Following the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., Shanene Herbert and Sharon Goens-Bradley, AFSC staff working in the Twin Cities, saw that White people of faith needed support in deepening their skills for working to end White supremacy. They proposed and co-designed an e-course, Radical Acting in Faith for White People, facilitated by AFSC’s Friends relations director Lucy Duncan and Friends Lisa Graustein and Mila Hamilton. More than 500 Quakers and people of faith participated. The sessions focused on core skills, including following the leadership of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC); speaking effectively to interrupt racist speech; and engaging in actions that result in tangible, positive outcomes for BIPOC. The recordings are available on AFSC’s website as a self-study e-course: afsc.org/radicalaif.
In January AFSC launched an initiative called Under the Mask. This effort documents ways that governments around the world are using the COVID-19 crisis to restrict civil liberties. AFSC produced a three-episode podcast with case studies on Central America, Israel, and Kenya. New events will coordinate people worldwide to counter oppressive state measures. More information is at underthemask.afsc.org.
In November 2020, thousands of people in Guatemala lost their houses and crops to catastrophic flooding when hurricanes devastated the area. AFSC raised more than $35,000 to help provide food, clean water, clothing, and safety kits for people living in temporary shelters.
Learn more: AFSC
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