June 3, 2020
Dear Ones,
Now is the time to speak out for racial justice and to work hard on learning about white supremacy, white privilege, systemic racism, and the church’s role in perpetuating oppression.
This is difficult work and, if we are honest, it is lifelong work. For me it began in earnest on August 10, 2014, the day I learned that the body of a young black man named Michael Brown had been left lying in the street for four hours after he was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri. Some of you may have been doing this work since before I was born. Thank you. If you are a person of color reading this, you have probably never had a choice about “doing the work” or not–our country makes it a whole lot easier for white people to choose to take a breather, to look away, and to focus on self-care or some other issue instead. I get that, and I’m sorry.
As Alex said in his sermon on Sunday, our country is in crisis. We were in crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic began and we will be in crisis after it’s over. The big issues of climate change, economic inequality, and racism aren’t going anywhere and can’t be ignored.
I want our parish to be a place where these important conversations happen and where action and advocacy result. I will make sure that the Ministry Council and the Vestry understand how important this is to me, even as I know that some of you are way ahead of me already. A stance of humility, learning, and deep listening is one of the most important things that church leaders can offer in this time.
Let me recommend just a few resources and steps forward, things we can begin to do today.
First, tonight there will be an online Interfaith Vigil to Honor Black Lives and End White Silence, organized by our friends at Davis Community Church, live-streaming from DCC’s Facebook page between 8 and 9 pm. I will represent St. Martin’s through my participation. I urge everyone who can to join in virtually.
There is also a march in Sacramento on Saturday. While I have not yet decided if I will be there in person, those who wish to can find out more information on the website or Facebook page of the Sacramento chapter of the NAACP.
Second, I commend to you the list of resources made available here through the Episcopal Church website. It’s a lot to sort through! I am in conversation with the Social Justice and Outreach Committee and others about what we might offer in terms of book studies or other classes and presentations in the near future and beyond.
I’m also working on compiling a list of readings that have been especially helpful to me in my own journey. One person I discovered on Twitter several years ago is Austin Channing Brown. She began a “homework” series yesterday that looks like it will be very valuable. I’ve subscribed to the paid version of her newsletter–let’s not forget that when people are willing to help us do the work of dismantling our own racism they should be compensated.
Thank you to those of you who participated in the #SayTheirNames vigil on Monday night, which was also part of our response to the police killing of George Floyd. If you have pictures of your at-home vigil, please consider sharing them with our LEVN volunteer and communications coordinator, Annie Bates.
As I said last week, I want to hear from you. I want to pray with you. I am grateful to all of you who keep showing up. I am thinking of all of you who are not able to join us online, for whatever reason. Keep the faith, my friends.
Blessings,
Pamela+