Peace-Justice-Anti-Racism Snapshot: Theresa Orlando

Who: Theresa Orlando, celebrating 50 years of marriage this September with husband Harry, three grown sons and two grandchildren.

Where: Glenshaw, Pa., a mostly white North Hills suburb of Pittsburgh.

CTA involvement: a member of the CTA national Anti-Racism Team.

Earlier background: Social justice activism at the parish and community level since early in their marriage. Theresa worked with youth in their parish in McKees Rocks, Pa., a predominantly Italian town. In the early 1960s an African American mother wanted to organize a Freedom School in her housing project. The Orlandos agreed to help. Theresa recalls: “Our oldest son, age 7, walked out of his second grade class because people were badmouthing this black mother.” Theresa embarked on three decades of work in civil rights. “But we weren't really challenging our own racism in those days. We were just white people trying to help black people.” The byword was diversity, not anti-racism.

Move into Anti-Racism: In 1995 race problems erupted in a neighboring north suburban school district. Theresa was long-time director of Christian formation in her parish. She and Harry also belonged to the Thomas Merton Center in Pittsburgh (the peace-justice organization recently in the news for having been under secret F.B.I. surveillance for anti-war activities). Flyers were mailed to citizens in 10 north suburban school districts, calling a meeting to discuss: How can we be allies to people of color in the North Hills? Orlandos got the flyer because they were on the Merton Center mailing list.

A big turnout of white people heard African American families tell their experiences as people of color in a suburban sea of white. Through the Merton Center, Theresa and others hired the People's Institute from New Orleans to come and run a training workshop about racism. “That's when I first grasped that institutional racism is based on white privilege, and infects all of us,” Theresa says.

Anti-Racism Coalition: The training led to formation of the North Hills Anti-Racism Coalition (NHARC). Theresa was a founding member, and is its president today. “Lots of people wanted to call it a diversity coalition. But the people of color were persistent, and got us to say anti-racism instead.” Today NHARC has over 100 dues-paying members, and over 350 on the mailing list. In the last 11 years, NHARC has persuaded some school districts to change their policies regarding people of color and racial harassment. Each summer the coalition sponsors a multi-cultural outdoor festival, with foods, music and entertainment from a variety of racial and ethnic groups in the community. It hosts a unity breakfast each January on Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, and presents annual awards. Awards are given to companies, non-profits, even individuals like a high school principal, who are making a difference reversing racism. This month the coalition will hold its ninth annual Interfaith Celebration, including Hindu and Muslim representatives.

Recent role at CTA: Theresa and 23 others on the Anti-Racism Team have received extensive training from Crossroads Ministry in understanding that institutional racism is more than race prejudice. Racism = prejudice + misuse of power by systems and institutions. The misuses of power are on three levels: power1 over people of color; power2 to maintain white privilege; ultimately, power3 to control and destroy everyone. Theresa and Mauro Pineda led an introductory training workshop with the CTA board in February. The team is now evaluating all aspects of the CTA organization through the power1- power2- power3 analysis, and will present its findings to the CTA board at its June and September meetings.