Racism is a system of domination in which one racial group with power
claims superiority...Racism confers certain privileges on a
small group of people...
Racism is encountered whenever For example, racism:
1. Persons, even before they are born, are assigned to a group,
sSeverely limited limits people
in freedom of movement, choice of work and places of residence because
of their race.
2. Groups of people, because of their race, are denied
Denies people effective participation in the political process and
compels them to obey policies of the dominant group. are
compelled, often by physical force, to obey the edicts of governments which
they were not allowed to have a part in choosing.
3. Racial groups within a nation are excluded from the normal channels
available for Impedes racial groups from gaining economic
power, through denial of by denying them educational
opportunities...
4. Policies of a nation ensure benefits for that nation
Ensures economic benefits for the dominant power, while from the
labor or racial groups, migrant or otherwise, while at the same time
denying to such people commensurate participation or a
voice in determining the affairs of the nation
those benefits.
5. The Defames the identity of persons is
defamed through by stereotyping of racial and
ethnic groups in textbooks, cinema, mass media, and interpersonal
relations and other ways.
6. People are denied Denies people equal protection of
the law, because of race, and when constituted
authorities of the state use their power to and protects
the interests of the dominant group at the expense of the
powerless.
7. Groups or nations continue to profit from
Perpetuates regional and global structures rooted in that
are historically related to racist presuppositions
and actions.
8. Creates environments where persons of color internalize and dehumanize values and perspectives based on race and cooperate with denying their own equal participation in societies.
The Social Principles states that:...
Confession of Racism in Today's Church
As a religious community, both as United Methodist congregations and
individuals, wWe as United Methodists too often have
failed...Too often we have not recognized the struggle against racism as
central to in our church's missions to the
world. We affirm the use of nonviolent action and resistance as
methods to end human abuse, injustice, war, and exploitation; and that
nonviolence becomes a central practice in a new international coalition to
recover from racism.
Confession of Racism in Today's Society
Within the larger secular society, it is the economic and political
manifestations of racism that are the most obvious. Usually, it is people of
color, women and children, and those people in developing countries who suffer
most from the priorities of racist policies and attitudes.
As United Methodists we recognize the need to:
1. Examine our direct and indirect roles in retarding the
Be partners in the process of self-
determination
and development of racially oppressed people.
2. Critique Analyze immigration patterns...
3. Recognize the exploitation of the world's resources and people by
many Critique transnational corporations to identify areas
of exploitation of the world's resources and people who place
profit before people.
4. Demand greater corporate responsibility and accountability in all organizations.
5. Demand greater responsibility from the communications/media industry
in their role of attitude formation and perpetuation of racist stereotypes and
mythology. Critique media that perpetuates racist stereotypes and
call for greater responsibility in the role of attitude formation.
6. Assess Recognize the relationship between the
continued exploitation inherent in the dichotomies of
north/south, rich/poor, industrialized nations/world of color
developing nations.
7. Critique and reform legal and judicial systems which disproportionately
jail, imprison, confine and execute people of color.
8. Support the restructuring of the educational systems to
enable all children to learn to their fullest potential under
conditions of maximum opportunity.
9. Support the enforcement...and governmental system, even in the face
of laws which compel such behavior.
10. Support changes in laws and practices which doubly
discriminate against women of color who experience both racism and
sexism.
Furthermore, aAs United Methodists who have
adopted...
1. Condemn the Ku Klux Klan,...and similar militantly racist movements worldwide.
2. Assess the increasing militarism of the United States,
and other countries with an awareness of which is based
on racist enlistment patterns growing out of
rooted in economic forms of racism; the ultimate wrong of U.S.
minorities fighting in the Third World on behalf of an elitist group of
economic interests.
3. Understand the implications of Value bilingual and
multi-cultural experiences in relationship to the face
of racism.
4. See our actions on racism in the light of Understand
racism in the United States from perspectives, histories and issues of
Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native peoples, Asians, and Pacific
Islanders.
6. [Delete.]
76. Halt racist actions Challenge
imperialistic domestic policy directed at Native peoples, related
to especially relating to sacred lands, broken treaties, land
rights and natural resources questions.
87. Challenge the inherent racism...and the treatment
of the undocumented persons.
98. Examine Critique the racism
of the welfare system in the United States.
Therefore, as United Methodists, Committed to Understanding and
Eliminating Racism.
We affirm the use of nonviolent action and resistance as
alternatives to human abuse, injustice, war, and exploitation, and that
nonviolence become one of the strategies for a new international coalition to
combat racism:
We recommend the following actions:
1. That the General Commission on Religion and Race make known, monitor, and
address throughout the denomination the new current
manifestations...held in the 1985-
1988
Quadrennium as well as the 1995 convocation held in St. Louis on militia
groups.
2. That the general agencies, the Council of Bishops and local congregations
affirm and encourage the use expression of theologies
of ethnic peoples, so that the church's theology is more inclusive.
which This will free all people...
3. That individuals and local congregations be encouraged to explore
how their invested money is being used and to question the racial practices of
those examine the practices and policies of the companies in
which they invest and hold those companies accountable for fairness.
4. That the General Boards of Church and Society and Global Ministries work to:
a) [Delete.]
b) a) Encourage the U.S. Senate
government to ratify and become an advocate for the
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination.
c) b) Provide an opportunity for dialogue among United
Methodists persons throughout the world to discuss racism
and ways to overcome it. in the United States, Methodists in South
Africa, representatives from the African National Congress (ANC), Southwest
Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), and United Methodist persons living in
the Front Line States of Southern Africa. The dialogue will focus on
apartheid as the source of violence in Southern Africa, South Africa's
use of "anti-
communism"
as a way to divert global attention away from the racism and brutality of
apartheid, and the special circumstance of women and children under
apartheid.
7. That the appropriate United Methodist agencies sponsor a convocation
in the United States for members of urge the mass media to:
b) Examine racism in all forms of media imagery, including the print media, radio and television broadcast, and all forms of advertising.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21078-IC-R248-U
1996 United Methodist General Conference