Covenant News

Covenanter to Appear on CNN This Weekend

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA (May 14, 2004) - Catherine Gilliard, pastor of Commission Disciples Covenant Church and a member of the Covenant Executive Board, will be interviewed (along with 4 others) on CNN's Sunday Morning broadcast, reflecting on the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education decision. That decision made segregated schools illegal.

Gilliard was invited on the show after someone at CNN saw a copy of the May issue of The Covenant Companion. Carlos Carthen, who has attended Commission Disciples, also took part in the interview.

Gilliard attended segregated schools in Chicago, and recounted her experience in Still Separate and Unequal? an article written by her husband, Deric for the Companion.

"We talked about why 50 years later, we still don't have equality, we are still separated," Gilliard says.

The program has an interesting twist-the participants were upper and middle class African Americans who have chosen to live in predominantly African American communities.

Gilliard said that while participants live in predominately black neighborhoods, "none of us live in segregated areas." "You can't live in a homogenous world anymore," she says. "You are always bumping into people of other cultures. It's our job to prepare our kids to live in a diverse culture-they have to have experiences beyond those who look and act like they do."

Some of the participants on the show have chosen to have their children attend predominantly African American schools where they can have role models and teachers who can help shape them. "It's important to know who you are and have a healthy self-concept before you go out into the world," says Gilliard, whose children have attended both predominantly white and predominantly African American schools.

Gilliard said that several parents on the show wondered if they were spending too much time on their careers-too much time chasing the almighty dollars-and not enough time with their kids.

The program airs at 9 a.m. Sunday (EST).

This has been a busy time for Gilliard. She recently returned from Toronto where she joined the board of International Teams, a mission organization. Rose Cornelious, who works for Covenant World Mission in church relations, is also on the International Teams board of directors.

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