Charlotte hosting White Privilege Conference. ‘It’s time,’ pastor says
.jpeg "The White Privilege Conference has been hosted in cities across the country for more than two decades.")
Charlotteans will dissect their white privilege this week at the Charlotte Convention Center.
The White Privilege Conference is making its way to the Queen City for the first time in its 23-year history for four days starting Wednesday — and comes on the heels of a major turning point in Charlotte’s history of racial equity.
The biggest investment in the city’s history toward racial equity — $250 million between corporate contributions and taxpayer programs — officially launched in November as the Mayor’s Equity Initiative.
And a local group comprised of faith leaders and justice organizations, called the Coalition for Truth and Reconciliation just last month renewed focus on systemic racism, releasing a comprehensive report detailing 154 years of discrimination and Black oppression in Mecklenburg County.
Conference founder Eddie Moore says the timing of this week’s conference is “serendipitous.”
“There’s a reason this is happening in Charlotte, North Carolina,” he said. “There are good folks here, and really good work happening here.”
The conference has been in the works ever since local Presbyterian leaders attended three years ago.
As a result of the partnership, this year’s White Privilege Conference will be centered around faith.
“We understand that this is not a conversation that everybody’s going to run to. We understand it can be a difficult conversation, but it’s a courageous conversation,” said Rev. John Cleghorn of Caldwell Presbyterian Church.
“We’re not asking anybody to walk out singing this gospel, necessarily. But we think it’s time to have this conversation.”
‘Do the hard work’
Cleghorn is the “poster child for white privilege.” He’s well-aware of it, the reverend said.
Cleghorn grew up with money, he’s educated, and has been afforded lots of social capital throughout his lifetime.
But that’s why Cleghorn invested in this work 14 years ago when he joined the ministry — for himself, his church and his community.
“My response to God calling me to this particular context was to dive in and do the hard work to be the pastor that this congregation deserves. And that is one who sees his blind spots and is constantly growing,” he said. “It’s been very much a part of my journey.”
Cleghorn said it’s important to remember that the conversation about white privilege is not about personal guilt or shame.
“We may feel that those aren’t definitions of us, if you’ve been a part of the privilege inadvertently,” he said. “We have to educate ourselves and clear our vision — and then do something about it.”
Almost 90% of Presbyterians in the United States are white, according to research by Pew, and Cleghorn suspects that majority is true of Charlotte’s 90+ Presbyterian houses of faith.
“The church, past and present, as an institution isn’t immune to racism… particularly during slavery, Reconstruction and the Jim Crow years, some churches used the scriptures to defend the construction of white supremacy,” he said. “The Bible speaks to justice from cover to cover, especially for those who are marginalized, those who are oppressed.
“That is central to our faith.”
He points to local Black Presbyterian leader Dr. Rodney Sadler as someone many local Presbyterians “see as a prophet.”
Sadler has been involved in the work of the Coalition for Truth and Reconciliation, and started his own organization that advocates for racial equity, the Reimagine America Project.
“This is healing that is about reconciliation,” Cleghorn said. “We hope that it moves not just our houses of faith, but our city toward a deeper readiness to acknowledge and see and call out white supremacy where we see it.”
White privilege conference
Eddie Moore, founder of The Privilege Institute based in Wisconsin, created the White Privilege Conference more than two decades ago for people who wanted to go beyond the surface, working to promote diversity.
Since the first conference in Mount Vernon, Iowa, it’s been held everywhere from Philadelphia to Seattle. And this year, Moore is expecting nearly 1,000 virtual and in-person attendees.
This year’s conference is themed “Wade in the Water: White Supremacy, Religion and Reciprocity.” The four keynote speakers include North Carolina theologian and social justice organizer Rev. Gregory Drumwright and Charlotte-based activist and artist Bree Newsome. Attendees will be educated through art performances and more than 100 different workshops around topics like gender dynamics and economic disparities.
“We’re factoring in the work around religion because it’s been a part of how we’ve had some harm happen to people,” Moore said. “But it’s also where we could have some good things happen.”
Moore is clear that this conference isn’t just for white people — there’s more to privilege than that, he said — but it’s not for everyone.
“If you’re not committed and interested in doing diversity work or going to the next level, this conference is not for you, and that’s okay,” he said. “But what I would say to people who want to do this work and want to get better, you really push beyond diversity and inclusion. That’s what this conference is all about.
“Having privilege is not a bad thing. We’re actually saying the opposite. That if you understand privilege, you can do good things.”
Virtual registration for the conference is open through Saturday.
This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
