The Center for Restorative Justice in partnership with the Clergy Community Coalition, APU Department of Social Work, and Greenline Housing Foundation
Remembering our Past | Repairing our Systems | Reimagining our Community
How often do you think about the place where you live, its history and its relationship to systems of injustice?
This program will demonstrate how systems and institutions impact people’s daily lives and conversely how people impact systems and institutions in the city of Pasadena.
What can we learn about our communities and ourselves as we examine the disparities between different communities within our city? Have you ever considered how the Bungalow Heavens and Northwest Pasadena came to be what they are today? Truth is, when we examine our city, we examine ourselves. Dr. David Leong argues that the very fabric of our most deeply held beliefs and values, including our cultural identities themselves, are intimately shaped by cul-de-sacs and grocery stores, parking lots and freeway overpasses, children and parks, and the lives of others we encounter there.
Theologian Willie James Jennings plainly states that “Race is a matter of geography, and that we cannot overcome our racial dilemma until we get serious about the geographic formation and sustaining of racial identity…” within the structures of our society. In short, “the story of race is also the story of place.”
Reconcile Pasadena examines these questions and invites participants to communally develop tools that enable them to engage Pasadena’s racial and geographic history through a theological framework that highlights the underpinnings of advocacy for the oppressed present throughout Scripture.
The cohort’s aim is to empower and equip people with the tools to dismantle oppression by turning theory into practical engagement. Reconcile Pasadena strives to “move away from the well worn goal of improved race relations based on individual morality or personal responsibility, and move towards intercultural communities actively addressing the structures of society that perpetuate racial disparities.” (David Leong, Race & Place)
Participants will choose to join one of the following pods: Education, Housing, and a Pastors Pod. Since this cohort is hyper-focused on the City of Pasadena, in order to participate you must live or work in Pasadena, Altadena, or Sierra Madre.
education
This pod is designed for parents, stakeholders, and supporters of public education within the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD). We will explore the past and present life of PUSD, tracing how history informs the current challenges and opportunities the district faces today. By engaging with district leaders and key community partners within PUSD, we hope to identify opportunities for partnership and develop a framework and roadmap for continued advocacy in order to advance the vision for a high-quality district that strives to meet the needs of every student in PUSD.
housing
This pod will explore the history of housing injustice in the city of Pasadena. Join us as we examine how systems such as homelessness, segregation and the affordability crisis are implications of decades of housing discrimination perpetuated through intentional practices and government policies such as redlining, blockbusting, etc. We will also discuss practical and tangible action steps that can be taken that will help bring lasting, systemic change through policy, community organizations and individual activists.
pastors pod
This pod is for local Pastors/Clergy. We will learn the history of Pasadena and how it informs the current state of our city, learn about key areas of inequities and what is required to create a more equitable community. Through communal learning and biblical and theological reflection, we will examine the role of the church and its leaders in pursuing God’s vision for our city and its residents. This will be done while making new and deepening connections within the Clergy Community for ongoing support and collaboration.
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This is both an educational cohort and an ongoing advocacy group. At the end of the 5 months, participants will prepare a summative project and presentation to address the inequalities they learned about and their plan for continued, collaborative action. While our focus is on Pasadena and its unique challenges and opportunities, we recognize the importance of situating our work within a broader context. Throughout the program, we'll draw connections between local issues and state or national issues, inviting guest speakers and looking at case studies from other regions. This broader perspective not only enriches our understanding but also empowers participants to apply lessons learned in Pasadena to wider efforts against racial and geographic disparities.
By addressing these areas, Reconcile Pasadena strives to deepen its impact, fostering a more inclusive, action-oriented, and well-rounded approach to tackling systemic injustice. Our goal is not just to discuss the intersection of race, geography, and oppression but to actively participate in the creation of more just and equitable communities.
Topics addressed throughout the cohort will include:
• Theology of the City
• How Racism Built Pasadena
• Who is Your Neighbor?
• Power and Policymaking
• Loving Your Neighbor in Action
• The Prophetic Role of the Church -
Two Full-Day Retreats:
Aug 16-17 and Dec 13-14; from 8:30am-6pm each day.Two Meetings per Month:
General Sessions: Sep 12, Oct 10, Nov 14, Dec 5, from 6-8:30pm.
Pod Sessions: Aug 29, Sep 26, Oct 24, Nov 21, from 6-8:30pm. -
The total cost of this 5-month cohort is $500. We do not want cost to be a limiting factor, so please reach out and we may be able to provide a sliding scale or scholarship. Email info@cfrjustice.org with any inquiries.
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Education:
Dr. Margaret Leeis an assistant professor in the Social Work Department at Azusa Pacific University. She teaches graduate-level courses in policy, community organizing, organizational development and management, anti-racism and inclusion, and faith-based social justice strategies. She lives in Pasadena with her husband and two young children where she is actively involved with the local community in areas of children, housing, and education justice. She currently serves as a project manager with Making Housing and Community Happen, is on the board of Elizabeth House maternity shelter, and is the Principal Investigator for the Azusa Love My City Project.
Kahlmus Eatman
Kahlmus is a Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) parent with two children at Hamilton Elementary (2nd and 4th grade). Kahlmus has been an active participant in his local school community, serving as chair for the School Site Council and founding member of the school’s African American Parent Council. He also served as a parent participant on the steering committee for PUSD’s most recent strategic planning effort.
Kahlmus developed his passion for education while earning a degree in Economics at Duke University, where he noticed the large disparities in educational opportunities afforded to different populations long before they arrived on a college campus. He deeply values expanding quality public education options within historically underserved communities as a means to help address the systemic inequalities in education.
Housing:
Jasmin ShupperJasmin Shupper is the Founder and CEO of Greenline Housing Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to close the racial wealth and homeownership gaps and reverse the effects of systemic racism in housing by granting access to homeownership for people of color. She is also the Founder and President of The Greenline Group, a community-minded real estate development and consulting company. Prior to starting Greenline, Jasmin worked as the Business Director at Fellowship Church in Monrovia for four years, where she managed a multi-million dollar budget. Jasmin also worked as a corporate credit risk underwriter and financial analyst for ten years. She holds a BS in International Business from Pepperdine University, as well as a California Real Estate Salesperson's license and a Certificate in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California. Jasmin serves on the Board of Directors of Harambee Ministries in Pasadena and is an advisor to the newly formed San Gabriel Valley Community Land Trust. When she’s not busy trying to dismantle systemic injustice, she enjoys traveling with her husband and two girls, speaking French, hosting gatherings, cooking, and eating at new and exciting restaurants.
Bert Newton
Bert Newton is a Pasadena resident and an Organizer with Making Housing and Community Happen (MHCH). Newton recently led a successful campaign to get affordable housing approved on a closed school site in Pasadena. Previously, Newton helped lead a successful campaign to get 106 units of affordable senior housing (50% of it for seniors experiencing homelessness) approved to be built in Pasadena’s civic center. He also helped lead a campaign to rezone religious land in Pasadena for affordable housing and participated in a statewide coalition on rezoning religious land for affordable housing across California. Additionally, Newton has worked on a successful rent control campaign, two successful inclusionary housing campaigns, as well as many other housing justice initiatives. Newton is ordained through Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference, was an Associate Pastor at Pasadena Mennonite Church for seven years, and continues to be recognized by that congregation as a Ministry Associate, representing the church in the community.
Pastors Pod:
Pastor Mayra Macedo-NolanMayra grew up in East Los Angeles, and has lived in Pasadena for over 20 years. She was on the pastoral team of Lake Avenue Church for over 20 years and is now Executive Director of the Clergy Community Coalition of Greater Pasadena, which seeks to unite and mobilize the local church to bring about a just community where all people can flourish. Her love for her community and the local and global church fuels her speaking, teaching, mentoring and coaching, especially in the areas of leadership, gender equity, embodied faith, race, justice, and the Church. She has served on numerous local, regional, and national boards, currently Chair of the Board of Directors of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), an Elder of The Voices Project, and Board Member of The Voices School for Liberation and Transformation. She is married to Chris and they have raised their four children in Pasadena.
The Center for Restorative Justice:
John WilliamsJohn Williams is a strategic teacher and visionary reconciliation leader. He currently serves as the Executive Director of The Center for Restorative Justice after serving 7 years as the Director of the Fellowship Center for Racial Reconciliation. John is passionate about training groups who seek to increase their awareness around race, racism, and racial reconciliation in the U.S. Mentored by Dr. John Perkins, he brings over 30 years of experience and expertise in facilitating and training to this work.
John Williams has consulted churches, universities, and non-profits across the country in how to become more equitable and just organizations. He uses critical questions, dialogue, and interactive exercises as a core element in all of his workshops. John serves on the board of Greenline Housing Foundation as he strongly believes that the work of racial reconciliation must be communal and collaborative.
