The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Gender & Racial Justice will host the first-ever #SpeakAntiracism Twitter chat Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. The hour-long conversation, 1:00–2:00 p.m. EDT, will be moderated by Sera Chung, associate for Gender and Racial Justice in Racial Ethnic & Women’s Ministries.
“Conversations about race and racism are critical in our church and society,” says Chung. “Hosting conversations about these issues via Twitter provides us with another platform and tool to use as we work to raise awareness about the racial injustices that still exist in our society today. We hope utilizing Twitter, in conjunction with an assortment of other tools, will also help us expand our reach and engage a variety of women and men across the country who are passionate about racial justice.”
Topics addressed during Thursday’s chat include:
- The importance of defining key terms, including racism, racial justice and privilege
- Exploring ways individuals have experienced or witnessed racism and racial injustice in their lives and communities
- Why it’s important that the church take action
- Where and how the church can make a difference
The goal of the campaign, which was launched at Big Tent 2015, and the #SpeakAntiracism Twitter chats is to raise awareness of institutional racism in the church and in our society, and to address ways that Presbyterians can take action to fight racism.
The PC(USA) has hosted two previous Twitter chats. The first with Sister Simone Campbell, author of “A Nun on the Bus,” addressed advocacy for hunger and poverty issues. A second with Cindy Cushman, focused on her theological paper “Mary, the Magnificat, and Race.”
The Sept. 10 Twitter chat can be followed using the hashtag #SpeakAntiracism. This is the first in a series of monthly conversations. More details about future Twitter chats, as well as additional information about the Ask Me Why You Matter to Me campaign, is available at pcusa.org/speakantiracism.