Friends of Color’s message to Quakers
Epistle asks Friends to sit with six queries
The Friends of Color group has released an epistle calling on Quakers to heed its ‘Call to Action’ on the racial pandemic. ‘To our Friends in the wider Quaker world, we the Friends of Color, can’t breathe,’ said the Outgoing Epistle of the 2020 Virtual Pre-Gathering of Friends of Color and their Families. ‘Friends of Color need respite from the systemic racism too often found in our American Quaker community that often goes unseen by many white Friends. Friends of Color need respite from the insidious lie of white supremacy manifested in daily oppressive traumatic stressors (microaggressions) which have the effect of blaming the oppressed for our own oppression. Friends of Color need respite and support which our home meetings have not provided. Friends of Color are fatigued from being asked to teach white folks.’
The Epistle asked Friends to sit with six queries. These included: What is the Spirit leading me to do about the historic and ongoing racial pandemic across my meeting, my community, my work environment and my country? How can we honour the memory of people who have lost their lives to the struggle for a better world? How can we encourage the support of Friends of Colour in Quaker worship and meetings around the world?
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