RACIAL JUSTICE
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
One Year After the Murder of George Floyd
May 25, 2021, is the first anniversary of the murder of Mr. George Floyd. What the world witnessed on a street in Minneapolis, MN tragically highlighted the “other pandemic” that we as a nation are living with: racism.
“Racism is a sin: a sin that divides the human family blots out the image of God among specific members of that family, and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father.” (Brothers and Sisters to Us, 1979)
In May 2020, DENA established the Racial Justice Coalition (RJC) and to date over 300 people have joined. Members of the Coalition have gathered in virtual prayer, attended numerous zoom presentations on the topic of racism, participated in Let’s Talk seminars and book circle conversations, been trained in Restorative Justice Practices, marched in local protests, and have written letters to their Congressional representatives, engaged in numerous educational opportunities regarding anti-racist work, participated in Black Catholic History Month and Black History Month (see below under Additional Resources), presented at numerous Lasallian virtual gatherings, participated in establishing the Lasallian Colleges and Universities in Association for Justice (LCUAJ) and the Lasallian Roundtable on Social Justice and this summer the DENA Racial Justice Coalition will support its first group of Lasallian scholars participating in the Education to Build A Racially Just World pilot program.
For the first year of the RJC, significant work has happened, but the work continues, you are invited to join the RJC and be a part of the Lasallian community confronting the sin of racism.
Combatting the Pandemic of Racism: Lasallian Education in Times of Turmoil by Brother Ernest Miller, FSC
LACU Presents Symposium on Justice and Lasallian Education (RELAN)
Lasallians from around the world engaged in a powerful discussion on justice and education. On April 7, the feast of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, this virtual symposium commemorated the 50th anniversary of Justice in the World, the 1971 Synod of Bishops’ social teaching document, and addressed Circular 412, The Educational Service of the Poor and the Promotion of Justice (1980), of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
Prayers & Resources
George Floyd, Minneapolis Protests, Ahmaud Arbery & Amy Cooper – Discussion Guide
Creating opportunity for discussion around Catholic Social Thoughthighlighted in a contemporary video, including Dignity of the Human Person; Option for the Poor and Vulnerable; Solidarity; Rights and Responsibilities.
A Lamentation and Prayer for Action Against Racism
We are tired, O Lord, overwhelmed by the violence and death that has ravaged this country, fed by prejudice and mistrust.
Prayer for the Healing of Racism
O God, your children of all colors have been hurt by racism. Help us heal together.
One Year Later: The fight for civil rights since George Floyd’s murder
Recording from a live conversation with Fordham University’s Bryan Massingale about the progress of racial justice in the United States since George Floyd’s murder one year ago – May 24 | 11am EDT
Additional 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