Anti-racism Training 2026
Fall Session: Wednesdays from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. on September 16, 23, 30, October 7, 14, November 11 You can register for the Fall session by clicking here.
Spanish-Language Training: TBD
“I learned that racism, like most systems of oppression, isn’t about bad people doing terrible things to people who are different from them but instead is a way of maintaining power for certain groups at the expense of others.” ― Alicia Garza, Co-Founder of the Black Lives Matter Movement
The training consists of five consecutive two-hour classes on Zoom, a self-study program in between the five weekly Zoom meetings, and a follow-up session four weeks later. The session costs $100 per person. Scholarships are available based on financial need.
Systemic racism in America began during the colonial period and continues today. One reason it’s been able to survive is because it’s kept hidden and denied. But ARC is shedding light on it and you’re invited to sign up to learn the truth and join the movement to dismantle systemic racism.
The Anti-Racism Training helps white people, Black people, Asian people, Hispanic people, Indigenous people – all people – become more aware of racism and understand the impact it has on our personal life. And the training examines the role racism plays in American systems – such as education, religion, government, justice, real estate, finance, news media, and, in fact, almost all systems and institutions. The training show how these institutions participate in a system of racism that covertly reinforces false ideologies that deny and justify racial and ethnic inequities.
Each week leading up to the Anti-Racism Training Zoom classes, participants are given online self-study lessons that take about two hours a week and that can be done at times that fit your schedule. The study material consists of recorded lectures, videos, and articles that provide a historical overview of systemic racism. Topics include:
- What is Race?
- Systemic Racism and White Privilege
- Internalized Racism
- The Role of the Church
- Settler Colonialism
- Racism in Immigration and Naturalization
- The Prison Industrial Complex
- ….and more
Participants who attend all classes and submit all assignments will earn a Certificate of Completion from the Diocese of New Jersey.
In addition, the Anti-Racism Commission will present “Comprender El Racismo Para las Comunidades Hispanas” (“Understanding Racism for Hispanic Communities”), an Anti-Racism Training session that is conducted entirely in Spanish and is modified to be culturally sensitive to and reflective of the experiences of Spanish-speaking communities. This training will be held in-person on September 20. Details about the Spanish-language training will be available shortly.
All lay and clergy who hold elected positions on commissions, committees and other bodies of the Diocese of New Jersey must take the training at least every three years. This includes members of the Standing Committee, Diocesan Council, Commission on Clerical Compensation, Committee on Constitution and Canons, Finance and Budget, and other elected bodies. In addition, all clergy new to the Diocese are required to take Anti-Racism within 12 months of their calling.
For more information, contact Canon Karen Oliver Moore at kfomoore@comcast.net.
The Anti-Racism Commission is a group of dedicated anti-racists who are working to help dismantle systemic racism, inequality, and injustice in our church and in our society.