Racquelia Kilby (l.) and Phoebe Kilby will reflect on their common heritage and what it means for today at a "Coming to the Table" event Feb. 13 at Hyattsville Mennonite Church.

Race Relations is Focus at Hyattsville Church

An event billed as “a frank discussion of race relations in the United States” will be held 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, at Hyattsville Mennonite Church, 4217 East-West Highway, Hyattsville, Md.

The program, co-sponsored by the Hyattsville congregation and the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP) at Eastern Mennonite University, will bring together Phoebe Kilby, a descendant of slaveholders, and Racquelia Kilby, a descendant of the slaves Phoebe’s family held, to discuss their newfound relationship and what they have learned from it.

Phoebe and Racquelia will speak and interact on the theme, “A Common Grace” as part of the CJP “Coming to the Table” program. Participants will be able to join them at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood envisioned by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his “I Have a Dream” speech. Together they will explore avenues for racial reconciliation within families, communities and across the nation.

Phoebe Kilby is associate director of development for the CJP program at EMU and frequent participant in “Coming to the Table” events.

Racquelia (“Rocky”) Kilby is a media specialist at the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., and has organized racial reconciliation activities in the Washington, DC, area.

The program is open to the public free of charge.

Persons are encouraged to RSVP to Marci Myers at 800-368-3383 or email myersmk@emu.edu.
For more information, contact Phoebe Kilby at 800-368-3383 or email phoebe.Kilby@emu.edu.