A Call to Action against Social Injustice
We are a band of faithful Christians who organized in 1809 to worship in a non-segregated church and to educate, socialize, and recognize the African-American contribution in all of society. There was--and persists today--fear, ignorance, greed, and wilful discrimination that hurts many in our midst. We fervently ask that all who hear our story take action against these injustices, including self-examination of your own participation in discrimination and injustice. Always be just as ready to listen as you are emboldened to speak out for or against others.
By "many in our midst" we are referring to a broad swath of people affected by current events, which include, among others:
- Muslims (i.e. the "Immigration" Muslim ban & attack on Mosques around the nation)
- The poor (i.e. repeal of the Affordable Care Act, by and large a program used by those of lesser means)
- The LGBTQ community ("religious freedom" bills in several states allowing organizations to refuse service to LGBTQ persons on the grounds of religious beliefs)
- Jews (the rise of swastikas on Jewish buildings & bomb threats on buildings)
- Latinos (the rise of hate speech toward Latinos, telling them to "go home"; new ICE raids on Latinos for deportation)
- Immigrants (the alt-right groups espousing "whiteness" as the litmus test for being American, some even using the Nazi salute at their gatherings)
- African-Americans (the continuing saga of deadly encounters with police and/or constant instances of racial profiling such as the Flint, MI water crisis)
- Native Americans (the approval to continue building oil pipelines over sacred lands and at the risk of contamination of water)
This call to action will rotate around the circle, being interpreted by each venue in turn according to their own communities and capacities.