As we conclude our annual Stewardship Campaign and move into the holiday season, we are highlighting the work of GC|RH ministries and community groups with a series of blog posts based on informal interviews with group leaders. Despite the many challenges of this year, GC|RH community members continue to find ways to connect to God, the earth, and each other and to pursue commitments to spiritual growth, environmental justice, and anti-racism work. Read on to learn more and discover how you can participate in the vital work of GC|RH.
Interview with Rebekah Menning, co-leader of the Anti-racism Group at GC|RH
Emily Wright: When did the Anti-racism Group begin?
Rebekah Menning: The first iteration of the group began in response to the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville in August of 2017. Many people in our community were deeply distressed by those events, and we felt like we needed to respond in an intentional way.
EW: What did the group look like in those early days?
RM: A small group of facilitators came together. We did a lot of research and developed our own curriculum, including readings, films, and podcasts, organized around three themes – racism in society, racism in faith communities, and racism in the individual. We met once a month, and participants could select a range of materials from that month’s list to review and discuss.
EW: Who participates in your group?
RM: The group is open to anyone, but the curriculum is really geared towards white people who want to educate themselves about white supremacy and systemic racism. We definitely feel some tension around that, and there have been questions about why it’s geared towards white people. But the reality is that our church community is mostly white and there are some foundational things white people need to learn and process before they can be less burdensome to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in more racially diverse community circles. One of the consequences of white privilege is not having to think about the dynamics of race in everyday life, so white people who are new to these conversations have a lot of catching up to do.
EW: It sounds like you were creating your own college curriculum!
RM: Yes! It was extensive. We met for a year and then we decided to take a break. We began meeting again this summer in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the wave of protests happening around the country.
EW: How has the pandemic changed how you gather and what you do?
RM: Well, we gather on Zoom. We decided to meet more frequently – twice a month instead of just once – because it seemed easier to keep the momentum of our conversations going when we met more frequently. We also used a pre-established curriculum from Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) this time around because we wanted to put more of our energy into facilitating the group, rather than developing the materials. It was an 8-week curriculum, and we just wrapped up at the beginning of November.
EW: What’s next for the Anti-racism Group?
RM: It’s hard to say because there are so many directions we could go in. We’re taking a pause for the holidays and plan to resume in some form in early 2021. We’d love to collaborate with other GC|RH groups, for example, looking at the intersection of white supremacy and eco-justice. It would also be great to get involved in broader community dialogues or support local community actions.
EW: How can people get involved in the Anti-racism Group in the new year?
RM: Email or call me: rimenning@gmail.com or 540-820-7195
For more information, visit the resource page compiled by GC|RH’s Anti-racism Group here.