Racial Reconciliation

 
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Saint George’s is committed to living out our Baptismal Covenant through the difficult, but necessary, work of Racial Justice and Healing. That work is both internal - examining our hearts and minds through dialogue-based curriculum like Sacred Ground - and external - working to challenge racist structures and systems in our society. Our work is ongoing, and parishioners at Saint George’s are involved in a myriad of ways. Some of our key offerings and upcoming events are outlined below. We do hope you will join us.

SACRED GROUND

Sacred Ground is a film- and readings-based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith.  Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity.

The 10-part series is built around a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories.

Sacred Ground is part of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society.  This series is open to all, and especially designed to help white people talk with other white people.  Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to the challenges and divides of the present day – all while grounded in our call to faith, hope and love.

 

Featured Past Events

From “other” to beloved | a covenant

Our community, commonwealth, country, and world feel fractured. Clearly, we are not living our lives and governing ourselves in ways that ensure that all our brothers, sisters, and siblings are treated with kindness, empathy, charity, respect, compassion, mercy, love, and justice.  We are in crisis worldwide.  And, most importantly, God is calling us to action.  This forum series tackles a root cause of the grave situation that defines today’s existence and will explore the following topics:

The concepts of Covenant and “Other.”
What is “Othering”?  A deeper look.
When and why do we “Other” one another? Examining micro- and macro- aggressions.
What now?  Bringing our Covenant to life.

Watch Session #2: When and Why fo we “Other” one Another?

 

Social justice sunday, featuring author john m. johnson

John M. Johnson, author of A Death Mob Gathered, was our special guest at Saint George’s for Sunday morning services on September 26, 2021.  Mr. Johnson’s book tells the story of the 1926 lynching of Raymond Byrd, one of the last known such horrific acts in Virginia. Meet one of the true treasures of the Commonwealth as we reconcile our past with the promise of our future.

 

2020 Juneteenth Forum: Policing and African-Americans

In a powerful, virtual conversation, five African American members of Saint George’s shared stories about their encounters with law enforcement and how those interactions have affected them throughout their lives. Participants in this forum came away with a better understanding of the breadth of police interactions with African Americans and gained important insights into the background and importance of the protests that were taking place in Washington, DC, across the country, and around the world.