Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Friday, July 18, 2008

Speaker urges ELCA visitors to confront racism

The weekend long Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Global Mission event opens in song Thursday at the recreational Eagle Center on the UW-La Crosse campus where songs from around the world sang during a “global sing along.” PETER THOMSON photo

By KJ LANG / La Crosse Tribune

About 200 years ago, her ancestors sailed to the coast of West Africa and brought back men, women and children into slavery.

Katrina Browne said she originally repressed this dark part of her family history, but no longer does. She shared her family’s story Thursday with a crowd that filled the Recreational Eagle Center at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus to kick off the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Global Mission Event.

“The more I face, the more solid, grounded, relaxed and free I’ve become,” she said.

Browne also has produced and directed the film “Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North,” which tells the story of her forefathers. It was shown Thursday evening at the event.

Browne’s family was the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. From 1769 to 1820, three generations of her New England ancestors, the DeWolfs, trafficked in human beings, she said.

She challenged others to remember this history of slavery and realize it happened in the North, too. She asked for truth and recognition, including not turning a blind eye to racism today.

“It is easy to suppress what we don’t want to know — the fear, the guilt,” said audience member Franklin Ishida of Elmhurst, Ill. “She spoke in terms of racism. I think it applies to all levels of our existence.”

Browne said being in a state of denial is not a solid foundation.

“May we remember, may we see each other, may we grieve and then see the way to create the path ahead. Amen,” said Browne.

Before and after Browne’s presentation, the crowd joined in singing music in languages from throughout the world.

The Global Mission Event will continue through Sunday at UW-L, with many more stories of joy and suffering, as well as lectures on topics from hunger to organic farming.

The event’s purpose is to celebrate God’s mission and encourage and strengthen members for global ministry, according to ELCA officials.

Anyone can attend; walk-ins are welcome. Events Sunday are free. To see a schedule or for more information, go online to www.elca.org/gme or contact ELCA Global Mission at 1-800-638-3522, ext. 2642.

KJ Lang can be reached at (608) 791-8226 or klang@lacrossetribune.com.