At 11:25 last Sunday, a group of people from St. John’s and a few friends of the parish walked over to the corner of Wick and Wood for the march against racism. The marchers were asked to wear black for mourning, to wear masks for safety, and to be silent out of respect for those who died. It was organized by a young woman who had a vision for an appropriate expression of grief and outrage.
When we arrived there were already hundreds of people. Even with masks I recognized friends and colleagues. There was excitement at the large turnout, and people had banners and signs expressing their thoughts and frustrations at a system that would allow the murder of an unarmed Black man to occur, not just once but regularly.
We couldn’t hear the directions very well but people were encouraged to spread out, be careful and respectful. And people did. There was a sense of respect for people’s safety. We marched down to the courthouse. Police officers closed the streets and kept people safe. When we all arrived and gathered and spread out, there were a series of speakers.
With absolutely appropriateness, the speakers raised some painful truths, expressed deep grief and anger, stirred up people’s hearts. There was some dissension, but there always is. What struck me was the depth of anguish that was expressed by the Black community.
I was there to express my condolences. It was not a time for connection or unity. It was a time for the African American community to educate white people about the extent of their pain. I was there to listen. It was not to offer easy solutions, diluted promises or false hopes. It was to be present and brokenhearted.
And it still is. My job in this time of reckoning is to be an ally. My job is to stand with the leaders of the African American community as they lead the call for immediate change. My job is to talk about how racism is a public health crisis, and how white advantage often prevents us from being honest about our own complicity. I will show up, I will listen, and I will act nonviolently to create a world of equity and justice.
I hope you will join me.