resolutions for consideration at the
2020 Convention of the Diocese of Olympia
September 12, 2020
Crossroads Anti-Racism
Introduction to Systemic Racism Workshop: The idea that oppression, and in particular, racism, is not only a matter of individual prejudice but a systemic, institutional problem of power is foundational to the Introduction to Systemic Racism workshop, and requires structural intervention to dismantle. Conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect and courageous space, this workshop is designed to explore racism as a systemic, institutional problem of power that goes beyond personal prejudice. Participants will experience first-hand Crossroad's effective methodology for facilitating productive conversations about race. They will also be be introduced to a strategic methodology that can assist people in effectively organizing to dismantle racism in their institutions.
Crossroads Anti-Racism
Introduction to Systemic Racism Workshop: The idea that oppression, and in particular, racism, is not only a matter of individual prejudice but a systemic, institutional problem of power is foundational to the Introduction to Systemic Racism workshop, and requires structural intervention to dismantle. Conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect and courageous space, this workshop is designed to explore racism as a systemic, institutional problem of power that goes beyond personal prejudice. Participants will experience first-hand Crossroad's effective methodology for facilitating productive conversations about race. They will also be be introduced to a strategic methodology that can assist people in effectively organizing to dismantle racism in their institutions.
August 14, 2020
A Pastoral Letter from Fr. Haynes
The Feast of Jonathan Myrick Daniels, Seminarian and Martyr
August 14, 2020
Dear People of St. Matthew,
Today we celebrate the Feast of Jonathan Myrick Daniels who was an Episcopal seminarian from the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Daniels died while participating in Civil Rights organizing work in Lowndes County, Alabama when he blocked with his own body a shotgun blast fired by a white special deputy that was intended for then 17 year-old Civil Rights activist Ruby Sales. (As a side note, click here for a brilliant interview of Ruby Sales with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry on 7/29/20). Daniels died instantly this day in 1965.
Since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25th, our country has seen a reinvigoration of activism protesting the wide scale and many year’s old issue of police brutality and socially sanctioned violence against Black and Brown lives. In June, your Vestry, in solidarity with the movement that began over 550 years ago with the first resisters to White Imperialism, voted to place the factual and affirming statement “Black Lives Matter” on our reader board as a small first step in the long, long road of participating in and advocating for the end of systemic racism: a system that from the beginning of our American context has been an abomination to God’s commandments and any rational understanding of human value and dignity. This statement is posted with the belief that all lives can’t matter until Black (and by metaphorical extension all People of Color’s) lives matter. It is also posted as a direct charge from our Baptismal Covenant, which calls all those who are baptized to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being".
In the two months since this decision, there have been a number of opportunities that have occurred to begin introducing an anti-racist paradigm into our community as we seek to identify ways our church participates in structural racism and White Supremacy both within the life of our parish and in our neighborhood. Knowing that words are just words without action, systemic racism will not simply go away with book clubs, hollow gestures, and educational programming. Instead, we are called to do the hard internal work individually and collectively as a community, in order to catch a glimmer if not a really close realization of being truly transformed into a people who can authentically claim to do as Jesus said: to love our neighbors as our selves.
And this is the point: When people are dying directly beneath the knees of law enforcement or indirectly due to a broken healthcare system; when people are squashed emotionally because of micro-aggressions that remind them that they are “others” or “lesser than”; when people are crushed spiritually because no matter how hard they try to get ahead, there is the weight of starting the race 100 feet back with both feet shackled to anvils, there is no love of neighbor. And when there is no love of neighbor, there is no love of God.
Although ethnic prejudices, class systems, and imperial ideologies are seemingly universal in human history around the globe, the racialized construct we experience in our American context, and in other contexts established by European colonialism, is a relatively new human experience as economic, philosophical, and technological changes began to occur in Europe six centuries or so ago. The Episcopal Church, along with our mother church, The Church of England, has enjoyed a particularly privileged place in the American story since the first ships sailed to these shores to establish colonies in "The New World". It has been the church of founders and masters, conquerors and traitors, establishment and entitlement as we have served as a weaponizing agent of colonialism and a calcifying source of legitimacy for systemic racial injustice in this land. However, that is not the whole story. Despite the very real and cruel historical legacy of racial oppression, which has included the foundation of indigenous assimilation schools and widespread slave ownership by lay persons, clergy, and some parishes, God has used our church and its members over time and in this day to be instruments of grace, hope, and justice as well. To this end, the hope is to become a community that more authentically lives into the truth of our full story so that we can be beacons of truth for the Gospel, where our actions match our words and God’s just peace is experienced by all. In a very real way we are guided into this work by our very own Mission Statement: To be a church that passionately embraces and values all people, growing in the love of Christ through word and action.
It is true that reaction to this letter may mirror the full spectrum of feelings we’ve seen for years in our wider society when addressing racism, everything from indignant denial to hopeful relief. There may be those that feel that there is no need to address these issues or that the timing isn’t right. There may also be those who might feel that the parish is “late to the game” and that this work is long overdue. Whatever you may feel about what is raised in this letter, please know that with anything you have to start somewhere. There is no magic formula for this work. But we do know that through asking hard questions, educating ourselves to the power dynamics at play with systemic racism, creating structures of accountability for discourse and decision making, and LOVING ONE ANOTHER with big ears, open minds, and softened hearts, change can occur.
Thank you for receiving this letter and for listening for ways to engage this important and life-giving work. May we all be transformed as a people on this journey and become agents of healing and reconciliation as we strive to live into the fullest and healthiest vision of the Kingdom of God. A list of initial resources and experiences brought forth from the opportunities raised above can be found on our website: https://www.neighborhoodparish.org/anti-racism.html.
Peace in Christ,
Kendall+
A Pastoral Letter from Fr. Haynes
The Feast of Jonathan Myrick Daniels, Seminarian and Martyr
August 14, 2020
Dear People of St. Matthew,
Today we celebrate the Feast of Jonathan Myrick Daniels who was an Episcopal seminarian from the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Daniels died while participating in Civil Rights organizing work in Lowndes County, Alabama when he blocked with his own body a shotgun blast fired by a white special deputy that was intended for then 17 year-old Civil Rights activist Ruby Sales. (As a side note, click here for a brilliant interview of Ruby Sales with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry on 7/29/20). Daniels died instantly this day in 1965.
Since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25th, our country has seen a reinvigoration of activism protesting the wide scale and many year’s old issue of police brutality and socially sanctioned violence against Black and Brown lives. In June, your Vestry, in solidarity with the movement that began over 550 years ago with the first resisters to White Imperialism, voted to place the factual and affirming statement “Black Lives Matter” on our reader board as a small first step in the long, long road of participating in and advocating for the end of systemic racism: a system that from the beginning of our American context has been an abomination to God’s commandments and any rational understanding of human value and dignity. This statement is posted with the belief that all lives can’t matter until Black (and by metaphorical extension all People of Color’s) lives matter. It is also posted as a direct charge from our Baptismal Covenant, which calls all those who are baptized to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being".
In the two months since this decision, there have been a number of opportunities that have occurred to begin introducing an anti-racist paradigm into our community as we seek to identify ways our church participates in structural racism and White Supremacy both within the life of our parish and in our neighborhood. Knowing that words are just words without action, systemic racism will not simply go away with book clubs, hollow gestures, and educational programming. Instead, we are called to do the hard internal work individually and collectively as a community, in order to catch a glimmer if not a really close realization of being truly transformed into a people who can authentically claim to do as Jesus said: to love our neighbors as our selves.
And this is the point: When people are dying directly beneath the knees of law enforcement or indirectly due to a broken healthcare system; when people are squashed emotionally because of micro-aggressions that remind them that they are “others” or “lesser than”; when people are crushed spiritually because no matter how hard they try to get ahead, there is the weight of starting the race 100 feet back with both feet shackled to anvils, there is no love of neighbor. And when there is no love of neighbor, there is no love of God.
Although ethnic prejudices, class systems, and imperial ideologies are seemingly universal in human history around the globe, the racialized construct we experience in our American context, and in other contexts established by European colonialism, is a relatively new human experience as economic, philosophical, and technological changes began to occur in Europe six centuries or so ago. The Episcopal Church, along with our mother church, The Church of England, has enjoyed a particularly privileged place in the American story since the first ships sailed to these shores to establish colonies in "The New World". It has been the church of founders and masters, conquerors and traitors, establishment and entitlement as we have served as a weaponizing agent of colonialism and a calcifying source of legitimacy for systemic racial injustice in this land. However, that is not the whole story. Despite the very real and cruel historical legacy of racial oppression, which has included the foundation of indigenous assimilation schools and widespread slave ownership by lay persons, clergy, and some parishes, God has used our church and its members over time and in this day to be instruments of grace, hope, and justice as well. To this end, the hope is to become a community that more authentically lives into the truth of our full story so that we can be beacons of truth for the Gospel, where our actions match our words and God’s just peace is experienced by all. In a very real way we are guided into this work by our very own Mission Statement: To be a church that passionately embraces and values all people, growing in the love of Christ through word and action.
It is true that reaction to this letter may mirror the full spectrum of feelings we’ve seen for years in our wider society when addressing racism, everything from indignant denial to hopeful relief. There may be those that feel that there is no need to address these issues or that the timing isn’t right. There may also be those who might feel that the parish is “late to the game” and that this work is long overdue. Whatever you may feel about what is raised in this letter, please know that with anything you have to start somewhere. There is no magic formula for this work. But we do know that through asking hard questions, educating ourselves to the power dynamics at play with systemic racism, creating structures of accountability for discourse and decision making, and LOVING ONE ANOTHER with big ears, open minds, and softened hearts, change can occur.
Thank you for receiving this letter and for listening for ways to engage this important and life-giving work. May we all be transformed as a people on this journey and become agents of healing and reconciliation as we strive to live into the fullest and healthiest vision of the Kingdom of God. A list of initial resources and experiences brought forth from the opportunities raised above can be found on our website: https://www.neighborhoodparish.org/anti-racism.html.
Peace in Christ,
Kendall+
August 2, 2020
Article: "Slavery and salvation: Modern churches reckon with history in the trade" by Denise M. Watson
Article: "Slavery and salvation: Modern churches reckon with history in the trade" by Denise M. Watson
July 28-30, 2020
Becoming Beloved Community NOW!
Day 1: Truth
- Facebook Live Video
Day 2: Justice
- Facebook Live Video
Day 3: Healing
- Facebook Live Video
Becoming Beloved Community NOW!
Day 1: Truth
- Facebook Live Video
Day 2: Justice
- Facebook Live Video
Day 3: Healing
- Facebook Live Video
July 18, 2020
Crossroads Anti-Racism
Critical Cultural Competency Workshop: This workshop is designed to help participants create the spaces to be self-reflective about our cultural shaping as individuals and institutions, understand the power dynamics in society that impact us, develop the skills to interrupt old patterns and inequitable practices that limit access and exclude some people from our institutions, build trust and clear communication and begin to understand how to make decisions based on multiple perspectives where all people can be heard and represented.
Crossroads Anti-Racism
Critical Cultural Competency Workshop: This workshop is designed to help participants create the spaces to be self-reflective about our cultural shaping as individuals and institutions, understand the power dynamics in society that impact us, develop the skills to interrupt old patterns and inequitable practices that limit access and exclude some people from our institutions, build trust and clear communication and begin to understand how to make decisions based on multiple perspectives where all people can be heard and represented.
July 16-17, 2020
Inhabit Conference (At Home) 2020
Highlights:
- Interview with Dr. Willie James Jennings
- Interview with Lisa Sharon Harper
- PowerPoint Presentation by Dr. Randy Woodley:
Inhabit Conference (At Home) 2020
Highlights:
- Interview with Dr. Willie James Jennings
- Interview with Lisa Sharon Harper
- PowerPoint Presentation by Dr. Randy Woodley:
July 14, 2020
Puyallup Tribe of Indians Black Lives Matter Statement
Signing Ceremony via Facebook Live (July 29, 2020)
Puyallup Tribe of Indians Black Lives Matter Statement
Signing Ceremony via Facebook Live (July 29, 2020)
July 2 - August 13, 2020
St. Matthew Summer Video Series
From Fr. Haynes: "This Summer, we had the great opportunity to gather together virtually and watch the first 7 (out of 14) episodes of the critically acclaimed PBS series Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Movement. This particular series was the main subject of my 8th grade curriculum back in 1989 and it changed my life forever. Many of you may also remember giving me this DVD set as a gift when I was installed as your rector in 2015. Thank you to all who participated!"
St. Matthew Summer Video Series
From Fr. Haynes: "This Summer, we had the great opportunity to gather together virtually and watch the first 7 (out of 14) episodes of the critically acclaimed PBS series Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Movement. This particular series was the main subject of my 8th grade curriculum back in 1989 and it changed my life forever. Many of you may also remember giving me this DVD set as a gift when I was installed as your rector in 2015. Thank you to all who participated!"
July, 2020
Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - July 2020 issue
Highlighted Articles:
- "Do We Want to be White or Do We Want to Be Church" by Kelly Brown Douglas
- "Triple Threat" by Adialyn Milien
- "More Than a Black Thing" by Kim L. Coleman
- "In This Moment" by Heidi J. Kim
- "Unprecedented Times" by Isaiah "Shaneequa" Brokenleg
- "America, Why Can't You Stop Killing Us" by Stephanie Spellers
Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - July 2020 issue
Highlighted Articles:
- "Do We Want to be White or Do We Want to Be Church" by Kelly Brown Douglas
- "Triple Threat" by Adialyn Milien
- "More Than a Black Thing" by Kim L. Coleman
- "In This Moment" by Heidi J. Kim
- "Unprecedented Times" by Isaiah "Shaneequa" Brokenleg
- "America, Why Can't You Stop Killing Us" by Stephanie Spellers
June 30, 2020
Article: "Your White Neighbor's 'Black Lives Matter' Yard Sign is not Enough" by Shayla Lawson
Article: "Your White Neighbor's 'Black Lives Matter' Yard Sign is not Enough" by Shayla Lawson
June 19, 2020 - Juneteenth
KUOW Interview with Mary Hall-Williams: "A safe place for Black people to center on healing and joy on Juneteenth"
KUOW Interview with Mary Hall-Williams: "A safe place for Black people to center on healing and joy on Juneteenth"
June 10, 2020
Vestry Minutes (pdf)
Vestry Minutes (pdf)
Braiding Sweetgrass:
Buy the Book
Buy the Audio Book
2020 Hardcover Introduction
Additional Resources:
- CBC Interview with Dr. Kimmerer
- Global Read with Robin Kimmerer discussing her book, Braiding Sweetgrass
- "Braiding Sweetgrass has gone from surprise hit to juggernaut bestseller" Washington Post - 10/12/22
Study Guides:
- Longwood Gardens Study Guide
- Hotchkiss School Study Guide
Braiding Sweetgrass Reading and Reflection Group - View all 20 sessions on the password protected page of St. Matthew, Browns Point! The password is: blessedbegod
Buy the Audio Book
2020 Hardcover Introduction
Additional Resources:
- CBC Interview with Dr. Kimmerer
- Global Read with Robin Kimmerer discussing her book, Braiding Sweetgrass
- "Braiding Sweetgrass has gone from surprise hit to juggernaut bestseller" Washington Post - 10/12/22
Study Guides:
- Longwood Gardens Study Guide
- Hotchkiss School Study Guide
Braiding Sweetgrass Reading and Reflection Group - View all 20 sessions on the password protected page of St. Matthew, Browns Point! The password is: blessedbegod
