Perspectives: “Experiencing and Witnessing Racism”

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

Experiencing racism at the age of five

October 31, 2017 / By Weagba Nelson / 1 Comment

Growing up black in the United States was never something that went unnoticed. In everything I did, I felt as if I was being watched and at five-years old, I learned why I felt that way. In preschool, my best friend’s name was Amy. We would always play together and eat together, so when my mother was planning me a fifth birthday party, the person I wanted there …more

Opportunities denied because of race

October 24, 2017 / By Evelyn A. Woodring / 1 Comment

I was a Navy wife, living in base housing on the Florida Gulf coast in the early 1970s. I had become friends with another wife, and learned that she planned to seek a civilian job. She had extensive experience in keypunch, bookkeeping, and was a Certified Public Accountant. She showed me a glowing letter of reference from a previous employer in Michigan. She responded to a Help Wanted ad …more

Hiding my Native American heritage

October 16, 2017 / By Sue Crawson-Brizzolara, Lenape (Delaware) and Dine (Navajo) / 4 Comments

My family tried to hide our Native heritage for generations, because of the physical, mental, and emotional abuse of Native peoples. When many families were getting torn apart and pushed to new lands, my Ancestors escaped by living in the hills and mountains of New York. When my Maternal Grandmother was growing up, it was still not safe to be Native (It was 1976 before the Native American Child Welfare Act …more

Experiencing and Witnessing Racism blog series: Teressa Sivers’ entry

October 11, 2017 / By Rev. Teressa Sivers, Chair of the UNY Taskforce on Eliminating Racism / 4 Comments

I was a young adult, attending college for my undergraduate degree at a small, northeastern liberal arts college. The semester was on break so I had some free time to do some shopping. I drove to the mall closest to my home, a familiar spot, and began going through the motions of finding clothes for school and work. After several hours, I realized I needed to use the restroom but …more

Experiencing and Witnessing Racism blog series introduction

October 3, 2017 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The 2016 Northeastern Jurisdiction overwhelmingly supported a Call to Action to end racism in a bold proclamation that it would work to end racism both in ourselves and in the world. In Upper New York, the Bishop’s Taskforce on Eliminating Racism will lead this enormous task. While the task can feel overwhelming, the taskforce feels strongly that the first step is honest conversation.   This blog series is a …more