The Committee for Racial Healing (CFRH)
Mission Statement:
“To actively engage Trinity Episcopal Church and others in the community in addressing racism
by the creation, development and implementation of sustainable programs and projects designed to
dismantle racism, utilizing educational and advocacy tools.”
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The Trinity Committee for Racial Healing (CFRH) was formed in August 2020. The fourteen members bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives to plan for long-term sustainability. The CFRH is divided into four teams: the Education Team, the Outreach Team, the Mobilization Team, and the History Team.
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The Education Team offers reviews of books to share with parishioners in the Trinity Newsletter and recommends books on anti-racism and racial healing for the church library.
The Outreach Team is to reach out to racially diverse churches in the Fredericksburg area and beyond to listen to their efforts in dismantling racism. Due to the COVID pandemic, the Task Force uses Zoom to communicate. Members regularly attend meetings for: the local Ministers Coalition for Social Change, the Diocese of Virginia Good Trouble (DVGT) Group, and the Spotsylvania Chapter of the NAACP.
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The Mobilization Team helped initiate several events for the congregation,, including:
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Parish Zoom: How to be Anti-Racist
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Lenten Series Parish Read: “Love is the Way” by Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church Michael Curry;
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Movie Night: Trinity hosted Movie Night for St. George Episcopal Church since their parish hall was being renovated. The documentary shown was “Doctrine of Discovery: Stolen Lands, Strong Hearts”, which raises awareness about the religious doctrine and its impact on Indigenous people and settlers.
4. Parish Zoom: Prayerful Conversations
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The History Team researches local and commonwealth significant events relating to race for a Diocese of Virginia strategic goal assignment, due in January 2024.
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The CFRH will continue efforts for racial healing with goals to sponsor events such as :
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A parish panel discussion;
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An offer to help facilitate the Lenten Series;
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An invitation for a special guest speaker to present on Racial Healing at Sunday services; and
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A training session on Unconscious Bias
Our Latest Book Review
Every month, the CFRH writes a book review over a text that examines race in society.
A Hundred Thousand Welcomes
Mary Lee Donovan, author and Lian Cho, illustrator
PK-grade 3 (Published 2021, 40 pp.)
Find it on Amazon here.
Mary Lee Donovan and Lian Cho have created a beautiful, warm and heartfelt picture book, which reminds us how being welcoming can open our lives to valuable new friends and experiences and increase cultural understanding.
The depth of this book is amazing. One who reads it to young children will need to spend some time reading, exploring, and practicing the pronunciations of words from other cultures. Or adult and child can explore the unknown and unfamiliar together! The book includes notes from both author and illustrator as well as a pronunciation guide and selection for further reading. As one travels through the book one sees and hears welcome in 13 different languages.
The book closes with a blessing and a spread of the book’s many international families dining together at a page-filling (actually 4 full pages) banquet table. One is reminded that in one place or another, at one time or another, in one way or another, each of us will find ourselves in search of acceptance, help, protection, welcome.
Unveiling the Mystery About The Committee for Racial Healing
The Committee for Racial Healing (CFRH) is one of the lesser-known ministries at Trinity because much of the work it does is not readily visible. The questions and answers below are intended to unveil some of the “mystery” about the Committee.
Q. Why does Trinity have a CFRH?
There are several reasons. One reason is to help build a beloved community by practicing Jesus’ Way of Love. The Becoming Beloved Community vision is a practical and theological framework guiding Episcopalians into racial healing, justice and reconciliation. It is a positive and biblically based ideal – a dream toward which we strive, and not just something we are against.
A second reason is to remind others of our Baptismal Promise: to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity every human being.
Another reason is to be the resource for Trinity’s work to dismantle mantle racism. Racism is defined as “the belief that different races possess distinct abilities, or qualities, especially so as to distinguish them as inferior or superior to one another.”
Q. What has the CFRH actually done?
In the past two and a half years the CFRH has sponsored training on antiracism and participating in prayerful (courageous) conversations about race; reached out to predominantly Black churches for fellowship and understanding; written a number of articles for the Trinity Newsletter such as reviews about books on antiracism and the contributions of people of various races; and currently performing research to develop a history report about Trinity’s role in dismantling racism and showing the love of Christ to all people.
Q. When will the work of the CFRH be finished?
The work of the CFRH is ongoing and will continue until the Beloved Community is established throughout the world.
Q. What does It mean to be “Woke”?
The term “woke” was first used among the African-American community to mean “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues, especially issues of racial and social justice.” It has become known in a way by some that is considered unreasonable or extreme.
Q. How can members of Trinity help with the work of the CFRH?
Trinitarians can help with the work of the CFRH in several ways, as listed below.
1.Practice Jesus’ Way of Love.;
2.Increase awareness about anti-racism through reading books in the Trinity Library.;
3.Participate in events and training sponsored by the CFRH;
4.Talk to people about racism. For example, an uncle who equality tells racist jokes at family gatherings or a friend who wishes people didn’t have to be angry about equality.; and
5.Contact Jean Hunt at email dehunt14@msn.com you have any questions relating to the CFRH.