As we pray for the family and friends of George Floyd, we dare to hope today after hearing the news that his murderer has been found guilty. We are grateful that our broken justice system has found a way to deliver the beginning of justice in this case—even as we are immeasurably grief-filled at the continuing violence towards black bodies by law enforcement and the many other unacknowledged murders this system perpetuates. We pray that the verdict throws more light on the pain and unspeakable suffering endured by generations of black people in this nation.
We commit anew to the arduous task ahead of continuing to challenge the systems that allow the police to take the lives of innocent people with impunity. We will not be complacent, because there are other names still crying out for justice: Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, and Philando Castile, among countless others.
PSR is deeply committed to working to dismantle the scourge of racism through our educational programs, institutional practices, and through the spiritually rooted, anti-racist leaders we form. Our students, faculty, staff, and board offer leadership in their various communities and together we are actively engaged in campus discussions about holding police accountable in our own community.
As a community, we’re called to stand up. There are lives to restore and the fight for justice and equality must continue. “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24, NRSV).
Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy
President of Pacific School of Religion