Every congregation is on a different part of their spiritual journey. The same is true for their journey toward racial justice. The Decentering Whiteness Task Force recognizes this and has created a structured program plan designed to support congregations at all stages. We want to meet you where you are, not ask you to jump to a place you’re not ready for.

Our approach is designed to be invitational and action-oriented. We offer three "levels" of engagement, providing a clear pathway for congregations to grow in understanding, courage, and commitment. Congregations can start at a level that aligns with their current journey and comfort, knowing that each level builds upon the last.

• Level One provides foundational understanding and language. This is for churches just beginning their work, focusing on education and awareness.

• Level Two encourages more critical self-examination and dialogue for those who have some familiarity with racial justice concepts and are ready to look inward.

• Level Three challenges congregations to directly confront difficult historical and contemporary symbols and practices that uphold whiteness. This is for churches already engaged in ongoing anti-racism work and ready to move into concrete action.

This structured pathway is not a race; it's a pilgrimage. It allows your congregation to grow at a sustainable pace, building the necessary trust and shared vocabulary to tackle more challenging conversations and actions down the road. Our goal is to empower you to become a more inclusive and equitable faith community.

Next Step: Are you ready to find out which level is right for your congregation? Visit the Our Program: Engaging Your Congregation page on our website to learn more, and stay tuned for our next posts where we'll break down each level in more detail.

Before we can begin a new journey, we need to understand the map. Two terms that are central to this work, and which are often confused, are "racial justice" and "decentering whiteness." While they are deeply connected, they have different focuses.

Click through to read more.

The Southwest Conference is thrilled to introduce our new dedicated website section: Decentering Whiteness: Our Journey Together. This new resource is designed to provide your congregation with clear pathways, resources, and support. Our objective is to deepen your understanding of how whiteness has shaped our society and church life, to build a shared vocabulary, and to create a foundation for ongoing transformation. This is a journey we are taking together, and this new section is our shared map and compass.

Click through to read more.

In our shared journey within the United Church of Christ, we are called to foster spaces of radical hospitality, inclusion, and belonging. Yet, creating such beloved communities requires more than just welcoming words. It demands the courage and skill to address harm when it occurs, particularly when individuals or groups with marginalized identities experience bias, microaggressions, or discrimination. How do we interrupt harm effectively while aiming for understanding and constructive change?

The Decentering Whiteness Task Force of the Southwest Conference of the UCC will be present at the 2025 Annual Meeting in Albuquerque. We will be offering a workshop titled "Calling People In," a method designed to address problematic behaviors or statements, especially those rooted in racial bias, with compassion and education rather than public shaming. In the context of racial justice and decentering whiteness, this approach fosters accountability while recognizing that everyone is on a learning journey, prioritizing understanding and growth over punitive measures. This seeks to create a safer space for dialogue, particularly for those from marginalized groups, by fostering a learning environment where individuals can recognize and correct their biases, thus shifting away from a culture that protects white comfort at the expense of addressing systemic inequity. Additionally, we will host a table with various resources to support churches in their quest for decentering whiteness, both personally and within their congregations. 

Our SWC Decentering Whiteness Taskforce shares their August article, written by Rev. Clara Sims, about resources to learn about The 1619 Project.

"In the ever present prophetic urgency of truth-telling about the origins and legacies we have inherited, we invite you to spend some time in August with any part of this work and trust that you will be inspired by the liberative vision of freedom and dignity for all people that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) resistance and resilience have kept alive."

Many of you were first introduced to the Decentering Whiteness Taskforce during our Annual Meeting. The Decentering Whiteness Taskforce hosted the panel discussion “Decentering Whiteness 101.” We were thrilled with the amount of interest that we received after the panel discussion AND we learned that many folks were confused about who and what we are.  Read this article by Rev. Rhonda Newby-Torres (chair) to learn more.

Juneteenth 2024 - Racial Justice Ministries and Join the Movement invite you to be on a journey of engagement during the week of June 17th by remembering and discovering the healing practices that sustained freedom in the bones of our ancestors, before and after emancipation. Through music and prayer, poetry and art, reflection, and ritual, may we find a medicine bundle, a libation, a Brush Harbor and a clearing, a poultice that teaches us the sound of freedom, echoing from legacies of healing and singing futures of wholeness.

Click here to learn more, and here to register for a webinar on June 20th.

Learn more

Friday, January 14 – Saturday, January 15

Deacon Joan Crawford is providing an online opportunity, "In Solidarity: Antiracism Virtual Workshop" sponsored by the ECC Truth & Reconciliation Commission.

The UCC, continuing and expanding ways to be anti-racist, is taking applications for Sacred Conversations facilitators.

How can congregations deepen their understanding of modern-day colonialism while actively combating social injustice?

Check out anti-racism resources from CHHSM (Council for Health and Human Services Ministries, UCC).

Resources for families, youth leaders, and people who work with youth and children.

Eyes on the Prize: Interfaith Video and Discussion Series on Racial Justice
Every other Monday, Aug. 3 - Oct. 12, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Online (Zoom)

Join racial justice and interfaith leaders for a video and discussion series on the civil rights movement and how it moves us today.