Sustaining Catholic Education in and for the Black Community
By Lois J. Carson, Sr. Roberta Fulton, S.S.M.N., Dorothy Gupton, Veronica Morgan-Lee, Freida D. McCray, Mary Crowley McDonald, Kathleen A. Merritt, Sr. Jamie T. Phelps, O.P., Ph.D., Brother Gary Sawyer, ECSA, Deacon Marvin Threatt, PhD.
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Sustaining Catholic Education in and for the Black Community Resource List for Youth Ministers In the African American Catholic Community

For Administrators, Catholic Religious Leaders, Teachers, and Lay Professionals within Black Communities

The following outline provides individuals, groups, and organizations with steps for sustaining Catholic schools in Black communities.

• Create systemic change: Define and discern the level of commitment to Catholic education, and create institutional policies that guarantee access to Catholic education for those who are underserved by educational systems.
• Shift the paradigm: To whom do Catholic schools belong? Advocate for models of Catholic schools that provide Catholic education to those who could not otherwise access it.
• Support Catholic schools that presently exist in urban communities within your local diocese/archdiocese.
• Work with Catholic schools offices to establish local involvement and ongoing accountability by Catholic schools for their mission, vision, and role of evangelization in urban communities.
• Develop networks with national Catholic educational organizations and groups that provide support and resources to Catholic schools and Institutions of Higher Education such as Xavier University, Notre Dame, and St. Louis University. Partnerships with such groups will help to ensure the viability of Catholic elementary and secondary schools and their ability to attract talented educational leaders who will provide academic excellence and financial resources so that Catholic schools are accessible to all families.
• Develop an accreditation model of Black Catholic religious, clergy and lay educators and experts who understand the needs and challenges of Catholic schools in urban communities
• Utilize and or advocate economic resources to support Catholic education, such as the tax credits provided by local, state, and national governments.

For Our Youth

The Commission on Catholic Education is committed to developing a national consciousness regarding the importance of sustaining Catholic schools in Black and urban communities. It is imperative that students have an active role in achieving this goal.

To that end, the following outline provides youth with steps that can help to sustain Catholic schools. Please copy this page and distribute to youth in your community. Targeted areas should include youth in parishes, teen and youth groups, and youth in First Holy Communion, Confirmation, and CCD classes.

• Talk to your pastor about the benefits of a Catholic education, and share this information with your parents.
• Find out about Catholic schools in your area by asking a priest or CCD teacher, or by visiting your diocesan website.
• Go on a tour of a Catholic school with your parents. Many Catholic schools have open house dates for perspective students to visit.
• Talk to someone who attends a Catholic school and ask about their good experiences as well as their challenges.
• Don't be afraid to attend a Catholic School that does not have a large Black population. Take ownership of Catholic schools; they are for everyone.
• Don't let money be your obstacle… Ask your priest, the school, and your diocese about financial assistance.
• Consider Xavier University, the only Catholic Historically Black College, as well as other Catholic universities. Visit Xavier's website at www.xula.edu. Visit Xavier University during your teen years.
• Consider a religious vocation as a career. Talk to your pastor, other priests, religious women and men, and deacons about the rewards of their vocation. National organizations, such as the National Black Clergy and Sisters Causes, can be valuable resources on vocational life.

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