Anti-Racism

exploring racial justice, Diversity, and inclusion


what are Anti-racist Values?

adapted from crossroads anti-racism organizing and training

Both/And thinking

Many ways to ‘do’ institutional life exist.

Purpose: work through differences to find solutions that move toward anti-racist goals. Bias toward action means not allowing conflict to paralyze us into indecision and immobility.

Abundant Worldview

If we operate from premise of “We have an abundance of power; how do we want to use that power?” then questions about resources begin to shift.
What we understand to be resources begins to
change, and how we use resources is transformed.

Transparent Communication

Inclusive processes take longer to come to consensus, but once a decision is made, implementation is quicker.
Confidentiality (not secrecy) is important, allowing individuals to make mistakes and recover from them without being demonized by the institution.

Cooperation & collaboration

Maintaining a spirit of co-
operation bound by a collective perspective
allows institutions to stand amid diversity with integrity. Individual creativity happens in the
parameters of an accountable, responsible
relationship with the rest of the community.

  • Ongoing anti-racism coaching for our pastors.
  • An 8-week training course for our Session, ministry and leaders.
  • A congregation-wide, introductory class entitled Racial Equity as a Spiritual Practice with five sessions:

Session 1: What is Systemic Racism?

Session 2: How are Systemic and Structural Racism Connected to the Ideology of White Supremacy?

Session 3: What is the relationship between power and racism?

Session 4: How has Christianity, actively and passively, upheld and legitimized racism and white supremacy?

Session 5: What is antiracism?


We hope to offer this class again in 2023.

The tools, language and understanding we developed in these training sessions are guiding our ongoing anti-racism work at DCC.  Our work is imperfect and always in process.  Some recent highlights of our efforts include:

  • Re-working our liturgy for World Communion Sunday.
  • Re-working the scholarship program for our Integrated Spirituality offerings
  • Adopting a policy to more intentionally support immigrant workers on staff by covering 100% of visa/green card expenses for employees and 50% for their spouses.
  • Including a Land Acknowledgement in the opening of our service.
  • Opening each of our Session (church board) meetings by reviewing the values that ground our anti-racism commitment.