Published: June 19, 2020
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Eight Friends from Claremont Meeting joined a wide Circle of Chairs on June 13th, 2020. We spoke from the heart and listened tenderly as fifty-two people of diverse races and faith traditions shared personal experiences with Covid-19, racism, and police violence.
Dialogue partners included members of Pilgrim Place Diversity Advisory Group, the Pomona Valley Branch of the NAACP, and the Pomona Valley Branch of National Council of Negro Women.
Faith leaders and racial justice advocates began meeting three years ago and continue to build bridges of understanding through open, respectful on-line dialogue.
On June 13, facilitators guided worship sharing on these timely queries:
1. Who has touched your life during this time? What has the crisis cost them? How do you reflect on this?
2. What is your perception of this triple pandemic – For yourself? For others? How do you feel when you consider disparities of impact?
3. Where are you in the thread of being together with everyone in this moment? What are your contributions as we move forward?
African-American and white participants voiced positive responses during the evaluation, affirming that this Circle of Chairs meets a need that people are thirsty for—honest dialogue about race during times of chaos and Kairos.
from Judith Favor, Claremont Friends Meeting (06/15/2020)