Environmental Racism Resources, Working Groups, and more!
Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice
On Wilderness Sunday, September 20, 2020, in a gathering on Zoom sponsored by the Antiracism Ministry, Katie Maxwell and Iván A Pérez provided an overview of environmental racism and environmental justice. We discussed the ways in which systemic racism impacts our natural world, and pollution and climate change disproportionately harm communities of color. We also referenced additional resources during our conversation:
Antiracism Ministry Working Groups
As a congregation, we have an opportunity to build environmental justice into the work of the working groups that we recently established as an Antiracism Ministry:
- Welcoming Congregation- Review and propose revisions to our congregational welcome statement, norms and practices;
- Land Acknowledgement- Research and acknowledge the history of the land on which our church and community reside;
- Governance- Review and propose revisions to our congregational governing documents;
- Complicity- Research, understand and address the complicity of Lutheranism and Lutherans in establishing and perpetuating racism.
Several members of the congregation have expressed interest in leading or participating in the working groups, and some work has already started. Through the fall, each group will define their work, recruit additional working group members, and establish what work they would like to accomplish in 2020 and beyond. If you are interested in participating in one or more of these groups, contact Grant Griffin (grant.griffin@gmail.com).
Upcoming Antiracism Ministry Events
Through the rest of the year, the Antiracism Ministry will convene on Zoom or by phone. During our time together we will continue to develop a common analysis of racism and discuss the progress of our working groups as we work to live into an antiracist identity. Our next gatherings are on:
- October 18, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm (Living in the In-Between)
- November 15, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm (Endings and Beginnings)
- December 20, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm (Fourth Sunday of Advent)
You can find Zoom information to join these events in your email from St. Luke's. Or if you don't get email from St. Luke's yet, sign up for our weekly newsletter at this link.No prior attendance or experience in antiracism work is necessary. We invite all who are interested in analysis and contributing to a working group to join us whenever you are able to do so. We are very excited to see where this work will take us.