“Racism is a sin: a sin that divides the human family, blots out the image of God among specific members of that family, and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father.” (Brothers and Sisters to Us, 1979). Racism lives in a particular and pernicious way in the United States, in part because of the complex history of slavery in the country, and the beliefs and policies that sustained it. African Americans have suffered intensely from those who have committed, and continue to commit, the sin of racism. But racism has also ravaged the lives and livelihoods of many other groups of people, and its targets and destructive manifestations are ever-evolving.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism seeks to teach about and to witness to the intrinsic dignity of the human person as an antidote to the grave sin of racism. The Committee explores and implements concrete solutions to address the racism that still pervades our society and our Church today, and works in collaborative ways to strengthen the response of all people to this evil.
This mandate includes the following areas of responsibility: