Social Justice & Racial Reconciliation
Social Justice & Racial Reconciliation Working Group
Trinity’s Social Justice and Racial Reconciliation Working Group was formed in 2016-2017, with the goal of becoming an anti-racist church. Since then, they have coordinated multiple events and opportunities for Trinity and our neighbors to have open dialogue about issues of justice and race. The conversations continue. See below for upcoming events.
Stay informed about news and events from our Social Justice and Racial Reconciliation Working Group by signing up for our monthly e-newsletter, sent the 2nd Wednesday of each month.
2025 Rose Castle Foundation Pilgrimage
Trinity Indy is excited to partner with the Rose Castle Foundation for a multi-day residential program for Peace and Reconciliation in the Scottish Borderlands. We will spend time at Rose Castle and potentially other locations, focused on prayer, shared meals, and developing skills of reconciliation.
This opportunity is open to 15-20 pilgrims who have an interest in forming a working group to foster collaborations and promote the work of reconciliation, whether that be political, ideological, inter-faith, or other areas.
Reach out to the Pilgrimage Coordinator for more information.
GREENLAWN CEMETERY
The $20 million Henry Street Bridge Project and the $800 million Indy 11 stadium across from Lucas Oil Stadium are designed and planned directly on top of the historic Greenlawn Cemetery. Both projects are a key part of a deal that will connect Elanco Animal Health’s $150 million corporate headquarters to the new Indy 11 stadium project. The issue is that a section of the Greenlawn Cemetery is the oldest burial site in Indiana for early African American settlers, and the Henry St. Bridge will be built directly over it. Currently, the plans call for no prior study or archaeological assessment before excavation begins. Black history will be destroyed if the city moves forward with its current plan before doing proper due diligence of the site. According to some city historians, there may be as many as 1000 Black persons buried in this section of the cemetery.
Trinity is joining with the Indiana Remembrance Coalition (IRC) and many other concerned citizens to request that the digging schedule be altered. We are urging city officials and developers to pause any excavation or ground-breaking activity until a thorough archaeological investigation has been conducted first.
Join our letter-writing campaign by clicking the button below.
Read more from the Indianapolis Recorder.
LECTURE SERIES
Race Matters
In March of 2022, the Social Justice and Racial Reconciliation Working Group offered a two-part series about Trinity’s impact and response to racial justice and issues in the life of Indianapolis. The series included presentations by John Bridge, parishioner, and Lee Little, historiographer of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis, followed by group discussion.
Much of the conversation focused on the role of the congregation at pivotal points in city history, particularly during the suburbanization of Indianapolis in the decades following World War II and more recent trends that have affected the neighborhood.
Trinity Episcopal Church has been a presence in the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood for more than a century. Watch the recorded sessions below to hear how Trinity has lived into its baptismal call to promote justice and how we can continue to grow.
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Trinity’s Social Justice and Racial Reconciliation Working Group has compiled a recommended reading list.
Recommended for self-study. Purchase online or use the library.
- Ferguson and Faith by Leah Gunning Francis
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- Waking Up White by Debbie Irving
- The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone
- Having Nothing, Possessing Everything by Mike Mather
- The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby
- Stand Your Ground by Kelly Brown Douglas
- Raising White Kids by Jennifer Harvey and Tim Wise
- The Church Cracked Open by Stephanie Spellers
- See No Stranger by Valarie Kaur
