Programs
ARC is passionate about educating people on the history of racism and its modern-day manifestations. We believe that knowledge of our country’s roots in white supremacy is the first essential step toward achieving racial justice. We develop programs aimed at delivering this knowledge and strive to direct the energy of participants toward meaningful anti-racism action.
Dialogue Circles on Race (DCoR)
DCoR offer small-group, facilitated discussions based on selected materials that illuminate the history of racism, from the construction of race to justify the institution of slavery and the annihilation of Indigenous peoples, to Jim Crow laws and violence, to suppression of the right to vote, to redlining and other exclusionary housing practices, to the war on drugs and mass incarceration, to police violence against unarmed people of color.
We believe that the intentional study of the history of racism and its current effects motivates people to work for racial justice. And we believe that doing this work in small groups where we listen to one another’s stories across differences helps us understand how we have all been socialized to understand race. The Dialogues give participants language to talk about racism and the information needed to challenge racism within themselves and in broader society. Dialogues are offered twice a year, once in late winter/early spring and once in the fall. Groups meet for five two-hour sessions over five weeks. The location of our programs varies from virtual on Zoom to in-person at a Summit location, such as the community center, library, or a Summit congregation.
Dialogue Circles on Race Program
Dates for our next semester coming soon. Check back for registration.
If you have any questions now, please contact us at: summitantiracismcommittee@gmail.com
Community Education and Engagement
ARC regularly sponsors and, with our partners, co-sponsors community book and film discussions, community forums, and speaker events about systemic racism and the ways in which all people can challenge these systems to bring about racial equity. The location of our programs varies from virtual on Zoom to in-person at a Summit location, such as the community center, library, or a Summit congregation.
Recent Book Discussion
Book Title: Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on Health in America, by Linda Villarosa
Facilitator: Dr. Nakawesi Katongole
Date: Nov 16, 2023 @ 7:00 pm
Location: Zoom
Past Programs
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December 1, 2022 - Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us, in person at Summit High School, in partnership with The Connection in celebration of its centennial anniversary.
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October 13, 2022 - The Sum of Us, book discussion led by Dr. Karen Gaffney, Raritan Valley Community College, hosted in partnership with the Summit Public Library.
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January 2022 - Ferguson Rising, a film and panel discussion (co-sponsor) of the movement for racial justice after the murder of Michael Brown Jr.
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June 2021 - What History Teaches Us About Eradicating Systemic Racism, a discussion of the history of successful movements for racial equity, with Dr. Khalil G. Muhammad, Harvard Kennedy School.
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October 2020 - Portland, Policing & White Supremacy, a talk and Q&A session with Eric K. Ward, executive director of the Western States Center and an expert on the history of white supremacy and its connection to anti-Semitism.
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November 2020 and April 2018 - Racial Equity Training for 70 Summit-area civic and religious leaders led by CounterPart Consulting, North Carolina.
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September 2019 - Why Being Not Racist Isn’t Enough, a community forum led by Rev. Vernon Williams, Fountain Baptist Church, and Rev. Robert Morris, Interweave Inc.
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December 2018 - Community Organizing Training for 35 Summit-area community leaders led by Rev. Erica Williams, national social justice organizer for the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.
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March 2016 - Ava DuVernay’s 13th, a film and panel discussion on the New Jim Crow and the effects of mass incarceration. Panelists: Dr. Khalil G. Muhammad, Harvard Kennedy School; Rev. Dr. Charles Boyer, founder of Salvation and Social Justice; and Dr. Johanna Foster, Monmouth University.
Past Community Book Discussions
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How the Word Is Passed, Clint Smith
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The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, Heather McGhee
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The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros
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Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler
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Born a Crime, Trevor Noah
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All American Boys, Jason Reynolds
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The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson
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Everyday White People Confront Racial & Social Injustice, Eddie Moore (editor)
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Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America, Michael Eric Dyson
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Waking Up White, Debby Irving
Strong Teens Against Racism (STAR)
STAR’s goal is to build a trusting and empathetic community of Summit-area teens committed to standing against racism and for justice. The program has two components: 1) Anti-Racism Training and 2) Teen Leader Facilitator Training.
Teens in STAR Anti-Racism Training work with expert facilitators to better understand themselves and their racial identity, recognize bias and racism, gain empathy for the experiences of others, develop definitions and language to engage in racial justice dialogue, and gain the tools with which to challenge bias and racism in their lives. STAR Anti-Racism Training culminates by having teens develop action plans for racial justice.
Teen Leader Facilitator Training provides professional training to give teens the skills and knowledge needed to facilitate tough conversations around racist incidents in their schools, communities, and the larger world.
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STAR Anti-Racism Training and STAR Teen Leader Facilitator Training are each offered annually.
Racial Equity Training for Clergy and Civic Leaders
ARC sponsors professional Racial Equity Training for religious and community leaders every other year. The purpose of the training, which is offered on an invitation basis, is the creation of a shared framework to understand racial equity and structural racism and the development of a community of leaders with the capacity to work together to recognize and dismantle racism.