WCC NEWS: “Remembering Past Massacres: Honoring the Legacy and Resilience of Victims”

A webinar on 1 June entitled “Remembering Past Massacres: Honoring the Legacy and Resilience of Victims” will focus on North America and the Caribbean. A mural in Greenwood (Oklahoma, U.S.A) commemorating Tulsa's Black Wall Street, Photo: Daniel Jeffries/Tulsa Planning Office 28 May 2021 The webinar will remember and learn from tragic events such as: The Tusla race massacre. From 31 May to 1 June 1921, the Tulsa race massacre (also known as the Tulsa race riot) took place in the USA. For more than 18 hours, a white mob attacked residents, homes and businesses in the predominantly Black Greenwood neighbourhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The plight of the indigenous communities. Indigenous communities in the Americas were largely devastated through successive wars, massacres and killings. Atrocities associated with the transatlantic slave trade. The largest forced exodus in history, more than 15 million Africans were forcibly displaced to the Americas. Many perished during the notorious “Middle Passage” of the Atlantic, while untold numbers were deliberately thrown overboard. Injustices meted out to Asian communities. These are evidenced in, among other incidents, the 1871 Chinese massacre in Los Angeles, California, and the Rock Springs Riot in 1885. Remembering these massacres and others, panelists will explore questions such as: How do we recognise these tragedies, and celebrate the survival, resistance, resilience, and heroes of these communities? How do we honour their martyrdom? What is done to prevent us from falling into amnesia or denial? Moderator Bishop Mary-Ann Swenson, vice-moderator, WCC Central Committee Co-facilitator Rev. Dr Mikie A. Roberts, WCC programme executive for Spiritual Life Panellists include: Rev. Dr Robert Turner, pastor of Historic Vernon chapel A.M.E. church, Tulsa, Oklahoma and academic dean for Jackson Theological Seminary Dr Michael McEachrane, co-founder and consultative member of the European Network of People of African Descent Jennifer P. Martin, Education in Mission Secretary, Caribbean and North America Council for Mission (CANACOM) Dr. Daniel D. Lee, academic dean of the Centre for Asian American Theology and Ministry, assistant professor of theology and Asian American ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary Russel Burns, member of the National Indigenous Ministries and Justice Council (NIC), of the Indigenous caucus of Western Mining Action Network (WMAN), and of the Comprehensive Review Task Group (CRTG) of the United Church of Canada.   Register here and attend the WCC webinar "Remembering and Honoring Past Massacres: the Legacy and Resilience of the Victims" (1 June, 16:00 CET) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland