Dear Colleagues,
As members of the clergy we have been called and compelled to care for all of God's people. Therefore we would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families of Michael Brown Jr., Eric Garner, Wenjian Liu, and Rafael Ramos. Together we affirm that each one of these men were children of God and that all humanity, men, women, children and youth are a part of God's sacred (holy) creation. We stand in prayer with each of these families and all who must now face the reality of their first holiday season without the presence of their loved one.
While each of these deaths is tragic on an individual level, we also acknowledge they have unearthed the reality of longstanding racialized tensions in America. More specifically, we believe that all of these incidents have unveiled the ongoing tension between communities of African descent and law enforcement nation-wide.
In his 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. proclaimed, "There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, 'When will you be satisfied?' We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality... We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."
Reflecting upon these words we are keenly aware of the fact that many are entering this holiday season with unspeakable grief and a spirit of dissatisfaction. As faith leaders of African descent we hold sacred the words God spoke through the biblical Prophet Amos that were repeated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many other civil rights activists, "let justice roll down..." As a collective and as individuals we are seeking ways to fulfill this divine imperative in our nation. Let us state clearly that we do not believe that God's divine justice involves violence nor does it condone the taking of innocent lives. Yet with each tragic incident we feel a divine and urgent call to actively engage in the work of racial justice and reconciliation in this country. Racism has been a thorn in the side of American justice since its inception. The process of removing that thorn will not be easy or painless. We do not believe segregation, violence, silence, denial or void and baseless rhetoric have been effective tools in this battle against American racism.
We are Black clergy who represent a diverse constituency. We are therefore calling on clergy of all ethnicities and faith traditions to join us in leading our nation toward healing and reconciliation. We are asking you to join us in finding more than symbolic ways to address this issue that has plagued our nation since its inception. We are asking you to join us in appealing to your elected officials, opening your doors to protestors, holding community forums that encourage dialogue and communication between the community and law enforcement and/or doing the work in your individual houses of worship and communities that will ultimately bring about restorative justice.
Yours in prophetic hope,
Members of the Black Clergy:
Rev. Dominique C. Atchison, United Church of Christ, Brown Memorial Baptist Church, Brooklyn, NY,
Rev. Dionne P. Boissiere, Church Center for the United Nations
Rev. Kymberly E. McNair, Associate Minister, Antioch Baptist Church, Bedford HIlls, NY
