Presenter: Tom Robinson.

This is part of the Seedbed Group series of topics. This group runs through Lent on Thursday nights at 7:00pm at the church.

About this study group, Tom writes: In 2022 a case can be made that race relations in the United States are at their lowest point in at least a generation and they continue to deteriorate. It could even be argued that our society is a failed social experiment in race relations involving a multitude of minority groups in this country. However, for us in this Lenten study group, the better discussion question is, “what to do about it”? While we will address the history of these issues to some degree to more fully understand them, this class will focus on increasing our understanding of the issues involved in race relations in order to address the question posed above. While the class will generally follow a curriculum outlined by the General Commission on Religion and Race of the United Methodist Church we will also modify it somewhat to ensure we talk about such issues as “colonization” and its impacts on communities of color, “systemic racism” within our institutions, and the rise in “White Nationalism” and white supremacy in this country. Let this study experience with racism be a first step in answering the call of that Civil Rights icon, Representative John Lewis, who invited us before he passed away, to get into some “Good Trouble” regarding race relations in America. As this is a Lenten experience, we will emphasize repentance and the creation of right relationships with each other across racial lines and we will explore how we can work together to make things better. 

For more information on these, contact the church office.