Social Action Committee for Racial Justice

The Social Action Committee for Racial Justice (SACRJ), formed in 2017, is a community effort to learn, grow, and take action against racism in Kent County Maryland. It meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in Sumner Hall, Chestertown, MD. It’s 200 plus members represent all races, classes, and cultures of Kent County. Visit SACRJ’s Website for a complete description of its work, call 410.417.7295, or email SACracialjustice@gmail.com for more information.

Sumner Hall supports the work of SACRJ by providing meeting space, public information, administrative, and financial management services. Make a donation to SACRJ by clicking here.

SACRJ Action Update (July 2020)

A series of Undoing Racism© workshops held on the Eastern Shore by the Peoples’ Institute for Survival and Beyond between 2016 and 2017 stimulated the formation of SACRJ. The insights of the People’s Institute continues to guide its work through the anti-racism organizing principles that SACRJ aspires to practice:

• analyzing power;
• developing leadership;
• maintaining accountability; and
• sharing culture.

Action is at the core of SACRJ’s commitment to anti-racism. Although it supports groups devoted to conversations about race, SACRJ focuses on identifying systemic racism and taking concrete steps to make changes. The monthly meetings are opportunities to guide the work. The action takes place at the subcommittee level and everyone is encouraged to join a subcommittee.

Subcommittee meetings take place at Sumner Hall or via Zoom:

• Education – 1st Monday of each month, 5:30 p.m.
• CommUNITY– 1st Wednesday of each month, 10:30 a.m.
• Achieving Justice Together– 1st Tuesday of each month, 6 p.m. at Sumner Hall.
• STAR (Students Talking About Race) – contact starchestertown@gmail.com
• Political – contact SACRacialJustice@gmail.com

Feed the Children and Elderly Initiative Update (July 2020)

Social Action Committee for Racial Justice (SACRJ) led a team of 160 volunteers who have worked to feed children and the elderly in Kent County from March 2020 until the present. When so many organizations, agencies and programs were closed – leaving people with few resources – this initiative has helped to ensure the distribution of 5,000 bags of groceries per week (to around 200 elderly households with an mean age of 78 years old) and 43,000 meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) at four community sites 5 days each week to children under 18 years of age. The program is headquartered at the Frank M. Jarman American Legion Post #36.

The work to date has involved the distribution of:

• $5,000 in purchased meat products
• $15,600 purchased produce
• $8,400 Maryland Food Bank staples
• $4,100 Red Acres Farm produce
• $9,000 in staples purchased from Redners
• 600 dozen eggs acquired through donations and purchases
• 1,000s of pounds of donated food items from community members, religious organizations, food vendors and food pantries
• 1,280 loaves of fresh bread donated by Magnolia Caterers and the Washington College Food Lab
• 3,000 pieces of corn bread and brownies donated by Echo Hill Camp
• 100s of cases of Costco food for student breakfast bags donated by community members
• 100s of pounds of meat donated by St. Martin’s Barn, Langenfelder Pork and Crow Farm
• 17,000 paper bags acquired primarily through donations from community members and local stores and restaurants
• 15 tons of Sysco food donated by the 32B Lions Club
• 1,000 chef-prepared meals provided by The Kitchen at the Imperial, The Fishwhistle, Germaine’s Carryout, Kitty Knight House and Barbara’s on the Bay
• 1,200 pizza kits from the Lions Club 38B, Barbara’s on the Bay, Germaine’s Carryout and Luisa’s
• 930 gallons of milk with an additional 1,180 gallons of milk given to Cecil & Queen Anne’s Counties, donated by the Lions Club 38B
• 130 boxes of fresh produce provided to the community donated by St. Martin’s Barn
• Homeless meals, including soup provided by Germaine’s Carryout and sandwiches provided by the Wine and Cheese Shop as well as water, fresh fruit, shelf-stable milk, cereal and personal hygiene products donated by community members

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