People of Faith and Conscience Must Commit to Justice for Black Lives

By Rev. Mary Katherine Morn on June 1, 2020

A week has passed since the violent murder of George Floyd by police. His murder not only reaffirms the sad truth that this nation does not value Black lives, but also reveals the way systems and individuals within systems are taking Black lives with impunity. Whether a knee to the neck, gunshots fired directly into a car, a brutal beating, inequitable access to health care, the prison industrial complex, and so much more, we must name these atrocities for what they truly are: a modern-day mass lynching conceived and perpetuated by a hateful white supremacist culture dating back centuries.

Anger, sadness, and frustration are not enough. We are obligated as people of conscience to do better, to be better: To demand accountability. To fight for systemic change that creates true community safety, acknowledging that police forces are structured to keep some safe while oppressing and criminalizing others. To financially support, center, and follow the informed leadership of Black-led organizations working for liberation. And for those of us who are white: To not turn away. To listen to the accounts of Black organizers and Black communities and hold mainstream media accountable when their narratives whitewash reporting and serve to protect the status quo. To continue the process of educating ourselves about the devastating consequences of the race privilege we carry. It is never too late to commit to justice.

Please read some powerful reflections from UUA’s Organizing Strategy Team and former UUA President Bill Sinkford. Please send financial support now to Black-led organizations working for liberation, like Minnesota Freedom Fund, NAACP, Black Visions Collective, and, Black Lives UU, a collective of Black UUs dedicated to collective justice and liberation and providing pastoral ministry for Black Unitarian Universalist (and others).

In the words of the Rev. Karen Hutt, in her powerful sermon yesterday from First Universalist in Minneapolis:

“My ancestors did not hope and wait. They acted and organized.

Go now and try for a day, to let go of political hope. Imagine the creation of a spiritual, human, life-centered, life-giving hope that is rooted in the reality of the world we have now not the one we dream of.”

Amen.

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About UUSC: Guided by the belief that all people have inherent worth and dignity, UUSC advances human rights globally by partnering with affected communities who are confronting injustice, mobilizing to challenge oppressive systems, and inspiring and sustaining spiritually grounded activism for justice. We invite you to join us in this journey toward realizing a better future!

Photo Credit: iStock – Coast-to-Coast