One reason institutional racism has been able to live on unabated is because the action of race and racism is kept hidden and denied. The Anti-Racism Commission (ARC) of the Diocese of New Jersey been providing anti-racism training for about two decades to help bring racism into the open so that it can be dismantled. The need for training has not diminished over the years. The need still exists for us to become more aware of how racism and the legacy of slavery are embedded in every aspect of American life.

ARC is offering an online five-week anti-racism class this Spring on Friday evenings from April 26  through May 24, with a follow-up sixth class on June 7.  All classes are on Zoom and are accessible on your computer, tablet or phone.  The classes  start at 7 p.m. EDT and end at 9 p.m. EDT.  Click Here to Register.  Registration closes on April 7. The course costs $100 per person. Financial assistance is available if needed. (If you are a Deputy to the General Convention, use code GC2024 when you register to get a discounted fee that is subsidized by The Episcopal Church’s Office for Racial Reconciliation.)

The course helps make you aware of and understand the role of racism in American systems, including education, religion, government, justice, real estate, finance, news media, and, in fact, almost all systems and institutions. This institutional racism covertly reinforces false ideologies that deny and justify racial and ethnic inequities.

The five consecutive Friday evening two-hour Zoom classes feature conversations about personal experiences with racism. The follow-up online sixth class gives some ideas on other activities that are ongoing in the diocese to help bring about racial and social justice. In between the five Friday online meetings, you will have self-study materials that consists of recorded lectures, videos, and articles. Topics include: What is Race?,” “Systemic Racism and White Privilege,” “Internalized Racism,” “The Role of the Church,” “Settler Colonialism,” “Racism in Immigration and Naturalization,” “The Prison Industrial Complex,” and others.  Together, the Zoom sessions and the self-study content provide a historical overview of systemic racism that shines a light on how racism distorts our lived experiences.

Everyone who has attended all classes and completed all the self-study material will receive a Certificate of Completion.