‘Courageous By Ann Hafften D
oris DuPree Harris and Chuck Hubbard, two Dallas-area pas- tors, have brought their con-
gregations together for what they call “Courageous Conversations” about racism. Te inspiration came from the
2014 Northern Texas–Northern Louisiana Mission Area (synod) Assembly, which had an emphasis on social justice shaped by its public witness team. Tis group, of which both Harris and Hubbard are mem- bers, had spent a few years before that assembly focusing on under- standing racism and participating in anti-racism training. “We wondered what our next
step should be and it came down to conversation,” Harris said. Te 2014 assembly featured lead-
ers from the Center for the Elimi- nation of Disproportionality and Disparities, part of the Texas Health
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www.thelutheran.org
and Human Services Commission. “Te center encourages dialogue,” Hubbard said. “It spurred us to be in conversation—our congregation and an African-American congrega- tion—to talk about this dispropor- tionality and disparity. “We live in parallel universes that
seem similar but are really quite dif- ferent. As we have developed con- nection, we have found what I think is real community. Tat has drawn us into solidarity. We first have to face our implicit biases so we can stand together for reform.” Harris, who is African-American,
serves St. John Lutheran Church, Oak Cliff, in southern Dallas. Hubbard, who is white, is pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Gar- land, a community on the opposite side of Dallas. Te congregations have met seven or eight times and alternate hosting the Courageous
conversations’ Dallas congregations address racism
Chuck Hubbard (left), Doris DuPree Harris and Mederick Rodgers gather to listen and talk about issues of racism during a Courageous Conversations event, a program of St. John and Gloria Dei Lutheran churches in Dallas.
Conversations. About 20 to 35 people take part. “We talk about racism and tell
our stories,” Harris said. “Our only guidelines are to be respectful and to listen. Now our relationships have taken hold. We see each other in a new light. Tese people are open-minded.” One conversation was about last
summer’s nationally reported inci- dent when white police officers used violence against African-American teens at a swimming pool in McKin- ney, north of Dallas. “We don’t share personal stories
so much, but we talk about who we are, why we feel the way we do and what actions we might take,” Harris said. Courageous Conversations has
been a “breakthrough” for Claire Burns, a member of Gloria Dei. “I’ve come to understand white
privilege as I had not thought about it before,” she said. “Tese meetings have brought things to light from a different perspective for me, things
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