Pilot Session of Diocesan Racial Justice Training Held in Charleston

The Rev. Cn. Ramelle McCall has been working with the Diocesan Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission to develop racial justice/anti-racism training that will eventually be offered throughout the diocese. The first pilot session was held this past Friday-Saturday (March 31-April 1) at Calvary Episcopal Church in Charleston. This training was designed to address South Carolina’s history of racism through many actions and realities, including slavery, segregation, and education. It also addressed topics of Jim Crow laws, racial profiling, systemic racism, and “unconscious bias.” 

The facilitators taught participants how to begin these tough conversations by understanding our family backgrounds, socio-economic status, privileges, ethnicity, and other factors. There were more than 30 people included in this first session, and it was a diverse group based on race, age, and gender. "I was impressed by the quality of this training," said Canon McCall. "I felt as if our two-day training only scratched the surface of digesting the complexities of South Carolina’s racism, and I also feel motivated to lean into storytelling about racism as a sin in which we as a church need to repent and turn toward reconciliation."

The Commission hopes to offer additional sessions around the diocese in the near future. Stay tuned! To check out some photos from this first session, check out our Facebook page at this link.

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