by Janet Panning
Editors Note: The anti-oppression training that Mosaic leaders received is one of the first activities of the Vibrant Mosaic Program.
In early September, I participated in an Antiracism Analysis Training led by the nonprofit organization Roots of Justice. Our training took place at the new Philadelphia Praise Center (PPC) building on South 18th Street in Philadelphia. Our tasty Indonesian meals were catered by members of PPC, and Pastor Aldo joined us for the two-and-a-half day training. Around half of the participants were white and half were persons of color. Most of us were connected to Mosaic Conference, as board, staff, committee members, pastors or other leaders.
We started on Thursday evening by adding to drawings of giant icebergs scattered around the room. The icebergs represented periods of the history of the United States, from the 1600s to the present. The iceberg, our trainers explained, is a metaphor for racism. A small part can be seen while much takes place out of sight. The out-of-sight part includes the systems and structures that perpetuate racism.
Our opening task was to remember U.S. history and write actions of oppression on the inside of the iceberg and actions of resistance on the outside. We filled the icebergs with notes about slavery, red-lining, destruction of Black business districts, Jim Crow, family separations, segregated schools, the Indian Removal Act and Trails of Tears, Indian boarding Schools, and more. The acts of resistance included the underground railroad; the development and flourishing of Black institutions such as mutual assistance associations, universities and colleges, business centers and banks; civil rights actions, and more.
The realities of racism and oppression that our small group was able to identify in such a short time saddened me. It is a depressing reminder of our history of depravity as a country and too often as a culture, particularly as we see instances in our own time, and sometimes within ourselves. The pairing of acts of resistance in the same historic period, however, is a reminder that there has been resistance to racism and oppression from the beginning. Our task today is to continue the work.
Through exercises and caucuses, we looked at examples of systems and structures that support the entrenchment of racial injustice today and we talked about our roles in maintaining or dismantling systems of racism. We talked about the benefits that our current system allocates to persons who are white and the barriers and harm our current systems create for persons of color.
As a white person, for instance, I have never had to give my children “the talk” of how to keep safe from persons in authority that might view them as a threat. My husband and I don’t think about getting pulled over in our cars when we drive at night. I have confidence when I go to the doctor that I will be heard. Prior to 2022, if I had chronic kidney disease and needed a kidney transplant, the risk scale used to assess my need would put me ahead of the black woman who had the exact same condition.
At Mosaic Conference, we have a God-given opportunity to live in to our intercultural commitment as we continue to grow. This richness gives us an opportunity to share in each other’s gifts, experiences, perspectives, and burdens. This work will include listening to each other and listening for opportunities to support God’s work in diverse communities, including working for a more just and equitable country.
Janet Panning
Janet Panning serves on the Mosaic Board and is the Ministerial Committee Chair. Janet is actively involved at Plains (Hatfield, PA) Mennonite Church where she serves as an elder. She is employed by Montgomery County’s Office of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health. Janet is married to Steve and they have two daughters, Megan & Molly.
