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The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) professes that racism, in all its forms, is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, it acknowledges that racism is a reality in both church and society. In faithful witness to the love of Christ, the church is committed to confronting the ideology of racism and racial oppression, working to overcome racism with prayer, discernment and worship-based action. Learn about advocacy for racial justice. |
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The Belhar Confession of South Africa
A Witness for the PC(USA)
The 218th General Assembly (2008) approved a resolution to take the first step toward including the Belhar Confession in The Book of Confessions. The Belhar Confession is a statement of faith and belief that was adopted by the Dutch Reformed Mission Church in South Africa in 1986. It was written in response to the system of apartheid, a system that was implemented to legalize racial segregation in South Africa. It is a bold statement that the sin of racism, segregation and division must be confronted and calls for unity and reconciliation as marks of faithfulness in the church. [Keep reading] |
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Not Just Jena’s Problem
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
(Isaiah 58:6 NRSV)
“When nooses are being hung in high schools in the 21st century, it’s a tragedy. It shows that we still have a lot of work to do as a nation to heal our racial tensions. This isn’t just Jena’s problem; it’s America’s problem.”
- United States Senator Barack Obama
Nooses hanging on school campuses and on the back of trucks and hate-filled Web sites publishing addresses of six young black men are symbols not of the past but of the present. In the recent events occurring in Jena, Louisiana, our nation has been issued a wake up call to the depth of racism that still resides in our society. In August of 2006, three nooses were found hanging from a tree at Jena High School after some black students sat under it. This was dismissed as a prank, and those involved were briefly suspended. A few months later, six black students were arrested after a school fight in which a white student was beaten. He suffered a concussion and multiple bruises. The six black students were charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy. The charge later was reduced to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery. These students have come to be known as the Jena Six. One of the teenagers, Mychal Bell, was the first to stand trial and was found guilty of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy. [Keep reading] |
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