OPEN WIDE OUR HEARTS: RACISM AND THE CHURCH PANEL
Join me and fellow panelists, Kandice Harris, J.D., and Cynthia P. Stewart, Ph.D. as we reflect on and discuss the pastoral letter on racism ("Open Wide Our Hearts") issued by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in November 2018. In this pastoral letter, the USCCB invite conversion of hearts, minds, and institutions in order to address the evil of racism that still exists in our communities.
PDF version can be found here: https://www.usccb.org/resources/open-wide-our-hearts_0.pdf
Part 2 with Donna Grimes can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUhBC8GUANU
Speaker Bios (as of April 4, 2019):
Donna Grimes - US Conference of Catholic Bishops: Assistant Director of African American Affairs, Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church. Donna Grimes works for the USCCB, helping to lead the Subcommittee on African American Affairs. This group is mandated to assist the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church and other USCCB committees to affirm the gifts and contributions of African American Catholics and to provide more opportunities for African Americans to engage in the life of the Church.
Kandice Harris, J.D. - Workers Center for Racial Justice, Chicago (Field Director). Center for Racial and Gender Equity, Chicago (Movement Politics Director). Kandice Harris is from Mobile, Alabama and came to Chicago to attend the Law School at Loyola University Chicago, where she earned her JD degree. She has experience in legislation and policy development on the national, state and local level and has worked on several campaigns in field organizing and policy development.
Cynthia P. Stewart, Ph.D. - Loyola University Chicago: Assistant Director, Academic Internship Program Manager for the Center for Experiential Learning. Dr. Stewart has an extensive educational background and practical experience in combining theology and community development. It’s appropriate to call her an “Urban Theologian” because of her love and passion for educating others about social justice issues that plague urban communities.
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” - Maya Angelou
LATINA LEADERS LEAVING A LEGACY PODCAST
Join me and my best friend, Dianne as we chat with Rose, founder of Latina Leaders Leaving a Legacy, about Racism and the Christian church. Racism has been around since the foundation of the United States. As Christians, we need to have these conversations and ask those hard questions, "Has the church helped end racism? If yes, how has it helped? If not, how can it help end racism?"
We all need to educate ourselves and take action to bring healing to the people that have been severely affected and hurt by hatred. I decided to have a conversation with these two young leaders about their personal experiences and get their perspective on how the Christian church has helped them through this season.
In this interview, Rose asks Dianne and I to answer the following questions:
Where do you live and what religious denomination do you identify with?
What church do you attend and why?
How has your church handled or responded to the social unrest in our nation in regards to racism?
Do you think that the Christian church's response is enough to make a change in their community in regard to ending racism?
In your opinion, what would you like the Christian church to do to help end racism in our country?
How have you contributed to this movement of Black Lives Matter and/or ending racism in our country?
Rose is a Latin female entrepreneur who talks with women about being strong leaders that ignite and leave a legacy. Subscribe and become a part of the Latina Leaders community by following Rose on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram.