Cspan. Now i discussion on racism in america. Georgetown University Host a religious leader, civil rights activists, and akamai scholars to talk about the role of religious faith in confronting racism, bigotry, and sexism. This is just under two hours. This sacred space, generations of students, faculty, staff, and alumni have encountered god. Our jesuit andf catholic heritage, we profess here are deep respect and sincere appreciation for people of other backgrounds who seek to grow in faith as well as knowledge. Georgetowns jasmine tradition pridedation has always both the pursuit of truth and virtue. It is the transformation of the whole person from ignorance to understanding, from isolation to dialogue. From indifference to more responsibility. It characterizes the best of what i just thought might georgetown has to offer. Anduch of the political social discourse of our nation has heart into a rancorous noise. Distracted us from our ability to be informed, honest, and even prophetic and our dialogue about the ethical issues facing us today. We hope that a conversation in the midst of this sacred space might offer a more prayerful engage political, academic, and spiritual leaders. These dialogues with an in place of prayer and worship can sustain and empower us to be more active participants and renew our common sense of purpose. Tonight the office of mission and ministry in collaboration with the initiative on catholic continues our series that seeks to deepen conversations about social justice along with this rich and deep heritage in our christian faith. Unite in confronting racism in our hearts. Before beginning, with song and prayer, i would like to invite the president to share his own personal welcome. Thank you very much, father bosco. Good evening everyone. Thank you for this opportunity to be with you all. As father bosco shared, for a second dialogue hosted by our initiative on catholic social thought in public life in her option in our office of mission and ministry. Not ready toes are come together in prayer, reflection, and dialogue. We seek a deeper alignment of our values and our action. We are grateful to the initiative, to the office of mission and ministry, to the Democracy Fund, to chris towford, for their efforts make this evenings dialogue possible. ,n just a moment, john carr director of our initiative on catholic social thought in public life, we introduce an invite to the stage an extra in a panel an extraordinary panel. To each of you, i want to thank you for your presence. We are grateful to our panelists for the reflections that they will share with us. Id also like to thank rabbi rachel garner who will lead us in an opening prayer in just a few moments. In recent years, our community has come together through town hall meetings, classrooms, and religious basis, with our partners across the city. We have gathered in response to public incidents and personal experiences. We sought to establish new structures and new opportunities. To urge one another, to support one another in the important work towards Racial Justice. 150 years after the abolition of slavery, our society is still grappling with the problems of andsm and Racial Injustice we are grappling with that here, in our community and in our city. Tonight we gather for this dialogue to explore the role of explore the role of religious faith in pursuit of the common good of ridding the world of racism. There is a letter, the challenges of racism today, in which we are reminded that it is our faith that causes us to confront and overcome racism. Recent efforts under the leadership of archbishop gregory and Bishop George murray. Reflective,tore brothers and sisters to us. The leadership of Cardinal Patrick oboyle to eliminate the resources. Illuminate the resources. This issue requires our enduring attention and response. Boyle sought to eliminate the cause of rachel illuminate the cause of Racial Justice. Indication, the march on washington alongside , andlewis and dr. King offer the attendance of local parishes within the march. Wellknown is a gathering here at georgetown in 1964 in support of the civil rights act. His role as chairman of the Interreligious Committee on race relations, hell sit in interreligious event here on cap on campus attended by 1600 people of protestant, catholic, and jewish faith. Tonight to are here speak with one voice are deep religious convictions about the begin the of man and the rights , what are Congress Considers in terms of Public Policy we hold in terms of Human Dignity. He concluded together and by saying, this assembly is but a beginning. We have embarked upon a crusade that will not be ended until every american has been given the right, equal opportunities, and full recognition of her or his Human Dignity. Oboyle words, cardinal issued a call that remains is the 53 years ago. It animates our long going continued commitment to grapple with our store participation in the institution of slavery. A call that demands each of us to demand with greater vigor the these institutions that persist in our nation. Reflectionsinspires , and Work Together at the university community. I wish to express my appreciation to all of you. It is a privilege to be here for this convening. We are grateful. [applause] please join with us in singing, amazing race, found in your program. The stand. Please stand. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound like me d a wretch lost but now im found as blind but now i see twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved how precious did that grace ppear believed first the lord has promised good to me his words my hopes it that good to me secures. My hope bewill my shield and portion yet whens life endures this flesh and heart shall fail nd mortal life shall cease shall possess of the veil life of joy and peace years been there 10,000 bright shining as the sun weve no less days to sing gods praise thenen first begun hen wed first begun please remain standing. In the shadow of rabbi abraham, joshua has show, and all the rabbis who want for justice for me and surrounded me with my privilege privacy tonight. [singing in hebrew] blessed are you god. He you opens our eyes. Day and everythis year to see your light, dear god, as a shines through every human being. The radiant and light of every human family. Blessed are you god. Footsteps. E guide us towards wholeness. Move us away from the racism that wounds us, divides us from ourselves, and cuts us off from one another and you. Drive us away from the equivocations that on is the divine image and some but not in others. Blessed are you god. Strength. Us strengthen our current should to turnn our courage inward and tried to pursue the world as it should we. Strengthen us to protect and plead one anothers cause. Blessed are you god. In hebrew] who takes care of our every need finally, bless us in our gathering tonight and faithfulness to hear hard truths tonight bravely. Harden inrts begin to defensiveness, soften us to one anothers pain. If we begin to recoil in comfort discomfort, give us empathy. Is what you desire and require of us. Quiet our minds. Ready our spirits for the hard work that the world needs us to do. Maybe comforted by the knowledge that you are with us every step of the way. Can you hear a song . Made bre may it in your will, maybe hours. Amen. Please be seated. [indiscernible] good evening. Theame is john carr and im director of the initiative on catholic social thought public life. Im honored to partner with our colleagues in the office of mission and ministry. Thank you, rabbi for that prayer. Can tell we are an interface immunity. We sang all the verses of the song. Versus. Atholic way, to tworsus theres verses. The president talked about how we are wrestling with this at georgetown. Many of you know it is taking on very direct original, historical reality with the broader understanding of the sale of human beings to support the college of university. The very definition of White Privilege. Has georgetowns response been different than other places. There are many reasons. One of them is sitting next to me. The work of the group on slavery, memory, and association. And reconciliation. There are two things we should think about tonight. One is religious convictions on human life, dignity, human rights, justice, solidarity, that gives different way of looking at world. The other has been the leadership of our president. Instead of trying to evade her escape has took his head on. He helped us had gone away forward. President has moral principles of leadership. And the things were need to can. Additions and people have been a big part of the problem and elvis the solution. Think about it. People relied of the bible by very clambered across slavery. The klan burned the cross to intimidate people. Abolitionist love the scriptures. Martin luther king jr. Was a reverend. Oboyle stood up in difficult times. In the pastoral letter you have your hand, it is step. About howe to talk those institutions and leadership can make a difference. We have a Remarkable Group of to help us think about that. Leader, thestor, a only africanamerican archbishop in our country. The fact that he is the only is something about him is about us. Something about him and something about us. Hes been a leader in at his life. We have your teaching, enter scholarship, and inner leadership on this this announced. Well be joined by zero. Someone called the conscience of the congress. Representative lewis has a day job. Hes a member of the Conference Congress and he had votes tonight. We have hard question. We have elements of responses. And we have a great group of people. Let me turn to you first. Archbishop gregory, he went to charlottesville after the days. You said we have to find better ways to talk about the r word, racism. Life, ministered, dealt with discrimination in euro and situation, grew up in chicago. One of my favorite things about archbishop gregory is it said he decided he wanted to be a priest before he was a catholic. A testament to the power of Catholic Schools in the innercity. I worked in the conference would archbishop gregory was president. He provided enormous, tremendous leadership in many areas. I will personally never forget that at a time when the church was on trial and i was the , he stoodyoung sons up on clerical sexual abuse and insisted on accountability and change in the church. This they pastor of courage and love the courage has come in the area of Racial Justice. Have troublewe talking about the r word, racism, what did you mean . How should we be talking about this . Our colleagues are trying to make the case we can talk about tough issues through civil dialogue. Why do we find it hard and what should we be doing to overcome our avoidance of the r word . Difficult we find it especially at this moment in our nations history because we have become so polarized. We have in so many different ways lost the ability to speak civilly to one another. But it also think its difficult because the issue of racism at its core is a spiritual difficulty. It is a spiritual moment. Like any spiritual moment, it calls us to conversion. Ways tofraid in many talk about the race question. To talk about racism with one another. It might reveal that what we thought we understood, we dont understand. Thats the heart of the spiritual conversion. To acknowledge that what we thought we possessed that made us feel secure, we dont. Men with torches march to the streets of charlottesville saying you will not replace us, when young black men lose their black lose their lives in our city in conflict with police and broader , when as the president said, africanamericans are twice as likely to be jobless in this city and infant mortality is twice as high for africanamerican babies, how to those realities shape not only our spiritual response, but our personal, how public response . Momentink part of this and part of this response is there been moments in our , weory, recent history reached a momentous event. Whether was the civil rights act, the Voting Rights act, the election of the first africanamerican president , and there was so much hope in that weg that threshold confuse the achievement of a , with event, civic event conversion. So there is a disappointment when we find ourselves facing the same issues and sometimes even more complex issues that we thought, if we could only in that this piece of legislation if this young, articulate african man can be elected president , surely we have threshold. To doubtnts causes that we might ever be able to moments ofse spiritual reconciliation. We talked about spiritual conversion. You talked about whether we will cross that bridge. And are the roles responsibilities of religious institutions and leaders . We are in a chapel, not a lecture hall. We began with song and prayer not a political call to arms. Pope francis seems to be a universal leader who can touch our conscience in ways that many others cant. What is the responsibility of religious institutions and what one,e learn from, religious leaders, not only for other religious leaders but other leaders. I think pope francis and dr. Way, both in a prophetic said the role of faith is to accompany people. To walk with them in life journey and not only does walk with them, challenge them. Its the work of evangelization. Its a work of inviting people to conversion. Earlier, it was reference that dr. King, the world refers to ms. Dr. King but he was first reverend king, that his leadership was primarily a spiritual leadership. Now, there is no question that he was directly involved with the civil changes that took place as a part of the civil rights movement. But he was first of all one who spoke to the heart of our nation about the spiritual values were being ignored. Marcia, uri scholar. Your professor at georgetown. Oklahomaa professor at. You are a native of chicago. Its a bit of a chicago night here at georgetown. You have all sorts of awards for your teaching. You have written an incredible book about young africanamerican girls and women growing up. Yet, what i want to ask you about is the experience of serving on this working group. Heret all of us walked in and off to the right is Isaac Hawkins hall. If you called the lady hall. Mullaneyd to be called hall. Who are those people and why is that important . When we think about the context of the work we did, for a number of us it was desperation not only into georgetowns history but the history of the united states. Father mullaney was an American Catholic in a time when American Catholics were not clear about the question of slavery. That is who he was. He was also here at Georgetown University and had a choice to make. The choice was around the assets of human beings. 272 men, women, and children who were sold to reconcile georgetown stats and allow for the jazz a community here to imagine georgetowns future. Here toesuit Community Imagine georgetowns future. Its important to remember why we made a decision not only to rename the hall but also Mcsherry Hall to another name. I think the renaming is important for other institutions to resist the false idolatry of owning confederate statues, flags, the symbols in our culture at this moment that people devoting these things rather than thinking about the spiritual conversion we were talking about. I think that in making the move to say we are no longer going to put a place of honor for this person who had a legitimate when americanment catholics are grappling about the question of slavery and made the choice that was the most of most nefarious and most fundamental in reifying the street of institution of slavery. Isaac hawkins the first name that appears on the bill of sale. We were thinking about this renaming, we were thinking about the proper character of isaac in the bible and the sacrifice. As imagine all our institutions of being predicated i sacrifice of human life and Human Dignity, then perhaps we would have a different relationship, not only with our institutions, but with each other. The second hall is named after a free woman of color in washington dc was that was a school for half american girls. Having a memorial at georgetowns campus to her helps us remember the racial composition of georgetown. T was georges town it was the center of africanamerican life. We need to imagine a person living a free life and watching her brothers and sisters live in a free life. Unfree life. Knowing they have Human Dignity and living in a world that they cannot see that is one of the ways the memorialization process on this campus can animate and help our students understand why we pursue the kind of education we pursue here at georgetown. You talked about what the renaming civilized. Something with it as a, thats easy. Judgment, they made their judgment and long time ago. What are the behaviors and reactions that we have to take to not talk about that legacy of years ago but to do with reality today . You study this. He lived this. We are in the chapel but if you dont believe what are twitter grammar talked about, if it is in a matter of spiritual conversion, one of the moral qualities . What are the civic virtues that we need to deal with at a time when this . I think at the heart of White Supremacy we think about the power it tries to consolidate, but White Supremacy is also about stripping did eddie from others and being able to live being unable to live a dignified life yourself. Yourself. What do we do about racism today . We dont have this kind of leadership. It is not just about a conversion of your heart. Its about the restoration of your own Human Dignity. I dont think a person who has invested themselves in white supremacist ideas, they have no idea of their own human unity because you have not lived in a context that allows of the rigorous moral inventory you need to do that. Im going to bring of election because thats what i do. [laughter] this past election was a moment where we went from a real shock of what was possible in this nation to this three ring service about reaching across the aisle. Its ok someone disagrees, no big deal. Instea