“Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you.”–John 14:27

The cathedral’s Institute on Justice and Reconciliation began its work at the July, 2004, annual meeting of the Union of Black Episcopalians. Yet, the cathedral broke ground for the Institute in an earlier effort called the Cincinnati Racial Reconciliation Initiative. Working in partnership with Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and former mayor of Cincinnati, Roxanne Qualls, the cathedral sought to identify, train and support individuals who would use their social networks to bridge hostilities between the city’s black and white communities. The purpose was to lower institutional barriers that prevented full participation of members of the minority community in Cincinnati’s social, economic and political life. The result was a model that communities can use to lower inter-racial hostility and to alter patterns of institutional exclusion.

The Institute has compiled a bibliography encompassing a wide range of topics pertinent to reconciliation: world history, justice and equity, religion, theology, mythology and race theory and practice. Copies of the bibliography are available.

The Institute also produced a 17-minute DVD, Cathedral in the City, depicting personal accounts of race atrocities and reconciliation. It defines reconciliation and illustrates a methodology for reconciliation. Copies of the DVD are available.

For more information, click here.