We will discuss opportunities for allyship.
Over the past four weeks, we have studied systems of racism and white supremacy. Knowledge is power, and more understanding gives us the power to recognize our implicit biases and work harder to do better. As the saying goes, “be the change you want to see.”
This week, we will engage with resources that provide concrete suggestions for creating allyships with communities of color. I hope that we can brainstorm about a few actionable ideas that we can implement in our own lives and within our broader church family at AUMC.
Watch “Being an Ally with People of Color” by Katelin Hansen.
Why do think Katelin was so hesitant to discuss race and racism in her youth? What changed in her life?
- How did Katelin’s faith affect change in her life?
This article provides specific examples of ways to be an ally:
http://www.scn.org/friends/ally.html
- Choose one or two of the bulleted points to reflect on. Do you see any opportunities in your own life for implementation?
- Do any of these suggestions seem impossible or unrealistic? If so, why?
Within our own church, a former pastor, Reverend Andy Foreman, provided an excellent example of Allyship within New Orleans and the national UMC. This article about the desegregation of public schools in New Orleans highlights the role that Reverend Andy played:
https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_c087accd-5bb7-5940-b062-8deadb53d0fc.html
- Reverend Foreman and his family showed incredible strength in the face of virulent racism and prejudice, as did the families of the students of color. What can we learn from this story, sixty years later?
Finally, read this article: “Ways United Methodists Can Take a Stand Against Racism.”
https://www.umc.org/en/content/ways-united-methodists-can-take-a-stand-against-racism
- What are two things you think you could implement in your own life? And what is a course of action that we could implement at Algiers UMC?
We can’t change how we were born or raised. But we can change how we understand the past and move forward in our own lives. We have to take responsibility for our actions, past and future, and acknowledge that we’ll continue to make mistakes even as we seek to do better.