Racism in US Catholic Schools: The Weeds in Our Garden

Note: Some names have been altered to protect the individuals involved in this article.

For Lila, the racism started in the third grade. After an older boy repeatedly made hurtful comments about the color of her skin, Lila began telling her mother, “I don’t want brown skin,” and “I don’t want to be black anymore.” In an interview with Lila’s mother, she shared that the situation prompted her to investigate transferring Lila to a different school, but a budding friendship with a new student caused her to pause the process. The Midwestern Catholic school^[i] that the girl attended addressed the issue and, with the help of a supportive teacher and the companionship of a new friend, things began to improve for Lila.

Then in fourth grade, the taunts that had previously been made in private were made publicly. A classmate belittled the worth of people who are Black and applied the comment to Lila. When a friend reported the incident – along with the use of racial slurs – the school said that her accusations could not be corroborated. Lila’s mother came away from the situation feeling that members of the administration, “exercise confidentiality just as much to protect themselves as to protect the students.” Lila herself emerged from the experience with a new sense of shame due to the public nature of her classmate’s statement. Since the classmate’s outburst went unaddressed, the other students were implicitly given the message: “You can say these things.”

In fifth grade, the taunting continued, though the staff eventually addressed the problem. By sixth grade (2025), the situation had become unbearable for Lila. Verbal harassment escalated to a slap on the buttocks. A racial slur was screamed in the hallway, students made slanted-eye gestures at Lila’s Asian friend, and another classmate (who struggled to understand social situations and did not grasp the nature of the taunts) was called “Indian Boy.” Lila began to think that, perhaps, Catholicism is a white person’s religion.

Furious, Lila’s mother met with the principal who, according to Lila’s mother said that “there’s no place for racism” at the school and apologized for “failing to protect her (Lila).” Shortly after that, two classmates came up to Lila and began to sing a mocking parody of Meghan Trainor’s song “All About That Bass” modified with racist lyrics. This was particularly and painfully ironic given Trainor’s body-positive message: “’cause every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top.” According to Lila’s mother,

“She did not go back to (the school) after that. That was her last day there. It all became too much and at that point I decided to go ahead and have her change schools…The racist situations just felt like an onslaught of waves that couldn’t be stopped.”

Tragically, Lila’s story is not unique. Rather, it is representative of a much more pervasive issue. (For a preliminary exploration, consider this article about alumni experiences of discrimination in New York City Catholic schools, this article about a Black Catholic high school student’s efforts to address racism in her Colorado Catholic school, these articles about racist videos that were created and shared by Catholic school students, this article about a violent and racially charged message in a Philadelphia Catholic school’s bathroom, this article about a New Hampshire Catholic school student’s racist homecoming invitation, this article about multiple people who were reportedly unaware of the meaning behind a Nazi symbol on a Catholic school’s Halloween float, and these articles about incidents that happened at Cleveland area sporting events for Catholic students.) In fact, during the past nine months that I have spent researching for this article, I have heard similar stories from numerous families whose children have encountered racism in the very schools where it should be least tolerated: private Catholic schools that should be drawing from the richness of Catholic Social Teaching (CST). Many of these families are not yet willing to share their stories publicly as they continue to grapple with the pain that they have experienced. What becomes clear in all of these instances is that, at least in certain parts of the United States, racism is a very real and overlooked issue in our Catholic schools. In fact, as Lila’s mother eloquently said,

There is a part of our garden that has not been carefully tended and, because of that, weeds are growing. And those weeds are racism.

Structural Issues and Catholic Social Teaching

There is no doubt that 2020 was a year of upheaval in the United States. In the wake of George Floyd’s death, many dioceses and schools published statements about racism in educational settings. In fact, the National Catholic Education Association spent time discussing racism and the importance of teaching about Black history during their 2021 annual conference. Since that time, however, there has been a dramatic shift in Americans’ views on racism. According to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research , less than half of Americans believe that Black people face “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of racism. That is down from 60% of Americans in 2020. Similarly, the percent of Americans who felt that Asians face serious discrimination fell from 45% to 32%. In fact, as of July of this past year, only 44% of Americans believed that there is significant discrimination against the Hispanic population. Considering President Trump’s recent reposting of a video that depicted former President Obama and his wife as apes and the rhetoric and actions surrounding immigration policy and enforcement, these statistics might be laughable if the reality were not so tragic.

As societal perceptions of racism have shifted, many companies and institutions that took stands for diversity and equality in the aftermath of Floyd’s shooting have reversed course, often eliminating their DEI efforts in the face of vocal political backlash. According to PBS, this has been particularly true since the election of President Trump to a second term, given his policies and unyielding political pressure. It also parallels a push to decrease government protections for minority groups at both local and national levels.

Although society seems to be ignoring the fact of racism, it remains a real issue. According to a memoir written by Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) founder, Morris Dees, in the early 2000s, Klanwatch – a program of the SPLC – gathered data that suggested “an alarming degree of racial violence, more in the North than the South, and much of it coming from young people.” In fact, according to more recent data from the SPLC, while the number of hate groups has declined slightly over the past year, the influence of these groups actually increased. One hypothesis that explains this trend is that members feel empowered and, consequently, less need to organize as their ideas have become more mainstream. In fact, unconcealed prejudice has become part of our daily lives – the new normal.

Given this broad societal shift, one can expect that schools will see a similar increase in racial hostility among students unless there is a concerted effort to counteract this troubling cultural trend. Unfortunately, Catholic schools are particularly primed for this increase because they tend to have limited diversity within their student bodies and administrations. Consider, for example, the Diocese of Cleveland. According to Niche.com, St. Albert the Great, one of the well-known suburban schools to the south of the city, is 86% White. In contrast, St. Adalbert, a school within the city of Cleveland proper, is 98% African American. For context, the overall racial composition of Cleveland and its suburbs is roughly 70% White, 20% Black, and 5% Hispanic with the remaining 5% composed of individuals from a variety of ethnic groups. The difference in diversity between the schools and the overall population represents a variety of complex issues with no simple answers.

In his book, The History of Black Catholics in the United States, Cyprian Davis points out that Black parishes have played an important part in ministering to Black Catholics since shortly after the Civil War. Today, they continue to be culturally rich communities and it makes sense that their schools would primarily serve their own parishioners. Seen through a different lens, it can be argued that, in many cases, Catholic schools – like all private schools – have provided a way to perpetuate the de facto segregation of education. Additionally, a recent exhibit at the Cleveland Public Library, Relay Cleveland, highlighted how “White flight” contributed to the current deficiencies in the Cleveland Public Schools. The same pattern of migration to the suburbs contributes to the racial segregation of Cleveland’s Catholic school populations.

This oversimplification of the segregated nature of Cleveland Catholic schools exemplifies the likelihood that children in these schools have minimal contact with students from other racial backgrounds. This is problematic, in part because psychological research suggests that we tend to gravitate to the familiar, avoiding what is new and unfamiliar. This aligns with a recurring theme that was present throughout my conversations and research: ignorance nourishes racism.

As Lila’s mother describes the racism coming from Catholic school students,

A lot of it comes from ignorance. How many of our kids are ever interacting with Black people?

Such a lack of exposure to diversity echoes a concern that has been prevalent in the area of civil rights for years, carrying direct implications for educators: how much non-White-Anglo-American history and culture do our students learn?

Lila’s mother lamented that her daughter’s school-based education about her own ancestral history entailed “hearing about the down-trodden, heart-breaking victimization of her ancestors and really nothing redemptive.” Lila learned nothing of African history and the little bit that she and her peers were taught about slavery was couched in a Eurocentric perspective and did not address the enslavement of other ethnic groups throughout history. Even the global nature of Catholicism (from which this faith derives its name) did not seem to be effectively communicated to students in Lila’s school. Students learned about “a few” Black Catholic Saints, but, according to Lila’s mother, all the artistic representations of saints and religious figures that were on display in the school and church parish were presented as White. (In fact, until Lila’s friend chose St. Kateri as her patron saint, few people were familiar the first Native American Saint who grew up a mere six-hour drive from the school.)

Additionally, Lila’s mother said that none of the rich history of Black Catholics was offered to students. They were not taught that the first Black man to set foot in the Americas was Catholic, nor were they taught that, before the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, there was already a Black Catholic community in what would eventually become the United States. Students were not told that, in certain times and places, the Catholic Church was the largest slave holder. They were not introduced to the many Black Catholics who have helped shape the Church of today: Henriette DeLille, the Healy brothers, and Pierre Toussaint, among others. Consequently, they were presumably unfamiliar with both the wounds inflicted by the Catholic Church on Black Americans and the contributions that Black Catholics have made to this same Church, including the emphasis on and development of CST.

This omission stripped students of what is likely their most powerful tool against racism. Sr. Patricia Chappell of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, who served as the president of the National Black Sisters’ Conference from 1996-2001, spoke with me about the power of CST:

The Catholic social teachings in many respects are the foundation of our ability to address systemic racism within any of the systems that we are working in. This is because the Catholic social teachings basically say that every single human being is created in the image and likeness of our good and gracious God, and that every single human being needs to have the resources so that they can grow. They need to be empowered to be the person who they are expected to become, but in order to do that, folks have to have the resources.

Why are we not doing more to promote students’ knowledge of CST?

Sr. Chappell suggests that one of the reasons is the cost to the dominant culture:

So, the issue honestly is that the systems have to change in order to create the beloved community…We have to move from either/or thinking to both/and thinking. We have to be able to move from what I call a scarcity world view – in that we only have a certain amount of resources and those resources can only be distributed within a certain realm – to what I’m suggesting is an abundant world view.

In his doctoral thesis, “Challenging Racism in Catholic Schools Through Intimate School Leadership: Counternarratives of Black Catholic School Leaders,” Michael Santa Maria writes about the idea that “resources” are not necessarily economic. Santa Maria notes that “White property” might include things related to the White culture that dominates Catholicism in the United States. Thus, factors such as having a pastor who “looks like” the dominant racial group, excluding non-Eurocentric styles of worship from liturgical services, and monopolizing the historical narrative can all be viewed as “resources” that need to be redistributed according to an “abundant world view” if racism is to be honestly addressed. However, such necessary changes often result in fear, reluctance and even resistance. As Santa Maria wrote, sometimes the easiest response for the Church is to avoid addressing the existence of racist ideology and beliefs altogether, while hoping that such prejudices will spontaneously go away. The problem is that they are not going away and becoming the beloved community requires action.

In his email correspondence with me, Superintendent Frank O’Linn of the Diocese of Cleveland Catholic Schools highlighted how the current climate of polarization adds an additional layer of challenge to the implementation of Catholic Social Teaching. When reflecting on the Diocese of Cleveland’s response to racial tensions in 2020 and the following years, he wrote:

Looking back now, I cannot overstate the challenge of articulating the Catholic position against the backdrop of the conversations about race taking place throughout society. It was our aim to emphasize the long-held teaching of the Catholic Church to leaders and teachers, who, depending on their settings may or may not have had deep exposure to these teachings. At the same time, diverse conversations were taking place throughout our nation and everywhere online, with both perspectives identifying common ailments in the effects of racism, including systemic racism, what the Catechism describes as “structures of sin.”

Yet the Church and much of the cultural zeitgeist drew largely different conclusions about remedies, with the Catholic Church emphasizing reconciliation and conversion of heart. Many, though not all, voices outside of the Church steered toward different remedies that included racial essentialism and frequently centered on race (“whiteness”) in a way that was devoid of relationship, or reduced human dignity to identity categories.

So then, what can and should be done?

Welcome and Belonging. Karis Stoudamire-Philips is the mother of a fourth grader who was expelled from his Portland, Oregon Catholic school after his parents confronted the administration about a racist incident involving their son. In her gracious response to an email from WPI, Stoudamire-Philips wrote that, on the administrative level,

(Schools) must consciously and deliberately create mechanisms to appropriately respond to racism in schools. If Catholic schools truly want to be welcoming to all, Catholic schools must do the work to ensure that everyone (students and parents) feels not only welcome, but that they belong.

This is important practically, but it also has theological implications that are directly related to CST. Catholic schools that are not places of welcome to all students, convey the message that certain people lack human dignity. Such a message directly contradicts the Biblical truth that every individual bears the image of God.

Curriculum, Discipline, Staffing. Lila’s mother provides some concrete ways that schools can work to become more universally welcoming:

(Schools) have to be proactive with curriculum about diversity and anti-bias, have to respond immediately and publicly to issues (so that students recognize that racist behaviors are not tolerated), and have to solicit diversity among staff.

Encounter. Lila’s mother also suggests that administrators increase interactions and relationships between racially diverse schools within their diocese by facilitating shared field trips, picnics, field days, and afterschool socializing. She emphasizes the importance of engaging students in unstructured environments of encounter where genuine relationships can be fostered and nurtured.

Transparency. Lila’s story highlights the importance of choosing to protect the person over the institution. According to her mother, when she told the school that Lila would be transferring out of the school, the administrator’s response was to ask if the school should present the news as an opportunity for Lila to attend a more academically rigorous and elite school. In other words, “How can we spin this?” The real-world consequences of that lack of transparency were confusion and doubt among other students and their families, hindering their ability to come together as a community in support of Lila.

Stoudamire-Philips shared the pain that similar rejection of honesty caused her son and family:

Initially students and families were confused because they were not given any information which opened the door for inferences, misjudgment, and the spreading of false information. This could have been alleviated had the administration been forthcoming with information. The spreading of misinformation was hurtful.

Often, schools lose sight of the fact that racist incidents impact the school community whether they address them openly or not. When accurate information is lacking, inaccuracies spread and damage already shaken relationships.

Critically, as with so many sins that have caused scandal in the Church, a school’s lack of transparency serves to protect perpetrators of racism and perpetuate the sin. At the same time, trust in the school (and by extension, the Church) is undermined due to the implied complicity. In these situations, silence is not neutral – it is aiding and abetting.

Belief. When schools do not address racist acts, such abuses continue and even escalate. In the Stoudamire-Philips case, the principal responded to the victim’s reports of the racist incident by stating he “made them up” and should receive therapy to “deprogram” him from the anti-racist teachings of public schools. Similarly, the racism that Lila faced often went unaddressed due to the “he-said-she-said” nature of reports. This failure to believe student victims occurred even when other children corroborated their stories. In Lila’s situation, the school’s failure to publicly address racist behaviors allowed what began as secret racist taunting to escalate into very public and even physical abuse.

While these are systemic issues that need to be addressed by both school and diocesan administrations, those of us who are not Catholic educators also have the agency and responsibility to effect meaningful change. This can be done in a variety of ways:

Support. Stoudamire-Philips wrote that the support her family and sons have received from their community is a blessing:

The overall support that our sons received from classmates and we all received from students and families, was overwhelmingly supporting and encouraging. We could not be more grateful!

At the same time, she noted the disappointment caused by those who “when confronted with an opportunity to walk their supposed talk,” remained silent. Her comments make it clear that the support of allies makes a difference in the way that students and their families experience racism in the Catholic school setting. It also impacts our ability to witness to Christ.

Education. In addition to offering our support, we should all be educating ourselves about the Catholic history of diverse groups; exposing ourselves to diverse experiences; rejoicing in the blessings that Catholics of all races have brought to the Church; and actively pursuing growth in CST. Such self-education not only helps us to fulfill our call as Christians, but it also gives us an appreciation for what is gained through diversity and the high price we all pay for racism and prejudice.

When educating ourselves, Sr. Chappell suggests utilizing diocesan offices that deal with racial healing and equity. She also suggests exploring the USCCB office that focuses specifically on these issues and offers resources to victims of racism and their allies. Additionally, she recognized the Institute for Black Catholic Studies out of Xavier University as a good resource for Catholics who want to deepen their understanding of Black Catholicism.

Ultimately, though, the most important thing we can do is something that Pope Francis, and now Pope Leo, have both emphasized: humbly build bridges. Sr. Chappell said,

Well, it just seems to me that the Gospel calls each and every single one of us to be one with each other. And so, it seems to me that whether it’s within the parish, whether it’s in a school setting, or whether it’s in the archdiocesan setting, we have to ask: ‘How are we being brother and sister to each other?’ It’s on that level that we have to begin to have these conversations. The gospel mandates us, calls us to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly before our good and gracious God.

And this is the heart of the issue. If our Catholic schools are not places that radiate Christ’s love, then what purpose do they serve? Are they merely resounding gongs and clanging cymbals? If we despise those God has created, then do we really love the Creator? If we will not walk alongside our brothers and sisters, meeting them where they are, listening to their stories, and believing them, then are we failing to be the universal Church? But, if we love as we are called to love…do you dare to dream what our Church could be?

I leave you with this quote from Pope Leo XIV, whose heritage of faith owes a debt to the richness and faithfulness of the Black Creole Catholic Community of New Orleans, LA:

Christian love breaks down every barrier, brings close those who were distant, unites strangers, and reconciles enemies. It spans chasms that are humanly impossible to bridge, and it penetrates to the most hidden crevices of society. By its very nature, Christian love is prophetic: it works miracles and knows no limits. It makes what was apparently impossible happen. Love is above all a way of looking at life and a way of living it. A Church that sets no limits to love, that knows no enemies to fight but only men and women to love, is the Church that the world needs today. – Delexi te

[i] Author’s Note: On behalf of WPI, I reached out to the school administrators at Lila’s school for confirmation. None of them responded.

Since the Diocese of Cleveland Catholic Schools featured prominently in this article, additional attempts were made to contact employees for a better understanding of the broader context within this particular district. Of the ten individuals contacted, one responded with concern about potential repercussions for discussing the issue of racism in the schools with the media. Eight others did not respond. The superintendent of the Diocese of Cleveland Catholic schools, Dr. Frank O’Linn, agreed to respond to my email with the oversight of the diocesan Communications Department.

In his responses, Dr. O’Linn highlighted the work of a Race Relations Task Force which, in 2020, “identified the need for a shared language and a Catholic framework for race education—one that both formed educators in Catholic Social Teaching and clearly distinguished the Church’s approach from some of the prevailing cultural narratives.” Dr. James Knight’s framework of “Cultural Humility” was selected and the diocese adopted Dr. Knight’s book, Heart, as a resource. Over the next two school years, the diocese worked to “train-the-trainers” in each school so that they would be prepared to address racism.

Dr. O’Linn went on to explain that, following the initial implementation of Dr. Knight’s framework, the diocese’s elementary school principals met at the Maltz Museum, a local museum dedicated to Jewish history and issues of social justice. The diocese also established a designated team of educators to provide education and consultation in the schools. Additionally, O’Linn provided examples of cooperation between various schools and parishes with different demographic populations and needs. He noted that such collaboration is a focus of Bishop Malesic of Cleveland’s “Keeping the Faith” strategic plan for addressing need across parish boundaries.

Resources on Catholic Social Teaching About Racism:

Image: “school” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by vazovsky

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Ariane Sroubek

Ariane Sroubek is a writer, school psychologist and mother to two children here on earth. Prior to converting to Catholicism, she completed undergraduate studies in Bible and Theology at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. She then went on to obtain her doctorate in School and Child Clinical Psychology. Ariane’s writing is inspired by her faith, daily life experiences and education. She is currently writing a women's fiction novel and a middle-grade mystery series. Her non-fiction book, Raising Sunshine: A Guide to Parenting Through the Aftermath of Infant Death is available on Amazon. More of her work can be found at https://mysustaininggrace.com.