anti-racism – Episcopal Cafe

The sanctity of speech

August 16, 2017 No Comments

The first Person to speak in our shared scriptures, appropriately, is God.

“Let there be light,” God said, in the first chapter of Genesis. And then,

“Let us make humanity in our image.”

And God blessed them, and it was very good.

The second person to speak, in the second chapter of Genesis, in the second creation story, is the man, welcoming his partner, his other; the image of God.

The third person to speak, in the third chapter, is the serpent. “God lied to […]

Romal Tune and Richard Rohr on white privilege

January 18, 2016 27 Comments

Richard Rohr has an open and frank conversation with Romal Tune about white privilege and the ways he thinks we can dismantle it in Christianity.

Media coverage on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 18, 2016 1 Comment

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a round-up of media coverage.

Washington Post analyses criticism that #BlackLivesMatter endangers police

September 14, 2015 No Comments

The growing #BlackLivesMatter movement has resonated with a number of religious leaders, and critics have objected, claiming that the movement has endangered the lives of police, and resulted in an increase in police deaths.

Readers on this site joined this vocal group when they voiced displeasure with The Right Reverend C. Andrew Doyle, who released a statement on the murder of Deputy Darren Goforth, claiming that Bishop Doyle had failed to name #BlackLivesMatter as dangerous and the ideological root of an upswing in attacks against police […]

When white people object to “Black Lives Matter”

September 4, 2015 4 Comments

Mary Joyce sees the usual objections to #blacklivesmatter as a chance to teach and engage. She suggests answers to the seven typical objections that white people raise.

The Episcopal Church wrestles with a pro-slavery history on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line

August 24, 2015 21 Comments

The Cathedral of St. John in Providence, R.I., and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in downtown Richmond, VA, address the historic role of The Episcopal Church in slavery and the Confederacy.

In America, black lives don’t matter; only black deaths says civil rights activist and minister

July 20, 2015 3 Comments

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, is a civil rights leader and minister in North Carolina. Following the killings in Charleston, and the removal of the Confederate Flag, he has published a meditation on the need for prophetic pastoral counseling to address racism in America.

Barber notes that as a nation we seem incapable of doing the right thing until a tragedy occurs, and criticizes statements from South Carolina suggesting that the removal of the Confederate Flag makes up for the mass-murder of men […]

Do you not care that we are perishing? Sermon on Mother Emanuel killings

June 22, 2015 5 Comments

Clementa Pinckney and Sharonda Coleman-Singleton performing a baptism at Mother Emanuel

Fr. Scott Russell, Rector of St Brendan’s Episcopal Church, preached his sermon this Sunday on the shootings in Charleston, at Mother Emanuel.

Russell focuses on racism and the real cost in human lives that white fear enacts, quoting Maya Angelou’s response to the September 11th attacks, and noting that most white Americans don’t have the lived experiences or awareness of racism.

From the sermon:

For one thing, I think many if not most […]

Tim Wise on “violence” and anti-racism efforts: “they do not know it and they do not want to know it”

May 7, 2015 4 Comments

For many decades now, throughout most dioceses and many institutions of the Episcopal Church, anti-racism efforts have been an important part of Episcopalians striving to fulfill our Baptismal Covenant promise to “respect the dignity of every human being.” In February, the Episcopal Café covered the most recent work of The Executive Council Committee on Anti-racism (ECCAR) meeting. But how effective have these efforts been in an Episcopal Church largely led by white clergy and lay leaders and in dioceses whose very financial foundation […]

A red circle, suggesting 'stop', around the word 'racism'. A red line is drawn through it.

New research report addresses Church’s response to racism

March 23, 2015 58 Comments

The Episcopal Church has released a comprehensive report assessing the Church’s work to combat racism, internally and externally. Does it give you hope? What does the report miss? What does the Church seem to be doing well?

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Tag: anti-racism