Program deals with racism

By Linda M. Linonis

People of many faith backgrounds participated in the discussion.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Rev. Robert Johnson of Bethlehem Lutheran Church closed the Jacob’s Well Symposium on Racism with this challenge to the 70-some participants: “Disarm racism by building relationships.”

He urged those who talked candidly in small groups to follow through by exchanging contact information with another person in order to continue the discussion begun Monday night during the program at the Salvation Army Center, 1501 Glenwood Ave.

When the Rev. Julius Davis of Friendship Baptist Church in Girard offered his “Reflection on Reconciliation,” he told participants that they must be “rightly reconciled with God, then reconciled with their brothers and sisters.” That is the first step to reconciliation among races, he said.

“Everyone understands what it’s like not to be accepted,” he said, noting people should be judged on what’s inside and not outside.

Those attending the program with the theme “The Spirit of Unity through Relationship, Reconciliation and Redemption: A For Real Dialogue on Race” represented many age ranges and faith backgrounds. As participants entered the hall, they were assigned tables at random where they discussed these three questions:

1. What is your definition of racism?

2. How have you experienced racism? Share with the group an experience.

3. How have Christians separated ourselves from one another?

Some descriptions of racism included: “ill treatment of people based on skin color,” “lack of respect for people,” “judging people by their appearance,” “a cultural desire to stay with like people” and “a system of devaluing a person because of color.”

Among experiences of racism:

One woman, who graduated from high school in 1954, said she and her fellow black students taking the class trip to Washington, D.C., couldn’t stay at the same hotel as the white students. She noted this happened at the seat of a government that focused on freedom.

A black woman visited a predominantly white church and was told by a member that she didn’t belong there.

Some people noted that Sunday mornings are the most segregated time in America, with blacks and whites in separate churches.

“Racism is alive, but I don’t know how well it is,” said the Rev. Gena Thornton, pastor of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Cleveland. She said she believed that was evidenced by U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s successful campaign for the Democratic nomination. She pointed out an ecumenical effort with a Catholic parish to have joint events with her church has formed bonds among people, and race is no issue.

The Rev. Mark Geppert of Southeast Asian Prayer Center of Pittsburgh, who has served 32 years as a missionary, said people bicker about their rights. But, he noted, God was here first, and it’s from him that all things come. “The sanctity of life has gone awry,” he said, noting that the “spirit of malice” has to be eradicated through prayer.

Sponsors were the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, Baptist Pastors’ Council and the Center for Working-Class Studies at Youngstown State University.