This e-newsletter was created to share programming taking place at First Congregational Church of Hudson and provide resources for additional information on the topic of racial justice.

One of the most exciting things that Christian Allies for Racial Equity (CARE) at FCCH has taken on is a partnership with a local Black church known as The Remedy Church. Here is a recap of our most recent event.

On Saturday, August 4th a group of volunteers from FCCH served at the Third Annual Remedy Church shoe give away. We arrived shortly before 11a.m. to find a line wrapped around the 70,000 square foot building! By the end of the two-hour event over 1,500 people had been served. The event was truly amazing, it was like attending a block party, with a live DJ pumping out tunes, an ice cream truck handing out free ice cream, barbers providing free haircuts, and community groups providing free resources and support. It was an absolute blessing to participate in this event and we look forward to serving again next year! 

Upcoming Events

AUGUST 27

Our Judeo/Christian religion teaches us to welcome the stranger (Deut. 10:19; 27:10 and Leviticus 19:34) and to love our neighbor (Luke 10:25). On Sunday, Aug. 27th at 11:30 a.m. Community Church of Chesterfield is hosting an event that will allow us to practice those religious principles. 

Entitled Teatime for Peace you are invited to have a cup of tea with your Muslim neighbor. This will be a unique opportunity for people of different belief systems and ethnic and racial backgrounds to come together to engage in honest dialogue in a nonjudgmental, respectful environment and learn through human connection and conversation.

Community Church of Chesterland is located at 11984 Caves Road (corner of Wilson Mills Road). Mark your calendars, for Aug. 27th, 11:30 a.m. at Community Church of Chesterfield.

Please sign up early for this free event as seating is limited.

The link for sign-up is below. 

SEPTEMBER 9 & 10

Forest Hill Church, 3031 Monticello Blvd., Cleveland Heights, OH, will be hosting two performances of, To My White Friends Who Know Me. The three-act play is based on the 2019 book: Some of My Friends Are … The Daunting Challenges and Untapped Benefits of Cross-Racial Friendships by Dr. Deborah Plummer. This special presentation encourages audience members to make an effort to cross racial lines in friendship and collectively work toward racial equity. Dr. Plummer herself will be a part of the post-show discussion.

The performance dates are Saturday, September 9 at 7:00 pm and

Sunday, September 10 at 2:00 pm.

Tickets are $25 apiece. If you can afford $50 you will be listed as a sponsor.

SEPTEMBER 10

First Serve is our annual day of service. This year marks our twelfth year. First Congregational Church of Hudson leads this event in conjunction with numerous First Serve Sponsors and Partners.

OCTOBER 1

The Remedy Church, a primarily black church in North Hill, will be visiting First Congregational Church of Hudson for the first time on Sunday, October 1st. A group from FCCH attended worship at The Remedy Church on Sunday, April 30th, now it is our opportunity to graciously welcome them to our place of worship. We ask that you please take a moment and welcome our guests when you see them around the church that morning.  

OCTOBER 12

 What happens when an individual is released from prison with only the clothes on their back? TRY (Truly Reaching You)! TRY is a ministry that provides job training, housing, and life skills for recently incarcerated individuals. Join us on Thursday, October 12th at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary as Perry Clark, the founder of TRY, shares how this ministry began and where he envisions it for the future and how we can be a part of this ministry. 

NOVEMBER 19

Pastor Kemp Boyd, Executive Director of LOVE AKRON is back! In January we had the wonderful opportunity to host Pastor Kemp as he and Derry Wimer provided an insightful discussion on what it is like to be a young black man growing up in Akron. On November 19th, Pastor Kemp will be joining us for a Q & A session at First Congregational Church of Hudson in the Fellowship Hall, where he will delve more deeply into this timely topic, while answering attendees pertinent questions.

Book Discussions

On Saturday morning, Oct. 21, the Equity Book Club begins its fourth year. Racial Equity Book Club is a ministry of Forest Hill Church in Cleveland Heights and is open to anyone who wants to attend. The first book this year is, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. The Zoom discussion begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends at noon. This book in its entirety is online. Please see the link below.

If you wish to participate in the October 21 conversation, email racialequitybuddies@fhcpresb.org

Read and See

For those who have read, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America (2021) by Clint Smith, he currently has out a book of poetry. Above Ground (2023). “is about the expansiveness of fatherhood. It is tender, loving, and joyous. Smith marvels as his children discover the world for the first time — and marvels at the beauty of discovering it again as a parent”, shondaland.com.

From goodreads.com: “There are poems that meditate on what it means to raise a family in a world filled with constant social and political tumult. Above Ground wrestles with how we hold wonder and despair in the same hands, how we carry intimate moments of joy and a collective sense of mourning in the same body. Smith’s lyrical, narrative poems bring the reader on a journey not only through the early years of his children’s lives, but through the changing world in which they are growing up—through the changing world of which we are all a part.”



Smith, who has a Ph.D. from Harvard and is a staff writer for The Atlantic, also has an enlightening series on YouTube called Crash Course Black American History. In 51 episodes approximately 10 minutes long, he covers the history of Black Americans from slavery to the Black Lives Matter movement.

You are receiving this email because you previously registered for racial justice programming. Email shockstra@hudsonucc.org with comments and suggestions for future issues.

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