Session 9: Diane Cooley’s story
The ninth stage of our “Storied Pilgrimage with Race” series, Bishop Lucinda Ashby interviews Diane Cooley, member of All Saints’-Cristo Rey Episcopal Church in Watsonville, about her life, family history, and experiences with race. Resources are listed below for group conversation.
REFLECTION QUESTION
In the interview, Diane says: “I never felt that I had to do or be anything other than what I wanted to be.” Could that statement be true for your parents? Can you say that phrase today?
ACTION
Interview a family member, if possible of a different generation, about how they responded to issues of race. Some things to consider might be the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Watts riots, the Black Lives Matter movement, etc.
RESOURCE
Read the story, “Being ‘Color Blind’ Doesn’t Make You Not Racist—In Fact, It Can Mean the Opposite”