by WebPost | Nov 20, 2023 | Clerk’s Business, Minuted Decisions
The Ad Hoc Committee on Race and Racism is presenting to the RFM community a Proposed Minute on Race and Racism. The minute has its origins in the following query that the committee had posed to the RFM community: "What should Richmond Friends Meeting do regarding race and racism?” Responses to the query were submitted online, were written and placed in a box at the meetinghouse, or were voiced at listening circles. The committee drafted the Proposed Minute on Race and Racism to encapsulate what was learned from the query responses. The ad hoc committee hopes that RFM will unite with a minute in order to clarify the Meeting's purpose and intention as we move forward into action. We invite reflection on this minute at a Meeting for Discernment on December 2 from 10am to 12 noon at the meetinghouse. We hope you can join us.
Richmond Friends Meeting - Proposed Minute on Race and Racism
As Friends, our belief that there is ‘that of God’ in everyone grounds our practice of upholding the worth of each human being. Each person is guided by an Inward Teacher toward truth; each has the capacity to experience and be transformed by Spirit. The fullness of our lives – as individuals and as a community – unfolds as we live into these spiritual truths. Just as we value each person, these core beliefs lead us to value the diversity of culture, race, and ethnicity that enrich the human family. Richmond Friends Meeting commits to being a faith community of deep hospitality for and inclusion of all people.
We recognize that inequality and injustice based on race are deeply rooted in our society. Richmond Friends Meeting commits to challenging and repairing racism in ourselves as individuals, within our Meeting, and in our Meeting’s relationship with the wider world.
We embrace these commitments as guides for our personal lives, our life as a community, and our Meeting’s engagement in the wider world. Living more fully into our commitments will require listening, humility, and a willingness to be transformed. We seek to live into our commitments in these ways:
· RFM will make it a clear, strong priority to understand and act on issues related to race and racism.
· We will be undergirded by our Quaker faith as we embark on this work, seeking to reflect and strengthen our relationship with Spirit.
· As expressions of our faith, our commitment to justice — and our testimonies of equality, community, peace, integrity, simplicity and stewardship — will guide our work.
· Living with integrity means consistency between our actions and our deeply held beliefs. The actions we take will make clear RFM’s stand against racism and will uphold our commitment to nurturing a community inclusive of all people.
· RFM will research and reflect on our history as a meeting in order to discern atonement for past harm and injustices, as well as to recognize sincere efforts at racial progress and healing.
· We will seek to understand the history and ongoing realities of systemic racism. This understanding will be fundamental in discerning action.
· RFM will collaborate with groups and organizations that promote racial healing and seek to dismantle some aspect of structural racism.
· We will seek to follow the leadership of people of color and that of Quaker organizations that are addressing issues of race and racism.
· We recognize that this is an ongoing process, and we hold each other in the Light as we seek to learn, to be transformed, and to be of service.
With Thanks,
Margaret Edds, Allen Lee, co-clerk, Kathleen Morgan, co-clerk, Ruth Morrison, Lynda Perry, Michael Pierce, Monica Shaw, Rita Willet
by WebPost | Sep 20, 2023 | Clerk’s Business
Midlothian Friends has invited us to join them in an exciting community-wide event on September 30, which unfortunately takes place on the same day as our fall retreat, September 30. Even if we can’t be there in person, there is another way to help this year – and there may be opportunities to more fully partner with them in future years, such as running/walking with other Friends in the event, staffing a water stop, and volunteering in other capacities.
Run Richmond 16.19 is a run/walk event with the theme of “Unity in Diversity,” and its two courses lead participants through 400+ years of Black History. It is hosted by the Djimon Hounsou Foundation, together with the City of Richmond, Richmond’s Black History Museum and Richmond Sports Backers, and has community partners including the Elegba Folklore Society, Richmond Public Schools, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, Valentine Museum, and many others.
Midlothian Friends has started a grant fund to reduce fees for low-income runners
through coupon codes. Please spread the word that this is available; they are seeking interested runners, and will fund anyone. Interested runners can contact Carol Rice at 540-603-6419. To support the MFM Grant Fund, you can send contributions to Ann Duncan, MFM Treasurer, via Venmo or check. Designate 1619 Walk/Run on your contribution. Funds raised that are not used towards runners' fees will be donated to the Djimon Hounsou Foundation.
Visit www.runrichmond1619.org to learn more about the event and its historical route.
by WebPost | Sep 11, 2023 | Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Clerk’s Business, Current
The Race and Racism Ad Hoc Committee would like to share the following training provided by BYM:
The BYM Working Group on Racism has arranged for Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training to provide training via Zoom for BYM Friends doing antiracism work in their local Meetings.
September 16th 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Introduction to Systemic Racism
We will gain shared language and frameworks with which to grapple not only with our unwitting legitimization of systemic racism but with what committing to the work of dismantling racism and of cultivating antiracist culture and practice in our Meetings will require. We will also be introduced to strategic methodology that can assist us to organize our work of dismantling racism in our Meetings.
October 14th 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Follow-up
Crossroads will work with us in developing next steps.
Registration
If you wish to attend, please register at this link.
by WebPost | Aug 4, 2023 | Clerk’s Business, Current
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, September 14, 7-8:15 p.m.
Zoom presentation by the C. Wayne Taylor Bequest Ad Hoc Committee
". . .to be used for the direct benefit of needy people residing in the Richmond metropolitan area." This was the only guidance provided in the last will and testament of the late C. Wayne Taylor on the use of his estate after his death in July 2020. Mr. Taylor entrusted to Richmond Friends Meeting that estate and decisions about its distribution to the wider community. Since June 2021, the Ad Hoc committee charged with researching and making recommendations of possible uses of Mr. Taylor's bequest has been hard at work.
In this Zoom presentation, you will learn about the arc of Mr. Taylor's life; what the Ad Hoc committee has discovered from close friends about the values that guided his life; and the research we have conducted over the past two years, with guidance and assistance from community organizations. A Zoom link will be provided the week of September 11.
Randee Humphrey, Denna Joy, Scott Morrison, Barb Pedrotty
C. Wayne Taylor Ad Hoc Committee
by WebPost | Aug 2, 2023 | Clerk’s Business, Current
The Race and Racism Ad Hoc Committee will host 4 listening circles, continuing our charge of engaging the Meeting in an inclusive and open discernment process to learn what our meeting is led to do around race and racism. The listening circles are open to all attenders- whether or not you submitted a written response to the query. Two listening circles will be held in person, and two will be held on zoom. You are invited to attend as many as you would like. Members and attenders who are people of color are invited to contact committee co-clerk Allen Lee who will be organizing and scheduling a listening circle for people of color.
The scheduled listening circles to date, open to all attenders:
August 20th at 12:30 p.m. in the Community Room
August 24th at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
August 27th at 1:00 p.m. in the Worship Room
We are looking forward to your participation.
Thank you,
Allen Lee, co-clerk, Kathleen Morgan, co-clerk, Margaret Edds, Ruth Morrison, Lynda Perry, Michael Pierce, Monica Shaw, Rita Willet
by WebPost | Jul 14, 2023 | Clerk’s Business
Over 50 responses to the query, "What should RFM do regarding race and racism?,” have been received and are now available on the password-protected portion of the Richmond Friends Meeting website. First, go to https://testsite.richmondfriends.org/. Second, click on “Login.” Third, enter the password. Fourth, click on "Ad Hoc Committee on Race and Racism."
If you have any questions or comments, contact any of the members of the Ad Hoc Committee on Race and Racism: Margaret Edds, Allen Lee, Kathleen Morgan, Ruth Morrison, Lynda Perry, Michael Pierce, Monica Shaw, Rita Willett.
