Pastor in Charlotte, North Carolina thinks it is the right time for the city and state to host a white privilege conference. In fact, Charlotteans will be going to dissect their white privilege this week at the Charlotte Convention Center. In fact, the White Privilege Conference is actually making its way to the city for the first time in its 23-year history four days. It will start on Wednesday.
It will come on the heels of a major turning point in Charlotte’s history of racial equity. There is a big investment in the city’s history which is toward racial equity. It is between $250 million with corporate contributions and taxpayer programs. In November, it was officially launching as the Mayor’s Equity Initiative.
The coalition for Truth and Reconciliation is what a local group is comprising of with faith leaders and justice organizations. It did renew its focus on systematic racism, thus releasing a comprehensive report that detailed 154 years of discrimination and Black oppression in a local county. Moreover, the Conference founder Eddie Moore did say the timing of this week’s conference is “serendipitous.”
Pastor – Reverend John Cleghorn
“In fact, there is a reason this is happening in Charlotte, North Carolina,” he said. “Moreover, there are good folks here and really good work that is happening here.” Moreover, the conference has been in the works ever since local Presbyterian leaders attended it three years ago. As a result of the partnership, this year’s White Privilege Conference is going to be centering around faith. “We do understand that this is not a conversation that everybody’s going really to run to. Also, we do understand it can be a difficult conversation, but it is a courageous conversation,” said Rev. John Cleghorn of Caldwell Presbyterian Church. “Though, we’re not asking anybody to walk out singing this gospel, necessarily. But we think it’s time to have this conversation.”
Moreover, Cleghorn is the “poster child for white privilege.” He is well-aware of it, the reverend said. Cleghorn did grow up with the money, he’s educated, and has been affording lots of social capital throughout his lifetime. But that’s why Cleghorn invested in this work 14 years ago when he joined the ministry — for himself, his church, and his community.