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The death of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, and the Black Lives Matter Protests has pushed churches toward a more urgent confrontation with racism (Luttrell, 2020). Before these 2020 events, about 4 out of 10 practicing White Christians believed the United States had a problem with race relations and racism (Barna, 2019). Almost half of practicing Christians say the history of slavery still impacts opportunities, communities, and lives of African-Americans in the United States (Barna, 2019).
The Black Matter Protests has challenged Christians to become educated about the reality of racial inequality and the Church's role in addressing it (Griswold, 2020). Subjects such as mass-incarceration or economic inequity have historically been avoided in White Christian churches as outside the purview of the Bible and considered highly political (Griswold, 2020).
African-American female Pastor Salter McNeil, Master of Divinity graduate, became Christian at age 19 (Griswold, 2020). After graduating from the Fuller Theological Seminary, she has become one of the prominent evangelical thought leaders in the racial-reconciliation movement (Griswold, 2020). McNeil has preached and educated for 30 years to mostly White evangelicals about reconciliation (Griswold, 2020). Her sermons often avoided police brutality, systemic structural racism, the racial wealth gap, and even racially disproportionate health disparities (Griswold, 2020). Her previous apprehension was driven by the worry about being branded as too political, or liberal, or having a covert itinerary (Griswold, 2020). Subjects such as mass-incarceration or economic inequity have historically written off as outside the purview of the Bible and tainted by politics (Griswold, 2020). McNeil’s educational lessons were absent from conversations and tools to have constructive church discussions about racism, police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter Movement (Griswold, 2020). Public protests concerning the Black Lives Matter movement have prompted a crisis of moral conscience. This crisis has created an urgent need for educational interventions in all churches to necessitates that all churches, especially predominantly White ones, do their part of educating their members and community about racial injustice (Griswold, 2020).
Racism, police brutality, racial profiling, and excessive force are just some of the many atrocities and injustices that people of color face daily (Luttrell, 2020). Unfortunately, racism has been a continuous threat to people of color throughout America’s history. It has long been swept under the rug or ignored as senseless killing, mistreatment, and police brutality threaten the existence of people of color (Luttrell, 2020). Using technology and live features on Instagram and Facebook, the world has watched in real-time, just how prevalent racism and police brutality are real today as it was in 1960 (Luttrell, 2020).
The Black Lives Matter organization and movement were created to respond to Trayvon Martin's murderer's acquittal and seek justice for those who abuse their power and identify as white supremacists (Luttrell, 2020). The black Lives Matter movement was a needed call to action to eradicate systemic racism that has plagued this country for centuries (Luttrell, 2020). It has helped ignite interest in people from all nationalities, religious affiliations, and ethnicities who didn't see themselves as activists to become allies in the fight against the injustices (Luttrell, 2020).
Several religious organizations have been part of the Black Lives Matter movement in different ways to show how it is essential not to allow significant moments that happen to be analyzed in silence and the importance for those religious and community voices that care to speak up. Christian Rev. Peter Goodwin Heltzel (2015) outlines the importance of religious and community leaders functioning as a conscience for those suffering, marginalized, and vulnerable.