The Young Adult Panel of 2020 concentrated on the ubiquitous and systemic issue of racism in North America in its various expressions. Our panelists, from a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and expertise highlighted not only the deeper issues of racism and prejudice, which are often unnoticed by people unaffected by such systems, but they also provided constructive and actionable means to face and change these systems. 

The Multi-Faceted Complex of Racism: An Interfaith Response

Rafeeq Warfield is an African American, living and working in DC. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., he grew up in an environment that has the highest murder rate per capita in the United States. Growing up, Mr. Warfield attended his schooling in a predominantly white school district in the affluent suburbs of Missouri. His schooling led to quite the juxtaposition in his young life that made him begin to question the factors that shaped the difference in the worlds he was seeing.

As an adult, Mr. Warfield served in the United States Peace Corps in South Africa. During his service, he began to see similar factors that were shaping the culture and social dynamics of his Peace Corps experience. It was socioeconomics, and he saw it played a peculiar role in volunteerism, race, and ambition.

Wendy Juárez currently collaborates in the Universidad de la Tierra, Oaxaca, in the research-action of alternatives in the fields of healing, eating and regeneration of our communities. She is a member of the editorial committee and collectives linked to the struggle of women. She has been an activist on issues related to the defense of the rights of Oaxacan migrants, as well as the psychosocial accompaniment of families of disappeared migrants.

Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd, MEd, CRE–ML is a Unitarian Universalist Master Credentialed Religious Educator and Aspirant for ministry. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). In this time of physical distancing, Greg misses hugs and movie theaters. Greg also works as the Coordinator for More Than Sex-Ed, a Greater LA-based sexuality education collective that brings the UUA- and United Church of Christ comprehensive sexuality education curriculum, Our Whole Lives, to schools, home school groups and the greater community.

Tahil Sharma is the Regional Coordinator for North America for the United Religions Initiative, and is an interfaith activist based in Los Angeles who was born to a Hindu father and a Sikh mother. Following the Oak Creek, WI shooting of a Sikh temple in 2012, Tahil became involved in efforts for interfaith literacy and social justice and has been doing this work passionately for the past eight years.

He will be speaking on Police Brutality and White/Privileged Allyship. This may be modified slightly as more people get back to me on their specifics.