“We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery, for though others may free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind. Mind is our only ruler; sovereign.”–Marcus Garvey “Who told you, you were naked?”Internalized Oppression (IO) Curriculum Through a series of modules, this internalized oppression curriculum educates participants about institutional, interpersonal, and internal…

The Office of African Descent Ministries’ (OBM) Congregational Programs for Revitalization (CPR) are designed to equip congregations with tools, training, and coaching to strengthen congregational leadership and ministry. OBM has identified significant areas in which congregations of African descent desire support and programming for future relevance, growth, and positioning for 21st-century mission and ministry: *Curriculum…

By Miguel Bustos, manager for racial justice and reconciliation The 81st General Convention of The Episcopal Church marked an important point in our journey toward justice, particularly in terms of racial justice and reconciliation. Several resolutions passed during this convention demonstrate the church’s persistent commitment to resolving racial disparities and building a community based on…

By Susan Axelrod  At its 2023 Diocesan Convention, the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire took the bold step of passing a resolution to create a formal reparations plan for the diocese. The resolution is a logical next step living into previous General Convention and diocesan resolutions that encouraged parishes to tell the truth about their…

By Cathlena Plummer It is the 21st century, in the year 2024, water has become the fight between Natives and the dominant mineral extraction industry. Last year alone, the artesian water well at St. Christopher’s Mission in Bluff, Utah, served over 80,000 people from around the Navajo reservation, and this well is still going strong….

By Robyn Hyden At Alabama Arise, as in The Episcopal Church, we value agape love. We strive to practice unconditional love, and through this, we envision a world where all people live with concern for the common good and respect for the humanity of every person.   These values lead us to tackle what we see…

By Glenna Huber As an undergraduate, I volunteered in a community-based, after-school program for young children run by The Episcopal Church. The kids came from all over the neighborhood to enjoy tutoring, arts and crafts, and a safe place to play until they were picked up in the early evening. It was here, attending organizing…

By The Rev. Meg Wagner In 2019, Beloved Community Initiative—a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa—received Becoming Beloved Community grant funding to begin an Ethnic Studies Leadership Academy. We envisioned a culturally responsive program for African and African American girls in seventh through ninth grades to learn about equity from the lens of African…