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and Privilege without giving the topic much thought. Considering the sensitivity of the
subject matter in Southern Maryland, the committee’s deliberate approach to studying and
understanding the issues of race and privilege was warranted.

Initial research and planning included Episcopal Diocese Programs, writings, conversations,
and book studies.

Bringing Others Onboard the Steering Committee

As the Middleham and St. Peter’s Parish Big Conversation team began planning for their
conversation, which would focus specifically upon racial divides in Southern Maryland, key
participants from the efforts being done throughout the county were drawn upon to share
their experience.

Understanding a need for more diversity on the planning committee, they invited two
prominent African Americans from the local community to join into the effort. Malcolm
Funn represented the Calvert County NAACP. Malcolm is active in many community
efforts and brings a wealth of personal and professional experience to the team. Likewise,
Lauretta Grier is active in the Concerned Black Women (CBW) of Calvert County, Closing
the Gap, and countless other advocacy activities. Both the NAACP and the CBW of Calvert
had participated in the community conversations along with the Calvert Library and the
Community Mediation Center beginning in 2007.

The committee was still concerned about the best way to approach potentially explosive
issues of race and privilege. They did not even have the support of all of their fellow
parishioners. Some were confused as to why they wanted to “go there” and tackle such a
sensitive issue. Others didn’t see that there was a race relations problem at all.

The committee’s preparations included reading the book Let’s Talk by Catherine Meeks. In
it, Catherine Meeks said,

“It is important to have facilitators for these conversations. The most successful
facilitators are persons who do not function as the group’s expert on race but rather
are passionate about having conversation, open to new ideas, careful listeners,
attentive to nonverbal communication, and comfortable with the complexity and
tensions that surface when discussing race. While having one facilitator is adequate,
having two group facilitators is ideal. Co-facilitators often feel more confident and
are able to accent one another’s leadership.”

Committee members were aware that Vicki and Dusty Rhoades had been engaged in this
work as volunteers for the Community Mediation Center of Calvert (CMCC), dating back to

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