SJM Receives NJCH Grant

New Jersey Council of the Humanities has awarded $5,000 to SJM,, in partnership with Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Westfield to develop “Dialogue Circles on Race,” a series of facilitated discussions for community members in Union County to explore and address issues involving race.

Under the aegis of a new Anti-Racism Collaborative Community Board (ARCCB) and modeled on Dialogue Circles on Race that have been offered since 2015 in Summit, this pilot will be presented as a series of facilitated discussions about race and racism in Scotch Plains/Fanwood and Westfield, in response to requests from our communities for more opportunities to come together across racial lines.

In Summit, more than two hundred fifty individuals of diverse racial and religious backgrounds have participated in these Dialogues, developed through a collaboration of the Summit Interfaith Council and houses of worship. Participants are provided with materials that offer a critical analysis of the history of race and racism in America, systemic racism and the culture of White Privilege and the devastating human impact of these often unseen structural realities as a springboard for discussion during the sessions.

At the completion of the first round of Dialogue Circles on Race, the Collaborative Board envisions that the Dialogue Circles will not only continue, but will serve as the incubator for future community involvement in issues crucial to our well-being and our humanity.