This upcoming week of "Courageous Conversations" is about a life-and-death issue for those who stand in the constant gaze of White Supremacy. Racism in its many forms has been a part of the Christian Church since the beginnings of the invention of race, and it's nothing new at Luther Seminary, either. Most recently, after our Dean of Students-- The Rev. Angela Shannon, who is both a beloved pastoral leader within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and an African American woman-- was terminated from her position by the seminary in January after only a few months of holding the position, there were a lot of people from within and without the seminary who continued to ask questions and demand action from this institution. Acknowledging that people of non-White color have been working to dismantle racism from this and other ELCA institutions for decades, we as DR:BC are doing what we can to push harder against institutional racism and for a commitment to anti-racism work, and increased transparency and accountability from the decision-and-policy-making powers at the seminary. Included below is the message that went out when this week-long series was created. Join us in this holy, Christ-ordained work. Much like the students at United Lutheran Seminary in Pennsylvania, who have been taking a bold stand for the sake of the LGBTQIA community, students from Luther Seminary’s group “Dismantling Racism: Living in Beloved Community” (DR:BC) has organized to respond to the conflict between the inclusive mission of the school and systemic evil— in our school’s case, racism. Student leaders from DR:BC have been planning "Courageous Conversations" at our school this coming week— conversations which will be aided by Luther’s Professor of Educational Leadership Mary Hess and Associate Dean-elect and Worship Professor Dirk Lange; #decolonizeLutheranism leaders Kelly Sherman-Conroy (President of DR:BC and Luther student) and Francisco Herrera (PhD student at LSTC); teaching pastor and Luther Seminary pastoral mentor Rev. Kenneth Wheeler; and Twin Cities anti-racism activist Shari Seifert. Take a peek at the line up, and SHOW UP— we’ve organized these events to help the seminary community and the broader church understand what’s happening in our school and in the ELCA, and to work through next steps as we become the church we’re called to become.
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DR:BCDismantling Racism, Living in Beloved Community (or DR:BC for short) is a group of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and others from Luther Seminary who are actively engaging in dismantling racism and creating beloved community. |