Dismantling Structural Racism

Protest in Santa Fe (Eddie Moore, Albuquerque Journal)

With the shooting of George Floyd in 2020, our country reached a tipping point. And our church congregation, like many around the country, started seriously discussing racism. Our discussions kicked off on Juneteenth (June 19th), the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. We continued with a year of intense classes where we learned about the pervasiveness and tragic effects of white privilege and racism in our society.

So how are we supposed to respond? As people of faith, and as a Matthew 25 church that is called by PC(USA) to “actively engage in the world around us” and to be a “relevant presence in the world,” we are continuing our efforts to understand and work to help dismantle racism.

Purpose and Objectives

Our purpose in these efforts, as adopted from PC(USA), is to join in the PC(USA) Matthew 25 effort to dismantle structural racism by advocating and acting to break down the systems, practices, and thinking that underlie discrimination, bias, prejudice, and oppression of people of color.

The objectives we have identified for our efforts are:

  1. Educate our congregation about the history of racism and the current structures and practices that continue to support racism in America.
  2. Sensitize our congregation to racial perspectives that may be different from their own.
  3. Create an environment in our church where people of color feel comfortable and welcomed.
  4. Work to broaden church leadership to include those with culturally and racially diverse experience and viewpoints.
  5. Build relationships with communities of color and organizations that support them and work with these organizations to further their efforts.
  6. Offer our congregation ways to individually and collectively support people of color and activities that help dismantle structural racism.

Upcoming Activities

All are welcomed to join us in our efforts. Return to this page regularly to see updated information on upcoming activities and how you can participate. Or you can stay informed by having your name added to our Dismantling Racism email list or our eNews list by contacting our Church Office.

  • Ongoing Advocacy

Past Activities

We have had number of classes and other activities. They are listed below with the most recent first.