Some additional educational resources and regional/national events and correspondence focused either on lamentation for COVID or mourning and engagement around racial justice. Use what you find helpful, and please set aside those notices that you find out of alignment with your approach to these events. What is happening in this nation is complicated, and cannot be simplified into absolutes, binary/dualistic categories, or declarations that make us only “either/or”, “good/bad”, “right/wrong”, “in/out”. These can only be viewed and used as starting points for deeper and more comprehensive engagement in our own community.
From our local grammar school, some excellent resources:
- Sesame Street Town Hall on Racism for families to watch together to begin or support the conversation in your home.
Additional links families (and adults) may find useful, per school leaders:
- https://medium.com/lions-story/talking-to-children-after-racial-incidents-46843a062f27
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/in-the-news/talking-about-race/#close
- https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2018/teaching-learning-race-and-racism
The NH Council of Churches has written letters and recommended next steps regarding racial justice responses to deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery,. See below.
- Joint letter from multiple Christian organizations.
- Statements from each member denomination as well as ideas for further action.
The NH UCC offers this Theological Roundtable on Racial Justice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iczYc42Y1Rw&feature=youtu.be.
- This video features reflections shared by The Rev. Gordon Rankin, Conference Minister, New Hampshire Conference, United Church of Christ (NHCUCC); and members of the NHCUCC Racial Justice Mission Group, Kira Morehouse, Member and Delegate, Brookside Congregational Church U.C.C., Manchester; Rev. John Gregory-Davis, Co-pastor, Meriden Congregational Church; Rev. Renee’ Rouse, Pastor, Northwood Congregational Church; Harriet Ward, Member, Pilgrim United Church of Christ, Brentwood-Kingston; and Rev. Dr. Dawn Berry, Member, First Congregational Church, UCC, Hopkinton, and Chair, Racial Justice Mission Group.
Other interfaith and Christian organizations have planned national and regional memorial observances for COVID and in remembrance of recent deaths of African American citizens:
- Sunday, June 7 @ 10am – A National Eulogy and Interfaith Service of Mourning for those who have Died of COVID. The service will be co-led by Revs. Barber and Theoharis and Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Imam Omar Suleiman and Valerie Kaur.
- Sunday, June 7 @ 2-4pm – Boston Black Memorial for George, Breonna and Ahmaud. See link for details.
- Monday, June 8 @ 3:30pm – Peaceful Rally at Schuler Park, North Conway, NH. Details not available, learned of this via colleagues, so not sure of organizer identity or specific focus of rally, assuming a racial justice theme.
- Monday, June 8 – National Day of Fasting and Focus planned by Poor People’s Campaign.
- Noon EST/ 9am PST – “We Won’t Be Silent” Virtual Art Buildat to be together and heal together through art-making, share messages of justice and get prepared for the day of action. Register here.
- 5-5:30pm – Time of Silence and Liturgy with Dr. William Barber. The Day of Fasting and Focus will culminate at 5pm when we are asking people to stop where you are for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in silence. Event on Facebook.