CPTnet
19 October 2006

TORONTO/CHICAGO: Structural racism and Christian Peacemaker Teams

by Erin Kindy

Facilitators of a recent anti-racism workshop for Christian Peacemaker Teams
(CPT) asked at the beginning, "Why does CPT need to do an anti-racism
workshop?" One participant answered succinctly, "Because it's white." From
22-24 September, about thirty-five CPTers from across the organization
gathered at the CPT training center in Chicago to participate in an
anti-racism training led by Damascus Road. Three skilled trainers led the
group through building and deepening awareness of racism's reality.
Building upon the standard Undoing Racism module that all CPTers go as part
of their training, the Damascus Road workshop helped participants to look
further into where CPT as an organization finds itself in relation to
racism.

Different people, especially people of color within CPT, have challenged and
encouraged CPT to do deeper work of awareness and change related to racism.
Part of recognizing the shaping power racism exerts upon our society, and
each of us, is acknowledging that where we are presently is based upon a
history that reinforced the power and privilege of people with light colored
skin and undermined the position of people with darker skin colors. White
superiority was legally upheld and consciously structured into institutions
for 90% of the history beginning when Europeans first came to settle in
North America. This history is one of the ways the sin of racism causes us
to look through a warped glass that misshapes our perspectives on the world.

These distorted perspectives have molded CPT, just like they have every
other institution in our society. Unless CPTers undertake active work to
oppose racism within the structure of CPT, the organization will inevitably
continue to reinforce racism throughout its structures. CPT finds itself at
a watershed moment, where decisions made and steps taken will either send
the organization with the strong current of the racist status quo or will
move the organization upstream in active anti-racist action that will
include transformed perspectives and structures.

We ask CPT workers and supporters to pray that CPT will find the resources
and courage to move clearly toward active resistance to the sin of racism.
Ask God that the learning gained during the Damascus Road experience will be
aptly integrated into the work of all CPT teams. Anti-racism efforts are
ongoing in a number of different ways in CPT. A small Undoing Racism
Working Group convoked the workshop and continues to engage and nurture the
work to confront racism. May all of our endeavors bear fruit.