Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 18 December 2003 — Page 4

Page 4-- The-Muncie Times ••December 18, 2003-

Racism continued from page 1. who give advice to the Archbishop. We wanted to explore what needed to be faced most in our Archdiocese and within the Church in Minnesota. The result of these discussions, said Flynn, was the issue of racism, the issue of cultural diversity and the issue of welcoming the stranger. "I was very convinced about the need for this because I have always said that racism is alive and it’s well. It’s subtle in Minnesota. Never the less, we need to raise the issues so that we can become more sensitive and open our hearts to the discussion of this issue." Flynn teaches that every person is made to the image and likeness of the living God. He said, "Every person deserves a certain dignity. Every person deserves a certain reverence. Every person deserves certain sensitivity so that I might understand what that person is going through at any particular time in his or her life." McFarlane asked Flynn to respond to the challenges that he has faced in presenting the letter. In McFarlane’s view, "The reality is people use organizations and Christendom -and other faiths, as well—as tools for domination and exploitation rather than for tools of salvation and clarity and elimination. Where has this disconnect come from in the Western Church?

Flynn said, "The disconnect comes not so much from any institution as much as it comes from individuals’ insensitivity to others. For example, many times, we don’t know what’s going on within us. Many times we get angry and we don’t know why. If we can trace those experiences, we can dig down deep and trace the reason why we might be angry and hurt. Flynn has hopes his pastoral letter will lead people in church congregations to open up "minds and hearts so that we will change not only individual hearts, but change the heart of any institution which happens to embrace in any way the sin of racism." The Rev. Ian Bethel, Pastor, New Beginnings Baptist Tabernacle, and President, Minnesota Baptist Convention declared that the voice of the Black Church is critical to the discussion of racism as sin. "Over the past 15 years, most of my energy has been dedicated to the ecumenical movement. I believe that our presence is needed at the table with our White brothers and sisters who are willing to say, T am racist and I have problems with racism.’ We need to see to it that members of the Minnesota State Baptist convention find a way to partner with you to continue this discussion." Bethel commended Flynn for the stand that he’s taking on the issue of racism. He said Flynn is the first White faith-based leader to take a stand against

racism not only in Minnesota but also in America. "We stand in solidarity with you. And this is not only talk, but we’re going to find a way -which may take a lot of time—for us to get together so we can continue this dialogue and so we can stamp out racism within our communities." Bethel said the first way to stamp out racism is with people he described as believers: Christian police officers, elected officials, school board members, etc. Bethel said racism would not be undone until they address their own racist attitudes and then begin to encourage other White people to do the same. "Racism will not be undone until we deal with equal distribution of power and economics," added Bethel. "This is how we do it. Stand up, call it sin, call it evil and then we together can do what God wants us to do and that’s to make justice real for every citizen no matter the color of their skin," said Bethel. The Rev. Randolph Staten, co-chair, Black Church Coalition/African American Leadership Summit, recalled that Flynn wrote in his Letter about how when he was celebrating his sixth birthday, he did not want his Black school mate to attend his birthday party. Staten said a reality of racism for him at six-years-old was when his head was busted open by a White adult because he entered the front

door --and not the back door-- of an ice cream parlor. He said, "When I walked into the front door for an ice cream bar, the bar tender jumped across the counter and busted me in my head with a bottle -there was blood flowing everywhere. All of the adults were laughing and not doing anything." "This dialogue is the most critical that we can possibly have to deal with a sin that is so insidious that it continues to eat us away and destroy so many people. We can never face the problem until we begin to define it. "In your letter you’ve said some of the same things that people have been saying forever. Not enough people in your position are saying these things," said Staten. "When Black people say the same things you’ve said, they are not taken seriously." Staten said the American mentality is one that says racism does not exist and that we have already over come. "We need to have these discussions because we can talk about the different experiences that we’ve had." Flynn writes: Developing this appreciation for diversity requires that we find regular opportunities to speak and to work with people of races other than our own. We need to listen to each other’s stories, to work together, to identify common goals and to stand on common ground." Staten agreed. "We

have to deal with xenophobia -this fear o| someone different. We still continue to perpetuate tha sin in our media --oui newspapers, magazines--everywhere," he said. Flynn said he hopes that out of the conversation at Lucille’s Kitchen, more ' -f similar meetings will take place so the conversation will continue. "We will continue to make sure that this pastoral letter is not simply put on the bookshelf, but that out of it will come enormous amount of good. And hopefully that good will be the coming together of marvelous people who believe in God and want what God wants -and we ali know what God wants." Pastor of North Minneapolis’ New Salem Missionary Baptist Church, the Rev. Jerry McAfee noted that the "good-willed White folk such as Quakers" are included in the history of the African American struggle. He said it’s going to take the same good-willed White folk to help push the movement forward. However, McAfee said, "One of the reasons I always challenge us [Black people] to do for self is because there have not been many White folk who’ve had the courage to have sensitivity to what we go through. They join this new conservative movement and have no idea what we go through."

“Racism will not be undone until we deal with