Laura Allen is a Salvation Army of Central Ohio board member. | easternusa.salvationarmy.org
Laura Allen is a Salvation Army of Central Ohio board member. | easternusa.salvationarmy.org
Officials of the Columbus branch of the Salvation Army remain quiet on the organization's demand that white donors to "apologize" for racism, and on calls by critics to repudiate the statement.
The Salvation Army of Central Ohio hasn't issued a public statement, or addressed the matter on its Facebook page or Twitter account.
The demands were made earlier this year by the Salvation Army's Alexandria, Va.-based leadership, which released training materials to educate its white donors, volunteers and employees.
The materials call on white donors to the Salvation Army "to stop denying the existence of individual and systemic/institutional racism.”
“They exist, and are still at work to keep White Americans in power," they said.
"Many have come to believe that we live in a post-racial society, but racism is very real for our brothers and sisters who are refused jobs and housing, denied basic rights and brutalized and oppressed simply because of the color of their skin," one lesson explains. "There is an urgent need for Christians to evaluate racist attitudes and practices in light of our faith, and to live faithfully in today’s world."
Color Us United, a group "created to speak out against those who want to divide America," has demanded the Salvation Army "release a statement making clear that America isn’t a racist country."
The Salvation Army removed the training materials on Nov. 25, announcing it wasn't its "intention" to ask whites to apologize for being racist.
The Salvation Army of Central Ohio is located at 966 E. Main St. It has 30 advisory board members.
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Salvation Army Columbus Advisory Board
| Advisory Panel member | Affiliated Business, if Available |
| Bill Petrus | RSM US LLP |
| Paul Nordman | Retired |
| Eric Sideri | Park National Bank |
| Laura Allen | Deloitte |
| Bill Burke | Retired |
| Cindy Casebolt | CAS |
| Karen Cholley | Sinclair Broadcasting Group |
| Cindy Clark | Huntington National Bank |
| Frank Courtney | UBS |
| Jana Croom | Kimball Electronics |
| Michael DeAscentis Sr. | Lifestyle Communities, LLC |
| Kim Dennis | BMO Harris Bank |
| Natalina Fickell | Grange Insurance |
| Lisa Griffin | Griffin Communications |
| Erika Haupt | Roetzel & Andress LPA |
| Sonya Higginbotham | Worthington Industries |
| Ashleigh Lindsay-Behnke | Lindsay Acura/Lindsay Honda |
| Craig Mohre | New Albany Comm. Foundation |
| Basil Morris | Nationwide Insurance |
| Josh Riley | First Merchants Bank |
| Thomas Sigmund | Kegler Brown Hill & Ritter |
| Crystal Smarr | |
| Geoff Smith | L Brands |
| Mark Swepston | Atlas Butler Heating & Cooling |
| Joe Szymanowski | Fifth Third Bank |
| Kerri Ward | Easton Town Center |
| Joyce Waters | Central Ohio ABC |
| Robert Wiseman | Retired |
| Stephen Zonars | Gannett Ventures - Dispatch |
| Herb Flint | N/A |
| Kim Swanson | N/A |
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