SHRINKING THE GAP
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me, he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, release to the prisoners and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
— Isaiah 61:1-2a
What is the racial wealth gap?
The racial wealth gap is the disparity in wealth, health, access and outcomes between white people and persons of color. There is a multitude of statistics and information around it, all of which point to its horrifying and destructive impacts on the lives of so many. The racial wealth gap originated as a product of slavery and forced labor, land theft from indigenous peoples, and policies in banking, government and philanthropy that have enabled generational wealth to accumulate within white communities while denying the same opportunities to communities of color, particularly Black and indigenous communities.
Why shrink the gap?
The Spirit of the Lord is upon, within, below, above and around the faithful people of Massachusetts. We know because we’ve seen, felt, heard and witnessed her as we’ve visited with our communities. We, the Episcopal Organizing Team of Episcopal City Mission, seek to honor and collaborate with God’s Spirit of Justice and Love through organizing and otherwise amplifying her already real presence in our communities.
We realize that shrinking the racial wealth gap is only possible if individuals and groups from our congregations are engaged locally and collectively. More specifically, we seek to incorporate you and others in our three part strategy/approach: Local & State Policy Change, Reparations and Partnership With Solidarity Economies. To this end we provide the formation/tools, the networks/relationships and the strategic focus to leverage the considerable gifts of your love and passion for justice.
While the Episcopal Church is known for its wealth, we understand fully that our people, activated, organized and engaged will provide by far the most critical resource needed as we create paths to thriving for all.