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Agency proposes racial justice fund named for Woodie White

10/1/2003

A photograph of Bishop Woodie White is available.

By Joretta Purdue*

WASHINGTON (UMNS) - A United Methodist agency is seeking permission to start an endowment fund that would support racial justice work.

The fund, proposed by the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, would be named for Bishop Woodie W. White. A civil rights activist and friend of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., White was the commission's first top staff executive.

He led the agency from 1969 to 1984, when he was elected bishop. He has led the church's Indiana Area since 1992, and previously was bishop over the Illinois Area. He also was president of the Board of Discipleship from 1988 to 1992 and served on the General Council on Ministries.

The commission, which works for the elimination of racism in church and society, is seeking approval for the Woodie W. White Endowment Fund for Racial Justice through the United Methodist Church Foundation board and then through the General Council on Finance and Administration. More than $25,000 was promised to the fund at the commission's meeting Sept. 17-21 in Bloomington, Minn., near the Twin Cities airport.

The idea for the endowment originated with three commission members who attended a stewardship conference held by the United Methodist Church Foundation in Atlanta in February, said James Salley of Nashville, Tenn., a member of the commission and the chief development officer for Africa University.

"We wanted to establish something that would work forever in the area of racial justice," Salley said. And, he added, the commission wanted to honor White, whom Salley described as the church's "drum major for racial justice."

At another meeting in the past year, Salley heard Danny Bakewell describe the United Methodist Church's help in founding the Brotherhood Crusade 35 years ago. The charitable organization has established an independent financial institution that addresses issues of health, education, social welfare, economic and cultural development for African Americans and other people of color. Bakewell said the commission, under White, gave him the grant to start the crusade at a time when he could not obtain funding elsewhere to address the plight of black people in Los Angeles. The crusade has given more than $40 million in grants and supportive services to community organizations.

The commission is sending legislation to General Conference, the denomination's top lawmaking assembly, urging that church-sponsored meetings and conferences be held in cities where sports teams do not have mascots or logos that are offensive to Native Americans. The commission also discussed holding educational events to help annual conferences influence local sports teams to change such names and symbols.

Also in preparation for General Conference, the commission:
Â· Affirmed the resolution for continuing financial support for Africa University.
Â· Proposed amendments to the church's existing racial harassment resolution.
Â· Supported the General Council on Ministries' resolution on the elimination of racism.
Â· Endorsed the creation of an African-American Methodist heritage center, proposed by the Black Methodists for Church Renewal.
Â· Supported the 2006 observance of the 50th anniversary of clergy rights for women and asked that all annual conferences and local congregations join in the celebration.

General Conference will meet April 27-May 7 in Pittsburgh.

In other business, the commission unanimously agreed to oppose Proposition 54, which will appear on California's Oct. 7 ballot. The measure would amend California's constitution to prohibit state and local governments from collecting and using information on an individual's race, ethnicity, color or national origin. Proposition opponents say such information is critical to providing public services such as health care and police coverage, and that the measure would result in the diminution or loss of some services. The commission asked its staff to send a letter to every California congregation regarding the measure.

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*Purdue is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Washington.

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