Race, Justice, and Love

2011-10-05T11:24:00.002-04:00

PAULI MURRAY: Public Art Day, Historic Marker Unveiling, & Birthday Party!

November 12 & 20, 2011

Times TBA

West End, Durham, NC

Join in the celebration of Paul Murray’s 101st birthday. This remarkable leader in the civil rights movement, labor movement, and the women's movement grew up in Durham’s West End. Murray was a lawyer, professor, writer, poet, prophet, and Episcopal priest.
On November 12, a public art day with environmental artist Bryant Holsenbeck and others will be held at Pauli Murray’s childhood home 906 Carroll Street in Durham.
On November 20, a North Carolina historic marker in Murray’s honor will be unveiled on Chapel Hill St. near Carroll St. A birthday party at Lyon Park Community Center will follow.
Free and open to the public
Contact: RCWMS, 919-683-1236, rcwmsnc@aol.com, or the Pauli Murray Project at Duke,www.paulimurrayproject.org

Race: Are We So Different?

2011-10-01T22:09:00.000-04:00

RACE: Are We So Different? | OCTOBER 8, 2011 – JANUARY 22, 2012

RACE, developed by the American Anthropological Association in collaboration with the Science Museum of Minnesota, is opening at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham on Saturday, October 8. This award winning interactive exhibition is the first of its kind to tell the stories of race from the biological, cultural, and historical points of view. The exhibition brings together the everyday experience of living with race, its history as an idea, the role of science in that history, and the findings of contemporary science that are challenging its foundations. Combining these perspectives offers an unprecedented look at race and racism in the United States.

For More Information Click Here: http://www.ncmls.org/visit/events/RACE#race

2011-09-21T16:32:00.001-04:00

Free Spirit Freedom – Outdoor Cultural Affair

On Saturday, September 24th at Historic Moorefields, Free Spirit Freedom will host An Outdoor Cultural Affair featuring an appearance by the highly acclaimed actress and storyteller, Joyce Grear, in the role of Harriet Tubman. The event also will feature music by the popular gospel duo Mary Moffitt & Anthony McCrea, Hillsborough's Second Chance, El Viento Canta with Peruvian music, and Wilton Dubois on steel drums.

Historic Moorefields is located at 2201 Moorefields Road in Hillsborough. Home cooked food by local vendors.

Tickets $10/General,$6/Children 6-12 and $6/Seniors 65+

Contact: Renee Price, Director, Free Spirit/Freedom (919) 593-1904

"The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness"

2011-09-07T12:20:00.001-04:00

A Very Important Read

In this well-researched book, Michelle Alexander breaks down all the ways in which our legal system hold back & tear down African American men. She proves without a doubt the 'birdcage' that we, our community, our Politicians, our Police, our Judges, and our lawyers have built law by law, around African American men & their community. It's heartbreaking & it's real. A must read for anyone who cares about Racial Justice.

IMPORTANT EVENT!

2011-04-06T11:50:00.007-04:00

Click On Photo to Enlarge

Tentative Schedule:

Sunday April 17th: Seymour Williams AFB, Goldsboro

9:30 Blessing by Rev. Barber

10:30 Arrive at Seymour Johnson AFB

Lunch

Walk around Greensboro

Leave for Charlotte

Dinner

Contact: Patrick O'Neill 919-779-1912; pmTONEILL@aol.com

Monday April 18th: Charlotte

9:30 Response to Immigrant Bills (contacting state legislators)

11:30 Peace Walk Around Uptown; Marshall Park 555 S McDowell St 28204

12:00 Vigil & Press Conference 801 E. 4th St 28204

6:00 Potluck before Film Screening (see below)

7:00 Brothertowns Film Screening & Discussion; Piedmont UU Church 9704 Mallard Creek Rd

Contact: Joyce Deaton deaton1@att.net; 704-333-9521

Tuesday April 19th: Winston-Salem

Morning Program w/ Wake Forest students

12:00 Lunch at Dellabrook Presbyterian

1:00 Walk to Reynolds Building

2:30 Vigil & Press Conference

5:00 Dinner & Program w/ folks who working on the original Reynolds Campaign; Green St. Methodist

Contact: Alex Jones 919-597-1080; ajones@nfwm.org

Justin Flores 919-731-4433; jflores@floc.com

Wednesday April 20th: Greensboro & Graham

Walk from Detention center to church.

Lunch & Program at Holy Comforter

Statue of Liberty Skit at Jail

Foot washing

Dinner & Program reguarding racial profiling at 1st Friends

Contact: Eric Jonas efjonas@faihouse.org; 336-379-0037, ext 3

Thursday April 21st: Cary & Carrboro

8:00 Arrive at Cary Federal Detention Center

12:00 Lunch & Program at St. Michael's

2:00 Arrive in Carrboro. Walk for immigrant justice.

5:00 Dinner at El Centro

6:00 Show "Papers"

8:00 Conversation with Dreamers

Contact: Patrick O'Neill for morning events 919-779-1912; pmTONEILL@aol.com

Meghan Andrews for evening events 951-522-5290; meghanlandrew@gmail.com

Friday April 22nd: Raleigh

8:00 Start at St. Mary Mother of the Church 1008 Vendora Springs Rd. in Garner. Walk by Women's Prison & jail on the way to the Capitol.

12:00 Economic Justice Way of the Cross in front of State Capitol.

Contact: Gail Phares 919-624-0646; witnessforpeacee2@gmail.com

"Brother Outsider"

2011-02-25T10:25:00.001-05:00

Bayard Rustin was an openly homosexual African American pacifist, who changed the course of American history. An advisor to Martin Luther King Jr., the March on Washington was Bayard's dream and he organized it after politicians pushed him off Dr. King's Civil Right's campaign due to fear of contamination from his sexual orientation. He managed to organize "The March" with the help of a small highly organized staff, some telephones, and a stack of index cards which he kept in his back pocket at all times. He also was one of the first to stand his ground on buses, was arrested in North Carolina & put on the chain gang, which upon his release he wrote about in the New York Times, leading to the abolishment of the chain gang. A truly complex man, with a life of pitfalls & many triumphs, to learn more watch "Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin" For a list of showings and more information visit:http://rustin.org/

African American History Month

2011-02-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

Library of Congress has an excellent page for African American History Month. Please visit: http://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/

Race in NC: Justice & Reconciliation Film Forum

2011-02-03T10:01:00.003-05:00

Part of the ChathamArts Sustainable Cinema Series designed to address African American history, identity, culture, & social justice and racial reconciliation through storytelling & documentary. Held Saturday Feb. 26th & Sunday Feb. 27th For more information please visit: http://www.chathamarts.org/sustainablecinema/

A Litany of Remembrance, Lament, and Hope

2011-01-24T16:54:00.019-05:00

This litany, written by Jane Redmont, one of your friendly blog keepers, was first used at the diocesan conference "Traces of Our Trade" a little over two years ago. During that day of reflection, the film "Traces of the Trade" was the focus of discussion for half the day and diocesan racial history and local work in racial reconciliation was the focus for the other half.

We are honored that the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina used a substantial portion of this litany its liturgy of repentance for slavery and its aftermath this past week, at the Annual Convention of the diocese.

We reproduce the original litany in its entirety here for your use. Please credit the author and if you adapt or change either the wording or the format of the litany, indicate that you have done so. (If you would like a formatted Word document version sent to you as an electronic attachment, write janeredmont (at) world (dot) oberlin (dot) edu .) May the God of mercy, justice, and reconciliation move us toward healing together.

A Litany of Remembrance, Lament, and Hope

The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina

Jane Carol Redmont
September 6, 2008 [1]

ALL:i***Lord, you have been our refuge
********from one generation to another.

******* Before the mountains were brought forth,
******* or the land and the earth were born,
******* ******from age to age you are God. [2]

ONE:***Wondrous, eternal God, Creator of heaven and earth,
ALL:****Have mercy on us.

ONE:***Christ Jesus our brother, Savior of the world,
ALL:****Have mercy on us.

ONE:***Holy Spirit, Comforter and Advocate,
ALL:****Have mercy on us.

ONE:***Holy Trinity, one God,
ALL:****Have mercy on us.

We remember

ONE:***We begin in holy silence.

*************[silence]

ALL:***We dwell today on common ground.
*******Together we remember.

1st HALF:***We remember that this land was not empty.
*************The peoples who walked this land
*************before the settlers came
*************loved the land and its waters and skies.

ALL:****We remember.

ONE:***Save us, Lord, from the loss of memory.

ALL:****Teach us to remember.
******** Teach us to listen.
******** We remember.

2d HALF:****We remember that human beings owned
*************other human beings
*************with power over them
*************of life and death.

ONE:***Spirit of truth,
********Holy Comforter,
********Open our hearts.

ALL: ***Teach us to remember.
********Teach us to listen.
********Save us
********from forgetting.

2d HALF:***We remember those who worked in fields and houses
************from dawn to dusk
************and who, at night, after the light was gone
************gathered at the risk of their lives
************to praise and pray
************and sorrow and hope.
************We remember their radiant darkness. [3]

ALL:*** God of our mothers and fathers,
********let us not forget
********the ancestors
********even if we do not
********know their names.

1st HALF:***We remember those who owned the houses and the fields.
*************We remember those who bought and sold
*************children and women and men.
*************We remember the ancestors.

ALL:*** Teach us to remember.
********Teach us to listen.
********Save us
********from forgetting.

ONE:***Remembering is painful.
********Memory is hard.
********Memory is holy.

ALL:****Be with us, God of memory and of hope.

We lament

ALL:****O, Lord, I call to you;
********my Rock, do not be deaf to my cry;
********lest, if you do not hear me,
********I become like those who go down to the Pit. [4]

1st HALF:***We are weary of crying.
************We have cried to you night and day.

2d HALF:*** In the deep, heavy darkness of the foul-smelling hold
************of the ship, where they could not see the sky,
************nor hear the night noises, nor feel the warm
************compassion of the tribe, they held their breath
************against the agony.
****************How does the human spirit accommodate itself
************to desolation? How did they? What tools of the spirit
************were in their hands with which to cut a path
************through the wilderness of despair? [5]

1st HALF:*** We do not know how to cry.
************Grieving is hard.
************We feel shame.
************Why do we have to remember?

ALL:****Teach us to weep, Compassionate One,
********Turn our hearts of stone
********to hearts of flesh.
********Open our eyes
********that we may see.

2d HALF: ****We meant well.
*************We thought we were doing God’s will.
*************We did not see
**********)**the face of God in each other. [6]

ALL:****Forgive us, Merciful One.

1st HALF:***Awake, O Lord! why are you sleeping?
************Arise! do not reject us for ever.

2d HALF:***Why have you hidden your face
************and forgotten our affliction and oppression?

1st HALF: ***We sink down into the dust;
*************our body cleaves to the ground.

2d HALF:***Rise up, and help us,
********** *and save us, for the sake of your steadfast love. [7]

ONE:*** Be with us, God of tears,
********You who have known suffering
********within your very self.

ALL:** Teach us to weep.
*******teach us to see and hear
*******each other’s tears.

1st HALF:** We are one people,
***********formed in God’s image.

2d HALF:** We are divided
***********by our past
***********by our present
***********by our fears
***********by our wounds
***********by our silences.

1st HALF:**We are one people.

2d HALF: **We struggle
***********to be one.

ALL:****Help us
********to see the face of God
********in one another.

********Make of us
********your holy people.

********Through our baptism
********into Christ’s death and resurrection,
********may we live justice;
********may we find hope.

ONE:***Christ Jesus, stay with us.

ALL:****Spirit of the living God,
********Help us to live.

ONE:***Teach us to weep.

ALL:****Help us to dry one another’s tears.

We hope

ALL:****Here are my servants, whom I uphold
(+******my chosen ones, in whom my soul delights
********I have put my spirit upon them:
******** they will bring forth justice to the nations. [8]

1st HALF: * ** Thus says God, the Lord,
*************who created the heavens and stretched them out,
*************who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
*************who gives breath to the people upon it
*************and spirit to those who walk in it;
*************I am the Lord,
*************I have called you in righteousness,
*************I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

2d HALF:* *** I have given you as a covenant to the people,
**************a light to the nations,
**************open the eyes that are blind,
**************to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
**************from the prison those who sit in darkness. [9]

ONE:** We live on common ground.

ALL:***We share one covenant of baptism,
**** ***one bread of life,
******* one cup of salvation.

ONE:***Christ Jesus, stay with us.

ALL:****Spirit of the living God,
********Help us to live together.

1st HALF:***We live in struggle.

2d HALF:***We live in hope.

ALL:* **Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.
*(******Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my
************supplications.
********If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
********But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

1st HALF:** I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in God’s word
****************do I hope.
*********** My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch
*************** for the morning:
*********** I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

2d HALF:***Let Israel hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy,
****************and with God is plenteous redemption.
*********** And God shall redeem Israel from all our iniquities. [10]

ONE:***We move, slowly,
********into holy friendship.

ALL:****Help us to live
** *****as friends of Jesus.

1st HALF:*** On common ground, on this land
************ we live together.

2d HALF:** * On this land,
************ we welcome in Christ’s name
************ new friends.

1st HALF:*** They bring the riches of faith
************ and the memories of ancestors
************ from other lands.

ALL:*** We live as friends of Jesus
**** *** and friends of all God’s people.

2d HALF:****On common ground, on this land,
**** ******** We break bread.

ALL:***Reconcile us, O God of mercy.
*******Teach us your way.

1st HALF: ** *When we stumble,
*************help others to forgive us.

2d HALF:**** When we are broken
************* teach others to bind our wounds.

ALL:****Christ Jesus,
**** ****Let us fear neither the truth
**** ****nor each other.

ONE:******** And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold,
******** *** the dwelling of God is with people, and God will dwell
************with them, and they shall be God’s people
************and God’s very self shall be with them, and be their God.

ALL:*************And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
************and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
************neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things
****** ***** are all passed away. [11]

[1] Composed for the “Traces of Our Trade” conference of September 6, 2008 (Hillsborough, NC). Permission subsequently granted by the author to Dain and Constance Perry to use the litany at any of their workshops related to the “Traces of the Trade” film and to their work for racial justice and reconciliation.

[2] Psalm 90:1-2, BCP

[3] Taken from Vincent Harding’s “Toward a Darkly Radiant Vision of America’s Truth.”

[4] Psalm 28, BCP.

[5] Howard Thurman, “On Viewing the Coast of Africa.”

[6] “Seeing the Face of God in Each Other,” The Episcopal Church.

[7] Psalm 44, BCP

[8] Isaiah 42:1, NRSV, adapted.

[9] Isaiah 42:5-7, NRSV.

[10] Psalm 130, KJV. Verses 7-8 adapted.

[11] Revelation 21:3-5a, KJV (first verse slightly adapted).

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebrations

2011-01-16T12:17:00.002-05:00

If you are unable to find your area listed, please visit this website for more North Carolina events: http://www.king-raleigh.org/natlevent/body.cfm

"I'm Going to Sit at the Welcome Table"

2011-01-08T23:32:00.002-05:00

A wonderful rendition of the traditional song "I'm Going to Sit at the Welcome Table." Click here for the video on YouTube.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (& Week) Events: Greensboro

2011-01-07T12:52:00.003-05:00

Sunday, January 16, 2011

2:30 p.m.

MLK Musical- Dreams of A King: The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Located at the Broach Theatre, 520 S. Elm St, cost $21,

Monday, January 17, 2011

6:00 p.m. until 8:15 p.m.

Pulpit Forum Invites Everyone to Share in a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration and Worship Service: Includes a "Montage of Music and Messages from Dr. King" featuring Choirs of North Carolina A&T State University, Bennett College for Woman, and Bethel AME Church. A "spirit-filled, powerful minister," Rev. Staccato Powell, from Grace AME Zion Church in Raleigh, will be speaking.

Located at Trinity AME Zion Church

631 East Florida Street

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

7:00 p.m.

Annual UNCG Martin Luther King Celebration

Aycock Auditorium, UNCG, Free, (336)334-5090

Thursday, January 20, 2011

7:00 p.m.

A&T State University's Annual Martin Luther King Commemorative Celebration

Harrison Hall, A&T University, Cost $15, (336)847-2502

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (& Week) Events: Statesville

2011-01-07T12:44:00.001-05:00

Sunday, January 16, 2011

7:00 p.m.

Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Worship Service

Located at Trinity Episcopal Church, 801 Henkel Road, Statesville, NC 28677, (704) 872-6314

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (& Week) Events: Charlotte

2011-01-06T11:31:00.006-05:00

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

10:45 a.m.

"Singing the Gospel of Love" a celebration of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s teachings on social justice w/ songs of freedom from the African American tradition.

Located at Chapel of Christ the King, 425 E. 17th St.

7:30 p.m.

Legacy Concert with Kelly Price: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Knight Theater, 430 South Tryon St., (704) 372-1000, visit www.legacyconcert.com

Monday, January 17, 2011

7:00 a.m.

17th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast

Westin Hotel, 601 South College St., (704)716-6506

11:00 a.m.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade

9th & Tryon- Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd

Charlotte's Martin Luther King National Day Celebration

Halton Theater, 1206 Elizabeth Ave, cost $20, (704) 336-5271

Another MLK Event in Durham

2011-01-06T11:23:00.000-05:00

Click to View Larger

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (& week) Events: UNC- Chapel Hill

2011-01-05T02:08:00.008-05:00

SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 2011

6:00 p.m.
26th Annual University/Community Martin Luther King. Jr. Memorial Banquet with keynote speaker Dr. Charles Daye
Willam and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education, 100 Friday Center Drive

Dr. Charles Daye is UNC's first full-time African American law professor. After nine years at Chapel Hill, Professor Daye served as dean of the NCCU School of Law from 1981 to 1985. He then returned to the UNC law faculty, where he was named Henry Brandis Distinguished Professor of Law.

Information: Kirstin Garris, kgarriss@email@unc.edu (919) 962-6962.

The full listing of

several days of

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS

at

the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

may be found HERE.

HAVE A LOOK!

Most of the events are free and open to the public.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (& week) events: Durham

2011-01-03T22:46:00.018-05:00

TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2011

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
MLK March and Rally
Alfonso Elder Student Union, NCCU

Begins at Alfonso Elder Student Union, North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and proceeds to Centennial Garden for laying of wreath and release of doves. Speakers will include NCCU faculty, staff, and students. Contact: jtroubl2@eagles.nccu.edu.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2011

12:00 p.m.
City-County Government Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
First Presbyterian Church, 305 East Main St. (919-560-0008

Dr. David C. Forbes, Sr., a veteran of the civil rights movement, will be keynote speaker. A choir of city and country employees will perform.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2011

9:45 a.m.
North Carolina Central University MLK Convocation
featuring civil rights leader and U.S. Congressman John Lewis (D-GA)
NCCU, McDougald–McLendon Gymnasium

7:00-9:00 p.m.
Screening of Documentary "Citizen King"
Duke University, Perkins Library Rare Book Room

"American Experience" presents "Citizen King," a two-hour documentary from acclaimed filmmakers Orlando Bagwell ("Africans in America," "Malcolm X: Make it Plain") and Noland Walker ("This Far by Faith," "Africans in America"). "Citizen King" explores the last five years in Martin Luther King Jr.'s life by drawing on the personal recollections and eyewitness accounts of friends, movement associates, journalists, law enforcement officers, and historians, to illuminate this little-known chapter in the story of America's most important and influential moral leader. (Click the links for information about the documentaries.)

Archival photo from the website of the film "Freedom Riders" and publicity for the 2011 Student Freedom Ride

FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011

6:00 p.m.
Screening of PBS Documentary "Freedom Riders"
Duke University, Nasher Museum of Art Lecture Hall

Students will join veterans of the Freedom Rides in May of 2011 for the 2011 Freedom Ride. See a preview of the ride here. Website of the documentary "Freedom Riders" here.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 2011

12:00-2:00 p.m.
"MLK Day: Remembering the Legacy Through Art"
W.D. Hill Recreation Center, 1308 Fayetteville St. (919) 560-4292

Featuring a live art show, video production, film and community discussions, poetry jam, video game tournament and more. FREE admission.

12:00-4:00 p.m.
"Annual Raise-A-Reader Bookfair & Talent Showcase"
Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville St.

A celebration of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr, with various book vendors & talented youth. This includes a showing of "Tired Souls: King and the Montgomery Bus Boycott" at 2:00 p.m. Free admission.

12:00 p.m.
Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade
Starts at Hillside High School, 3727 Fayetteville St. (919) 680-0465

The Durham MLK Parade provides a wholesome, family-oriented, multi-cultural event. Features floats, marching bands, steppers, horses, motorcycles, school groups and more. All are welcome.

7:00 p.m.
Durham Symphony Orchestra Martin Luther King Concert
Durham Armory, 220 Foster St. (9191) 560-3030

Program: Beethoven, Symphony No. 9; Curry, Eulogy for a Dream. Tickets: $22.50

12:00-3:00 p.m.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Raise A Reader Fair and Youth Talent Showcase
Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville St., Durham (919) 683-1709

Features educational and entertaining activities for all ages. The event is designed to promote literacy and is an excellent opportunity to add a book to your child's library: book give -aways will take place throughout the afternoon! The event also features a one-man show on Brown vs. Board of Education and an interactive session on the continent of Africa. FREE admission. More information about this exciting event here.

3:00 p.m.
Duke University MLK Program with Social Justice Advocate Randall Robinson
Duke University, Duke Chapel

FREE and open to the public. Free parking in Bryan Center Parking Garage. More information and full MLK commemoration schedule here.

Sunday, JANUARY 16, 2011

4:00 p.m.
"The REAL Dr. King"
St. Joseph's AME Church, 2521 Fayetteville St.

Rev. Curtis Gatewood will be speaking on Rev. King's standing on the teachings of Jesus Christ. For more information on the event, please call 919-939-6311.

What Is White? A Greensboro Public Library Series

2010-11-17T11:02:00.004-05:00

Click photo to enlarge and see detail. Please notify us in the Comments section below if the typeface is still too small for you to read!

Ware Dedication

2010-11-17T10:22:00.008-05:00

A message to the Racial Justice & Reconciliation Committee for our support of a Partners in Ministries Habitat for Humanity project that is strengthening interracial relationships within a community:

"With gratitude for your support and your leadership, I pass along these pictures from our dedication service this past Sunday afternoon. I am delighted to report that we have built more than a house this past year; we have built a partnership which has become a template for other churches in Orange County. This coming January, the AME-Episcopal partnership will be joined by two Baptist churches in Chapel Hill who have been in a bi-racial partnership for some time as we start our second house. Binkley Baptist and Barbee’s Chapel Missionary Baptist learned of what we were doing, were excited by the model, and asked to come on board.

We are also planning a cooperative Christmas Program next month."

~Brooks Graebner

Textile exhibit in Durham honors Pauli Murray legacy

2010-11-08T11:41:00.004-05:00

STRENGTH FROM ALL MY ROOTS: TEXTILE ARTS HONORING THE LEGACY OF PAULI MURRAY

Opening Reception on Friday, November 19, 2010 from 6-9 p.m.

Quilts and textiles from artists across our community in honor of the legacy of Pauli Murray, a North Carolinian jurist, poet, and activist who was the first African American woman to be ordained priest in the Episcopal Church.

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 403 E. Main Street, Durham

The exhibition is on display for the month of November, Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sponsored by the Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church and the Pauli Murray Project with support from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.

2010-10-09T15:55:00.002-04:00

Why is Haiti so poor? I've spent a lot of time in Haiti over the last couple of years, and I've learned that the answer to this question is NOT that the Haitian people are lazy or unmotivated, etc. In fact, most Haitian people work very hard, but the history and structure of the country make it quite difficult for them to make any progress, either individually or collectively. Click HERE http://www.singingrooster.org/whyishaitipoor.html for an essay that addresses the complexities of the answer to the question of "Why is Haiti so poor?"

And, if you are motivated to help Haiti, I encourage you to contribute to Episcopal Relief and Development www.er-d.org They work through the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti (the largest diocese in The Episcopal Church) to help with education, medical care and development. With churches, schools and development agents throughout the country, they were able to provide aid immediately after the recent earthquake (and earlier hurricanes).

Another option is to buy Haitian coffee, either for your own use or as a fundraiser. Singing Rooster www.singingrooster.org sells excellent coffee -- grown by small farmers from the same plant and in the same conditions as the famous Jamaican blue coffee. Additional The money you pay for the coffee goes directly to these small farmers and also to support mission projects in rural Haiti.

- Committee member Meg McCann

Police Corruption in Greensboro, NC

2010-08-28T09:13:00.005-04:00

Ongoing discrimination within the Greensboro Police Department has community activists and local clergy speaking out for reform. To find out more please watch this press conference held at St. Barnabas Episcopal church:

White Clergy Holds Press Conference To Stand Against Corruption and Double Standards in the Greensboro Police Department from Beloved Community Center on Vimeo.

New information regarding corruption in the Greensboro Police Department 9/22/2010

ICE Castles

2010-04-18T17:00:00.003-04:00

Did you know there were secret ICE-sponsored detention centers for undocumented immigrants in North Carolina? Yes, today, this week, this month. Things are particularly stringent on this issue in Alamance County, apparently. Those of us who were together for the tour of the new Civil Rights Museum yesterday heard about it --not from the tour, but from one of our committee members--. It turns out that The Nation had an article about this very phenomenon about four months ago. As you will see, it mentions Cary, North Carolina. You can read it here. Read and weep.

Blood Done Sign My Name, the movie, opens this weekend

2010-02-19T17:29:00.001-05:00

Many of you probably remember the 2004 book by Timothy Tyson, Blood Done Sign My Name, a true and all too recent (1970) story about a racially motivated murder of a Black man named Henry Marrow in Oxford, North Carolina. Marrow's White killers were acquitted by an all-White jury. More violence ensued.

The book has now been made into a movie, in consultation with Tyson (who moved back to NC some years ago and lives and works in the Triangle area, teaching at both Duke and UNCG), and it opens nationwide this weekend around the country. In North Carolina, it will show in theaters in Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Wilmington, Winston-Salem, and other cities.

You can see the trailer here, or go to the movie's website here. See the website for cities where the movie is showing around the U.S. and check local listings for times.

Further distribution depends largely on opening weekend ticket sales, so do help spread the word.

Bishop Gene Robinson to speak in Greensboro

2010-01-27T20:20:00.003-05:00

As many of you already know, the Right Reverend Gene Robinson, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, will speak at New Garden Friends Meeting in Greensboro tomorrow, Thursday January 28, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. His visit is part of Guilford College's Religious Emphasis Week, as was the visit of Vanessa Julye a few days ago.

The visit was initiated and organized by Guilford students. Bishop Robinson will speak on "Is tolerance possible? Is tolerance enough?", responding to the hate incident that occurred at the college earlier this academic year.

Bishop Robinson was elected and consecrated as the first openly gay and partnered Episcopal and Anglican bishop in 2003. He had been a priest in the Diocese of New Hampshire for many years. Much of his ministry has focused on helping congregations and clergy, especially in times of conflict, utilizing his skills in congregational dynamics, conflict resolution, and mediation.

Quakers and Race: Speaker Monday, January 25, Greensboro

2010-01-25T14:37:00.007-05:00

Guilford College, where your friendly blog-keeper teaches, has a glorious history of being a stop on the Underground Railroad, but did you know that it did not integrate until well into the 1960s? Quakers (who founded Guilford and are numerous and varied in this part of North Carolina) have a mixed history regarding race and racism.

This evening, Monday, January 25, at 7:30 p.m., a distinguished and dynamic speaker will address the racial history and present racial practices of Quakers. Vanessa Julye is co-author with Donna McDaniel of the book Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship: Quakers, African-Americans and the Myth of Racial Justice.

The lecture is at New Garden Friends Meeting, New Garden Road at Friendly Avenue, Greensboro. Conversation will follow.

Vanessa Julye is Coordinator for the Ministry on Racism for the Friends General Conference. A member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting and a graduate of Westtown School and Temple University, she travels in the ministry with a special concern for helping the Religious Society of Friends become a whole blessed community.

Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship reveals that racial segregation has been as pervasive among Friends as among others of European descent.

For more information about Vanessa Julye’s lecture and other Religious Emphasis Week activities, contact Guilford College's Friends Center at 336-316-2445.

"Fear of a Black President" - article by Jonathan Walton on Religion Dispatches

2009-09-21T11:41:00.004-04:00

If you haven't discovered Religion Dispatches yet, you might want to explore it. It is an online publication with timely, thoughtful, challenging analysis.

One of the current essays at Religion Dispatches is this one, "Fear of a Black President." The author, Jonathan Walton, teaches at the University of California at Riverside.

(Civil) comments welcome here, as always.

Latin@ Theologies and Spiritualities - Bibliographic Resources

2009-06-20T15:35:00.008-04:00

Here is a great resource. In its own words:

This is a project and service of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the U.S. (ACHTUS), designed for its members and for scholars and students anywhere who need accurate, complete and frequently updated bibliographical information on and by U.S. Latino/a Catholics and Episcopalians.

Click here to see the bibliographies. Latin@ theology is a rich and lively enterprise!

Not sure where to start? If you have never read anything in Latin@ spirituality or theology, I have a couple of ideas of simple articles or small books. I can bring them to our next RJ&R meeting and will also post references to them here. If you have ideas as well, or questions or comments, please write them in the Comments section below.

African Americans and Latin@s join in immigration initiative

2009-06-20T15:17:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, on Juneteenth, the community organization ACORN launched a new initiative involving African Americans and Latin@s together in the movement for comprehensive immigration reform.

Click here to read the full story.

Note: The spelling Latin@ is not a typo. It is a written word some Latinas and Latinos are using in order to avoid using a longer gender-inclusive phrase such as Latina/Latino or Latino/a.

P.S. "Latin@" or "Hispanic"? Is there a difference? Who uses what term? Here's one person's fairly accurate reflection and comparison. Note also that The Journal of Hispanic/Latino Theology (published under the auspices of ACHTUS) uses both names because there is no full consensus on the issue -- though most of the writers for the journal probably use "Latino" or "Latina."

Happy Juneteenth!

2009-06-19T23:59:00.006-04:00

Juneteenth, once celebrated only in Texas, has spread all around the country. 31 states currently recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday. It is the oldest known commemoration celebrating the end of slavery in the United States. For more on the history and celebration of Juneteenth, see here. For a historian's perspective that nuances and comments on the way the story of Juneteenth is usually told, see this short essay by Professor Thavolia Glymph of Duke University.

What are your memories and experiences, if any, of Juneteenth celebrations? What is your reaction to Professor Glymph's essay? Feel free to share them in the comments below. Blogs are meant for conversation, not just for one-way reading.

Elizabeth Catlett, "Sharecropper"

We're back! Updates coming soon - watch for Juneteenth

2009-06-11T13:20:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the long gap in communication, friends. We'll be blogging again on a regular basis over the summer. Once we are back, tell your colleagues, friends, family, and congregation-mates. And do participate by leaving comments.

Our next post will probably be on Juneteenth. For those of you who don't know, that's June 19th and there is a story behind this, one that many people commemorate around the U.S. Stay tuned...

"Journey of Reconciliation" - the First "Freedom Ride," in 1947! Upcoming commemorations in Chapel Hill

2009-02-22T22:18:00.006-05:00

I received this letter a few days ago from the Fellowship of Reconciliation:

Did you know that the first civil rights "freedom ride" took place in 1947, fourteen years before the 1961 riders captured the nation's attention by exposing the brutality of Jim Crow in the South? The Journey of Reconciliation was organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which was born at FOR, and was led by FOR staff members Bayard Rustin and George Houser.

The interracial group of nine men on the Journey of Reconciliation set out from Washington, D.C. on April 9th, 1947. They met some resistance from passengers and drivers on buses in Virginia and North Carolina. But when they attempted to sit at the front of a bus in Chapel Hill on April 12th, the driver refused, and removed some of the riders by force. They were then attacked by angry cab drivers at the Chapel Hill bus station, and arrested by local police. Their subsequent time serving on a chain gang led Rustin to write about the experience. His serialized journal led to major reforms in the North Carolina prison system.

[Note from Jane R: For a much earlier post on Bayard Rustin, see here on my personal blog, Acts of Hope.]

There are so many fascinating parts of this story. Please read this narrative by a local historian to learn more about the context and outcome of this journey.

Next week, a state historic marker will be installed in Chapel Hill to commemorate the Journey of Reconciliation. The event will be an opportunity to remember the horrors of Jim Crow past, and to look forward at the racial justice challenges of our future. I hope you can join me at one or more of these events in Chapel Hill. If not, perhaps you can show your support by making a donation to FOR in honor of the first freedom ride . Click the titles below to learn more and RSVP for these events.

Thursday 2/26, 7 pm: Screening & discussion: "You Don't have to Ride Jim Crow." Watch the documentary and discuss Chapel Hill's civil rights history with filmmaker Robin Washington. Sponsored by FOR and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP.

Friday 2/27, time TBA: Nonviolent direct action organizing, then and now . A discussion of old tactics and new frontiers with Robin Washington. Sponsored by FOR.

Saturday 2/28, noon: Day of Commemoration and Re-dedication . Freedom Riders in Chapel Hill 1947-2009: The Struggle for Racial Justice Continues. Sponsored by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP and the Community Church, with support from the Town of Chapel Hill.

I am helping to organize these events because I believe in the power of nonviolent direct action to bring about justice. I want others to remember this powerful legacy and to be inspired about the change we can continue to make happen today. I hope you will join me in Chapel Hill.

Peace,

Ruby Sinreich

Communications Co-Director

Fellowship of Reconciliation

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Fellowship of Reconciliation • 521 N. Broadway • Nyack, New York 10960 • 845-358-4601 • http://forusa.org/

Cross-posted at Acts of Hope.

Bishop Marble takes part in national "Day of Repentance" for slavery

2008-10-17T23:03:00.001-04:00

[Episcopal News Service] Expressing "profound regret that the Episcopal Church lent the institution of slavery its support and justification based on Scripture," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori issued a public apology October 4 for the church's involvement in the institution of transatlantic slavery.

Read the full story here

Commemoration of the baptisms of Manteo and Virginia Dare

2008-10-17T23:00:00.001-04:00

Read about the commemoration here. Thanks to the Diocese of East Carolina for the article. Bishop Clifton Daniel's sermon is here.

Updated program for September 6

2008-08-06T13:44:00.010-04:00

The Historiographer of the Diocese, the Anti-Racism Committee, and the School of Ministry
of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina

invite you to

“Traces of Our Trade”

Saturday, September 6, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Hillsborough

Litany of Remembrance, Lament, and Hope
Jane Carol Redmont, Chair, Anti-Racism Committee and All Participants

Opening Remarks
The Right Rev. Alfred C. “Chip” Marble, Assisting Bishop, Diocese of North Carolina

Film: “Traces of the Trade: A Tale from the Deep North”

Discussion with Constance and Dain Perry, members of the DeWolf family featured in the film. The Perrys are an interracial couple, members of Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston, and experienced facilitators.

- Lunch -

Panel: Sharing Our Stories: Racial Histories and Faith Journeys :
* Overview of Church & Race in North Carolina

The Rev. Dr. Brooks Graebner, Historiographer
* St. Mark’s, Huntersville: Restoring a Slave Cemetery
Dr. Michael Thompson, Senior Warden & Professor of History, Pfeiffer University
* St. Matthew’s, Hillsborough: Living with the Legacy of Jurist Thomas Ruffin
Dr. Sally Greene, Parishioner & Member of Chapel Hill Town Council
* St. Ambrose, Raleigh: A Historically African American Congregation
The Rev. Kymberly D. Lucas, Rector
* Segregation and Desegregation in the Life of the Women’s Auxiliary
Lynn Hoke, Historian of the Episcopal Church Women & Project Archivist for Diocesan Records

Workshops and Resource Centers
*** * Telling Our Local Stories: Oral History in a Congregation
*** * Researching Slave Records, Interpreting Slave History
*** * Treasures in the Archives: Mining Parish and Diocesan Records
*** * Resources for Learning and Conversation: Books, Films, Websites, Discussion Guidelines
*** * Exhibit, African American Episcopal History Project

Concluding Remarks: The Right Rev. Michael B. Curry, Bishop of North Carolina

Registration:

Shelley Kappauf, School of Ministry, 336-273-5770 shelley.kappauf@episdionc.org

All are welcome regardless of ability to pay the registration fee.

"Traces of the Trade" - the film

2008-08-05T20:20:00.012-04:00

Here is a link to the website for the film "Traces of the Trade." We will show the film at the September 6 conference, "Traces of Our Trade." A synopsis of the film is here.

(Bishop Marble saw several cuts of the film in the later stages of production, and the Anti-Racism Committee helped to support the production of this film financially. PBS stations around the country aired the film in late June and early July. UNC-TV aired the film once, in late June at 2 a.m. The ARC Chair and Vice-Chair wrote letters complaining about the timing.)

The film debunks the popular notion that only the South was involved in the slave trade. It was produced and co-directed by Katrina Browne, a descendant of the DeWolf slave-trading family from Rhode Island. The DeWolf family were and are active Episcopalians.

Guides, resources, and materials to help with discussion of the film are here.

Registration for "Traces of Our Trade"

2008-08-04T20:58:00.003-04:00

You can find a registration form for Traces of Our Trade, the September 6 event on the racial history of the Diocese of North Carolina, on the website of the School of Ministry.

Click here for a direct link to the registration form.

Feel free to copy the form and distribute it at your church.

All are welcome. Please note that we can waive the registration and luncheon fee for those who are unable to pay.

September 6: a day on the racial history of our diocese

2008-06-26T20:30:00.002-04:00

Please save the date for a day of listening, learning, and conversation on the racial history of our diocese.

Details and updates both in this space and in future posts!

Traces of Our Trade
Saturday, September 6, 2008

9-4 p.m.

St. Matthew's, Hillsborough

Co-sponsored by the School of Ministry, the Anti-Racism Committee, and the Diocesan Historiographer

A mid-July update - quick summary of conference contents:

* Film “Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North”

* Discussion with Constance and Dain Perry, an interracial couple who are members of the DeWolf family featured in the film, experienced facilitators, and members of Trinity Church, Boston

* Panel on the racial history of the Diocese of North Carolina with both an overview and local stories from historic congregations

* “How-to” workshops on doing oral history, finding hidden historical treasure in parish records, restoring slave cemeteries, ideas for reading and study, and other resources

* Address by Bishop Curry and Prayer

Registration: Contact Shelley Kappauf, School of Ministry, 336-273-5770 shelley.kappauf@episdionc.org

Full details with names of panelists coming in the second half of July in a space above...

Updates coming soon!

2008-06-26T20:26:00.000-04:00

Dear friends,

We've been a bit behind posting updates, resources, and announcements. Please forgive us. We're catching up this summer.

Meanwhile, enjoy the resources below, and check back with us over the July 4 weekend!

Yours in justice and love,

Jane Redmont
Chair, Anti-Racism Committee
The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina

Pastors and parishioners in the U.S. talk, and don't talk, about racism

2008-05-24T14:20:00.006-04:00

Associated Press story here.

Louisiana's African American Heritage Trail

2008-05-24T02:05:00.004-04:00

In this weekend's New York Times travel section.

Read it here.

There is also a slide show.

Photo: Chris Ramirez for The New York Times.

Where We Are - Where We Can Be: An Anti-Racism Audit for Congregations

2008-05-21T22:36:00.003-04:00

An excerpt from the letter sent out with the audit below.

February 29, 2008

Dear friends in Christ,

We are writing you because you participated in a Diocese of North Carolina Anti-Racism Training or because you are a leader in the diocese’s new Companions in Mission project in your local congregation and community.

The enclosed resource is for your use in your congregation as a follow-up to the anti-racism training or as part of your ongoing work as a Companions congregation.

The resource, a one-page Anti-Racism Congregation Audit: Where We Are–Where We Can Be, is an adaptation by our Anti-Racism Committee (ARC) of longer audits used by our own Church and by other denominations in the U.S.

1. Please use the resource as you see fit. There are many ways to use it. You do not have to use all the questions at once. You may want to use the audit in a vestry meeting, with your youth group, in a women’s or men’s group, in a Sunday education forum, in liturgy planning or in the work of a worship committee or seasonal planning committee, in a meeting about outreach and mission, in communal prayer, in staff meetings, or in finance committee meetings.

2. Do you need help, either with this or with other follow-up to the Anti-Racism Training? Please contact us. We are here to assist you, learn from you, and walk with you:

The Coordinator for Training is Martha Waters.

The Coordinator for Companions in Mission is Bishop Chip Marble.

The ARC Chair is Jane Redmont.

The ARC Vice Chair is Deidre Crumbley.

The part-time Administrative Coordinator is Liz Reilley (till the end of May, but the address and position will continue after that) :antiracismcommittee@gmail.com

3. Give us feedback. We’d love to hear how you have used the audit and what your experiences with it have been. They don’t have to be easy or positive for you to report on them. We recognize this is deep and patient work.

....Remember that we have a blog for the Anti-Racism Committee and its friends. Its name is Race, Justice, and Love. It was dormant for a couple of months but it is active again, and you are welcome to visit, read, leave comments, and engage in conversation! And, of course, feel very welcome to send us resources and reports from your own congregation and community if you are willing for them to appear on the blog....

The purpose of the enclosed audit is to examine how we can be true to our baptismal covenant, seeing others with the eyes of Christ, encountering each other as made in God’s image, walking in the healing and challenging power of the Holy Spirit.

In this season of Lent, we wish you peace, and we look forward to continuing to work with you.

Anti-Racism Congregation Audit

Where We Are - Where We Can Be

The purpose of this audit is for us –laypersons and clergy in each congregation— to examine where we are in being true to our baptismal covenant and “respecting the dignity of every human being.” These questions are meant to provide a guideline for us to explore where we are now in being open to all – and in particular, in resisting racism– and where we can make improvements.

1. How often are members of racial/ethnic groups not of the majority included in leadership in our congregation? How might we include them if we are not doing so on a regular basis?

2. How often are challenges of racial and social justice presented in sermons?

3. How often do we actively pray to overcome racism and social injustice during regular worship services?

4. How might we expand the sources of our worship services to be more inclusive? (e.g. Supplemental Liturgical texts, LEVAS hymnal)

5. How and how often does our congregation celebrate or commemorate special Sundays and feast days on the church calendar that emphasize the contributions of people of all racial and ethnic groups?

6. What educational experiences do we offer to deal with issues of racism and cultural diversity?

7. Do we partner with other congregations or faith communities for projects, mission work, youth or adult activities? Are any of these partners of a different racial or ethnic group?

8. What indications do we have in our signs, advertisements, website and other aspects of our public face that all people are welcome at our congregation? Does our public face reflect the diversity of the church? Do our images and icons look like the multicolored faces of all God’s people?

9. What small steps could we take immediately to be more inclusive of all groups?

10. Does our congregation make efforts to use vendors and contractors of color and to work with businesses owned by persons of color?

11. Where do we want our congregation to be in relation to this work a year from now? Where do we want to be five years from now?

12. How can we begin to address some of the larger manifestations of racism in our church and in the world?

Panel on Rev. Wright/Senator Obama at Guilford College on Tuesday, April 1, 4:00 p.m.

2008-03-31T17:02:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 1
4:00 p.m. (will last till 5:30 p.m.)
Bryan Jr. Auditorium
(in the Frank Family Science Center)
Guilford College
Greensboro, North Carolina

"The Wright Stuff:

Obama, the Black Church, Prophetic Preaching, and Politics"

*******************

Moderator:

Rev. Sekinah Hamlin, Director of Multicultural Education

Panelists:

*****Local ministers and activists:

Rev. Cardes Brown, New Light Baptist Church

Rev. Carlton Eversley, Dellabrook Presbyterian Church

Rev. Nelson Johnson, Faith Community Church

*****Guilford College professors:

Kyle Dell, Political Science

Jane Redmont, Religious Studies

Ruffin on the radio

2007-11-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

Missed the day-long symposium on Thomas Ruffin? You can listen to a related radio program with three of the panelists on WUNC's "The State of Things" on the November 15 show, which is archived here. (Press the "download" button when you get to that Web page.)

The noose, the cross, and the lynching tree: a powerful television show on "Bill Moyers' Journal" with Black Theologian Dr. James Cone

2007-11-23T22:07:00.000-05:00

Watch it online if you missed the television show this weekend:

Click here.

"Seeing the Face of God in Each Other"

2007-11-13T22:42:00.001-05:00

November 17, this Saturday. A day of learning, reflection, challenge, and transformation.

Click here for previously posted announcement on this blog.

Reminder: Friday Nov. 16 symposium on Thomas Ruffin

2007-11-13T22:33:00.000-05:00

Thomas Ruffin: prominent jurist, supporter of harsh slaveholding laws, donor of land for and member of first vestry of St. Matthew's, Hillsborough.

See this earlier post (click on the blue underlined words) for information on the symposium about Ruffin to be held this Friday at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Mary, Christ child, angels and saints (Ethiopian icon)

2007-11-01T00:44:00.000-04:00

Triptych with Virgin and Child flanked by archangels, scenes from the life of Christ, apostles, and Saint George and Saint Mercurius

Ethiopia, late 17th century

Tempera on panel. Click on the picture to enlarge and see detail.

The Walters Art Museum, 36.7, museum purchase, the W. Alton Jones Foundation Acquisition Fund, 1996, from the Nancy and Robert Nooter Collection

Judge Ruffin, slavery, and public memory

2007-10-31T23:08:00.002-04:00

The Perils of Public Homage:
Thomas Ruffin and State v. Mann in History and Memory

November 16, 2007

On Friday, November 16, experts in the law of slavery and the study of public memory will gather on the UNC campus to reconsider the position of Thomas Ruffin and State v. Mann within our historical legacy. Convening in the Di Phi Society’s restored Dialectic Chambers in New West, these scholars will take the judge and his work as points of departure for exploring the difficulties of remembering prominent people who supported systems of oppression.

Judge Ruffin was also prominent in the Episcopal Church: a member of St. Matthew's, Hillsborough, he served on the church's first vestry. He gave the land upon which the church is built and is buried in the churchyard. The parish house is named for him. Examining his legacy is important to the ongoing work of our church to comprehend and to address the legacy of slavery in our diocese and parishes.

* * * * * * *

The memory of antebellum North Carolina Supreme Court Judge Thomas Ruffin looms large both on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where a dormitory bears his name, and in the state’s capital, where a statue of the judge greets visitors to the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Across North Carolina, Ruffin, who served as chief justice from 1833 to 1852, is considered the greatest jurist in the state’s history. Remarkably, in the popular mind his reputation has not appreciably suffered for his authorship of State v. Mann (1830), the most notorious judicial opinion in the history of American slave law. In that decision, Ruffin held that North Carolina law insulated the renter of a slave from criminal prosecution for shooting her in the back. “The power of the master must be absolute,” wrote the judge, “to render the submission of the slave perfect.”

Judge Ruffin was also a prominent member of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Hillsborough, where he served on the first vestry. He gave the land upon which the church is built. He is buried in the churchyard. The parish house is named for him. Thus, an examination of Ruffin's legacy is important to the ongoing work of our church to understand and address the legacy of slavery in our diocese and parishes.

On Friday, November 16, experts in the law of slavery and the study of public memory will gather on the UNC campus to reconsider the position of Thomas Ruffin and State v. Mann within our historical legacy. Convening in the Di Phi Society’s restored Dialectic Chambers in New West, these scholars will take the judge and his work as points of departure for exploring the difficulties of remembering prominent people who supported systems of oppression.

Speakers will include legal scholars Sanford Levinson, Mark Tushnet, Al Brophy, Adrienne Davis, Sally Greene, and Eric Muller, historians Laura Edwards and David Loewenthal, philosopher Bernard Boxill, and North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge James A. Wynn, Jr.

The event, which will get under way at 9 a.m. and continue until 4:30 p.m. with a break for lunch, is jointly sponsored by the University of North Carolina School of Law, the Center for the Study of the American South, and the UNC Institute for the Arts and Humanities. It is free and open to the public.

Sponsored by the School of Law, the Center for the Study of the American South, and the Institute for the Arts and Humanities.

* * * * * * *

Note: Research attorney and Chapel Hill Council member Sally Greene has a blog entry on Thomas Ruffin here.

Thanks to Brooks Graebner, Rector of St. Matthew's, Hillsborough and Diocesan Historiographer, for information about this symposum and about Ruffin's connection to St. Matthew's.

Christ's Body

2007-10-31T23:00:00.000-04:00

Christ has no body now on earth but yours;
yours are the only hands with which he can do his work,
yours are the only feet with which he can go about the world,
yours are the only eyes through which his compassion
can shine forth upon a troubled world.
Christ has no body on earth now but yours.

**************-Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

There's still room left at the Nov. 17 "Seeing the Face of God in Each Other" workshop!

2007-10-31T22:40:00.000-04:00

No, it's not too late to register!

*******************************

Seeing the Face of God in Each Other

A Workshop Sponsored by the
Anti-Racism Committee of
The Diocese of North Carolina
and
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
520 Summit Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Saturday, November 17, 2007

8:30 a.m. Registration
9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Workshop
Lunch Served During Workshop

Registration fee - $25.00

Please pre-register!

For a registration form or more information,

contact Martha Waters:
919-469-5154 or marthaleewat@aol.com

************

Seeing the Face of God in Each Other: Episcopal Church anti-racism information here.