A Study on Racial Healing and Justice
Our friend Liesl Himmelberger invites members and friends of Western to participate in a virtual study for those interested in racial healing and justice. Several folks from Western have completed previous seasons of this study.
The next series starts on June 5.
Meetings will be held via Zoom on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 pm, from June 5 through July 31.
To register, please use the link that will be shared in the church email newsletter on Friday, June 2.
The information below is provided by the group that hosts this study.
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INTRODUCTION
In the fall of 2019, a small group in a Northern Virginia church got together to learn about one of our country’s original national sins, chattel slavery, and its insidious legacy impact on America today. A pastor and his wife, experienced group facilitators, guided us along with two basic resources, both of which are described further below. The first resource gave us common ground, the second resource provided strong study references and time for reflection. The material was and is flexible; some participants only had the chance to skim it while others dove in deeply for our weekly discussion. The discussion group’s code of conduct encouraged humility, respect, and giving grace to each person in the room. The journey educated us, humbled us, and encouraged us to dive deeper into making a difference, including offering this study again and again, resulting in sharing this study across the country.
We have come to call this study our “foundational study”, anchored by the American Lament which is further described below.
WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THIS STUDY
Our racial reconciliation group came into being as a community because of this study, which is anchored by the American Lament devotional. This study, lovingly referred to as our “foundational study”, provides an opportunity to gather together in humility to listen and learn. We hope more and more individuals and churches share this study. It is more than a history course–we learn the transformational power of lamenting in a way many of us have never understood or collectively experienced before. We cannot change the past, but we can learn from it to offer healing, hope, and to build a better future.
FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE VIRTUAL GROUP STUDY
The study group starts by viewing of Reconstruction: America After the Civil War, a 4-hour documentary series presented in 1-hour segments by Henry Louis Gates Jr. Class participants will view portions of the documentary in the study as well as in advance of the next class to allow time for open discussion.
The series explores the transformative years following the American Civil War, when the nation struggled to rebuild itself in the face of profound loss, massive destruction, and revolutionary social change. The twelve years that composed the post-war Reconstruction era (1865-77) witnessed a seismic shift in the meaning and makeup of our democracy, with millions of former slaves and free Black people seeking out their rightful place as equal citizens under the law. Though tragically short-lived, this bold democratic experiment was, in the words of W.E.B. DuBois, a ‘brief moment in the sun’ for African Americans, when they could advance, achieve education, exercise their right to vote, and run for and win public office. https://www.pbs.org/weta/reconstruction/
After viewing the documentary series, the study group explores “An American Lament”, a devotional journey through our nation’s history that winds from the slave trade through the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement to modern-day inequalities. The journey makes room for individual education and reflection daily, and group discussion weekly. Enveloped in scripture and prayer, this resource provides both education and spiritual formation around the historical legacies of slavery while also presenting practical steps for moving forward. https://repentanceproject.org/index.php/an-american-lament/