Commissioners' opening session devoted to anti-racism training By John H. Adams The Layman Online Saturday, June 9, 2001 LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The opening business on the agenda of the 2001 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) June 9 was attitudes -- specifically racial prejudice. By decree of the 1999 General Assembly, the commissioners were summoned to the annual meeting a day early to undergo four hours of anti-racism training. Because whites constitute 94 percent of the membership in the denomination, they especially were singled out to disclose and dispense of racist attitudes. The training began with a worship service that included a fishing expedition to uncover racist attitudes. Seated in groups of up to 10 at round tables, commissioners were asked to reveal "one thing [learned from your elders] that you will not pass on" to the next generation. In the context of the training session, that "one thing" was intended to be racism. Commissioners were also asked to keep their own scorecards on their attitudes in four areas -- race, prejudice, social power and racism -- and to track attitude changes that instigated by the training session. They also were given a litany of statistics -- mostly economic -- designed to convince them that racism is deeply embedded in American society and the denomination, to wit: The median net wealth of white families is eight times that of black families and 27 times that of Hispanic families. Ten percent of Americans own 70 percent of the nation's net wealth. The infant mortality rate is 2.5 times higher for blacks than for whites and 1.5 times higher for Native Americans than whites. Between 95 percent and 97 percent of the senior management of Fortune 500 companies are white. Two speakers -- Laura Mariko Chiefetz and W. Mark Koenig -- did a tag-team commentary on the racial demographics. Chiefetz, a youth advisory delegate from the Presbytery of North Puget Sound, said the reason for disparities in wealth were systemic racism. "We don't even understand the systemic nature of racism," she said. "We forget to define ourselves as whole people created in the image of God. It's not easy for people of color to be honest and to interact with people in the Presbyterian Church. But if we never interact and teach white people, they will never change." Koenig, associate director of anti-racism training for the denomination's Office of Racial Ethnic Ministries, said racism is still prevalent within the Presbyterian Church. "We transform our sisters and brothers into tokens of diversity who prove to us that racism is a problem we have already overcome," he said. "We assign racial justice to a few committees in our church. The list goes on and on. "Racism provides privileges to those who are considered white. It seeks to question, belittle and deny the abilities -- and even the humanity -- of people of color." "I know a racist when I see one," said the Rev. Charles Haywood Sr., an African-American Presbyterian minister in Charleston, S.C., after recounting his family's experience in experiencing discrimination in housing. Haywood won a federal lawsuit in the case -- but he said the victory came at a cost. He said he is no longer an integrationalist. A son has converted to Islam and no longer wants to deal with white people. "Racism does not lurk in the darkness," Haywood said. "It is in the light of day." The training concluded with an appeal to commissioners to help encourage presbyteries and congregations to conduct similar programs. The training, including the transportation, housing and feeding costs of bringing commissioners to Louisville a day early for the General Assembly, was financed by funds earmarked for development of new racial-ethnic congregations.

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