CTA MD explores racial justice issues
Racial dynamics are key to our work for social justice and our members in Maryland have made exploring these topics a key part of their work as a chapter. Last week, their day-long mini-conference, Hope for Racial Justice in our Church and Society: Planting the Seeds attracted an interested, passionate and diverse group of over 100 people, including many who were new to CTA.
The morning featured three Roman Catholic priests, including the first African American to be ordained in the Baltimore diocese. The men talked specifically about the intertwined histories of race and Catholicism in Baltimore and beyond and our call to address it. Joan, who helped plan the event, said that it was a great day and that the priests' perspectives as theologians, historians and ministers were a wonderful way to explore one piece of the racism conversation.
In the afternoon a diverse panel spoke about their own personal experiences of race, the definition of race and the structural nature of racism. There was a question and answer period and lots of interest from participants.
CTA MD has been engaging the question of racism with "listening sessions" and events for some time now. This event brought new energy to the conversation and planning is already underway for more events focused on racial justice and how they can work with parishes to confront the racism in ourselves and our Church.
