Jimmy Hurd has served as a minister with the Churches of Christ for 32 years, serving churches in Seattle, WA, Southfield, MI and Rancho Cordova, CA.
He is a graduate of Seattle Pacific University and the University of Washington. After completing his master’s degree in health administration, he entered the field of hospital administration in 1981. He began his ministry career in 1988.
He has had over 30 years of effective leadership and administrative experience with churches, hospitals, nonprofit, government and military organizations. He previously served as a diversity instructor for the Red Cross and the Boeing Company. He assisted in developing a diversity plan for Rochester College, Rochester, Michigan.
His wife (of 42 years) Jacqui is a registered nurse and has served in the Veterans Affairs Health System for over 30 years. They are the parents of two children and have two grandchildren.
Thanks to Club Member Isaac McNally for arranging this program!
Key Points:
Jimmy moved to Seattle in 1963 from Tennessee as his father wanted Jimmy and his brother to have better upbringing than him and his brothers. Jimmy lived in Central District but he (at grade 7) and his older brother (at grade 10) were volunteered to be bused to and attended Hamilton High School and Lincoln High School.
Jimmy wanted us to be aware and think about several aspects about race:
- Race is a created idea. There is no genetically identical traits for a race.
- As demonstrated in Jane Elliott’s blue eyed vs brown eyed experiment, how stereotypes affected third grade students’ behavior and emotion.
- Our concept of race has been historically shaped by:
- Social Darwinism – Europeans were the most evolved.
- Eugenics – Human race would improve if interracial marriage was prohibited.
- Colonialism – In addition to economic benefits, the occupiers had the duties to civilize and uplift the other culture.
- Institutional racism existed in Seattle. In 1936, Seattle Home Ownership Association had a map of favorable and non-favorable neighborhoods for home loans.
- Housing covenants are still on property titles in some neighborhoods even though not legally enforceable. It may be difficult to redact the housing covenants from titles but the most important is in the hearts, not documents.