In 2017, the Mission Board established the Facing Systemic Racism Task Force. For the past four years, volunteers studied, researched, and presented opportunities for congregants to sit at the table and ask hard questions about how we as a country, city, body of believers, and individuals participate in and support racist structures that maintain the status quo of white supremacy, implicit bias, and white privilege.
A task force is generally short lived. Goals are achieved and the task force disbands. As we well know, eradicating racism within ourselves and our structures is a life-long journey of self reflection and examination. After prayerful consideration and conversation, the Mission Board, under the auspice of church leadership, has elected to transform the Facing Systemic Racism Task Force to a standing committee of ELPC. This may seem like word play to some, but establishing a standing committee acknowledges that facing systemic racism is critical to the life and well being of our congregation, to who we profess to be, and to our commitment to being a diverse, equitable and inclusive body.
The new Facing Systemic Racism Committee will be commissioned during Sanctuary worship on Sunday, October 10.
Bravo! Brava! Congratulations on becoming a standing committee. Please, let me stand firmly with your mission. My life’s mission at this stage in my life, after 50+ years of fighting oppression, is writing a book on liberate ethics for our healthcare system. If at any time the committee would like to have information that I might be able to provide on the effects of systemic racism as it effects patients, the education of doctors, inmate in the prison system, policing, and the stunning disparity in life expectancy, don’t hesitate to contact me.
“Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” Victor Hugo