In September 2014, the Marblehead Ministerial Association (MMA) had a conversation about how the Association might engage the Marblehead community in a commitment to anti-racism and anti-oppression.  This conversation was, in part, a response to the recent situation in Ferguson, some hateful materials seen in the Marblehead Post Office and a recent act of graffiti.

A  MMA Task Force was named and a follow up meeting was attended by Karen Peters, Christine Holebrook, Wendy von Courter, Joe Whipple, Susan and Jay Morrison to discuss ways to proceed.  At the October 2014 MMA meeting, this MMA Task Force presented a proposal that:

• the MMA, possibly in collaboration with the town’s Task Force Against Discrimination (TFAD) embark upon a year long campaign to raise awareness about racial justice in our community

• the first step to raising awareness would be to educate members of the MMA

At the December 2014 meeting of the MMA, Mykal Slack led a workshop for MMA and TFAD members on Racial Justice and White Privilege.  We spent time discussing normalized experiences and marginalized experiences and unpacked how oppression occurs when marginalized experiences are systemically devalued (leading to subjugation and powerlessness) and how privilege occurs when normalized experiences are systemically valued and encouraged (leading to abundance of power).  We were encouraged to take action.  

On Sunday, January 18, 2015 (Martin Luther King weekend), the MMA invited the Marblehead community to a showing and discussion of the film Mirrors of Privilege:  Making Whiteness Visible.  The UU Church hosted the event.  A sign up sheet was made available for those in attendance who would like to become involved with the MMA’s commitment to racial justice efforts.  

These people were contacted for the next “Task Force” meeting at St. Stephens UMC and from this time forth, the concept of a Marblehead Racial Justice Team (MRJT) evolved, still with the support of the MMA.  Meetings were held over the summer of 2015 and future events were planned.

The next event was held on October 18, 2015 at the UU Church with the showing of the documentary Traces of the Trade:  A Story from the Deep North wherein filmmaker Katrina Browne discovers that her New England ancestors were the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history.  She and nine cousins retrace the Triangle Trade and gain powerful new perspectives on the black/white divide.  

On November 15, 2015 there was a second showing of the film Mirrors of Privilege:  Making Whiteness Visible held at the Abbot Public Library with Nikki Moore and Wendy von Courter facilitating the discussion.  This event was sponsored by the Abbot Public Library, the MTFAD, the MMA and the MRJT.  

On January 31, 2017 Debby Irving, author of Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race made her presentation “Let’s Talk About Racial Justice” and encourged participates to engage in education and action.  The program was held at Marblehead High School; the MMA covered the expenses of the event (speakers fee, custodial fee and security deposit) and Old North UCC completed an Insurance Certificate. The event was well attended by teachers, students, members of the Marblehead community and neighboring communities.