| Anguish about Buffalo and Black Maternal Health
NCC Newsletter May 20, 2022 |
| | NCC Anguished by the White Supremist Attack in Buffalo
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| | The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) laments the lives lost and shattered on Saturday by the act of White supremacist terrorism that killed 10 and wounded three at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Buffalo, New York. We are once again devastated by a targeted attack of the Black community and feel the outrage and shock that an 18-year-old learned online to hate to such an extreme that he would commit these atrocious, wicked acts of murder.
In this moment, the Prophet Habakkuk’s cry echoes our own:
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law becomes slack, and justice never prevails. The wicked surround the righteous; therefore judgment comes forth perverted. Habakkuk 1:2-4 NRSVue
The White supremist ideology that authorities attribute to the gunman in a 180-page manifesto references “replacement theory,” far-right extremist rhetoric about people of color replacing White Americans, which was once on the fringe and is now being shared more widely by right-wing television channels and politicians. We cannot help but acknowledge that politicians, citizens, and even some faith leaders, are working to stop crucial Black history teachings from the past while children instead learn White supremacy in the present.
According to Bishop Vashti McKenzie, NCC’s Interim President/General Secretary, “Our communities have not healed from the onslaught of violence from past White supremist attacks and now the scabs have been ripped off to bleed again,” she said. “This racial violence has to stop. We must all increase our efforts to bring racism to an end and that will not happen by only making ceremonial or performative gestures that don’t get to the root causes of the problems. We have to do the deeper work. This is especially true for Christians.”
After holding a Governing Board retreat in Montgomery, Alabama this month and visiting The Legacy Museum, we see the direct connection between the shooter’s intent to commit an act of terrorism and America’s extensive history of lynchings and policy decisions meant to intimidate and dehumanize the Black community.
We clearly see the injustices evident in all aspects of this shooting. We see it when the teen arrested had previously been reported as a threat and released. We see it in the way in which he was taken into custody. We see it in the fact that east Buffalo was a food desert before this grocery store was built and now the predominantly Black neighborhood has no reliable source for food. We see it when the majority of Americans want common sense gun legislation but politicians refuse to pass the necessary laws and the Supreme Court considers striking down gun restrictions.
As part of our ACT NOW to End Racism initiative (Awaken, Confront, Transform), the NCC calls for commitments on three levels. Individually, all members of our communions are encouraged to commit to the inner work of becoming aware of the deeply-rooted and ever-present racism in each of our lives, and resolve to dismantle it. Locally, ministers are invited to commit to ongoing direct communication with parishioners, including through preaching and teaching, that confronts racism. Remaining silent encourages and affirms the growing threat of White supremacy. Nationally, we must work to transform the hearts, minds, and behaviors of people and fight for policies that change the very structures that shape society in which racism is engrained.
In addition, we urge Congress to be courageous and determined in its resolve to pass common sense gun control legislation as well as legislation that will bring an end to systemic racism and begin to repair the harm done in the past to include HR 40 and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
“We see this shooter referencing past ‘mentors of massacres’ from Atlanta and New Zealand and we press people to respond,” stated Bishop McKenzie. “We must continually seek opportunities to plant seeds of love that recognize the humanity of all people in order to detoxify the planted seeds of hate and realize “Beloved Community.”
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| | | | Pastoral Letter on the Massacre in Buffalo
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| Dear Friends,
All of us are impacted by the attack on the Black community in Buffalo. From personal experience, I know some of us are struggling more viscerally in deep pain. May God strengthen and comfort all who are in distress in this time of grief and trauma.
The Black community in Buffalo is in a “state of emergency” even though no emergency has been declared. Children are afraid to go to school and are also afraid to have their parents leave their homes. Reports from the community indicated there is a lack of counselors at schools and that counselors are not equipped to deal with this level of trauma so that students who may be experiencing trauma would be punished for acting out rather than get the psychological help they desperately need. The only wellness center in the community is heavily guarded in order to keep the facility safe, but for those who view the police with suspicion, this stops their ability to seek help.
The clergy in Buffalo are issuing a call for help. They are overwhelmed and need relief. They have issued a call for ethnic-specific ministers who can provide a pastoral counseling presence and who also understand racial trauma. If you know of such persons, organizations, or resources that could be made available, please let me know.
If your denomination has churches in need of assistance, VOICE Buffalo has been sharing information on the available resources including rides to other grocery stores since the east Buffalo community has been turned back into a food desert without their one and only grocery store. https://www.voicebuffalo.org/live-free
After many meetings with federal authorities over the weekend, I want to pass on their guidance to you in case you have not been present in these spaces.
• Generally, we are being advised to be more observant of our surroundings so that church members realize that if they see something, they should say something to the appropriate agency.
• The agencies have issued a broad call for active partnerships to be formed in all communities focused on the prevention of violence. These networks should include churches, ministers, schools, guidance counselors, coaches, parents, friends, and relatives. The networks will work to educate on mental health indicators so individuals can recognize when someone is going down the path of violence and feel empowered to take action by reporting what has been observed to appropriate authorities.
• More information can be found at this link: https://www.dhs.gov/CP3
This year the NCC gathered all of the resources from federal agencies such as the FBI, DOJ, and DHS for keeping our churches safe into one page: https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/preventing-violence-against-places-of-worship/ We advise all of our member communions to share this information with local churches so that every house of worship initiates a safety plan. Faith leaders can also contact their local FBI office for Partner Engagement Training which consists of a two-hour seminar about active shooters: https://www.fbi.gov/about/partnerships/office-of-partner-engagement/active-shooter-resources
Another resources for those experiencing feelings of desolation and thoughts of suicide is the NCC’s “A Christian Approach to Suicide Prevention,” which can be found here: https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/new-ncc-resource-a-christian-approach-to-suicide-prevention/
As we continue to serve Christ, let us continue to inspire others to widen their faith and circles of concern. I respectfully call on each of us to be more vocal, vigilant, and visible in our communities.
• Let us take more personal responsibility to be vocal in our public spaces - home, clubs, community, and sacred/worship spaces - to call out irresponsible behavior without jeopardizing personal safety. Let us encourage our members to do the same. This will call for uncommon courage to speak up against divisive acts and actions. Let us remain vocal about any encroachment upon civil rights and the policies/theories that encourage hate.
• Let us be vigilant in looking for opportunities to plant seeds of love and conscious community that recognizes the humanity of all people and uproots the planted seeds of hate.
• Let us visualize what the “Beloved Community” could look like at this time. Let us work together to see the vision become our reality.
Please reach out to me to share how we can be more supportive of your work and ministry and how the NCC can meet this moment.
By the Grace of God,
Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie
NCC Interim President and General Secretary
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| | | Black Maternal Health and Reparations |
| | | This month's Reparatory Justice Series webinar on "Black Maternal Health and Reparations" details the brutal history of violent abuse against Black women's bodies in this nation and the factors that underlie the systemic racism against Black women that exists in the US medical system today.
The webinar includes an introduction by Rev. Sekinah Hamlin, Minister for Economic Justice at the United Church of Christ, National Ministries; a presentation by Rev. Dr. Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder, Professor of New Testament and Culture and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean at Chicago Theological Seminary; a detailed historical overview by Rev. Laura Kigweba James, Program Coordinator for Grassroots Organizing for the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, and Christian Brooks, MDiv, MSPPM, of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness; and final comments/prayers from Rev. Antonia M. Ruth, Program Coordinator, The Center for Reparatory Justice, Transformation, and Remediation of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc.
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| | | NCC Joins Letter to Justice Department |
| | This week the NCC joined 45 organizations to urge the Justice Department to reconsider the case against the two US Park Police officers who killed Bijan Ghaisar in Virginia on November 17, 2017. The officers shot and killed Ghaisar, a twenty-five-year-old unarmed accountant who had just been rear-ended by an Uber driver.
Despite an extensive investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into the shooting, the Trump Administration refused to seriously explore the prosecution of the officers for their actions even though a special grand jury in Fairfax County Circuit Court indicted both officers for involuntary manslaughter and reckless handling of a firearm. A judge in federal district court granted the officers’ motions to dismiss the case based upon Supremacy Clause immunity.
The letter urges the Department of Justice to give this case the full and fair consideration that it did not receive under the former Administration and also maintains that a federal prosecution would not be subject to challenge under the Supremacy Clause.
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| | | | COVID-19 Pandemic Response: |
| | WCC Calls for an International Response to the Crisis in North Korea |
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The World Council of Churches (WCC) issued the following statement this week:
"Following recent reports from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the World Council of Churches is gravely concerned about a major humanitarian crisis following the emergence of COVID-19 in North Korea. The DPRK authorities have acknowledged the deaths of at least 27 people and that 1.2 million suspected cases – or almost 5% of the entire population – are being monitored. In a context in which the North Korean population is unvaccinated, and without adequate ventilators or other essential supplies, the risk of an unprecedented death toll is very high. The COVID-19 outbreak greatly compounds the pre-existing humanitarian situation in North Korea particularly related to food insecurity in the country.
The WCC therefore calls for an urgent humanitarian response by the international community commensurate with the gravity of the crisis. In particular, newly developed antivirals, such as Paxlovid, must be provided as a matter of urgency, as well as diagnostics, ventilators, PPE, vaccines and other medical needs, as well as essential food supplies.
We call for a centralized and coordinated approach to the international response, through the UN, and for any obstacles presented to this response by the current sanctions against the DPRK to be lifted as a matter of fundamental ethical and humanitarian responsibility."
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| | | | | Join the NCC in Washington, DC on June 18th |
| | It is NOT just a day of action. It is a declaration of an ongoing, committed moral movement to 1) Shift the moral narrative; 2) Build power; and 3) Make real policies to fully address poverty and low wealth from the bottom up. —Bishop William J. Barber II and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis
NCC is partnering with the Poor People's Campaign (PPC) to mobilize people from across the country to join us in Washington, D.C.. Make sure you RSVP in advance and when you do, select "National Council of Churches USA" as your Mobilizing Partner on the form.
The "Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly & Moral March on Washington and to the Polls" will be a declaration of the power of poor and low-wealth people and our moral allies to say that this system is killing all of us so that we can’t and won’t be silent anymore.
The NCC joins with the PPC to declare, "Any nation that ignores nearly half of its citizens is in a moral, economic and political crisis. There were 140 million people who were poor or one emergency away from economic ruin before the pandemic. Since March 2020, while hundreds of thousands of people have died, millions are on the edge of hunger and eviction, and still without health care or living wages, billionaire wealth has grown by trillions. There are abundant resources to meet our needs, and we march to summon the political will to do so. America must have a moral revolution now. It is time to nonviolently disrupt, protest, shake up and alter the direction of our nation towards a moral agenda of love, truth, justice and equal protection under the law."
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| | | | Information on Obtaining Baby Formula |
| | The African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) International Health Commission has produced an informative page on how to find formula during the infant formula shortage. This list includes manufacturer hotlines, community resources, and general guidance that would be beneficial to our church members struggling through this crisis.
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| | Job Listings
Executive Director at Poligon to lead their operations to achieve their strategic objective of amplifying American Muslim voices in Congress. The ED will build on Poligon’s existing programming including our advocacy efforts in Washington, DC and across the country. Responsibilities include personnel management, fundraising, operations, strategy, and development. See job description.
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| | | | Here's this week's faith-related Wordle! We've customized the game solutions to be religion-based each Friday.
If you have never played, click on the "Play" button and you will be able to find instructions by clicking the "i" for information.
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