Sunday, December 5, 2021
First Congregational Church of Wilmot, an Open and Affirming UCC congregation, has been on a Racial Justice Journey for many years, initiating a more formal process about 18 months ago. During this period of learning about past and present inequities, we engaged in many conversations about our values, our social responsibilities and our advocacy roles as individuals and as a church. This past fall, our racial justice programming began to facilitate opportunities for each of us to share our learning, insights and calling – thereby building consensus toward a racial justice covenant: a covenant that is your work, your words, your reflections. On Sunday, December 5, 2021, the congregation voted to accept the Covenant and become a Racial Justice Church.
First Congregational Church Wilmot UCC Racial Justice Covenant
…and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)
All humankind is created in God’s image, and each of us is a beloved child of God. The presence of inequality and racism embedded in our systems harms God’s creation. As followers of Jesus, we are called to confront and heal the racial injustices that separate humanity from God’s will and God’s kingdom.
We, the First Congregational Church of Wilmot, UCC commit to: walking humbly in a continuous journey of learning about past and present racism and inequality; challenging race-based injustice to change cycles of oppression: becoming allies with Black, indigenous and all people of color; and reaching out to collaborate with local and distant community partners. We covenant to allow our deep sorrow about the evil of racism to sustain our passion to work toward justice and equality for all God’s people.
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Our Journey
Phase III: Becoming Allies with People of Color in Challenging Race-Based Injustice
Nov. 17 we held our second workshop after church, Toward Covenanting.
Also Oct 17 we sponsored a private guided tour of the Black Heritage Trail in Portsmouth.
October 10 the first of two workshops, Our Calling as a Church, was held. This workshop provided a summary of our RJ journey and then provided time f to discuss our key takeaways, reflect on our lessons learned, and began to shape our racial justice covenant.
Also Oct. 10 Christian Education acknowledged Indigenous People’s Day, Learning from Our Mistakes;
September 10, 2021
Did you know that our attitudes and stereotypes about individuals and groups of people are typically formed outside our conscious awareness? We once again partnered with the Wilmot Community Library to sponsor a workshop that helped us explore how we see the world and the many different people within it.
July 18th , August 1st and August 15th
We divided the book into three parts for discussion three different Sundays after church:
Part I – July 18 – The Last March; Chapter 1 – A Hard Life, A Serious Life; Chapter 2 – The Spirit of History
Part II – August 1 – Chapter 3 – Soul Force; Chapter 4 – In the Image of God and Democracy; Chapter 5 – We Are Going to Make You Wish You Was Dead
Part III – August 15 – Chapter 6 – I’m Going to Die Here; Chapter 7 – This Country Don’t Run on Love; Epilogue – Against the Rulers of the Darkness; Afterward by John Lewis
May 28, 2021 at 3:00 pm
May 11, 2021 at 7:00 pm
THE AUTHORS: Fern L. Johnson, Ph.D., is Senior Research Scholar and Professor Emerita at Clark University, specializing in race and culture. Marlene G. Fine, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita at Simmons University, specializing in cultural diversity and leadership. referenced in the discussion was had a piece written by Dr. Fine and Johnson and published on Cognoscenti that looks at the Derek Chauvin trial from the perspective of the images people saw in the courtroom and in media coverage. They talk about the circulation of stereotypes of Black men and the continuation of the cultural narrative that demonizes Black men: Derek Chauvin Was Convicted. But The Racist Story Of His Defense Remains
April 20, 2021 at 7:00 pm
April 6, 2021 – 7:00 pm
This interactive presentation and discussion was designed to help us as Christians, pause and think about how we together ensure a faith filled racial justice journey.
Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Phase II: Interrupters & Current Events
Education: Education: Systemic Perspectives & Spotlight on Youth
March 23, 22021 – 7:00 pm
We were honored to feature John Around Him. John grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation, a Ogala Lakota Indian reservation in South Dakota. At 3,469 square miles of land, it is one of the largest reservations in the United States. John will share his experiences of attending reservation schools, serving in the military, and eventually graduating from Dartmouth College in 2012 with a degree in teaching English. He is passionate about the revitalization of the Lakota language and has much to share about issues of race, privilege and identity.
March 9, 2021 at 7:00 pm
Immigration: Public Policy to Local Advocacy
February 23 – 7:00 pm
Eva Castillo is a veteran advocate for immigrants and refugees in New Hampshire. She is an immigrant from Venezuela herself, with over 30 years of experience working on racial justice issues in New Hampshire’s immigrant community. Among other activities, she is presently the director of the New Hampshire Alliance of Immigrants and Refugees. Eva talked about her experiences as an advocate for immigrant justice – current trends, what is working and what needs work. She covered who New Hampshire’s immigrants are, the challenges they are facing, and the contributions immigrants are making in our region. And she helped us discern what we can do as we explore becoming a racial justice congregation.
Tuesday, February 9, 2021 – 7:00 pm
The Well Health Center is a new service of the Nazarene Ministry Center in Cactus, TX. Cactus is a town of 4,000 people, most of them immigrants and refugees. The area consists of mainly farms, dairies, feed lots and a meat packing plant. The plant requires no English, and no education or experience. Not surprisingly, its workers represent 26 countries and 40 languages!
The Ministry Center supplies social support and community services such as a summer lunch program, after-school care, citizenship consultation and legal representation, and ESL services. Realizing that distance and a lack of transportation, language and culture were keeping many Cactus residents from accessing health care, vaccinations, and prenatal and infant care, Doctor Stephanie Diehlmann founded The Well Health Center in Jan. 2019.
As part of our winter Racial Justice series of speakers, Dr. Stephanie Deihlmann of the The Well Health Center in Cactus, TX joined us for a Zoom conversation on Feb. 9 to tell us about her clinic, and the immigrants and refugees she treats there!
Dr. Steph delivered the clinic’s first baby this past November, and expects to serve up to 60 new moms this year.
Criminal Justice
Perspectives & Reflections on Prison Ministry & Racial Justice in our Systems of Incarceration- Two Interactive Presentations
We started this segment of Phase II with a zoom discussion of 13th a Netflix documentary available for free on Youtube. “Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars, director Ava DuVernay’s examination of the U.S. prison system looks at how the country’s history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America.”
Preview YouTube video 13TH | FULL FEATURE | Netflix
In concert with this film, we discussed a New Yorker article with Michelle Alexander, Ten Years After “The New Jim Crow”.
With the film and article as background, we sponsored two programs in January featuring guest speakers who will share their experiences, tell their stories, and participate in interactive discussions with our congregation.
Tuesday, January 26, 2021 – 7:00 pm
Just Another Day
Poem by ‘Mayne Hicks, who shared with us on January 26th.
Another day to process at length
the strength it takes
to conjure the strength
It will take
To preserve my mental state
for just Another Day
Another Day wrestling with unsettling
thoughts of insanity
Another sixty?
U got to be kiddin’ me
Day 6,883
Ain’t no easier than Day 1, 2 or 3
Another Day, another continuation
Another dash at hopes
of my vindication
Another dream, another hallucination
Like the Emancipation Proclamation
Just another figment of a niggaz’ imagination
Another Day to fill a bucket with tears
Another Day to talk to Almighty upstairs
Another Day to challenge my pride
Another Day Justice is denied
Another Day I struggle to hold my head up high
Another Day I die
Just Another Day to tap into what’s
Left of my strength from the inside
‘Mayne
10/09/2020
“Printed with permission of Termaine Hicks”
Tuesday, January 12, 2021 – 7:00 pm
Phase I – History and Learners
Wednesday, November 18 – 7:00 pm
The Impact of Early African Americans on NH
A Lecture by Rev. Renée Rouse
Lecture providing listening, learning and growing as we learn how early African Americans impacted our State. There is so much we don’t know. Be prepared to grow and be part of learning how to be an Anti-racist here in our beloved State of New Hampshire.
About Rev. Renée Rouse: Setting captives free from a life of racism and empowering all who will listen and learn with Divine tools to stay free is a lifelong goal of hers. She has been involved with the Haitian Community Center of Manchester, NH since 1998. She is a member of the NH Black women’s Health Project. She is currently serving as the Co-Chair of the Racial Justice Mission Group of the New Hampshire Conference of the UCC. She is the Pastor and Teacher of the Northwood Congregational Church, Northwood, NH.
Renee’ enjoys bringing healing to others through her preaching and her singing. She believes all of God’s children are called to a higher purpose and true freedom is a gift available for all God’s children. Just open your hands and receive it by the Holy Spirit, then use it to help free someone else.
October 7-November 4th
Many Rivers to Cross
Discussions were held from Oct. 7 – Nov 4 on the Henry Louis Gates Mini-Series, The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. This enabled us to explore key aspects of African American history together.
The Series is available for free with Amazon Prime video and PBS, both links provided below, or for purchase on Amazon.com One DVD set is available for sign out with Paul Currier.
Summer 2020
Between the World and Me
The HBO television special of Between the World and Me (one of our spring book club readings) became available as of November 21st. In addition, here is an article relating to its development, how it came to be.
Summer Book Discussions July and August 2020
- Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye and
- Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me