Recently, our small staff at Faith and Work Enterprises was invited by a church group in an affluent suburb between Baltimore and Washington, DC, to have a conversation around race.
This courageous group has been meeting together on Zoom for the last year trying to deal honestly and openly with the racial questions that are being asked throughout our country at this time. It was an honor to share in this helpful conversation.
We were able to talk about how a staff of two white people and one Black person, with a network of supporters who are majority white, are able to successfully work in and with a community which is by far predominately Black.
The answer, in short, revolves around how to become a Black-led, community-led organization. This is not limited to but certainly includes the fact that listening and learning is valued to us over talking and teaching. Humility over confidence. Being led over leading. Walking with over inviting to. And being honest that issues of race truly do matter – both as a team and within the community.
It has been and continues to be so very important to us to talk about and deal with issues of race – and to do so without the need for filters. We have found that our God-given love for and friendships with each other can allow us to let go of the “diplomacy” that is often used and which often gets in the way of real understanding.
One member of the group responded:
What a moving hour or so last night. I think the group was quite enlightened by [the] sobering conversation. Among many things I learned last night is that I (we) have a lot of listening to do. [Your] lack of ‘diplomacy’ is exactly what is needed and I am grateful for it. Would love to meet in person at some point for more frank talk (listening on our part). We need to keep the conversation going.
Do you have people with whom you can speak about issues of race without the need for filters?
As supporters, you have done so much which helps the community of Sandtown-Winchester and the work of Faith and Work Enterprises. If you are not already having helpful conversations about race but would like to, feel free to reach out to us – we’d love to help!
ALSO
A recent donor wrote:
We would like to put the enclosed towards the work of Faith and Work Enterprises for the work you are doing in Sandtown, a great work in our estimation. The stimulus checks we have been receiving we really don’t need, and we felt this would be a much better use of this check. May God richly bless the work you are doing!
THANK YOU again to ALL of our SUPPORTERS!
