On Thursday, May 23, 2019, the Charlottesville Clergy Collective organized the second "Conversations toward Reconciliation" dinner gathering at Carver Recreation Center. Over 175 people representing 26 faith communities attended the gathering. 

The Rev. Alvin Edwards, Pastor of Mt. Zion First African Baptist and President of the Collective, offered a welcome and a prayer.

Rev. Maren Hange, Pastor of Charlottesville Mennonite Church, served as our Master of Ceremonies.

​During the meal, participants were invited to share their answers to these ice-breaker question:

• Identify 5 items that all people at your table have in common that do not have to do with physical appearance.
• Write down the one most interesting item.

After the meal the following speakers gave personal  testimonies about their experience with race and racism...

​Rev. Michael Cheuk, Secretary of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, talked about "Learning about Racial Justice as a Racial Minority" (video and transcript).

Rev. Liz Hulme Adam, Pastor of Tabor Presbyterian Church, Crozet, talks about "Why I Showed Up" (video and transcript).

Finally, Rabbi Tom Gutherz of Congregation Beth Israel led us in a closing song:

Pictures below courtesy of Thea Cheuk.

​Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is a speaker, spiritual writer, who, along with his wife Leah, founded Rutba House a house of hospitality where the formerly homeless share community with the formerly housed. He has also worked with the Rev. William Barber on the Poor People’s Campaign. Rev. Wilson-Hartgrove talks to Michael about his 2018 book Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion.

Originally published (with transcript) at 
​​http://michaelkcheuk.com/conversation-with-jonathan-wilson-hartgrove/.

​Last week, Charlottesville High School responded to a hate-filled online post that threatened a shooting and “ethnic cleansing” against black and Hispanic students at the school. We, the members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, decry this act of hate that terrorized the school district’s students, teachers, staff and families, and closed city schools for two days. 

We are grateful for the work of the law enforcement community in apprehending the teen suspect from Albemarle county, ending a period of fear and allowing students to return to school.   And, we are grateful for the work of Charlottesville City Schools in prioritizing the protection of students and staff during those uncertain days.

We resonate with Charlottesville City Police Chief RaShall Brackney when she said: “We want the community and the world to know that hate is not welcomed in Charlottesville.”

We also echo the sentiment of Charlottesville City School Superintendent Dr. Rosa Atkins: “We do not tolerate hate or racism. … [We] stand in solidarity with our students of color ... [A] threat against one is a threat against all.” 

In addition, we commend the establishment of a Police Civilian Review Board to address systemic injustice and to promote accountability and mutual trust between the community and the police. We are also heartened by Charlottesville City Schools’ outreach to neighborhoods and houses of worship to address racial inequity in public education.

We, the undersigned members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, commit ourselves to work for racial equity and to pray for all who were affected by this incident and worked for its resolution, especially the African American and Latinx students who were specifically singled out as targets.  As a community of faith leaders, we are committed to standing as witnesses for love, justice, and unity. We will continue to work for an end to racial hate and violence.

Signed,

​Rev. Will Brown, University Baptist Church
The Rev Dr Harry Kennon
Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin, Congregation Beth Israel
Steve Johnson, Oak Chapel Baptist Church
Pastor Sarah A. Kelley, Faith, Hope And Love Church
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Emrey, New Beginnings Christian Community 
Rev. Dr. Albert Connette, Olivet Presbyterian Church
Rev. Rabia Povich, Inayati Sufi Order, Charlottesville
Rev. Liz Hulme Adam, Tabor Presbyterian Church
Rev. Dr. Jill Duffield, Cove Presbyterian Church
Manouchehr Mohajeri, Baha'i Faith
Rev. Sandra  J. Wisco, Lutheran (ELCA)
Rev. Dr. Michael Cheuk

Religious hate has no place in the United States, New Zealand or elsewhere. We stand in solidarity with the Muslim communities that experienced the traumatic shooting caused by hate, and we uphold the value that all people have the right to participate in the religion (or no religion) of their choice.

Members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective know first-hand the impact white-supremacist hate can have on a community. As interfaith leaders, we pray for the healing of the Muslim communities in Christchurch, New Zealand. We mourn your loss. We extend our sympathy to the family members and friends whose beloved ones’ lives were cut short in this tragic shooting. We call for a renewed commitment to mutual respect and understanding, that all may learn to honor the diversity of creation, the diverse expressions of devotion, and the sacredness of human life.

We, the undersigned members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, affirm our calling to bring attention to, and address issues of racial, religious, and social justice. As a community of faith leaders we are committed to standing as witnesses for love, justice, and unity. We will continue to pray and work for an end to this senseless hate and violence.

Signed,

Rev. Dr. Eugene T. Locke, Parish Associate, Westminster Presbyterian Church
Rev. Robert Lewis, Hinton Avenue United Methodist Church
Rev. Liz Hulme Adam, Tabor Presbyterian Church
Rev. Sandra J. Wisco, Lutheran (ELCA)
Pastor Sarah A. Kelley, Faith, Hope and Love Church
Gail Hyder Wiley, elder, Westminster Presbyterian Church
Manouchehr Mohajer, Baha'i Faith
Harry Kennon, First United Methodist Church
Dr. Elizabeth Emrey, New Beginnings Christian Community
Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Rev. Dr. Alvin Edwards
Rev. Don Lansky & Rev. Patricia Gulino Lansky, Unity of Charlottesville
Rev. Dr. Jill Duffield, Cove Presbyterian Church
Rev. Marilu Thomas, Assoc. Rector Christ Episcopal Church
Adam Slate, President, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church-Unitarian Universalist
Rev. Dr. David K. Garth, Westminster Presbyterian
Rev. Mildred Best, Mount Zion First African Baptist Church
Rev. Will Brown, University Baptist Church
Rev. Maren Hange, Charlottesville Mennonite Church
Rev. Rabia Povich, Charlottesville Inayati Sufi Order
Susan Kaufman, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Ann Marie Smith, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Rev. Dr. Jim Bundy retired clergy, United Church of Christ
Sharon Beckman-Brindley, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Rev. Dr. Michael Cheuk, Charlottesville Clergy Collective
​Gayle Jessup White
Rev. Nick Deere, Broadus Memorial Baptist Church
Rabbi Emeritus Daniel Alexander, Congregation Beth Israel
Rev. Carol Sims, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

​

Last night, January 31, 2019, the Charlottesville Clergy Collective organized a "Conversations toward Reconciliation" dinner gathering at Carver Recreation Center.  The purpose of the gathering was to bring together faith communities in Charlottesville in a fellowship setting to get to know one another better through intentional conversations.

Our Hope
We hoped that members of these faith communities will begin (or continue) to

• engage with their own congregations in conversations about race,
• learn and record stories of the role their congregations played in the history of race in Charlottesville,
• build relationships with members of other faith communities to support, encourage, and learn from one another as we all do this work.

Great Turnout!
31 faith communities (see below for the list) and around 200 people attended the gathering. They enjoyed a light dinner catered and served by members of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Attendees also brought salad and desserts ... more than enough to share.

After a welcome by Dr. Alvin Edwards of Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church, Apostle Sarah Kelley of Faith, Hope and Love International Healing and Deliverance Center led the group in an opening song. Dr. Lehman Bates of Ebenezer Baptist Church offered the blessing.

Questions for Conversation
During the dinner, the participants around each table shared their answers to these questions:

• Your name, your preferred pronouns, your faith community, how long have you lived in Charlottesville?
• What was the religious or spiritual background of your childhood?
• What brings you here tonight?

After dinner, Elizabeth Shillue of Beloved Community Charlottesville, and Charlene Green from Charlottesville Office of Human Rights prepared participants to answer a few questions (time permitting) selected from this list:

• What is the racial makeup of your faith community?  How does it compare to the demographic of the larger community?
• What teachings does your faith tradition have which support being community across racial lines?
• How widespread is the knowledge of racial justice work in your faith community?
• What opportunities have you had to learn the history of your faith community in relation to the history of race events in Charlottesville?
• Why do you think that our faith communities are largely segregated today, when other institutions are visibly integrated and multicultural?

Participants received a resource booklet that contained more questions to help guide further conversations with their own faith communities.

What is the Charlottesville Clergy Collective and why is honest conversations so important?
Dr. Alvin Edwards, Pastor of Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church, and President and Founder of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective talked about how the collective was formed. Dr. Michael Cheuk and Rev. Brenda Brown-Grooms, Co-Pastor of New Beginnings Christian Community then talked about how the idea for this event came about, and the importance of future conversations.

​Gratitudes

• Rev. Maren Hange, Pastor of Charlottesville Mennonite Church and Rev. Marilu Thomas, Associate Rector of Christ Episcopal Church for chairing the steering committee for this event.
• Elizabeth Shillue of the Quaker Friends Meeting, Rev. Robert Lewis Pastor of Hinton Ave. United Methodist Church, and Michael Cheuk for being the team that created the resource booklet.
• Michael Cheuk for pictures and video of the event.
• The staff at Carver Recreation Center for allowing us to come and helping us to set up their space.
• Charlene Green of the Charlottesville Office of Human Rights for her on-going consultation and support.
• For all the faith leaders who invited members of their congregations to attend the gathering, and for their courage and work to support further conversations and education about race in the coming weeks and months.

Congregations represented:

• Baha'i Faith Community of Charlottesville
• Bethel Church of God in Christ
• Broadus Memorial Baptist Church
• Charlottesville Community Church
• Charlottesville Friends Meeting
• Charlottesville Mennonite Church
• Christ Episcopal Church
• Congregation Beth Israel
• Cove Presbyterian Church
• Ebenezer Baptist Church
• Faith, Hope and Love International Healing and Deliverance Center
• First Baptist Church, West Main
• First United Methodist Church
• Grace Church Red Hill
• Hinton Avenue United Methodist Church
• Inayati Sufi Order of Charlottesville
• Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
• Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church
• New Beginnings Christian Community
• Olivet Presbyterian Church
• Peace Lutheran Church
• Pilgrim Baptist Church
• Sojourners United Church of Christ
• St. Paul's Memorial Episcopal Church
• Tabor Presbyterian Church
• Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church-Unitarian Universalist
• Trinity Episcopal Church
• Unity of Charlottesville
• University Baptist Church
• Westminster Presbyterian Church

There was a great turnout for this year's Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration held at the MLK Performance Arts Center at Charlottesville High School. 

We were led by a 140+ voice choir, and this year's guest speaker was civil rights attorney and ordained minister Cornell W. Brooks, Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership and Social Justice at the Harvard Kennedy School and former president and CEO of the NAACP.
​
Below are pictures of the event.

In response to the events of August 11 and 12, 2017, the Charlottesville to Jamestown pilgrimage, sponsored by the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, provided a constructive opportunity for us to take the next step in addressing racism in America and its attending systemic injustices. During our journey, we heard stories and untold histories, we built relationships, and we identified common concerns that need to be transformed in order to bring about racial equity.

Our journey began on Saturday, October 6, 2018, from central Charlottesville. Our first leg took us past Emancipation Park (Market Street Park) and the proposed site for a marker to remember the July 12, 1898 lynching of John Henry James -- an African American man from Charlottesville. We walked on the Saunders-Monticello Trail, and ended up at Monticello for an education and reflection experience at the African American Burial Grounds, and the reading of the name of three hundred and sixty enslaved at Monticello.

During the week of October 8 to 11, we hosted educational and cultural activities in Charlottesville.

We heard Dr. Karenne Wood present the 18,000 year history of the Monacan people here in Virginia.

Mark Charles, a Navajo Christian, presented the untold history of Christianity's role in constructing white supremacy, and the United States' role in perpetrating not only the enslavement of Africans, but also the genocide of native peoples in America.  

On October 12, we traveled to Richmond where we went on a Slave Walk guided by the Elegba Folklore Society, followed by a time of group reflection and discussion at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Richmond.

On October 13, we took a pilgrimage by bus to Historic Jamestowne as we traveled back through history with Mark Summers of Preservation Virginia to learn about the pursuit of commercial ventures and economic profit that led to the enslavement and oppression of Africans and native peoples. We visited Point Comfort, where Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander gave a history of the site where the first ships carrying enslaved Africans landed in 1619. We ended our pilgrimage at Fort Monroe, the Union fort where escaped slaves went to seek asylum during the Civil War. There, we held a final ceremony, and re-read the three hundred and sixty names of the enslaved at Monticello.


The Pilgrimage is sponsored by Charlottesville Clergy Collective, a nonprofit, interfaith organization committed to addressing racism. We have fifty members representing over twelve Christian denominations and four other faith traditions.
​
The Pilgrimage was funded by the generous support of BAMA Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, the Virginia United Methodist Foundation, the New Baptist Covenant, twelve different local faith congregations, and several individual donors. The Baptist Center for Ethics and Monticello provided in-kind services.

​Many thanks to EthicsDaily.com for producing this video.

These "historical markers" were posted on the walls of The Haven during our Interfaith Service as part of our attempt to acknowledge the history of racism and white supremacy in Charlottesville. Many thanks to Rev. Albert Connette of Olivet Presbyterian Church for researching this history and displaying it in such an artistic manner.