November is Native American Heritage Month—a time for learning, honoring, and reflecting on the rich contributions of Indigenous communities. This month, ELCA’s Racial Justice Ministries is spotlighting events that call us toward truth and healing. Join online discussions on church accountability for Indian boarding schools, reflect on Vine Deloria Jr.’s work at the Theological Symposium, and, for those able, participate in the National Day of Mourning in Plymouth, Mass., to stand with Indigenous communities. Learn more about how we can walk together toward justice and understanding.
Read MoreNovember is Native American Heritage Month—a time for learning, honoring, and reflecting on the rich contributions of Indigenous communities. This month, ELCA’s Racial Justice Ministries is spotlighting events that call us toward truth and healing. Join online discussions on church accountability for Indian boarding schools, reflect on Vine Deloria Jr.’s work at the Theological Symposium, and, for those able, participate in the National Day of Mourning in Plymouth, Mass., to stand with Indigenous communities. Learn more about how we can walk together toward justice and understanding.
Read MoreIn celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month which is celebrated in the United States September 15- October 15, ELCA Racial Justice shares an article which is cross-posted from Living Lutheran. The original post can be found here.
Read MoreJoin White Lutherans for Racial Justice and the ELCA Office of Racial Justice for a free “train the trainer” event on Monday, 9/16/2024 at 5pm PDT/MST, 6pm MDT. This event will equip leaders to host anti-racist screenings of the documentary A Time for Burning, sparking important conversations in congregations across the synod. Sign up today to prepare for hosting screenings in October and November.
Read MoreIn honor of International Day for People of African Descent, which is observed internationally on August 31 each year, ELCA Racial Justice Ministries invited ELCA Director for Innovation and Ideas Rahel Mwitula Williams to share some thoughts about being a person of African descent. For more information on International Day for People of African Descent, visit International Day for People of African Descent – EN | United Nations. Read the full post on the ELCA blog.
Read MoreIn honor of Juneteenth, ELCA Racial Justice Ministries invited Dr. Dianne R. Browne, Ph.D., CFLE, CSE, Chair of the ELCA New Jersey Synod’s Anti-Racism Team to share some thoughts about this federal holiday that many mark as the official end of legalized human enslavement in the United States. For more information on Juneteenth, visit What Is Juneteenth? | HISTORY.
Read MoreIn observance of Arab American Heritage Month, ELCA Racial Justice Ministries invited Rev. Dr. Niveen Ibrahim Sarras to share her thoughts on this topic.
Read MoreReflect on the insights shared by Rev. Aimée Appell on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, as she discusses the vital work of the European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice. Appell highlights the transformative power of action-love observed at the George Floyd Global Square and emphasizes the importance of standing in solidarity with marginalized communities. Through personal experiences and scriptural wisdom, she inspires us to embody God's active love in our efforts to dismantle racism and white supremacy.
Read MoreIn a compelling piece for Black History Month, Seminarian Clair Minson reflects on the significance of this observance, rooted in Dr. Carter G. Woodson's initiative to educate African Americans about their heritage. Minson emphasizes the transformative power of understanding one's history, paralleling the importance of biblical stories in nurturing faith. Black History Month, for Minson, is a call to remember the resilience and contributions of African Americans, urging a reevaluation of its meaning within our faith communities and a commitment to honor and value the lives of people of African descent.
Read MoreIn recognition of the National Day of Racial Healing, Rev. Jennifer Thomas reflects on her ongoing journey to address white supremacy and racial justice. A proponent of continuous learning, Rev. Thomas emphasizes the importance of understanding and actively working against the structures that harm our global neighbors.
She shares insights from her involvement with the ELCA's racial justice initiatives and invites others of European descent within the ELCA to join in the anti-racism efforts. Discover more about the ELCA's Truth and Healing Movement and find resources to support your congregation's journey towards racial equity.
Read MoreWhat is your response when someone asks, “Where are you from?” Mine is a joke and reality. I often reply with my Eswatini accent, “I am from Decorah, Iowa.” I was raised in Eswatini, attended Luther College in Decorah and Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., and am now a Lutheran pastor in Jersey City, N.J. For most people in America, “Where are you from?” is a tricky question. We need a different question if we are to be hospitable to one another.
Read MoreIn the United States, November is Native American Heritage Month. Racial Justice Ministries would like to elevate the voices and work of our Indigenous siblings by bringing attention to the multitude of events by the ELCA’s Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations. A full list of offerings for this month can be found here, but there are two events that ELCA Racial Justice Ministries would especially like to highlight: the Vine Deloria Jr. Theological Symposium on 11/13/2023 and the 11/23/2023 Day of Mourning. Read more here.
Read MoreI was 4 years old when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. I was too young to understand the import of his words while he lived. Yet I remember the importance of those words, his struggles and his assassination to the Black community as I grew up in Chester, Penn. The community felt he was one of theirs. Not only was he a marvelous young African American preacher and civil rights leader, but he was also educated at Crozer Theological Seminary, just up the road in Upland, Penn.
Read MoreHappy National Hispanic Heritage Month! As we celebrate, I can’t help reflecting on what is being celebrated: independence, legacy and identity. As far as my own identity, I grew up, like many Puerto Ricans, hearing the poems and songs that claim we all have a Black grandma hidden away somewhere. There was this shared idea among the people in my life that, no matter how hard we try to hide it, somewhere in our DNA we are all Black.
Read MoreOn this Independence Day, I encourage us all to spend some time relearning our shared history. Take time to read through five reflections written by Women of the ELCA participants as part of a study of the ELCA Declaration to People of African Descent. Review the Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery, adopted by both the ELCA (in 2016) and affirmed by Women of the ELCA (in 2017). It’s a start.
Read MoreFor a long time, no one in Tulsa’s white or black communities talked about the massacre that destroyed the Greenwood district in May 1921. Those who were there remembered. A few kept the memory alive. But most simply chose to forget. Shrouded in silence for decades, it lay there in the heart of the city, eating away at it like a cancer.
Read MoreWith Black History Month approaching, the ELCA introduces "Now Is the Time: A Study Guide for ELCA Declaration to People of African Descent" to help congregations wrestle with the meaning of the declaration, adopted at the 2019 Churchwide Assembly, and its accompanying explanation.
The five-part study resource, with a guide and participant materials, is available at elca.org/Resources/Racial-Justice. Direct PDF links to the Explanation of the Declaration of the ELCA to People of African Descent are here: Document, Study Guide and Participant Materials.
Read MoreRev. Kwame Pitts, pastor to Crossroads Lutheran Church in Amherst, New York, reflects on the Emanuel 9, five years later.
Read MoreWhat does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).
In a statement signed by many bishops of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, including Bishop Hutterer, the ELCA reaffirms its commitment to combating racism and white supremacy following the recent murders of Black Americans. Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Dreasjon (Sean) Reed, and George Floyd were our neighbors.
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