Racial Justice and Healing

A woman holding a sign that reads 'Celebrate Freedom' walking in a group during a sunny day protest or parade, with several people walking behind her on a cobblestone sidewalk near a black metal fence and green trees.

In our baptismal covenant, we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves and are asked, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” And we respond, “We will, with God’s help!”

A newspaper page featuring a large photo of people in colorful traditional African attire dancing and playing drums during a Juneteenth celebration at Peter Paul Center in Richmond.

Juneteenth 2025

A young man in white robe kneeling on a brick pathway outdoors, holding a glass jar with water, surrounded by a small group of people standing on grass, some reading from papers, in a peaceful gathering.
Group of people sitting around a table under a tent at an outdoor gathering, with cars and a brick building in the background.

Social Justice Activities

Justice Ministry Update: Thanks for your support!

We are happy to report that Tuesday’s (March 25th) RISC Nehemiah Action Event was a great success. More than a dozen St. John’s members joined thousands of other Richmonders at St. Paul’s Baptist Church to hold Mayor Danny Avula accountable to addressing gun violence and housing issues in our city. At the event, Mayor Avula committed to working with RISC on implementing a Gun Violence Reduction Strategy, pledged $13 million toward the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and allocated $800,000 for mobile home repairs in Southside Richmond. For a full report, see coverage from the Richmond Free Press .

 To find out more information about RISC, please click here. 

To learn more about our Social Justice ministry, contact the Rev. Anthony Gaboton, Jr.

The Diocese of Virginia's

Racial Justice and Healing Pilgrimage

September 22-26

RISC

St. John’s supports and is a member congregation of RISC—Richmonders Involved to Strengthen our Communities—a grassroots, direct-action organization made up of congregations throughout the Richmond Metro Area.

Founded in 2002, RISC uses the power of large numbers of people to hold our public officials accountable and to solve critical community problems. Since we have been a member, RISC has focused primarily on three issues: affordable and healthy housing and gun violence.  Contact persons:  Daryl Quackenbush (daryl.quackenbush@gmail.com) and Sarah Mattingly (smattingly@mac.com).

 

Juneteenth 2024

The success of our fourth annual joint celebration of Juneteenth with the St. Peter's and St. Philip's parishes has been well-documented in our local press, including the main headline in today's Richmond Times Dispatch.

The celebration began with a brief Libation Ceremony in St. John's Churchyard followed by a march to Peter Paul RVA, where participants attended a prayer service and enjoyed a performance by Ezibu Muntu, a West African drum and dance company. The festivities concluded with a picnic at St. Peter's Church.

Peter Paul RVA's executive director provide the day's reflection, including the following remarks:

Chattel slavery, in many ways, has been made out to be a glorious system, which taught the enslaved individuals how to be ‘civilized...Even though we are in the year 2024 with limitless access to resources and technology, there are a number of individuals that still operate in this type of thinking... We, as the unified church, as moral and ethical humans, must be unapologetic in the way we remember and assess the atrocity that was chattel slavery.

In the News