Igniting Social Justice for Systemic Change

Last week Regina Bannan wrote not only about Black Catholic History, but called us to action by remembering that “[L]ike all history, Black Catholic History is being made today as well, and the history of earlier eras has been communicated with new urgency in the last year.” Regina’s post and the work of Black Catholic scholars in the last few years have opened my eyes to the nature of the Black Catholic Church in America.

The reality of systemic racism and police brutality in our country, which has always been present, was recently brought to a heightened attention over the last few years. Though it seems media attention and commitment to being allies and working for racial justice ebbs and flows. It appears that our nation’s attention has turned elsewhere again. The white liberal populace relaxed post-Biden’s election, the swell in book sales about race and racism has slowed, and the push for supporting black businesses has again quieted as the country forges on as if the last two years of awareness and living through a pandemic didn’t happen. 

Over the last two years I have been involved in a small grassroots group called Macs for Justice, composed of alumnae from Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School on Chicago’s far southwest side. After the murder of George Floyd, the school failed to release a statement in support of the students of color and many alumnae came together to appeal to the school’s administration. I recently wrote about my experience with this group in an article for US Catholic Magazine. Some of the posts I’ve seen about Black Catholic History month have reminded me of the performative responses I have received from my alma mater regarding what is being done to include the students of color on campus. 

Our commitment to anti-racism should continue to be front and center of all justice movements. The intersectional nature of liberating any one group from oppression is tied up in liberating others. Our work for women’s equality in the church must also include work to eliminate racism–both in the church and in society–it is the same patriarchy that holds down the oppression of black people and the oppression of women. 

In Sister Outsider Audre Lorde wrote an open letter to Mary Daly after reading her then recently published Gyn/Ecology. Lorde’s critique to Daly is still valid (42 years ago) as feminist theology still often excludes Black women’s history, experiences, and voices. 

“This history of white women who are unable to hear Black women’s words, or to maintain dialogue with us, is long and discouraging… I ask that you be aware of how this serves the destructive forces of racism and separation between women -- the assumption that the herstory and myth of white women is the legitimate and sole herstory and myth of all women to call upon for power and background, and that nonwhite women and our herstories are noteworthy only as decorations, or examples of female victimization. I ask that you be aware of the effect that this dismissal has upon the community of Black women and other women of Color, and how it devalues your own words.” 

Lorde’s letter to Daly was friendly, she liked a lot of the critiques Daly made, and thus felt she could question why women of color were left out of her study. 

In doing this work today, and in celebrating moments like Black Catholic History month, it is vitally important that we include experiences of Black joy and celebration not solely oppression and victimization. 

The Anti-Oppression Advisory Committee of the Women’s Ordination Conference has taken on a new charge to continue to draw WOC members’ attention to resources, tools, workshops and faith-led initiatives regarding justice and liberation of systemic oppression particularly as it impacts our work for gender justice in the Church. These will be shared via WOC’s Action Alerts, make sure that you are on the newsletter mailing list to receive these emails. 

The Anti-Oppression Advisory Committee is also looking for more involvement from WOC’s membership, if you are interested in being involved please reach out to Kate (kmcelwee@womensordination.org) or myself (braspante@gmail.com). The more voices and experiences the better!