RACIAL JUSTICE
February is
Black History Month
Responding to Racism: A Lasallian Dialogue and Call to Action
Brother Ernest Miller, FSC
This inspiring “opening meditation” offered at the start of an international online dialogue about racism evokes the prophetic calls of the Hebrew prophet Zechariah and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as Lasallians worldwide are being invited to be agents of transformational justice at a moment when many people are hungry to end the moral pandemic of systemic, interlocking injustices.
Events
Restorative Justice Conversations and Training Sessions
As part of the ongoing work of the DENA Racial Justice Coalition, we are pleased to offer a number of opportunities to engage in Restorative Practices conversations on topics of racial justice and/or training in restorative justice techniques.
Poor People’s Campaign — Learn more, join in today!
February 2 @ 7pm:
Manhattan College: Lessons of White Nationalism, Racism and Government
Wed, Feb 17 @ 7pm:
Manhattan College: Who is My Neighbor?
Organizational Resources
National Black Catholic Congress
20 Pertinent Recourses for Black History Month
Resources for Black History Month
Collection of Resources for Black History Month Google Drive
Videos
Responding to Racism: A Lasallian Response
Anti-Racism Work as the Work of the People
Personal Agency Needed for Anti-Racist Work
Black History is American History: Okalani Dawkins
Eddie Glaude Jr., Ph.D.: Begin Again – James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own
Caste in America: Isabel Wilkerson with John Dickerson | LIVE from NYPL
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III | The Cross and the Lynching Tree: A Requiem for Ahmaud Arbery
Sr. Thea Bowman Speech to US Catholic Bishops 1989 (she begins at 7:14)
Racial justice is the systematic fair treatment of people of all races, resulting in equitable opportunities and outcomes for all. Racial justice and racial equity goes beyond “anti-racism” to address the systemic, sinful roots of racism. It is not just the absence of discrimination and inequities, but also the presence of deliberate systems and supports to achieve and sustain racial equity through proactive and preventative measure.
(Adapted from https://neaedjustice.org/resources/)
#DENASolidarity
RACIAL JUSTICE RESOURCES
Black Catholic History Month Resources
November 30
As we come to the close of Black Catholic History Month, let us join in the celebration of Cardinal Designate Wilton Gregory being named a Cardinal of the Church.
Additional Resources from the National Black Catholic Congress
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Resources to accompany you during this month
The Subcommittee on African American Affairs (SCAAA) is the official voice of the African American Catholic community. The subcommittee attends to the needs and aspirations of African American Catholics regarding issues of pastoral ministry, evangelization, social justice, worship, development of leaders and other areas of concern. The subcommittee also seeks to be a source for the all Bishops and the entire Catholic Church in the United States. It aims to articulate the sociocultural dimension of the African American Catholic community and identify or create resources that would allow for an authentic integration of the richness of African American Catholic culture and the Catholic Church in the United States.
National Black Catholic Congress
Podcasts, Videos and a wide variety of resources
#BlackCatholicsSyllabus
This syllabus is a collection of resources related to Black Catholics in the United States. It is intended for academics, journalists, educators, diocesan institutions, parishes, congregations of women and men religious, and the general public. This syllabus prioritizes the work of Blacks in order to center the voice of Black Catholics in the creation of their own narrative. Tia Noelle Pratt, PhD is a higher education professional, researcher, and inclusion & diversity specialist based in Philadelphia, PA. She received her PhD in sociology from Fordham University in 2010. A sociologist of religion by training, she is an expert in systemic racism with twenty years of experience researching and writing about how systemic racism impacts African-American For 2018-19, she was the inaugural Scholar-in-Residence at the Aquinas Center in Philadelphia, PA. She is also the President and Director of Research at TNPratt & Associates, LLC. Dr. Pratt ’95 currently serves on the Board of West Catholic Preparatory High School, Philadelphia, PA. (read more about Dr. Pratt)
Recommended Articles
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- Working for Social Justice Starts with Study of the Black Catholic Experience, Gina Christian CatholicPhilly.com, June 23, 2020
- God is beyond race and gender. It’s time our sacred art is too, Father Bryan Massingale
- Black Catholic Women: Voice Embodied, Kathleen Dorsey Bellow National Catholic Reporter, July 8, 2020
- Sister Thea Bowman: Step Toward Canonization
- How Can Catholics Help Lead the Fight Against Racism? Olga Segura
National Black Catholic Congress- Recommended Books
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- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
- The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone
- How To be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- What Truth Sounds Like by Michael Eric Dyson
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Oluo Ijeoma
- Racial Justice and the Catholic Church by Bryan N. Massingale
- I am Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
- Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson
Videos
October 19, 2020
from Catholic Mobilizing Network in collaboration with the Diocese of RC San Diego and the University of San Diego
Impacted persons, experienced practitioners, ministry leaders, and advocates from across the country come together to enliven approaches to justice that heal and transform. This all-virtual, highly-interactive conference experience is an opportunity for participants to learn, network, and grow together in Catholic community. For information and to register >
La Salle University’s faculty and staff have compiled a list of books, poems, and more. They cover discrimination in many forms, from the murky period between the abolition of slavery and the civil rights movement of the 1960s, to racism in nursing, education, and the U.S. prison system.
October 5, 2020
God is beyond race and gender. It’s time our sacred art is too. Father Bryan Massingale
https://uscatholic.org/articles/202009/god-is-beyond-race-and-gender-its-time-our-sacred-art-is-too/
An Invitation from the Conference of Major Superiors of Men
September 21, 2020
DC Archbishop Gregory and Others Discuss Racism and Faith
Catholic Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. participated in a dialogue with others concerning the ongoing protests across the nation that were sparked by the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
September 7, 2020
On September 24 International Association of Lasallian Universities (IALU), which represents the 64 institutions across the world, invites you to Global Perspectives on Racism livestream event 9:00 am EDT
The Panelists
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- Dr. Kristi J. Kelly from Lewis University, Romeoville, IL
- Brother Armin Luistro, FSC, PhD from the Philippines
- Dr. Jamil Khader from Bethlehem University, Palestine
- Brother Francisco Pérez from Guatemala
- Moderator: Brother Ernest Miller, FSC, D.Min from La Salle University, Philadelphia
For additional information and to register for this event, please visit this site: Global Perspectives on Racism
August 31, 2020
Bellow, Kathleen Dorsey. “Black Catholic Women: Voice Embodied”. National Catholic Reporter, July 8, 2020.
Clarke, Kevin. “After weeks of protest and calls to defund the police, where do we go from here?”, America, June 12, 2020.
Gehring, John. “Necessary Bluntness: Archbishop Gregory’s Stand for Integrity”, Commonweal Magazine, June 9, 2020.
August 17, 2020
Let The Holy Spirit Guide How We Talk About Race by Grace Ji-Sun Kim. To make conversations about race more productive, use different metaphors for God.
What Will It Take To Redeem The Soul of America? by Bryan Massingale. Racism today is revealed in the pervasive lack of concern to the horrors and scandals unfolding in our midst.
Check Your White Privilege a U.S. Catholic interview with Sister Helen Prejean. The eye-opening experience that sparked her lifelong commitment to justice.
August 10, 2020
#Black Catholic Syllabus – Dr. Tia Noelle Pratt, Curator
This syllabus is a collection of resources related to Black Catholics in the United States. It is intended for academics, journalists, educators, diocesan institutions, parishes, congregations of women and men religious, and the general public. This syllabus prioritizes the work of Blacks in order to center the voice of Black Catholics in the creation of their own narrative.
Tia Noelle Pratt, PhD is a higher education professional, researcher, and inclusion & diversity specialist based in Philadelphia, PA. She received her PhD in sociology from Fordham University in 2010. A sociologist of religion by training, she is an expert in systemic racism with twenty years of experience researching and writing about how systemic racism impacts African-American For 2018-19, she was the inaugural Scholar-in-Residence at the Aquinas Center in Philadelphia, PA. She is also the President and Director of Research at TNPratt & Associates, LLC. Dr. Pratt ’95 currently serves on the Board of West Catholic Preparatory High School, Philadelphia, PA. (read more about Dr. Pratt)
August 3, 2020
Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation
Representative John Lewis
Billings, Cora Marie. “Saved by Grace: Striving for a more racially just and equal church”
America, June 24, 2014.
Christian, Gina. “Work for racial justice starts with study of Black Catholic experience”
CatholicPhilly.com, June 23, 2020.
July 27, 2020
John Lewis
On July 17, 2020, our nation and the world lost two Civil Rights heroes. May we be inspired to engage in “good trouble.” for the sake of God’s Kingdom of peace, justice and equality for all.
John Lewis: Good Trouble
In her intimate account of legendary U.S. Representative John Lewis’s life and legacy, director Dawn Porter takes us through his more than 60 years of extraordinary activism-from the bold teenager on the front lines of the Civil Rights’ movement to the legislative powerhouse he is today. After Lewis petitioned Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to help integrate a segregated school in his hometown of Troy, Alabama, King sent “the boy from Troy” a round trip bus ticket to meet with him. From that meeting onward, Lewis became one of King’s closest allies. He organized Freedom Rides that left him bloodied or jailed, and stood at the front lines in the historic marches on Washington and Selma. Lewis continues to protect civil rights today as a sitting Member of Congress. He never lost the spirit of the “boy from Troy” and still calls on his fellow Americans to get into “good trouble.” JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE is a moving tribute to the real hero at the forefront of many hard-won battles for lasting change. Watch this video.
Rev. C.T. Vivian, legendary civil rights leader, reflects on his life. Cordy Tindell Vivian was an American minister, author, and close friend and lieutenant of Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement. Vivian resided in Atlanta, Georgia, and founded the C. T. Vivian Leadership Institute, Inc.
Listen to his message of hope.
July 13, 2020
Books That Help Us Understand Race, Racism and Social Justice in the United States
When Affirmative Action Was White by Ira Katznelson
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
The Detroit School Busing Case by Joyce Baugh
July 6, 2020
Dr. Shannen Dee Williams is the Albert LePage Assistant Professor of History at Villanova University. She is completing her first book, Subversive Habits: The Untold Story of Black Catholic Nuns in the United States. Follow her on social media and read her articles at America Magazine, National Catholic Reporter, and U.S. Catholic.
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- “If racial justice and peace will ever be attained, it must begin in the church” for Catholic News Service
- “The church must make reparation for its role in slavery, segregation” for National Catholic Reporter
Fr. Bryan Massingale is one of the world’s leading Catholic social ethicists and scholars of African-American theological ethics, racial justice, and liberation theology. Buy his book Racial Justice and the Catholic Church. You can also read his work in National Catholic Reporter and U.S. Catholic
June 29, 2020
Why Do You Have to Make Everything About Race? America Magazine
Practical Steps for Eradicating Racism USCCB
Combating Racism USCCB
I Can’t Breath – A Litany for Justice Fr. Rafael Garcia S.J.
June 22, 2020
How Catholic vigils for racial justice can center the black experience
Podcast: Pope Francis challenges pro-life Catholics on racism
The Racial Divide in the United States: A Reflection for the World Day of Peace 2015
A Pastoral Letter by His Excellency, The Most Reverend Edward K. Braxton, Ph.D., S.T.D. Bishop of Belleville, Illinois
June 15, 2020
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” Arthur Ashe Gratefulness Network
June 8, 2020
Catholic Resources for Racial Justice
Lasallians Call for Racial Justice
The Assumptions of White Privilege by Fr. Bryan N. Massingale
United States Catholic Conference of Bishops: Combatting Racism
June 1, 2020