Bending the Arc

The Civil Rights Act shapes our current choices and how faith calls us to advance the common good through a principled and active commitment to resist racism.

Sixty years ago, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed and signed into law after a long moral and political struggle. This act fundamentally changed the United States, enacting legal protections against racial discrimination, prohibiting discrimination in public places, integrating schools and other public facilities, and making employment discrimination illegal. Catholic and other religious communities played key roles in this effort, which offered hope to people who had been excluded from opportunities in education, housing, and employment simply based on race, color, or national origin.

These are not abstract or historical issues. As Pope Francis has said, “Racism is a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding and lurks in waiting. Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think.” For Catholics and others of goodwill, we are called to examine our history and act now to defend the lives and dignity of all our sisters and brothers. After 60 years, what has changed and what has not? How has racial discrimination been overcome, and where and how does it continue? In particular, what are the key racial justice issues facing voters, parties, and candidates as we choose a future for our nation this November?

On June 4, a dialogue, co-sponsored with Georgetown University’s Racial Justice Institute and Center on Faith and Justice, explored how this history shapes our current choices and how faith calls us to advance the common good through a principled and active commitment to resist racism and ensure that we continue to honor and protect the essential freedoms that the Civil Rights Act enacted for all Americans 60 years ago. This recording is available now.
 

Sisters formally announce the adoption of their anti-racism stance just as the country celebrates Juneteenth.

Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States.

On June 11, 2024, CSA released the following press release to announce their formal adoption of their Anti-Racism stance. They continue their celebration - and the response that comes with anti-racist work - at Fond du Lac’s annual Juneteenth Celebration, Saturday, June 15 at Buttermilk Park from 11 am - 5 pm. All are encouraged to attend or find a celebration in your area. Here are details of a couple more events happening in Wisconsin this month: 

June 15 @ Penn Park in Madison - 11am - 6 pm

June 19 in Milwaukee - 9 am - 4 pm  

The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) has officially adopted a corporate stance on anti-racism. The stance has also been affirmed by the US CSA Associates.

CSA Corporate Stance on Anti-Racism
Reaffirming our commitment to those whose faith life or human dignity is threatened in any way, the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) opposes racism in all forms, encourages education, and supports actions to eliminate racism, bringing understanding of our complicity, prejudice, bias, and privilege to the forefront.

Sisters of St. Agnes have been working to reduce the impacts of racism and bigotry in various ways for many years. As early as 1850, CSA Founder Father Rehrl opened schools to all children regardless of background or religion. In the 1960s, many sisters took part in fair housing marches in Chicago and Milwaukee. In 1983, CSA opened Unity House in inner-city Chicago as a haven for those seeking cross-cultural immersion through residential living. These are a few examples of activities that contributed to CSA receiving the MLK Spirit Award from Marian University in 2020. Today, CSA continues this long-standing culture of justice and call to action with their adoption of the CSA Corporate Stance on Anti-Racism.

During the last half of 2023, the sisters and associates spent time intentionally studying racism and how to be actively anti-racist on a day-to-day basis. Each month, sisters and associates spent time researching individually and in small groups focusing on topics of defining race and racism, how to be an anti-racist, recognizing personal bias and bias in media, racial inequities in housing, education, and criminal justice systems, exploring white privilege, white fragility, and public fear around critical race theory and white replacement theory, and finally delving into healing, repair, and justice. A small group also gathered for an intergenerational discussion with local high schoolers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January.

In early February, the entire congregation voted to issue an official corporate stance on anti-racism. CSA has issued six corporate stances since 1987 with the following rationale: 
“As CSA, our promise has, from the start, been to follow and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have done so through teaching, care of the sick, the aged, orphans, and wayfarers. As global realities have become increasingly apparent, so also has our awareness been heightened to issues regarding the dignity of persons, human rights, and justice; the need for structural change; efforts at ‘simplicity of life’ and a greater appreciation of the gifts of creation. The concerns that we pray about and the causes that we pray for have grown.

“That is not enough. We must use all the power we have, first in areas where we have direct impact, through the services we ourselves provide or through our sponsored ministries, then through wise use of our power as shareholders in significant corporations and membership in significant organizations with a social justice agenda. After appropriate study and discussion, we can make public statements of our convictions in areas of major or global importance and concern. These statements, our corporate stance, help create the positive pressure that can lead to a more just society.” - CSA Policy on Corporate Stances

CSA will have a booth at Ebony Vision’s 16th Annual Juneteenth Celebration at Buttermilk Park, June 15, 2024, from 11:00am-5:00pm. Juneteenth, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
 

In June, we celebrate and recognize Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questing, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA) Pride Month in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history; locally, nationally, and internationally.  The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that LGBTQIA individuals have had on history; locally, nationally, and internationally. Learn more about the history of Pride Month here.    

The Wisconsin Unitarian Universalist State Action Network has put this impressive list of Pride events happening in communities across Wisconsin this month. Attend one in your area!

• Wausau Pride - June 1
• Pridefest Milwaukee - June 6-8
• Chippewa Valley Pride - June 8
• Stevens Point Pride - June 14
• The Big Gay Market - Madison - June 15
• Viroqua Pride - June 22
• Sheboygan Pride Picnic - June 22
• Fox Valley Pride - June 22
• Pride Picnic Fond du Lac - June 23
• Open Door Pride - Sturgeon Bay - June 29
• Oshkosh Pride - June 29
• Marshfield Pride - June 29
• Kenosha Pride - July 6
• Watertown Pride - July 27
• Pride in the Park - LaCrosse - September 7
• N.E.W. Pride - Green Bay - September 20 & 21

If you know of a Pride event that is not listed above, please call or text Building Unity at 608-630-3633 to have it added to the list.

The U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, in partnership with the Ministry of the Arts, offers a Prayer Card for Pride 2024.

CSA’s JPIC Office is a proud co-sponsor of a special virtual Pride Month Prayer Service on June 25 at 6 pm CT. 

Register here

This summer, the Fond du Lac Public Library will offer monthly showings of the documentary “The Right to Read” in the McLane Room (32 Sheboygan St., Fond du Lac).

• June 19 at 6 p.m.
• July 24 at noon
• August 21 at 6 p.m.

The Right to Read shares the stories of an activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read. 

When a child can’t read, their chances of incarceration, homelessness, and unemployment increase. That's why Oakland-based NAACP activist Kareem Weaver believes literacy is one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time and is fighting for better reading instruction. “What good is winning the right to vote if we can’t even read the ballot?” Fed up with the bleak reading scores in his own community, Kareem files a petition with the Oakland Unified School District demanding change. 

No RSVP required!

Visit The Right to Read film website

Georgetown University offers another great public dialogue that will address challenges and questions for voters and the nation in 2024.

Sixty years ago, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed and signed into law after a long moral and political struggle. This act fundamentally changed the United States, enacting legal protections against racial discrimination, prohibiting discrimination in public places, integrating schools and other public facilities, and making employment discrimination illegal. Catholic and other religious communities played key roles in this effort, which offered hope to people who had been excluded from opportunities in education, housing, and employment simply based on race, color, or national origin. 

These are not abstract or historical issues. As Pope Francis has said, “Racism is a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding and lurks in waiting. Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think.” For Catholics and others of goodwill, we are called to examine our history and act now to defend the lives and dignity of all our sisters and brothers. After 60 years, what has changed and what has not? How has racial discrimination been overcome, and where and how does it continue? In particular, what are the key racial justice issues facing voters, parties, and candidates as we choose a future for our nation this November?

Join Tuesday, June 4 at 6 pm CT. The event will be livestreamed and recorded for later viewing. 

REGISTER HERE

This Public Dialogue with four respected leaders will explore how this history shapes our current choices and how faith calls us to advance the common good through a principled and active commitment to resist racism and ensure that we continue to honor and protect the essential freedoms that the Civil Rights Act enacted for all Americans 60 years ago.
 

During Black History Month 2024, CSA Sisters and Associates affirmed a stance on Anti-Racism. How are we doing today?

The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes’ Corporate Stance on Anti-Racism states: “Reaffirming our commitment to those whose faith life or human dignity is threatened in any way, the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) opposes racism in all forms, encourages education, and supports actions to eliminate racism, bringing understanding of our complicity, prejudice, bias, and privilege to the forefront.”

After an extensive 6-month study on racism, CSA sisters and associates discovered there is always more to learn and that the work of anti-racism is ours to do, always. The article, 6 Things White People Say That Highlight Their Privilege was first written by Kelsey Borreson in June 2020, very shortly after the murder of George Floyd. She updated this article earlier this year, and it is a must-read for all who want to be an ally in the fight against racism. To do so, we must acknowledge our white privilege. Then take action that supports the Black community. Read her article.

After you’ve read the article, return to this post and start a conversation by commenting at the bottom. We’d love to hear how you are doing and what you’re learning.  

For example, I’d like to share that a few weeks ago I found these “Our Tone” Band-Aids in my local grocery store. Until I realized my white privilege, I took for granted that band-aids matched my skin tone, but not the tones of some of my friends.

Lastly, please be sure to find a Juneteenth celebration in your community next month. CSA is a co-sponsor of Ebony Vision’s 16th Annual Juneteenth celebration here in Fond du Lac, WI on June 15 at Buttermilk Park. If able, please stop by our table to say hello and engage in additional anti-racism activities.

The Sisters of Notre Dame are hosting a special screening of the film Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom on Monday, June 17 at 6:30 pm CT. This feature length documentary reveals the deep spiritual significance of America’s newest federal holiday. Viewers are taken on an emotional and inspiring journey highlighting Juneteenth as a day we celebrate the resilient hope that empowered the formerly enslaved and their descendants to fight for freedom and justice. No advance registration is required. Simply use the following Zoom link (Meeting ID: 871 4892 1669) to attend the June 17th film screening.  
 

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Reflect and celebrate the important role AANHPIs have played in our shared history.

You are encouraged to explore the many resources available online or find and attend events in your area. The Paine Art Center in Oshkosh, WI has the current exhibit, Mao Lor: A Journey through Hmoob Paj Ntaub and Suitcase from Niam: Khoom Phij Cuam. May 19, 2024, is Hmong Celebration Free Day. Free programs during the day include a panel discussion with the artists and curators of this exhibition; dance and musical performances; and artmaking workshops. As the day begins, free food will be served while supplies last. All ages are encouraged to attend. No reservation is necessary.

Learn more here

You may also wish to visit the federal website for other interesting stories, events and resources.

During the week of April 15, the Fond du Lac campus of Moraine Park Technical College invites the community to walk through a “Tunnel of Oppression.” Tunnel of Oppression features the emotionally immersive experience of a live interactive theater in a safe environment. Groups can request a facilitated debrief by contacting Leslie Laster at llaster1@morainepark.edu. Some content may be difficult for younger viewers.

April 15-19, 2024
Mon: 10am-6pm // COMMUNITY NIGHT 4-6pm
Tue, Wed, Thu: 8am-4:30pm & Fri 8am - 12pm
MPTC FDL Campus Conference Center
Parking Lot C, Door O-2

This exhibit is free and open to the public. No registration required.
 

Black Catholic groups in Missouri will celebrate the late African-American nun and activist with a centennial Mass and honorary presentation, which will be livestreamed for all to join.

This week celebrates the centennial of the birth of the late Sister Mary Antona Ebo, FSM, a Catholic nun who broke barriers for Black women and famously marched with Dr. Martin Luther King as one of the “Sisters of Selma.” A special event on Saturday, April 13 at 2 pm will be livestreamed on the St. Alphonsus YouTube channel for all to partake in the celebration.

Read the full article from Black Catholic Messenger
 

Last week, star CNN Reporter Donie O'Sullivan, had a two-hour conversation with MICAH Reverends Richard Shaw, Joseph Jackson Jr., and Dennis Jacobsen. Part of that conversation discussing MICAH’s “We All Belong Campaign” will be included in a CNN story on White Christian Nationalism featured on Anderson Cooper Show, April 11..

Pastors Richard, Joe and Jake each chair a Team of the “We All Belong Campaign,” designed to Save Democracy, Resist White "Christian" Nationalism, and Build Beloved Community. The Campaign is driven by these Teams: Direct Action, Education, Media, IVE (Integrated Voter Education), and Logistics. The Campaign is coordinated by the We All Belong Steering Committee, composed of MICAH Religious Leaders.

Additionally, last Friday night, the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay, WI, hosted nearly 700 people in-person and via live stream for a We All Belong event featuring Jim Wallis. Mr. Wallis shared a message both biblical and agitational. Click here for that recording and please share it broadly!

We All Belong is an important Campaign! You can participate by joining one of the Teams or helping out with data input, phone calls or correspondence.

Contact: weallbelong@wisdomwisconsin.org
Make a donation: https://bit.ly/WeAllBelongDonate
Check out their website: https://bit.ly/WABwebsite 
 

Use their resources:
Talking Points We All Belong
We All Belong Campaign Brochure
White Christian Nationalism Resource List
What is White Christian Nationalism and How Do We Recognize It?
Save the Dates Flyer for the Rally for Democracy!
 

March 25 is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. 

The racialized system of enslavement brutally dehumanized Africans and their descendants for centuries. Its legacy persists to this day. You are invited to take some time to view the short 2023 video messages from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the address by Professor Bryan Stevenson on reckoning with the legacy of slavery and creating a new era of liberation, justice and truth that our world desperately needs.  

On a trip to New York in February 2023, Justice Coordinator, Tracy Abler, visited the Ark of Return memorial on the United Nations Visitors Plaza. This was dedicated on March 25, 2015 and serves as a permanent memorial to the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, which the UN has acknowledged as one of the most horrific tragedies of modern history. Tracy will be in New York again on March 25 and hopes to visit the memorial again in honor of the 9-year anniversary of its installation.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on March 21.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination commemorated the tragic day in 1960 when police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid. In 1979, the UN General Assembly decided that a week of solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination should be organized annually in all States (3/21-3/27). Learn more.

Three years ago, UNESCO created this video. It still calls us to:” Read. Observe. Learn. Listen. Keep Quiet is not an option. Take Action!”

In this divided and wounded world, recognizing and addressing systemic racism and racial bias is essential if we are to witness and reveal the oneness for which Jesus Christ was sent. The School Sisters of Notre Dame offer links to other dismantling racism resources.

National Farmworker Awareness Week is March 25-31. It is a call to action for communities to help raise awareness of the millions of essential workers that plant, raise, grow, handle, harvest, pack and ship the food we consume. It emphasizes the important and essential contributions they make to the food supply chain. You are invited to take time to read this very inspiring article about the Fair Food Program and the difference it is making for farm workers. Additional resources for awareness building and engagement are available from the Equitable Food Initiative and on the National Farm Worker Ministry website.

Click here for prayer resources.

Join Women for Women International’s art competition between now and March 18 for a chance to win a goodie bag and a voucher to get yourself more art supplies! 

How to Enter: 

• Create a piece of art on the theme #SheDares. You can use any creative medium you’d like.
• Enter a post on social media and share what the piece means to you - who or what inspired your art?
• Submit your piece by March 18, 2024.
• The winner will be announced on March 29.

LEARN MORE HERE.

Not an artist? There are many other ways you can celebrate this month. View this page to read stories, register to attend virtual events, receive book recommendations or tune into podcasts.

In honor of Women’s History Month, CSA’s JPIC Office made a donation to Women for Women International to help women struggling to regain their lives and their dignity as they recover from the ravages of war. You can also make a donation here.

In Fall 2020, the Black Catholic Messenger was formed among a group of Black Catholic laypeople and allies who agreed that the Catholic media landscape was missing something: an online publication for Black Catholics. They decided to change that.

Visit their website to enjoy a variety of Opinions, Events, Poetry, Reviews and more or enjoy a subscription at blackcatholicmessenger.org

The CSA JPIC Office recently made a small donation to support the mission of Black Catholic Messenger (BCM) and the many services that help bring Black Catholic media to the world. 

Additionally, National Catholic Reporter has designated a page to BCM stories, which can be found here: www.ncronline.org/authors/black-catholic-messenger

Outreach is an LGBTQ Catholic resource that offers news, essays, resources, and community for LGBTQ Catholics and those who minister with them in the Catholic Church worldwide.

The Outreach website features original articles from theologians, scholars, church leaders, family members and many others, both lay and clergy. It also provides information about our conferences and gatherings.

Outreach operates under the auspices of America Media, a Jesuit ministry, and is rooted in the love of Jesus, who reached out to all those who felt excluded. James Martin, S.J. is the editor at large at America Media and founder of Outreach. He is also a consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication and a member of the Synod of Bishops. Learn more at https://outreach.faith/

The CSA JPIC Office made a small donation to Outreach to support their work. You can, too!

An NPR video series celebrates the Black Experience

National Public Radio offers a collection of some of their best podcast episodes and features from across the Black Experience. Some might make you laugh. Some might make you feel inspired. Others might make you uncomfortable. And some might make you feel all of that in the same 5-minute segment of Black Stories. Black Truths. Listen here.

United for Diversity’s 15th Annual CELEBRATE commUNITY was held February 17, 2024, at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds Expo Center and CSA was there.

More than 60 booths were set up representing the beautiful diversity of the Fond du Lac community by way of culture, religion, ability, identity, language, food, and music. Additionally, several organizations and agencies were present to show the community how they represent and celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion in Fond du Lac.  

Sister Rose Kowalski and Associate Tracy Abler were part of the opening ceremony, bearing flags for the countries they were representing, Nicaragua and Tanzania. Sister Rose spent 40 years living and working with the people of Nicaragua. Tracy has been working with Sister Stella Storch, OP, and recently took over leadership of the Aids Orphan Sewing project in Bulkoba, Tanzania.

CSA was a co-sponsor of the event and actively staffed their booth with several sisters and associates throughout the four-hour event. They shared a variety of informational brochures on the conservancy and tours, the Associate Relationship, upcoming events such as their Earth Day Fair, sign-up sheets, and of course, their big smiles, passion, and charism.

Sisters Julie Ann Krahl and Clare Lawlor were found representing St. Vincent de Paul’s Getting Ahead Program booth. CSA was also seen in the smiling faces of Sister Ruth Battaglia with Sustain Fond du Lac; Sisters Jean Braun and Josephine Goebel and Associate Carol Cooper with All God’s Family LGBTQ+ Support Group; Sister Mary Rose Obholz with Fond du Lac Literacy Services; and Sister Donna Innes with the FDL Center for Spirituality and Healing along with Associate, Michael Ketterhagen.

We are very grateful to CSA photographer, Mary Christopherson, for catching many of the memories. See all the photos here.

Troubled by polarizing political conversations with friends and family? Help is on the way!

I recently attended my first virtual national debate with an organization called, Braver Angels. The mission of Braver Angels is simple—to bring America together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.

The February 8 debate topic was “Resolved: Close the Border.” Nearly 200 participants attended this 2-hour debate via Zoom. The debate was led by a chairperson who laid out the rules: 1) There is no hierarchy; all have the right to share opinions. 2) Only say what you truly believe. 3) There is a special procedure for asking questions; you only ask the chair and not address the giver of the speech. 4) Speeches are limited to 4 minutes each. This is “The Braver Angel’s Way.” The resolve is introduced and individuals go back and forth to state their reason why they affirm or not affirm the resolve. This allows both sides to hear one another and hopefully be touched by the other's response/experience. There is no intent to change minds.

I sat as a silent observer, only tempted to respond a couple of times, but I never did. I cannot express how refreshing and humbling this experience was, and how grateful I am to have had it. It is a wonderful opportunity to hear what “the other side” thinks and why. You find there are valid points you had not considered. You find there is hope in people bridging their differences.

The next debate is Thursday, February 29, at 7 pm CT. The topic: “Resolved: My Vote Doesn't Count.” I encourage you to register and experience this. When you register, you have the opportunity to sign up as a speaker, if you’d like. Otherwise, if so moved during the debate, you can chat with your assigned “whip” and let them know you’d like to be considered as a speaker, if time allows. These debates are offered for free or appreciate donations. You can also become a Braver Angels member for $15 and participate in the debates and many other helpful training sessions and webinars at a reduced or no cost.

Now, Braver Angels is not the only organization doing this type of work. There are others that I have not yet looked into. I welcome anyone to look into others and let me know what you think! tabler@csasisters.org

Check these out!

• Starts With Us - Overcoming Extreme Division Starts With Us
• The International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (ICCCR)’s EXTENSIVE list of Organizations Transforming Polarization & Division

CSA’s latest Chapter statement calls us to: Strengthen the bond that unites us. We deepen the bond by:

• Acknowledging and owning our historic and current realities.
• Addressing our unexamined narratives.
• Moving forward with creative resolutions toward reconciliation and justice
• Committing to develop mutual relationships through synodality, education, and awareness of culture, history, and politics. 

After more than a decade of living with some of the worst partisan gerrymandering in the country, Gov. Tony Evers signs fair voting maps into law for Wisconsin.

February 19, 2024, was a great day for democracy in Wisconsin when the state finally got fair maps. The maps don’t guarantee a legislative majority to the Republicans or to the Democrats. Wisconsin is an evenly-divided state and the new maps make it likely that our State Assembly and State Senate will reflect that. 

This spring’s nonpartisan election is April 2. Please vote and remind your friends, family and neighbors to vote. To see what is on your ballot, go to myvote.wi.gov. For our democracy to keep working for us, we need to participate in all elections. We also need to remember that our elected officials work for us and may need to be reminded of that from time to time.

LCWR invites members to join in collective discernment on the work of transformative justice.

Between November 2023 and November 2024, CSA is partnering with Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), who is looking at the 2024 U.S. national election campaign through the lens of transformative justice. LCWR invites all to engage in this collective discernment on “What is ours to do in this time?” The work of transformative justice is grounded in contemplation and is an engagement in learning the skills and practices that will lead to decision-making and action that leads to being in right relationship with Earth and all human persons.

The transformative justice initiative for this year is entitled, “Transforming Grace: The Work of Transformative Justice.” “Transforming Grace” invites participants to take responsibility for the personal and collective responses we can make in the challenges we will encounter during the national election period. The initiative follows the liturgical calendar. During each liturgical season, LCWR will be providing one-page reflections that can be used personally and in groups to look at how we can respond to the challenges of this time in the United States in ways that might create harmony and increase understanding of differences. These reflections include: a short video, a brief reading, two or three questions intended to deepen conversation, and a prayer grounded in our contemplative commitment. Each reflection tool will be designed for a 60-75 minute session.

Read the reflections.

The schedule is as follows:

Transforming Consciousness:  November 2023 thru the Christmas Season
Transforming Presence: January 2024 thru Lent into Easter
Transforming Care: Easter Season into Pentecost 2024
Transforming Practice: June 2024 thru November 2024

Indulge yourself in the plethora of events, readings, videos, and other resources to deepen your knowledge of black history. 

A Google search will undoubtedly take you to hundreds of interesting places, but we’ve gathered a few of our favorites to get you started in your learning and celebration of Black History Month:

The National Museum of African American History & Culture highlights 2024 with the theme of Art as a platform for social justice.

Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) are the Founders of Black History Month. Their website offers many interesting resources to include this video.

National Black Sisters’ Conference

African American Midwest website

Smithsonian events, arts resources, podcasts, and general resources

Alicia Garza, one of the three women who conceived of and popularized the slogan #BlackLives Matter refers to February as Black Futures Month in this YES! Magazine article.

Season 4 of the SSND Podcast Called to Action focuses on the issue of racial justice.

The School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) have supported women’s education and enrichment since its founding in 1833. To continue the tradition of education and enrichment, SSND Central Pacific (CP) Province created a podcast, Called to Action, which features sisters, lay colleagues, associates and SSND ministry leaders in our communities. The conversations in each season cover the five Shalom focus areas of Care of Creation, Immigration and Refugees, Human Trafficking, Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace and Racial Justice.

Subscribe to their podcast, Called to Action, through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. A new episode is released every other week!

You can also listen to recordings of last three seasons and get caught up in season four from their website.