Join our clergy, vestry, and fellow parishioners to confront our collective history of racial and economic segregation in Arlington and beyond. We aim to create opportunities for parishioners to listen and share, and better understand racism and inequity.
During his recent visit to St. Mary’s, our new Bishop, the Right Reverend Mark Stevenson, pointed out in his powerful sermon the need for all of us to address injustice in the world, for example that we should be “disgusted by video images of the beating to death of an unarmed man by police, and…call out the statistical reality that such a tragedy is much more likely to happen to a black man than to this white man standing preaching to you today.” There are other examples of our national church and Diocese acknowledging racial injustice and calling us to step up and make things right. Sadly, racial injustices and inequities are still very relevant in our society and have not gone away; even worse, some in society are trying to say these issues no longer matter or that talking about them is divisive. But, as we have acknowledged at St. Mary’s, having difficult conversations about justice is part of being a Christian; we cannot just look the other way. The St. Mary’s Ministry on Race, Reconciliation, and Equity (MORE) feels that Jesus is calling us to explore ways to promote justice for all in our world, and for society to recognize the dignity of each and every one of God’s children. In our view, this work is more important than ever.
FAQ’s on Race and Language
The St. Mary’s MORE group has compiled a set of FAQs on race and language, to help us all bridge knowledge gaps and to serve as proper allies to people of color. These FAQs are intended to be a living document, so we welcome feedback on them or any broader feedback on this topic.
Other Online Resources:
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Here is a link to the Outreach/MORE Facebook page which lists current MORE-related events and updates.
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Click here to access the national church’s Sacred Ground series. St. Mary’s offers parishioners to join or lead a small group discussion on these issues.
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Watch a video to learn about the MORE Group, featuring various group leaders.
To join the MORE group or for more information, please contact David Smith at dls1789@verizon.net.
RESOURCES
MORE INTRODUCTION SLIDES
In October 2019 Adult Forum, MORE representatives presented how MORE seeks to help all of us more fully live up to our baptismal covenant to respect the dignity of every individual. Review the slides from the presentation for an overview.
1920-2020 LOOKING BOTH WAYS
Arlington celebrates the centennial of the naming of Arlington County.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
In this video, recorded in 2017, Bishop Michael Curry talks about “when the stain of bigotry has once again covered our land…we must now remember new martyrs of the way of love.” Watch Where Do We Go From Here?
NEW YORK TIMES: "1619"
Four hundred years ago, a ship carrying enslaved Africans arrived in the English colony of Virginia. A new audio series from The New York Times examines the long shadow of that fateful moment.
CHALLENGING RACISM
Challenging Racism: Learning How now offers workshops for interfaith groups. Through stories, activities and conversations, participants learn to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. Learn about upcoming workshops.
SCENE ON RADIO
Scene on Radio is a podcast that tells stories exploring human experience and American society. Scene on Radio comes from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University..
A GUIDE TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE IN ARLINGTON COUNTY, VA
A Guide to the African American Heritage in Arlington County, VA, is a 68-page PDF that documents important facts, history and local context.
FILMS
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Just Mercy (2019)
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13th (2016)
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I Am Not Your Negro (2018)
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Fruitvale Station (2013)
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The Hate U Give (2018)
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Let the Fire Burn (2013)
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Whey They See Us (2019)
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12 Years a Slave (2013)
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Selma (2015)
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Reconstruction: America After the Civil War (2019)
BOOKS
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Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson (2015, also a 2019 movie)
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Occupied Territory, by Simon Balto (2019)
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Policing Los Angeles, by Max Felker-Kantor (2020)
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The Torture Letters, by Laurence Ralph (2020)
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Beyond the Usual Beating, by Andrew Baer (2020)
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The Color of Law, by Richard Rothstein (2017)
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The Color of Compromise, by Jemar Tisby (2019)
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I’ve Got the Light of Freedom, by Charles Payne (1995)
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Why the Vote Wasn’t Enough for Selma, by Karlyn Forner (2017)
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The Blood of Emmett Till, by Timothy Tyson (2017)
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A More Beautiful and Terrible History, by Jeanne Theoharis (2018)
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At the Dark End of the Street, by Danielle McGuire (2011)
OTHER RESOURCES
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White Folks Facing Race Blog by Arlingtonian Emily Vincent
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Arlington Opportunity Gaps Today
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26th/Old Dominion History Memo
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Episcopalians and Race: Civil War to Civil Rights, by Gardiner Shattuck, especially Chapters 7-8
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America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America, by Jim Wallis, especially chapters 5 and 6
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“Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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“The black-white wealth gap is unchanged after half a century” The Economist (print edition, Apr 6th 2019)
MORE is St. Mary’s initiative, blessed by the vestry, and informed by the Virginia Diocese and national Episcopal Church.
In relationship with one another and our neighbors, we will work together to find meaningful, informed and active ways to seek racial reconciliation and “strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being” (Baptismal Covenant in The Book of Common Prayer, p. 305).
Our individual experiences and background shape our personal starting place when thinking about race. We will share some first-person narratives on the topic of race future issues of the Messenger newsletter. Considering many perspectives and remaining grounded in our common faith we seek to grow into more loving men and women.