Justice Ministry

The Justice Ministry seeks to inform the HPCUMC congregation and community about topics of justice, exploring underlying causes and sources of injustice and encouraging actions that seek fairness and equity for all.

Support UMC's Stand Against Racism

“I was reported to the police as being a suspicious person . . .” A Cincinnati UMC Pastor’s Story – July 12 (in person) or July 13 (via Zoom), 6:30pm

During a pastoral care visit in his hometown of Wyoming, OH, Rev. Meshach Kanyion was reported as a suspicious person to the police. Compelled by his experience of implicit bias and racism, he created short YouTube videos sharing his story (follow the link below to watch the Youtube videos before the gathering).

There will be two opportunities to join others in watching and discussing his short videos. The first evening will feature an in-person, outdoor event on July 12, 2021, 6:30PM at the Church of the Savior, 8005 Pfeiffer Road in Montgomery. Grab your lawn chair and join Rev. Kanyion as he shares his experience and insight. The inclement weather plan will be to gather in the sanctuary.

For those not ready to venture out or just wanting to participate from the comfort of an air conditioned home, the program will be repeated via Zoom on the following evening, July 13, 2021, 6:30PM.

Follow the link below for the link to the Youtube videos to watch before the event and to let us know you are coming.

Events & Resources

Opportunity to support and connect with black owned businesses in our community

• Get to know Cincinnati’s Black entrepreneurs and patronize their businesses! A great place to start would be here: https://thevoiceofblackcincinnati.com

• Get in tune with what’s happening in the Black community by subscribing to the weekly Cincinnati Herald! “News you can’t get anywhere else.” $30 for a year https://thecincinnatiherald.com/subscribe/

Justice Reading List

Click here to download a printable pdf of our reading list.

Over the summer of 2020, the Justice Ministry discussed two books: White Like Me by Tim Wise and How To Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi. There are many books and films that can enlighten and educate us to the historical background of racism in America with the hope that we can be agents of change and bring justice to our land.

Here are a few more to choose from!

America’s Original Sin – Jim Wallis
Between the World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents – Isabel Wilkerson
Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration – Emily Bazelon

I’m Not Your Negro – James Baldwin (also a 2016 documentary film)
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness – Austin Channing Brown

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption – Bryan Stevenson (also a 2019 film)

Sacred Resistance: A Practical Guide to Christian Witness and Dissent – Ginger Gaines-Cirelli

So You Want to Talk About Race – Ijeoma Oluo
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America -Ibram X. Kendi

The Color of Law – Richard Rothstein
The Cross and the Lynching Tree – James H. Cone
The Hate You Give – Angie Thomas (also a 2018 film)
The New Jim Crow – Michelle Alexander
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row – Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love Hardin

The Warmth of Other Suns – Isabel Wilkerson
Things That Make White People Uncomfortable – Michael Bennett
White Awake: An Honest look at What It Means to Be White – Daniel Hill
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism – Robin DiAngelo

Justice Ministry