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At the 2004 LC/NA Biennial Assembly held in Minneapolis, a resolution was adopted calling for the Board of Directors to add a director of multicultural relations. The resolution further stated that the new director would be responsible for convening a task force comprised of different ethnicities in order to identify strategies to be implemented by LC/NA in order to become more culturally and ethnically diverse. The resolution also set a goal of 10% participation by people of color at the 2006 LC/NA Biennial Assembly in Toronto.
A meeting of the task force was convened in Los Angeles. At this meeting it was determined that our organization could not do effective outreach to communities of color until it identified and overcame its own racism. In an effort to begin to “walk the talk” of increasing diversity, the board held its first cultural immersion during its spring meeting in El Paso, TX and Juárez, México.
After some debate and discussion, a decision was made by the board officers to continue anti-racism training with National Association of Black and White Men Together (NABWMT), an organization of gay African-American and Euro-American men who promote and offer anti-racism trainings around the country. NABWMT presented their first leadership training in the fall of 2006.
The board gathered at the Lower Sioux Indian Community near Morton, MN for its spring meeting and cultural immersion. Members of the board prepared for and participated in a traditional “inipi” (sweat lodge).
An Open Spirit forum and a workshop dealing with multicultural issues were offered during the 2006 LC/NA Assembly in July. LC/NA members were asked to complete an optional diversity survey identifying all cultures that were applicable. Based on these surveys, we met the 2004 goal of achieving 10% people of color participation.
The board’s annual spring meeting and cultural immersion was held in Chicago’s Southside, including a visit to the DuSable African-American Museum, meals at two soul food restaurants and dynamic worship at St. Stephen’s. While in Chicago, trainers from NABWMT offered a second anti-racism training which directed the organization to begin “walking the talk.” During this training, an initial brainstorming took place identifying goals and tasks for the organization to accomplish to increase diversity and eventually become a truly anti-racist organization.
A renewed partnership with the ELCA Anti-Racism initiative resulted in panels and workshops on privilege and difference being offered by LC/NA at the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. LC/NA looks forward to continued collaboration.
What can I do?
- If you have never done so, participate in an anti-racism training!
- Find out what your local LC/NA chapter is doing to promote anti-racism. If you believe that it is not enough, step up to the plate to organize a training and awareness. (The National Association of Black and White Men Together has chapters across the US.)
- Identify and invite GLBT people of color and their allies to your chapter activities.
- Serve on the Multicultural Relations Committee. We are always seeking new members to add insight and recommendations on how LC/NA can go forward in being more welcoming to people of color.
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