Banner image from http://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov. Print is from “Girl in Red” by Robert Blackburn.
February is African American History Month. The NC Conference has been working to provide space for conversations on race in our churches and communities. Events such as Sacred Conversations: Black Lives Matter and the leadership of Erin Hawkins, General Secretary of the General Commission on Religion and Race, have spurred our conference into action towards racial reconciliation. You can find Media Center resources for church leaders and small groups to help begin these conversations in your community on the Race Relations and Cultural Sensitivity Pathfinder.
To celebrate African American History Month, you may want to visit the African American Resources Pathfinder to discover curriculum, videos, books, websites, and children’s resources on the African American experience in the history of Methodism, the United States, and the world. Engage in biblical studies that feature African American worship music, culture, and voices. It is in learning about one another’s experiences that we grow in understanding and love.
During Lent, the NC Conference Communications office will be publishing your stories related to matters of race in a new publication called Seeds. The theme of the first issue is “Sacred Conversations: Because Black Lives Matter.” Submit your story of 500 words or less through March 25th. Your story may be featured in Seeds, on the conference website, or in a post-Easter print publication.
With so many resources available, now is the time to start this ongoing conversation in your small group, congregation, or community. Contact the Media Center to request resources or follow the links above for more information.