Jail Ministry September Speaker - Carl Thomas

Carl Thomas spoke to our Jail Ministry community at our monthly Zoom speaker’s seminar this September. Carl has been a part of Jail Ministry for many years and serves on our Board of Directors, as well as participating in our Worker Council meetings and many other events. Carl also is a part of Restorative Justice in the city of Syracuse and has been a part of Peace Circles to bring victims and perpetrators together to heal and resolve actions that have harmed individuals and the oneness of our community.

Carl is from New Orleans, Louisiana and came to Syracuse to attend LeMoyne College. Carl spoke of the challenges of being one of seven black students in his entire class matriculating there. He spoke of the racism he experienced and his commitment to speaking out against it. Whether it was challenging the use of the “n” word or a Confederate flag hanging in a dorm room, Carl always took a stand for challenging the hate and disregard that come with racist words and attitudes.

Carl went on to serve in the Army in Korea, where his heart broke when he went to the front lines and saw most of the men fighting were young and black. This troubled him tremendously and reinforced the fire within him to challenge structural racism that unfairly targeted black men to serve disproportionally in combat. From there, Carl went back to LeMoyne College to work as a part of the faculty/administration. Carl constantly worked with black students and recruited many black students, particularly from New York City, to attend LeMoyne College. Many of those students were the first generation in the family to attend college. It was Carl who guided them, mentored them, supported them, and cared their way through the myriad of challenges they faced as young black Americans at a Jesuit College run predominantly by privileged white males. Carl shared the challenges he faced not only with student attitudes regarding racism, but with challenges around institutional racism that created an uneven playing field for black students and faculty and staff.

Carl continues his work today, through his advocacy in Jail Ministry and as a community member challenging racist comments from political leaders and other visible community members who promote racism through their actions, statements, and systems that consistently keep black people in a position where they are not able to succeed and move forward in society. Carl is a devoted father and husband to his wife Pearl, who is also very involved with his efforts to challenge the many racist issues confronting black people in our community.

Carl’s presentation reminded us of the many ways that Jail Ministry must continue to look at its own practices and work toward eliminating racism on all levels, including language, structure, participation, and the many subtleties that white people take for granted that divide black people and white.

Thank you Carl for your lifelong commitment to justice and equality!