For the past several months I have been working on the November 15 event, Fifty Years Later: The State of Racism in America, hosted by The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Mississippi and live-streamed from St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral in Jackson, Mississippi.

It has been both a challenging and rewarding project. Challenging because it is causing me to examine my own racism. Rewarding because I so strongly believe that this is one of the defining issues of my generation.

Yesterday, the distinguished expert panelists were announced.

Participating in the first panel – Why does racism persist? – are:

• The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina.
• Ms. Myrlie Evers-Williams, civil rights activist and journalist and widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers
• The Honorable William F. Winter, former governor of Mississippi and founder of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

The second panel – Where is there hope for change? – will feature

• The Honorable Byron Rushing, Massachusetts State Representative, civil rights leader and vice president of the Episcopal Church House of Deputies
• Dr. Randy Testa, author, vice president of education at Walden Media LLC
• Dr. Erma J. Vizenor, chairwoman of White Earth Band of Ojibwe, educator and community organizer
• Tim Wise, educator and author of White Like Me, Colorblind and Affirmative Action.

In order to be sure even our youngest Episcopalians are participating, we are inviting young people across the Episcopal Church to submit photos of original artwork responding either to this Sunday’s Civil Rights Sunday lesson or to another lesson based on racism in your community.

Email photos to me at rcollins@episcopalchurch.org.