Perspectives from November 2017

Final Experiencing and Witnessing Racism Blog

November 16, 2017 / By Multiple Authors

Editor’s Notes: In this final entry of the UNY Conference’s Experiencing and Witnessing Racism blog series, some remaining submissions from members across the UNY Conference have been compiled. The hope is that this series has offered insight on the very important topic of racism. The conversation will continue across the Upper New York Conference under the guidance of the Bishop’s Task force on Ending …more

Scorching hot racism in America

November 13, 2017 / By Rhonda A. Chester, MDIV Chaplain, United Methodist Ecumenical Campus Ministry Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University and Pastor, State Street UMC

Sometimes, the human mind is inclined toward seeing things in opposition to something else, for example: hot or cold, black or white, good or bad. So when I personally have an experience with a person who is racist, we are both experiencing the other in the way our mind is conditioned (i.e. in opposition). This experience can be both helpful (raising awareness of one’s tendencies) and harmful, …more

Realizing racism at a stop light

November 7, 2017 / By Anonymous / 1 Comment

I am currently living in Canton, N.Y., and I am 67-years old. I grew up in Massachusetts, and there was one black girl in my high school of about 1,500 students. I liked her, and she seemed just like all the other kids. When I was a young woman, perhaps in my late 20s, I was traveling to a meeting in Albany in my car on a hot day. I …more