The Social Justice Ministry at St. Andrew's was established in 2018. Thus far, our mission has been to foster a greater understanding of the roots and complexities of black and white relations in Ann Arbor and to inspire action in the Ann Arbor community that would result in addressing racism in Ann Arbor.
SJM sponsors a variety of events throughout the year. Recent events have included a walking tour of the underground railroad in Ann Arbor and co-sponsoring a Washtenaw Reads 2020 book discussion on "Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen" by Jose Antonio Vargas.
"Black & White in Ann Arbor - It's Not What You Think"
An ongoing series
In 2018-19, SJM sponsored their first event: a four-part series, “Black and White in Ann Arbor: It’s Not What You Think,” which brought together members of the parish and the community at large for potluck,presentation, and discussion. The topics covered "Framing the Conversation," "Ann Arbor & Slavery," "Ann Arbor & Civil Rights," and "Being Black in Ann Arbor Today."
In February 2020 SJM continued the series with a discussion on Nikole Hannah-Jones’s essay “The Idea of America,” part of the New York Times “1619 Project,” marking the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Virginia. March 2020 brought a series of discussions about Robin DiAngelo’s powerful 2018 book, "White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism."
Check back for information on the continuation of this profoundly important series.
