My Brother’s Keeper: A Time For Unity

A man was pressed down onto concrete with a solid 200 lbs sitting directly on his neck. He cried out for water. He cried out for his deceased mother, and once he realized he could no longer breathe, he cried out for MERCY and he begged for his life. His nose bled and he lost control of his bladder. Yet he remained trapped and handcuffed under the weight of an officer’s knee.

Onlookers tried to intervene only to be threatened with pepper spray. Even when he lost consciousness, the weight of that knee stayed firm on his neck. When first responders demanded they check for a pulse, the officers refused. When off-duty medical personnel begged for the officer to get up, they refused.

America watched a man being killed in broad daylight for 10 agonizing minutes.”

I understand people will dig through everything he’s done wrong in his life. I understand that people will roll their eyes at this. We will see his mug shot and he will become a villain even though surveillance video does not support police claims that he resisted arrest. But there is no crime that justifies this punishment. Whether he has a criminal history or mental health issues, there is no justification for his death. — His name was George Floyd.

So whether you feel that this crisis was planned or staged, please don’t lose sight that a man was killed like a dog in the street. I don’t condone the riots. I don’t condone the looting. Yet, I do understand the PAIN. I understand being marginalized, stereotyped, pushed down, and put down. I understand being TIRED. I understand the rage… So please be sensitive with your words. If you can’t say something kind to ease our pain, perhaps you should just remain quite.

I have been waiting to hear more from those of other ethnicities who are members and leaders of faith communities on racial injustice, but sad to say too many are being silent. So with tears in my eyes, I say THANK YOU to all those who expressed COMPASSION, UNITY, LOVE, & FRIENDSHIP during this time of great despair.”

This article is dedicated to the memory of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castille, Eric Garner, James Byrd Jr, Trayvon Martin and countless nameless, voiceless, souls… YOU MATTER….”