Virginia Medean on St. Joseph and Church Activism (clip)
Interviewed by Ella Wise Rachel Mossey on March 19, 2010
Ella Wise/Rachel Mossey (EW/RM): How have you seen Saint Joseph’s though – the role of Saint Joseph’s in this community?
Virginia Medean (VM): They’ve always been a strong advocate for justice, social justice, and community means. They have a wonderful pastor now–
EW/RM: Mhm.
VM: –And [pause] I think they’ve always, there’re many people that have gone to this church they all love.
EW/RM: Mhm.
VM: And if you wait in the line, you see the ladies, the church ladies.
EW/RM: Yeah.
VM: You know. And, so that’s nice. I mean it’s very different I think to be in an African American church where you’ve been at the forefront of social activism. My church that I have gone to over the years is a community church which was founded for that purpose, is now–they had to turn it into a denomination for financial reasons–it’s a unitarian church now.
EW/RM: Oh yeah, I went to unitarian–I was brought up in a–
VM: You were? My husband was brought up as a unitarian so he wants to be, he’s a unity person now but they only have one unity church here. I don’t know, I’m just– Church for me has to have social justice involved in it.
EW/RM: Mhm.
VM: ‘Cause it’s such a great place to collect it and make it–collect the energies and make it happen.
EM: Mhm.
