Peace United Church of Christ
Living into the Difficult:
Race, Diversity, and Duluth for All
Dr. Melanie HarrisDr. Jennifer Harvey
Rev. Richard H. ColemanRev. Kathryn Nelson
Rev. David BardRev. David Carlson
Lee StuartRegina LaRoche
8:00 – 8:30 Sign in
8:30 – 9:00 Fellowship Time in Narthex & Fireside Room
9:00 – 9:15 Welcome, Introduction of Chaplains,Blessing
9:15 – 10:30 Framing Plenary
From Reconciliation to Reparations,
a New to Approach “the Difficult”
Dr. Jennifer Harvey
An overview lecture framing a new way to approach our “interracial dialogues and relationships.”
10:30 – 10:45 Morning Break
10:45 – 12:00 Racial Caucus Work
Naming “the Difficult”
We will break out into separate caucuses.
Session with Dr. Melanie Harris in the Sanctuary
Those who identify as people of African Heritage will meet
with Dr. Harris.
Session with Dr. Jennifer Harvey in Fellowship Hall
Those who identify as white will meet with Dr. Harvey.
Those who identify in other ways are invited to participate in
either caucus, recognizing that the focus of each caucus
will be culturally specific.
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch in Fellowship Hall
A Variety of Soups, Bread, Mixed Fruits, Coffee, Tea, Apple Juice
1:00 – 2:00 Reconvene inFellowship Hall
Listening through “the Difficult”
Dr. Melanie Harris Dr. Jennifer Harvey
A workshop/dialogue session in which we work together tocarefully name and lift up insights from our caucuses that are especially helpful for enabling robust interracial coalitions and allyships for justice work in Duluth.
2:00 – 2:15 Afternoon Break
2:15 – 3:00Reconvene in the Sanctuary
Leaders from Duluth’s Community of
People of African Heritage
Ms. Salaam Witherspoon
Mr. Archie Davis
Rev. Richard H. Coleman
Our local leaders will present information on what is already happening in Duluth and an outline of priorities for action in these areas: need for healing, education, civic engagement, health,
and funding (increasing access to resources and building financial capabilities ofAfrican Americans in the Duluth/Superior area).
3:00 – 4:00 Living Concretely and Courageously Into “the Difficult”: Robust Coalitions and Justice for All in Duluth
Dr. Melanie Harris Dr. Jennifer Harvey
We will again work back and forth, spending most of our time in small groups in a facilitated dialogue with Drs. Harris and Harvey. The emphasis of the work will be to use a reparative framework for specific steps that can be taken on the issues named by our local African American leaders.
4:15 - 4:30 Invitation to Next Step & Closing Blessing
Deep Gratitude to the presenters who have committed to this work of reparative justice andall who attend today’s workshop; the Peace Jubilee Fund for the grant that funded our presenters; the co-sponsoring churches and organizations; the leaders from Duluth’s African Heritage community; the Living into the Difficult Planning Group; the many from our faith communities who provide hospitality today;and our partner hosts: St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. Richard H. Coleman, and Peace United Church of Christ, Rev. Kathryn A. Nelson, and the people of both congregations.
Partners/Sponsors:
St. Mark African Methodist Church, Rev. Richard H. Coleman
Peace United Church of Christ, Rev. Kathryn Nelson
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church,Rev. David Carlson
First United Methodist Church, Rev. David Bard
Pilgrim Congregational Church, Rev. Jennifer Amy-Dressler
Chum,Executive DirectorLee Stuart
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church,Rev. William Van Oss,
2016 Twin Ports MLK Arts and Culture Festival Planning Group
Living into the Difficult:
Race, Diversity, and Duluth for All
Hosted by
St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church
andPeace United Church of Christ
1111 North 11th Avenue East, Duluth, MN 55805
Saturday, March 12, 2016 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
We are joining A.M.E. minister and professor of religion and ethics Dr. Melanie Harris and professor of religion and American Baptist Minister Dr. Jennifer Harvey as they guide us in a racial justice analysis of our community and the spectrum of ways we are called to heal from structural violence and racism as people of faith.
Reparations for the injuries perpetrated upon African Americans through America's slave enterprise is a subject that is receiving serious attention by clergy and lay leadership of some of Duluth's predominantly white congregations. We will delve into a reparations model focused on community action steps in Duluth.
Community Worship–tomorrow–Sunday March 13
8:30 a.m. Rev. Harvey, worship at Peace Church
9:30 a.m. Rev. Harvey, adult forum at Peace Church
10:30 a.m. Rev. Harvey, worship at Peace Church
11:00 a.m. Rev. Harris & Rev. Colemanworship at St. Mark A.M.E.
530 North 5th Avenue East, Duluth
Music by Jim Pospisil & St. Mark A.M.E. Gospel Choir