by Laura Kent, Pax Christi St. Louis
Thirty-five bold St. Louisans from many different neighborhoods and parishes gathered this past Saturday at the Catholic Student Center at Washington University to discuss how to address racism in the St. Louis Metropolitan area (which includes Ferguson). The workshop, “What will WE do? Anti-Racism Training and an Introduction to Organizing,” was moderated by Pax Christi’s Tom Cordaro and Cathy Woodson. Participants learned about the many forms of racism including Internalized Racist Superiority and Internalized Racist Oppression. They discussed misconceptions about what is and isn’t racism and the problem with the reticence of the white majority to address white privilege. Many personal stories and family anecdotes were shared and attendees were challenged to not let this new learning end with themselves.
Thank you to Pax Christi for providing such wonderful resources at such a critical time! I attended the training and the most commonly asked question was “When are you doing it again?” This information and these questions need to be presented over and over again. The lens of our peacemaking needs to be checked for smudges from time to time so we can see our mission clearly. Thank you Pax Christi Anti-Racism Team!