Telling the Truth about the history of The Episcopal Church is the first step in reconciliation. We cannot heal wounds that we do not acknowledge. Knowing the history of our church’s historical response to race and racism is helpful in building a common understanding and locating ourselves in the story–individually and communally.

The Diocese of Southern Ohio created this timeline as an introduction to an intensive learning journey focused on Telling the Truth about Race and Racism in Our Church. The timeline was created based on several key historical documents of TEC (as noted); realizing that there were pieces of Black-led history that were excluded in this formal institutional documents, included these. These various narratives are color-coded to bring attention to how historical narrative is shaped and passed down, inviting reflection on ways in which history is represented and understood.

The timeline can be used as a document in individual reflection and/or group dialogue. It can also be visually represented on a wall or on the floor so that it is more interactive. Inviting the inclusion of other events/activities/efforts on the timeline makes the timeline more representative of a particular context.