My Remarks at an Eastern Kentucky Black Lives Matter Rally
From the steps of the Estill County Courthouse
These are my remarks at the Estill County Black Lives Matter Rally. But first; before the rally, County Judge-Executive Donnie Watson told the organizers that he did not support their cause and wanted that to be made clear publicly; so we honored his request.
What a wonderful joy it is for me to be here today to stand for and with our black brothers and sisters.
Thank you to B.J. and Lindsey and all the others who’ve worked so hard to put this gathering together. And, Brandon, thank you for being brave, bold, and honest.
Thank you to our police officers who do the hard and dangerous work of keeping our communities safe. Our message today is not an indictment of your good work. We are not here to declare that the police are out of control. We are not here to disparage good police officers who put on their uniforms every day and go about the task of public safety. We thank you, and we honor you as my mentor pastor, Bro. Rex Hudson, who used to pastor a church just up the road from here, used to say — “We honor you as ministers of safety.”
And thank all of you who’ve come here tonight to stand against racism and for racial justice! I know that some of you were encouraged not to be here today. Some of you were told that being here and standing for racial justice meant that you hate the police. Some of you were told that this peaceful rally was going to be a violent protest.
I know there were attempts to intimidate some of you. We all saw them on social media — intentional false rumors were spread about mobs of angry looters being bussed in to burn our beautiful town to the ground.
But this is Estill County. We respect the hard-working business and property owners, and we don’t treat each other like that. And if we see someone who plans to take it upon themselves to cause trouble, we will do all we can to stop them.
We all know that fear is a long-held tactic that has been used for centuries to suppress the voices of the oppressed and keep them silent. Sadly, it works on some.
There are elected leaders who sit afraid at their desks just inside this building who’ve made it clear that they do not support this cause. They’ve even asked us to make sure you understand where they stand on racism and injustice toward our black brothers and sisters. We were asked to make sure you know where he stands.
But you are braver than that. You’ve chosen to reject their silencing tactics and their attempts to intimidate you. There are plenty of folks who want to keep their lives as comfortable as possible, and they are willing to abandon those who are hurting and in pain… but that’s not you.
Irvine, Ravenna, Estill County are dear to me in so many ways. This was my home. I was born here, just up the street at Marcum Wallace Memorial Hospital. My children went to school here and grew up here; several members of my family still live here.
Many of my most treasured childhood memories are walking up and down these streets on Saturdays when the stores were full of folks who’d come into town from the surrounding mountains and farms. I remember sitting with my Papaw Henry right here under the courthouse trees while he and his friends whittled and spun tall tales.
My heart is here… and today I’ve never been more proud of this place.
Today, we are joining dozens of other communities across Kentucky in saying we’ve had enough — enough racism, enough bigotry, enough violence, and enough discrimination. We see the rallies and the protests in places like Louisville and Lexington. And to be honest, what we often see most are the worst parts of an overwhelmingly good movement. When you see a few people doing bad things, remember that there are thousands who are kneeling, praying, singing, even laying on the ground to bring attention to too many instances of racial injustice in the name of the law.
It has been so inspiring these last several days to see and hear voices rising up from all across our Commonwealth. Today, we are joining our voices with thousands of other Kentuckians in places like Richmond and Morehead and Danville and Frankfort and Shelbyville and LaGrange and Paducah…
And the mountains of Eastern Kentucky are coming alive and calling out for an end to violence toward our black brothers and sisters with rallies in Corbin and Barbourville and Hazard and Pikeville and now right here in Irvine! (I have to say, my favorite hashtag ever is #NoHateInMyHoller.)
And in a beautiful display of high morals and great integrity, in most of those small towns, we’re seeing brave mayors and magistrates, sheriffs, and County Judge-Executives step up and denounce the wrongs being done to our black brothers and sisters. Because that’s what real, true leadership does.
I want to say thank you and give honor to all of those leaders who ask for our vote, ask for our support, ask us to trust them, ask us to believe they care, ask us to believe they want what is best for our community, and are brave enough, bold enough, and caring enough to be a voice for the oppressed.
And I’ll say it; if our leaders can’t find it within themselves to represent the interests of the most vulnerable and needy of our society, we must ask them some hard questions, we must ask them who’s interests DO they represent?
Here’s what I know about this community. The homes, the churches, the schools, the businesses, the halls of government that make up this community are full of people who I know want to see a better America, a better world than we are seeing right now.
We sometimes disagree on the path and even the people who will get us to that better world, but I want to believe that all of us can agree that violence and discrimination toward anyone because of the color of their skin is not only antithetical to the ideals of our great nation, I believe it’s a sin against God!
Let me speak to the ministers, those of us who have accepted and declared our call to the spreading of the Gospel; we must be honest.
It’s just not possible to proclaim the Gospel of Christ and turn a deaf ear to the violence being perpetrated on our black brothers and sisters.
It’s not possible to claim that the spirit of Christ lives in you while you sit in silence and tolerate the evil treatment of others.
It’s not possible to call yourself a minister of the Gospel and completely ignore all the parts that command us to weep when our brother weeps and be comforters to the afflicted.
It’s not possible to say that you’d give our life for the cause of Christ when you’re not willing to at the very least give your voice to his black children.
I’m here today to declare that racism is an attack on the image of God, and racism a sin!
Racism is a sin because it refuses to see God in black skin!
Racism is a sin because it rejects the image of God in others!
Racism is a sin because it silences black voices!
Racism is a sin because it devalues black lives!
Racism is a sin because it poisons the heart!
Racism is a sin because it is arrogant and proud!
Racism is a sin because it gives permission to be silent while others are crying out for mercy!
Racism is a sin because it is built on fear and lies and void of the truth!
I’m not naïve enough to believe that this sermon is any different than the one that’s preached the Sunday after Easter or Christmas that most Christians will never hear. Because the people who need to hear it most are not here today to say amen.
There are still those voices that will scream and believe that white privilege is a myth. To them, any experience they have not seen first-hand just doesn’t exist. They live in a safe world. They are not about to let their comfortable existence be challenged, and they’re not interested now in believing anything different… it’s just too risky to their comfort.
And sadly, they can’t resist responding to the simple truth that Black Lives Matter with their own misplaced retort that all lives matter. (Which we all know they do not really believe.)
I don’t blame them for wanting things to stay as they are.
In their world, white people don’t get pulled over by bad cops for no good reason.
In their world, they don’t have to take the time to lecture their children with explicit instructions on how to show “respect” to a police officer with undue suspicion — respect that is never expected of a white child.
In their world, the system and society are built for their comfort and their safety.
So, I don’t blame them for wanting things to stay the same.
But the Scripture and my longing to be like Christ will not allow me to be so self-indulgent.
There are millions of black men, women, and children who don’t get to live in that comfortable, safe world. That’s why we are here today.
All we are asking, all we expect, all we want is for our black brothers and sisters to be treated the same as you, me and all the other white people who get up, go to work, report for jury duty, pay their taxes, enjoy their families…
All we are asking is for is a society where black people enjoy the same freedoms, rights, and privileges that you, me, and all other white people enjoy.
All we are asking is that our government leaders recognize the value and worth of their black citizens as much as they do you, me, and all the other white people.
All we are asking is that black people be looked upon and treated as the humanity they are. Nothing more.
To every elected leader at city hall, in the courthouse, in Frankfort and Washington DC, we say this:
Stop living in denial and admit there is a problem!
Stop making human suffering a political issue!
Be a courageous leader and make a meaningful difference!
Be remembered for your compassion instead of your complacency.
Because moments like this tell us who you are, what you believe in, what your values are.
To every preacher of the gospel, we say this:
Be like the caring brown Jewish Jesus instead of the arrogant white European one; listen to him and do what he says you should do!
Ignore the calls to political obedience!
Embrace the call of the Gospel!
Feel the pain of those who are hurt!
Lift up the beaten down!
Embrace the plight of the oppressed!
Be the balm of healing for the injured!
Use your pulpit to inspire justice!
Encourage your people to read the Good Samaritan again and again!
Magnify God’s good presence where evil is!
Search for the victim, then search for ways to minister to them!
And if you won’t do those things, respectfully, I ask you to make room for those who will!
Let’s pray…
