RACINE – Local faith leaders and other community leaders will gather on Monument Square next Monday (July 26) to declare their support for a faithful reckoning with the reality of our country’s racist past and the ways in which systemic racism continues to harm and disadvantage Black and indigenous people of color. The vigil, organized by the Racine Interfaith Coalition (RIC), starts at 6 p.m.
According to Father Yeprem Kelegian, a retired priest who will be one of the speakers at the vigil, faith leaders have recently become concerned about attempts to use a misunderstanding of both religion and patriotism to hamper efforts to acknowledge and dismantle the racism that has characterized the laws and history of our country from its earliest days.
“Our faith values require us to treat all people with dignity and respect,” he said in a news release. “These values also obligate us to seek to eliminate policies and practices in all of our institutions, from healthcare, government, financial services to workplaces, and schools, that cause harm and undermine the equitable treatment of Black and indigenous people of color.”
Also speaking at the vigil will be Rev. Ernest Ni’A, pastor of Wayman AME Church, as well as faith leaders from Baptist, Methodist, Unitarian, Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Lutheran, Muslim, and Jewish congregations. Individuals from the community are encouraged to attend.
For more information about this planned event and the RIC, contact Linda Boyle at 262-488-5245. Visit: www.ricracine.org