Anti-racism

Worship Blog

Coming to Terms with Emancipation Day

Rev. Dr. Paul Douglas Walfall writes that the history of Emancipation Day may be inconvenient for some Canadians, but it’s essential to for us all to commemorate this day.

An illustration of two Black arms and hands breaking the shackles which bound them.

Emancipation Day is a Celebration of Our Beauty

Artist Noah Janosch Brown resists the cycle of retraumatization Black people are exposed to on a daily basis, and instead, chooses to celebrate the beauty of the Black community.

An installation of nine replicas of a rotund Black man in a hoodie.

Fresh Off the Boat

Ariel Siagan raises awareness about the situation of Filipino migrant workers in Canada and calls on the church to respond.

Celebrating Asian LGBTQI+ Voices

Video interviews with three queer Christians of Asian descent who have found refuge in the affirming congregations of the United Church.

A screen grab from the video interview with Simon Bondac.

Space for Creation and Discovery

During Pride Month, artist Noah Janosch Brown writes about finding a safe place in a United Church to create art and nurture self-discovery.

A young Black man in a black suit with locks and golden glasses, poses in front of one of his art works, a depiction of a trans-Atlantic slave ship holdings.

God Gives Us Abundant Life

For Asian Heritage Month 2021, Klaus Simon Bondoc shares how his discovery of God’s love and acceptance led him on the path toward ministry.

Klaus Simon Bondoc, a young Fillipino man with a brilliant smile, appears to be exclaiming while dressed in a white alb.

The Blessings of Community

For Asian Heritage Month 2021, a blog writer tells of her experience navigating the complexities of her Asian and LGBT2Q+ identity.

A Group of People Stand Silhouetted by the Setting Sun

Addressing Racialized Trauma and Mental Health

Patricia Watson’s review of the book "My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies."

A Black woman sits on a couch reading a book, beneath a picture of a zebra.

An Invitation to Listen as We Walk the Path of Reconciliation

Elder Alf Dumont in a conversion about the work of reconciliation and how starting at the beginning again can be a good way to move forward together.

Alf Dumont, an Indigenous man, stands beside a creek, smiling and looking upstream.

On Racism and White Allies

Rev. Sun-Young "Sunny" Kim writes on the need for progressive White people to show humility when it comes to confronting racism.

Dismantling White Privilege in the Church

Executive Minister Shannon McCarthy writes about the ways she is learning to confront White supremacy in the structures of the church and paving the way for others.

Twelve Steps toward Ending White Supremacy

The author recommends a 12-step treatment process for White people to end the violence of White supremacy.

A hand print indicating ENOUGH on red background.

A Strategic Approach to Tackling Racism

Moses Kanhai explores ways to develop a strategic plan to end racism.

A collage of illustrated faces representing diversity.

Forgiveness as a Way of Life

The Rev. Marie-Claude Manga reflects on her ministry and work as an ordained Black woman with The United Church of Canada

The Rev. Marie-Claude Manga, standing in front of an artwork, dressed in a brown jacket.

Building a "Quilt of Belonging"

For Black History Month, Patricia Watson shares about ways to teach Black history using a variety of artistic expressions.

One Instrument in the Orchestra

Nancy Oliver-MacKenzie writes about the role of Montreal's Union United Church as a force for social justice for the Black community and beyond.

Get Over It? Or Confront It?

Sara Stratton writes that the path to true reconciliation and understanding requires an honest confrontation of the past.

Unmasking Hard Truths

Rev. Dr. Paul Douglas Walfall reflects on the truths unmasked by 2020 and hopes what we have seen will bring change in 2021.

A colourful illustration of a diverse group of people wearing pandemic masks - they are in a group but not interacting.

Responding in Hope to the Disruption of Pandemic

Activist and scholar Kofi Hope says Canada’s self-image is being challenged by the pain of the pandemic, bringing new realities to view.

A casual portrait of Kofi Hope, a young Black man, sitting outside near a motor bike.

A Call for Social Holiness

Rev. Dr. Paul Douglas Walfall writes that to be prophetic in the face of racial intolerance is to proclaim the extravagant grace of God by the way we live.

Rev. Paul Douglas Walfall speaking at the 43rd General Council.

Note from Nora: A Time for Listening

General Secretary Nora Sanders writes that, when we fail to recognize that our acceptance of inequality is a form of racism, we fail to live up to our basic Christian commitments.

A Black woman seen from behind while holding a large Black Lives Matter flag during a march in downtown Toronto.

Note from Nora: Celebrating Church Union in Times of Change

June 10, 2020: Happy anniversary to all of us in The United Church of Canada. Our church is 95 years old today!

Do you wonder, like me, what those founders from 1925 would make of our church – and our world – today?

So much that we take for… Read more

A diverse mass of people with "Black Lives Matter" signs demonstrate against racism in Montreal.

Dear White People

Rev. Dr. Paul Douglas Walfall calls on White people in the church to put their love into action to counteract racism.

The author Paul Douglas Walfall (left) marches with the members of the United Church of Canada Delegation to the ACT March to End Racism carry a United Church banner at the event.

Working toward Wholeness

As a recent immigrant from Asia, Rev. SunDo Hyun finds that opening oneself to intercultural opportunities — despite the challenges — can be transforming and life-giving.

Kendrick Lamar as Prophet

Wendy Gichuru reflects on how the negotiation of sacred and profane in Kendrick Lamar’s music contributes to the making of Black meaning.

Rapper Kendrick Lamar performs on stage, wearing a black t-shirt and a black baseball cap, he holds a microphone with one hand and raises the other above this head, with three fingers in the air.

Learning to Be Black

Rev. Andrew Kinoti Lairenge writes that growing up in post-colonial Kenya, he did not know what it was to be a person of colour or visible minority. It is in Canada that he is learning to be Black.

A portrait of Rev. Andrew Kinoti Lairenge, a middle-aged Black man with very short hair and kind eyes. Slightly smiling.

My History is African Centred and It’s Beautiful

Dr. Velda Love of the United Church of Christ writes that her history is African centred and it’s beautiful.

Dr. Velda Love of the United Church of Christ, a Black woman in an indigo wrap, with very closely cropped hair, a brilliant smile, and long earrings, looks directly at the camera.

Rev. Dr. Bentley de Bardelaben-Phillips of the United Church of Christ, writes about the recent powerful tour he took with colleagues to the Alabama cities of Birmingham and Montgomery, where much civil rights history took place.

A portrait of Rev. Dr. Bentley de Bardelaben-Phillips, a Black man with glasses and a thin black and grey beard. He has a bright smile and is wearing a dark suit.

February Isn’t Enough for Black History

Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson writes about the UN International Decade for People of African Descent and how it extends the opportunity to focus on Black history beyond February.

A portrait of Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, a Black woman with beautiful braids atop her head in a bun, wearing a clergy collar and a metal owl pendant.

Responding in Repentance and Hope

For the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, Peter Cruchley writes about the Council for World Mission’s efforts to seek truth and make reparations for its historic role in support of slavery.

An etching from the 1800s which shows a battle in the Demerara revolt which slaves charging through a field of cane, causing the British to retreat.

Living Our Diversity

In the wake of Don Cherry’s divisive and hurtful statements, Rev. Dr. Paul Douglas Walfall asks, “Why is it that immigrants and people of colour have become the punching bag for some in our society?”

A photo of a Canadian flag on a flagpole apparently being found at the foot of a rainbow, against the contrast of a dramatic dark sky.

Challenging Our Assumptions

Paul Douglas Walfall writes that if we are to claim diversity, we need to challenge our assumptions about who and what is normative in Canada and in the church.

A cross and heart image is seen in a back-lit window with yellow and brown tones.

Queer? Absolutely. Black? Not So Sure.

Basil Coward asks, Can you be both queer and Black, and enjoy a celebrated and visible presence in the United Church?

The author, a middle-aged Black man, leans against a wall and smiles.

Privilege in the LGBTIQ2S+ Community

Jordan Sullivan asks, “What measure of privilege are we willing to give up to create equity for others?”

Jordan Sullivan, a White man with blue eyes and a goatee, smiles brightly at the camera.

Our Diverse Heritages Are Gifts to Give and Receive

For Asian Heritage Month, YoonOK Shin writes that our diverse heritages are gifts to give and receive, transforming bleak cultural boundaries.

Author YoonOk Shin and the United Church Women of Alberta and Northwest Conference pose for a group shot with the shopping bags they sewed.

Eggs to End Racism: A Cautionary Tale

In this blog post for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Sara Stratton writes that it is a tremendous act of presumption and privilege to assume that we are “all the same inside.”

Ten eggs sit in a straw lined basket. Six of the eggs are brown, two are white, and two are light blue.

Do You Know Who I Am?

“Your English is so good!” she said politely as I sought to explain the nature of the transaction I would like to undertake. I couldn’t help but respond, “Well I am from a British colony.” I have never been assessed by the quality of my English before but I guess there is a first time for… Read more

The Rev. Sadekie Lyttle-Forbes, a portrait of a Black woman with long hair, dressed in a white alb with a colourful stole draped around her shoulders.

As Purple to Lavender

Row on row we stood… in the brand new courtyard… row on row of young girls in navy tunics or navy skirts, white starched shirts, ties, and polished oxfords. I wore my new navy blazer with its red school crest, because it was a special occasion. The Honourable Lieutenant Governor… Read more

Rev. B. Maya Douglas, a Black woman, stands smiling among the pews of her church, wearing an alb and colourful embroidered stole.

Note from Nora: Black History Month Is about the History of All of Us

Black History Month is about the history of all of us.

That was brought home to me loud and clear when I read Paul Douglas Walfall’s blog about the role of United Church ministers in supporting the… Read more

Facing the Past, Transforming the Future

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” —Maya Angelou, “On the Pulse of Morning”

The author in the centre, leads a group of Black clergy on a visit to the cemetery at Amber Valley, AB.

God Isn’t Done with Us

My earliest church memories are tethered to St. James-Bond United Church in Toronto. (Of course, we called it “Bond…St. James Bond, United Church,” with a Sean Connery burr.) I won’t elaborate with tales of basketball courts and bowling alleys, wonderful ministers, witty musicians, finger… Read more

A brilliant double rainbow over a green field. A solitary tree stands beneath the apex of the colourful arch.

The Journey Now Start!

On Friday, July 27 as I sat in the General Council meeting, a flood of emotions, thoughts, and reactions washed over me. I had no idea that the plenary would have taken the direction it took. I listened… Read more

Paul Douglas Walfall, a Black man with glasses and a graying beard, in a blue shirt, is shown from the shoulders up, speaking to General Council.

Got Privilege?

I had the amazing privilege (no pun intended) of attending the White Privilege Conference Global in May, held for the first time in Canada. (It has been held in the U.S. for the past 19 years). It was an amazing event, and I was delighted that other than school boards, The United Church of… Read more

Thanks Be to God

We are not alone.

I remember the day that these words took on new meaning for me.

People in coats wait on a subway platform to board a train

Acknowledging My Privilege

I was invited to the May 9–12 White Privilege Conference at Ryerson University, Toronto, by Springwater Hester-Meawassige, Youth Leadership Coordinator for the Aboriginal Ministry Circle of the United Church. She invited me because… Read more

A white woman holds a sign that says, "I acknowledge my white privilege" during a protest.

A Call to Repent and Act to End Racism

It was one of those mornings where I had 30 minutes of stuff to do before I left home, but only five minutes to get into the car and get to the office. I stopped to look at my phone and there it was an email from the General Secretary. My first thoughts were, “What have I done now?” The email… Read more

Allies Need to Show Up

I was wondering if you might be available to write a Bible study for Black History Month?

“There’s no way I can do this,” was my first thought when asked by those at the United Church General Council Office to contribute a Bible study for Black History Month. Me, a White guy,… Read more

White allies holding signs supporting racial justice a march in Washington, D.C., Sept. 2017.

Practicing the Inclusion We Preach

Full disclosure. I am a Black man. I was born in Jamaica and I am an immigrant to Canada. Having served as an ordained minister of The Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas, I am now an ordained minister of The United Church of Canada. I wanted to say this upfront so that you can… Read more

Rev. Paul Douglas Walfall in his clergy robes, presiding over a meeting in the United Church's Alberta and Northwest Conference.

What is at Stake in Battleford?

This reflection is offered by the All My Relations Network of Saskatchewan Conference on… Read more

I Am a Racist Working on Becoming an Anti-Racist Ally

I am a racist – a recovering racist. My workplace has helped me open my heart and mind to how racism shaped me. As editor of the At the Heart of Justice blog, I was pleased to uplift the theme of racial justice. What I came to understand was that my pleasure reflected… Read more

Tracking Testimony

Canada became my home at the age of five. I entered the Canadian education system as a kindergarten student. Although I felt some racial tension throughout elementary school, it was not until I reached high school that racism became bluntly obvious. Upon my acceptance into high school I was… Read more

The Corridor of Privilege

We stood in the hallway of a retreat centre and listened to our instructions. The animator would read us a question. If our answer was yes, we were to take a step forward. If our answer was no, we were to stay where we were.

The animator told us to move forward if this statement was true… Read more

White Privilege: The Elephant in the Room

That our United Church of Canada is undergoing change goes without saying. As generational and demographic experiences of church have shifted, the church has been exploring many matters which centre on diversity and inclusivity.

Who Is My Neighbour?

He was beautiful to me. We exchanged knowing glances and I thought “he could be my son.” Then a subway authority officer stopped him, the twinkle left his eye, and my heart sank.

Cherishing & Celebrating Racial Differences

Canada is often ranked as “the best place to live.” We often perceive Canada to be a friendly and accepting place. But for some it is a place where they experience racism.

Racism is a system of oppression. It is fed by individual and collective attitudes, and by actions that discriminate… Read more