Welcome to St. Alban’s Church! Every Sunday, and most days in between, people gather in this place to worship, to learn, to grow, to share the joys and struggles of our lives, and to seek God’s grace in the midst of our lives. We do not come because we have it all figured out, but because we are seeking light on the way. We come as we are and welcome one another.
Forums: Confronting Racism
What can we as Christians do to confront racism?
Twenty-five years ago, the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church issued the following statement: “Racism is totally inconsistent with the Gospel and, therefore, must be confronted and eradicated.” Clearly, that hasn't happened. Over the course of five Sundays, St. Alban's will examine the history and future of efforts to confront racism.
Sunday, January 20: Confronting Racism--Waking from the Dream
Columnist Sam Fulwood III discussed where we are as a nation more than 50 years after Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream of a colorblind society. Fulwood, who writes about race for ThinkProgress, argues that the way forward has everything to do with white people.
Sunday, February 3: Confronting Racism--Race and the Episcopal Church
How much do you know about the history of the Episcopal church and its role in perpetuating or working to eradicate racism? Our denomination has played an important role in the story of race in America. St. Alban's parishioners Sally Craig and Deborah Potter led this interactive session. Here's the presentation.
Sunday, February 10: Confronting Racism--Unconscious Bias
Most people don't think they're biased, but how you see the world depends a lot on where you're standing. Kim d'Abreu, a diversity consultant, discussed unconscious and implicit bias and got us all thinking and talking. Sally Craig introduced Kim. Here's her presentation and the handout for her session.
Sunday, February 17: Confronting Racism--Exploring White Privilege
Being white can give you an unconscious advantage in this country. White privilege exists because of historic inequalities that persist today. Eric Peterson, a columnist, educator and consultant, brings over 18 years of experience in diversity and inclusion work to this forum at St. Alban's.
Sunday, February 24: Confronting Racism--Dialogue
The Rev'd Dr. Carol Flett will introduce us to the racism and bias dialogues she leads for adults from all faith traditions and ethnic backgrounds. She includes exercises that raise awareness of the many forms of personal and systemic biases and prejudices that affect one's access to housing, education, jobs, relationships and other opportunities. Participants share their experiences of bias in a small group. In the Sunday Forum, participants will experience two of these exercises: the small group sharing exercise and a large group exercise. A volunteer participant in each small group will be asked to be the time-keeper of their group.