In 2020, several of our Pathways Church members called for congregational action in response to George Floyd’s murder, a tragic instance of widespread injustice and inhumane treatment of Black individuals. As a result of this call to action, Pathways published a statement calling for change and in support of Black Lives Matter on our website.

At the September 2020 board meeting, it was agreed that if Pathways were to have any effect on racism, a committee needed to be formed to:

1) Help the congregation understand the history and present issues of racism

2) Through honest and open discussion, take this understanding to heart with empathy

3) Eventually recommend to the Pathways board appropriate and focused actions we can take as a church to help our cities and nation bring about change. Such study and actions recognize this is not a short-term effort but a labor of a lifetime.

We asked board member Lilybet Wasson to form a committee to accomplish these goals. This committee became ARC, short for Pathways Antiracism Committee. 

ARC’s focus in 2021 was to assist the congregation in understanding the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, what it means to be an ally of anti-racism, and to develop empathy for those who are targeted by racism. Focusing on allyship provided a foundation to recognize how we can work to overcome systemic and implicit bias. It is our goal to engage in genuine efforts that support African Americans.

In pursuit of this, in 2021, ARC hosted several small group meetings of interested members and friends. There were also invited speakers and panel discussions at Common Ground services by Black speakers on their experiences and about racial justice, practical corrective actions, and restorative justice.

In 2022, it was decided that discussions would center on the consistently widening wealth gap encountered by the US Black population. If there were no wealth gap, other issues would be far fewer. The approach taken was to look at the issues caused by, as well as contributing to, the wealth gap going back in history—to promises made and broken by power holders. US history and policies like the earlier GI Bill, 40 acres and a mule, Jim Crow laws, redlining, and unequal resources in schools had impact on the inequity in housing, health, and education.

ARC sponsored several Common Ground speakers and Table Talk workshops. It became evident the efforts were spreading in various Pathways groups like the recruiting of speakers on anti-racism not sponsored by ARC. In February 2022, ARC nominated Girls Inc of Tarrant County as one of four outreach recipients for collections this fiscal year and intends to nominate future recipients.

In 2023, Pathways has selected the area of education for its focus on community action. Educational attainment has been shown to narrow the wealth gap and lead to higher employment wages. Higher socio-economic statuses subsequently lead to better housing and health. Within education, ARC chose a key route to narrowing the wealth gap through a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). In addition, STEM methods promote critical thinking, a creative interdisciplinary approach, and hands-on learning.

STEM careers are essential for the United States to remain economically competitive and promise to provide earnings that are more likely to support wealth building. However, our nation, at the current time, is not producing enough qualified candidates in these fields. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, African Americans are the least likely to enter technology fields.

The committee identified three steps for our community action plan:

Step 1: We are reaching out to local STEM focused organizations for Pathways to follow and support as well as some local schools with a high percentage of African American, economically disadvantaged students.

Step 2: Study the information on the Lancaster ISD STEM Initiative program and evaluate ways Pathways can effectively help in this area.

Step 3: Learn about effective education legislation in the upcoming legislative sessions from school board to school funding, and act accordingly to help change the racial disparity in school funding.

ARC plans to take part in several proposed initiatives:

1. Collaboration with Tarrant County UU churches with a focus on Tarrant County issues.
2. Offer Pathways facilities as use of space for non-profit organizations we’d like to support in their social justice efforts
3. Educating Congregation on the UUA proposal of the 8th Principle up for a 2023 vote by UUA.
4. Compile our Race Matters outlines and sources into a shareable file with other interested UU congregations
5. A Pathways proposal for a future UUA General Assembly AIW (Action of Immediate Witness) with solutions to effectively address the African American racial wealth gap
6. Engage the board periodically in a Racial Equity Audit for its congregation and encourage the model be shared with NTUUC (North Texas Unitarian Universalist Congregations)

Our community invites you to join us in this work.