APPENDIX A

NCCJ'S FAITH LEADERS INITIATIVE

DELIVERABLES

(Bulleted items have been completed)

1. NCCJ will lead participating faith communities to

leaders to explore their own issues surrounding

identify and name racism as a sin, an evil that must

prejudices, stereotypes, and racism and to foster a

be addressed, and a problem of the heart:

greater sense of trust, develop more flexible outlooks,

and create a problem solving process. Create a

  Action item: Develop a joint statement to be dispersed

programming model for their organizations to replicate

by the participating national organizations, their

at a local or congregational level.

congregations, and members.

Action item: Select theological students will

  Action item: Create a booklet of theological

participate in an initiative that focuses on the

underpinnings and scriptural concepts that are held in

following: racial attitudes and behaviors at a personal

common, naming racism as a sin.

level; how they can more effectively assist their

community around issues of racial reconciliation;

  Action item: Call for organizational and

strategies they can use within their denominations to

denominational policy statements about the

create institutional change around race; and

importance of racial reconciliation.

programming across interfaith lines.

2. NCCJ will lead participating faith leaders to declare

4. NCCJ will lead participating faith leaders to address

that overcoming racism is a top priority for our

race issues in their own religious institutions:

nation:

  Action item: Design self assessment sheet for

  Action item: Create a clearinghouse of information on

participants' organizations and denominations to assess

faith based promising practices and programmatic

their place on the  anti racist continuum  (modeled

strategies from participating faith communities related

after Unitarian Universalist Association program).

to racial reconciliation and social justice for others to

replicate.

Action item: Produce a model of grassroots curriculum

to train facilitators to conduct local dialogues on race 

Action item: Announce plans for a forum for hundreds

related issues.

of faith leaders from across the country to update them

on the commitments made by the diverse faith groups;

  Action item: Create guidelines for how to hold

allow for each leader to safely explore the needs of their

interreligious forums on anti racism.

community; examine how to translate national efforts

into community practices; and seek commitments

Action item: Identify potential public policy initiatives

from more faith leaders in this historic collaboration.

that communities of faith can address at the local and

national levels to advance racial justice.

3. NCCJ will lead participating faith leaders to

understand that they are morally bound to engage in

  Action item: Identify and disseminate 10 actions that

anti racist activities:

each person can take to bring us towards racial

reconciliation.

Action item: Trainings will be held for select faith

44

DENOUNCING RACISM