by Jeanette Dinwiddie-Moore, St. Paul’s parishioner, Vice-Chair, Vivian Traylor/Northern Califorania Chapter of UBE, member, the Diocesan Executive Council and African American Commission.
Over the last 18 months, we have experienced so many events that we would have never imagined or hoped for in our lifetime, nor wished to be experienced in the lifetime of our children and descendants. We experienced and continue to experience COVID 19, the unwarranted killing of young Black and Brown people by police, the racist attacks on our Asian brothers and sisters, the attempted insurrections at our national and state capitols, and the ongoing attempts to undermine our democracy along with the founding values of this nation. A common thread that runs through these events and acts is the long history of racism that is so embedded in this country. Our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry often refers to this as the ‘long walk to justice’.
In his recent sermon during the service after the George Floyd verdict he stated . . . “It is the long walk that can make you faint, because it’s long,” Curry said, drawing an analogy to the fight against inequality and racial injustice. “It’s not quick success. … The struggle continues, but we know now the victory can be won.” He tied this to the work of the Church and followers of Jesus when he added: “We must continue until no human child of God is treated less than a child of God, until everybody is treated as God’s somebody, until this world and our communities are beloved communities, where there’s plenty good room for all of God’s children,” he said. “This is our work. This is our task. This is our struggle.”
Over the last couple of years, the Episcopal Church at the national and diocesan levels has been looking into how to address the systemic racism that exists in our Church and parishes. On the national level, the Church recently issued its Racial Audit of Leadership Report, which identified nine patterns of racism in church culture. The Church is offering three webinars which will explore the report in more detail and if you are interested you can learn more at: https:// http://www.episcopalchurch.org/…/racial-justice-audit/.
At the California diocesan level, many members have participated in the Sacred Ground study groups (see article in this newsletter by the Sacred Ground Alumni). Additionally, at the Diocesan Convention last year the African American Commission and the Union of Black Episcopalians Vivian Traylor/Northern California Chapter held a preconvention session on Black Voices – Truth Telling and Transformation, the link to the session is https://vimeo.com/469126620.
Recently, I had an opportunity to talk to the St. Paul’s Sacred Ground participants as they explored what will be their next steps in growing and living out their desire to make an impact on racism. One option discussed was the current efforts underway to suppress the right to vote for many Americans. As a result of that discussion, Vivian Traylor/Northern California Chapter of UBE has decided to make this a focal issue for our work this year, and we plan to introduce a resolution at this year’s Diocesan Convention addressing voter suppression.
Using Presiding Bishop’s Curry’s phrase, these are all small Steps in the ‘long walk to justice’.