The Faith In Action Team (FIAT) from Portage Chapel Hill is encouraging everyone to engage in activities to help dismantle racism in our society. Here are some ideas that you and your family can do:

Send a letter to your representatives in government encouraging them to stop voter suppression efforts. This is sponsored by Interfaith Strategy for Action and Advocacy in the Community (ISAAC). Portage Chapel Hill Church is a member of ISAAC.

• For Rep. Fred Upton CLICK HERE
• For Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Sen. Gary Peters CLICK HERE​​

Attend an “Introduction to Systemic Racism” Workshop: Chapel Hill will pay the $150 registration fee for all those who attend this 2-day workshop put on by Eliminating Racism And Creating/Celebrating Equality (ERACCE). These workshops are held monthly and they fill up quickly! Go to eracce.org/event-calendar to register, then contact the church office at office@pchum.org for reimbursement.

Find anti-racist reading lists from ERACCE and Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training

Attend a Portage Kids Peaceful Protests event. These family-friendly protests are held every Sunday from Noon - 1 pm at the corner of S. Westnedge Ave. and Centre Ave. in Portage. This is a great way to introduce kids to protesting and show them how to stand with the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements.

Support Black-Owned businesses. Becoming an anti-racist congregation has gotten some traction as various Chapel Hill small groups have been reading books on white privilege, social marginalization, personal and systemic racism, and more. Taking direction from Michael Eric Dyson’s book Tears We Cannot Stop, Chapel Hill is looking at ways we can do some “repaying” right in our own community.  To begin this we will be highlighting black-owned businesses in the area, in hopes that many of us would choose to support these businesses once we know of them!  We offer a few of those businesses to you here. Should you know of black-owned business you would like listed, please let the office know.  We know that this is in no way an exhaustive list and we also caution that a business appearing here does not constitute an endorsement of services or products they offer.

• Roche Wine Collection
• Huey D's Goodies
• Layla’s Cool Pops
• Dream of Kalamazoo Hair Salon
• Saybers Cooking

To find other businesses, or to give a donation, go to Black Wall Street Kalamazoo, which provides services and education to bring forth successful African American businesses.

If you have any questions, concerns, or additional ideas to share, please contact Faith In Action Team Chair Richard Derenne at richard.derenne@stryker.com or the church office at   office@pchum.org.