Parish Statement Against Racism
St. Margaret of Scotland Parish stands against racism. On September 18-19, 2021, at the initiative of the Living Justice Ministries Racial Equity Team, we issued our Parish Statement Against Racism. The statement was crafted after months of listening and dialogue with St. Louis community members, fellow parishes in our dioceses, and members of our own parish on enduring racism in our nation, communities, and church.
As we proclaim in our statement, our parish has committed to a series of initial and evolving actions based on the following focus areas to work toward eradicating racism. These actions are being carried out by subcommittees within the Racial Equity Team.
To take part, contact the subcommittee leader.
Reflections of Parish Statement on Racism
Knowing Our History and Current Challenges around Race
Purpose: To educate ourselves on the history of race in our parish and to identify and address where we currently fall short in fostering an environment of equity and inclusion.
Contact: Kelly Schmidt, schmidtkl11@gmail.com
Goals:
- Research and share our parish’s history and interview people about the history of African Americans, race, and racism in our parish.
- Have conversations with people about their race-based experiences in our parish and school.
- Develop a survey to better understand our parish climate in regards to race and especially where people of color see the parish and school falling short, and what we can do better.
- As research about our own parish is being conducted, educate about the broader history and current climate of the archdiocese in regards to the African American experience, race, and racism.
Parish School and Education
Purpose: To explore ways the school can promote equity and greater diversity.
Contact: Sarah Rebholz, serebholz@gmail.com
Goals:
- Partner with the PTA Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee to better align practices and programs between the parish and school.
- Offer support in efforts to increase and retain representation within St. Margaret of Scotland School.
- Network with other parish and neighborhood schools in order to expand opportunities for community-building.
Parish Neighborhood, Housing, and Services
Purpose: Access to affordable housing is critical to achieving more racially just and equitable housing outcomes. Gain an understanding of the scope of need for affordable housing in our parish neighborhoods.
Contact: Gerry Connolly, connolly.gerard85@gmail.com
Goals:
- Identify resources in our neighborhoods that provide access to affordable housing. Interview specialists in the field of affordable and fair housing.
- Research the policies and practices that are the modern tools of racial segregation and inequity in our neighborhoods.
- Engage parishioners in collaborative advocacy and organizing efforts to improve access to affordable housing.
- Examine trends of affordable housing within the context of neighborhood supportive services. Identify linkages between access to affordable housing and affordable childcare.
About the Racial Equity Team
The Racial Equity Team is a subset of the Living Justice Ministries at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish and School that aims to address the sin of racism by building awareness, seeking solutions, and establishing leadership for a more inclusive and equitable parish community. With respect to the foundation of the Church’s teachings, that all life is sacred and deserving of dignity, we commit to confronting our own racism and that which is rooted in our history. We hope for others to join the team and to add to its energy as we further set a path towards healing and equity in our parish, neighborhoods, city, state, and beyond.
For updates on the Living Justice Ministries, follow our Facebook Group.