Local faith leaders are working together to improve race relations, in hopes of moving the community forward.
The Henry County Interfaith Coalition (HCIC) is a collection of interfaith pastors working to assess problems in the community. Members of the group include prominent local figures from a variety of religious backgrounds, each with a mission to tackle the issue of racism.

The Rev. Charles Jackson, co-facilitator of the group, is a retired elder of the North Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He said the coalition initially partnered with the Interfaith Children’s Movement to address issues including racism, poverty, and mental health.

“We really started with the interfaith leaders to come up with a Martin Luther King, Jr. ecumenical service three years ago,” said Jackson. “We progressed to the Henry County Interfaith Dialogue on Racism, which progressed into a coalition. There’s so much going on in our society, and with the discussion about racism, it was important to do it now and not to wait.”

Tara Hall is the executive director of Interfaith Children’s Movement, Inc. She said faith communities can be “a powerful force of compassion, commitment and positive change for laws, public policies and services that shape our children’s futures.”

Hall said ICM was excited to partner with the HCIC to engage young people to be “change agents” to fight against racism while protecting human rights.

“We believe as a youth-serving organization that youth voices are essential in bringing awareness to issues that impact them directly and indirectly,” she said. “Their voices, when introduced before Georgia legislators, government officials and the community at large, are sure to make a lasting impact on laws that need absolute attention to ensure their well-being.”
Hall said ICM has launched a statewide initiative to work toward making Georgia a safer and better place for children.
“Additionally, ICM recently engaged youth in our new Interfaith Youth Alliance Academy for Social Justice, which held its first class on Saturday, June 12,” said Hall. “Collectively, youth voices and the interfaith community are essential with making a resounding roar for Georgia’s children that cannot be ignored.”

Coalition Co-Facilitator Kara Rogers said high-profile events, including Black Lives Matter marches and protests, helped to enhance the group’s focus.

“We looked at how we can use what we have to further God’s purpose to bring people together instead of dividing them,” said Rogers. “That is when we decided to add the focus of creating opportunities for uncomfortable conversations about racism specifically. Talking about racism is incredibly uncomfortable. The conversation has to be the starting point, because you have to start with truth.”

Father Roy Lee of the Archdiocese in Milwaukee, Wis., lives in Atlanta and is part of the Interfaith Coalition. He is working with the coalition to address issues involving racism.

“We get together on a regular basis to not only have a conversation about the climate that we’re in – the racial divide, the political unrest – but we also try to build bridges on how we can work together as a people,” said Lee. “This interfaith organization is a collection of people from all walks of life – black, brown, white – and from all different religions. It’s a wonderful organization because what we do is not only have a conversation, but [ask] how can we work together to alleviate some of the systemic problems that we’re experiencing in our communities?”

Lee said his “eclectic” ministry – which includes stints as a parish priest and a chaplain in the Air Force – now includes hosting a podcast titled “Where Do We Go From Here? African-American Catholics in the 21st Century.”

“We are in a climate, today, of racial divide and political unrest, plus the pandemic,” said Lee. “This is an opportunity for us as African-American Catholics to address our needs because there is a whole other generation – young generation – that has not responded to the Catholic Church and are leaving.”

Lee said racism is “alive and well in the Roman Catholic Church.”

“Black- and brown-skinned people did not create racism,” he said. “But we now are victims of this vicious and evil sin. We have to somehow unite ourselves as black and brown-skinned people, talking about our experience of racism.”
Dr. Rob Harrell, pastor at St. Luke Lutheran Church in McDonough, is also active in the coalition. He said last year’s riots and protests heightened tensions about race.

Harrell said Jackson called on local faith leaders to begin a dialogue in their clergies.

“We knew those conversations were happening in our congregation as well,” said Harrell. “The group was an opportunity to have conversations about how we can address this in our congregation and our community.”

Harrell is hopeful that the coalition will result in “more people at the table,” regardless of faith, race or gender.

“The more voices we hear, the better equipped we are to understand and address what’s going on in our communities,” he said.

Stockbridge Mayor Anthony Ford has worked with the coalition for several months. He applauded Jackson’s efforts and said the coalition marks a positive step for the community.

“I think it’s a good thing for us to have some discussions about race relations in the community, to look toward solving problems regarding race and diversity and to see what we can do to make our community even better,” said Ford. “I believe we are a better community if we work together and have a better understanding of each other.”