We join in Tri-City Interfaith Council’s Statement on Black Lives Matter.
In response to the violent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and the many named and unnamed victims of racial violence, the Tri-City Interfaith Council stands in solidarity with our Black siblings in proclaiming that Black Lives Matter. We are heartbroken for the lives lost and the families left behind to grieve.
We refuse to be silent in the face of the systemic racism that has plagued our nation for the past 400 years and endures today. We will raise our voices against racial injustice whenever and wherever it is found.
We actively support systemic change and will work toward a justice system that truly values Black lives. We join Black Lives Matters in pursuing an end to the culture of police violence in this nation.
As we work to eradicate racial injustice, we will examine our own attitudes and actions. We will strive to end personal and structural racism, while encouraging others to do the same.
As people of diverse faith traditions and spiritual paths, we believe in the value and dignity of all human life. We choose, and will promote, compassion, respect, non-violence, and equality for Black people everywhere.
We pray that this culture of violence and white dominance in our nation will be healed, not just in word, but by our actions, attitudes, policies, and practices.
We affirm that Black Lives Matter.