Over the 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Catholics have grown from a small minority into a major force in American life, especially in education. As the nation approaches this milestone, Philadelphia is a fitting place for Catholic schools to help make the Declaration’s promise of human equality a lived reality for all, especially young people.

This symposium will bring together 150 Catholic elementary and secondary educators from across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for a day of prayer, learning, networking, and engagement with digital classroom-ready resources on racial healing. Participants who implement these materials will have access to ongoing mentoring from experienced educators.

Our keynote speaker is Dr Marcia Chatelain, professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, previously at Georgetown University.

The symposium is convened by New Encounters: Catholics Confronting Racism in partnership with Cranaleith Spiritual Center and supported in part by The Sisters of St Joseph Mission Fund and The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia. Through online and in-person programs, New Encounters promotes encounter, formation, and action for personal and institutional racial healing, drawing on the rich traditions of Catholic faith and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Act 48 Credits available. Grade level classroom-ready resources made available for all participants.

If you have questions about the conference, please reach out to Dr. Mary Laver at newencounterscatholics@gmail.com

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Marcia Chatelain, Ph.D.

Dr. Marcia Chatelain serves as professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, previously at Georgetown University. An active public speaker, Chatelain has received awards and honors from the Ford Foundation, the American Association of University Women, and the German Marshall Fund of the United States. During her twelve years at at Georgetown University, Chatelain won several awards for her teaching and university service, including the 2022 Georgetown Black Alumni Council Distinguished Leader Award, the 2021 Georgetown Alumni James S. Ruby Faculty Appreciation Award, and in 2018, a Provost’s Distinguished Associate Professorship, among others. In 2016, The Chronicle of Higher Education named her a Top Influencer in academia in recognition of her social media campaign #FergusonSyllabus, which implored educators to facilitate discussions about the crisis in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014. She has held an Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fellowship at New America, a National Endowment for the Humanities Faculty Fellowship, and an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship.  A graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia in Journalism and Religious Studies, Chatelain was a 2000 Harry S Truman Scholar, and she earned an A.M. and a Ph.D. in American Civilization from Brown University.

View Dr. Chatelain’s photo and learn about her publications here.