Courageous Conversations on Race Relations (CCORR)
Mission: A diverse group of individuals creating a beloved community through courageous, open dialogue, confronting systemic racism and the ways it causes division, by educating and empowering participants into anti-racist actions
What is CCORR?
In 2017 members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, members of Mount Olive Baptist Church, and representatives from StarkFresh met to discuss ways to impact our community. After several brainstorming sessions to find something unique and compelling, someone suggested, “Why don’t we talk about race and racism that exists here in our Community?” This thought stopped our collective thinking and immediately took over our talks. Collectively, we thought, “Why not?” To our knowledge, no similar efforts had been effective, and if they had, we realized collaboration between our three groups was undoubtedly unique enough that we should try it. After more than a year of planning, in early 2019, all three groups met to start what would become the Courageous Conversations on Race Relations (CCORR). Admittedly, we didn’t know where our gathering would take us when we started. With every meeting, we gathered to share food, share our lived experiences, and learn alongside each other, creating a solid bond between us all. These conversations were later organized into a formal curriculum, and further learning opportunities were developed, including the Social Justice Book and film series.
