The Work of Racial Healing Continues: A Perspective from Hon. Lucretia C. Clemons, J.D.
- St. Raymond of Penafort
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
by Bonnie Dalzell
Close to a decade ago, after earning her J.D. at The Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law, the Honorable Lucretia C. Clemons won her seat on the bench at the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. The judgeship was a dream she’d had ever since she was a little girl in St. Louis, MO, where she was born and raised.
From the time she learned to read and write, Lucretia recalls putting her thoughts into school-issued journals – “little notebooks where we recorded our accomplishments and wrote about our hopes for the future.” Years later, looking through those early writings, Lucretia was surprised to find that her “when-I-grow-up” plans in second-grade were two-fold: Lawyer or Teacher. Now, at age 54 (almost 55), Lucretia smiles and says “I’ve been both.”
“Being Black and being Catholic in St. Louis wasn’t that unusual,” Lucretia recalled. “What was unusual was that, thanks to Archbishop Cardinal Joseph Ritter (1892-1967), St. Louis schools were integrated as far back as the ‘40’s.” Thus, growing up in the parish where her father was baptized and her parents were married, Lucretia embraced Catholic Social Teaching and whole-heartedly agreed with her Dad whenever he reminded her, “You can’t be Catholic and racist.”
But when she came to New York University at age 18 and experienced segregation for the first time, Lucretia was shocked. Later, she found the same thing while studying law at Temple. “It still puzzles me,” she said. “How can anyone be Catholic and racist?”
Lucretia thinks it’s all about leadership. “Sadly,” she noted, “when it comes to the sin of racism, the Church is not on the front lines."
Five years ago, Archbishop Nelson Perez created his Commission on Racial Healing (ACRH), and Lucretia was appointed as one of the founding members. The Commission is comprised of laity, consecrated religious, and clergy; the ultimate goal is to have Philadelphia be a model archdiocese where racial healing is not only part of the norm but part of the culture.
At present, Lucretia has limited her time for ACRH initiatives; her priorities are her aging parents (still living in MO) and her family. Her three sons are Jarrod, 28; Nathaniel, Jr., 27; and Zachary, 13. Her husband, now retired, is devoted to raising their last child, and Lucretia has resolved to be a strong co-parent during his remaining four years at home.
What she brings to the Commission is a Mom who worries about how systemic racism affects her sons and her husband. But she is also a public servant who tries every day to protect and improve the lives of the citizens of the city and of the Commonwealth.
“I hope that when I’m serving in the courtroom I bring the perspective of being first, a child of God,” she said. “I’ve taught my children always to be fair to others. But this is a difficult lesson for my own sons when they realize that the world does not see them as who they are.” Consequently, when she speaks at schools, Lucretia reminds students to be kind and generous toward everyone, especially to the unhoused and those with substance use disorders.
She has taught DEI to judges and co-employees. “White privilege is a concept people simply don’t want to talk about,” she said. “They’d rather pretend it’s not there. Likewise, systemic racism. The people who don’t believe it exists are invariably the ones who are not subject to it.”
Black Catholic adults are likewise hungry for leadership from Church hierarchy. “The Supreme Court struck down the Civil Rights Act, and we haven’t heard a word about it,” she said. “Leadership. Leadership. We need leadership.”
A scriptural passage that speaks to Lucretia’s sensibilities is Matthew’s gospel (Matt. 25:40-45), where Jesus explains that caring for those in need is directly connected to serving Him. He says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
What does Lucretia love most about St. Raymond? “It feels like home. We belong there.”
She recalled a recent conversation she had with Zachary, after he and some schoolmates attended a Mass at a white church. “He came home all puzzled,” she said. “Said he found it ‘boring’ – not at all like at St. Raymond.” She looked at her son, then offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving: “I have won!”
Searching for: 12 St. Raymond Parishioners to Participate in a Conversation on Racial Healing
The Archbishop's Commission of Racial Healing was founded in 2021 by Archbishop Nelson Pérez as an advisory body of laity, consecrated religious, and clergy to address the sin of racism in the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Catholic Social Teaching. The ultimate goal of the Archbishop is to have Philadelphia be a model archdiocese where racial healing is not only part of the norm but part of the culture.
After three years of initiatives, programs, and discussions, the Commission is working with professionals to formulate a long-range strategic plan and integrate this into the Archbishop's "Trust and Hope" vision for the archdiocese. They are now in the process of laying out the steps to get to that plan.
An initial step is to hear the stories of the need for racial healing from parishioners. The Commission wants to hear from people who have experienced racism from the Church, society, or both. The Commission would like to schedule a moderated session over 10 weeks (beginning date to be determined).
We're looking for twelve parishioners who have remained active and also those who have left the Church because of their experiences. We're looking for a combination of twelve men and women: four high school or college students, four aged 30 - 50, and four aged 50 and above.
If interested, prayerfully consider contacting Brandi (bwhitehead@saintraymond.net) or call her at 215-549-3760 to express your interest in participating.
