Leslie Elrod is a board member of the Big Spring Salvation Army. | Big Spring Salvation Army
Leslie Elrod is a board member of the Big Spring Salvation Army. | Big Spring Salvation Army
Officials of the Big Spring branch of the Salvation Army remain quiet on the organization's demand that white donors "apologize" for racism and on calls by critics to repudiate the statement.
The Salvation Army of Big Spring 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 Big Spring is located at 811 W. Fifth St. It has 15 advisory board members.
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Salvation Army Big Spring Advisory Board
| Advisory Panel member | Affiliated Business, if Available |
| George Bancroft | BSISD Human Resources/Public Relations |
| Kate Noble | SM Energy External Affairs |
| Scott Mackenzie | President of Prosperity Bank |
| Brenda Tubb | Chief Juvenile Probation Officer |
| Loyd Mashburn | Higginbotham |
| Fabian Serrano | Howard College |
| Troy Tompkins | Prudential |
| Kathryn Wiseman | Howard County Judge |
| Terri Telchik | City Director for Convention and Visitors |
| Eric Gang | Sid Richardson |
| Terry Wegman | Big Spring EDC |
| Lisa Dimidjian | Doctor’s Bookkeeper |
| Craig Ferguson | City of Big Spring Fire Chief |
| Kay Moore | Home Realtors |
| Leslie Elrod | Home Realtors |
| Barney Dodd | Bad Events |
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