Racial tensions that surfaced following the shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri by a white police officer earlier this year are a response to widespread injustices in the United States, according to a leading Evangelical Left author and activist.
“In America, black lives are worth less than white lives when it comes to criminal justice” charged Jim Wallis of the liberal Christian social justice organization Sojourners. “Ferguson isn’t just about Ferguson: Ferguson is all over the country. This has to be an Epiphany in our language – a wake-up call.”
Wallis spoke Tuesday at a news conference held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, offering a sharp critique of race relations in the United States, asserting that white Christians were sinful in perpetuating indifference to racial discrimination, and that the shooting was “a parable about America.”
The Sojourners chief, arrested October 13 alongside Union Seminary Professor Cornel West in an act of civil disobedience, painted a narrative of inter-generational racial strife in his interpretation of events, noting that the Ferguson police chief’s father was a police officer killed by a young black man “so he has addressed this in a narrow, yes biased, manner.”
“If white Christians acted more Christian than white, blacks would have less to fear,” the author of God’s Politics insisted, quoting New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof that the problem is not with overt white racists, but with whites oblivious to systems around them. “You can’t say you are not a racist if you continue to support and accept systems that are.”
Wallis recounted his recent visit to the St. Louis suburb as part of a march with other pastors against what he termed “racial policing.” Designating the police response to violent riots and looting as an “overreaction,” Wallis labeled the march an “act of solidarity” intended to shift a “weekend of resistance” into a “weekend of repentance” by those in the Ferguson police force.
“How long will we accept this immoral reality?” Wallis asked, calling an examination of racially disparate policing as “the next thing” following immigration reform efforts.
“It’s time to right an unacceptable wrong,” the Sojourners chief declared, appealing to “turn Ferguson from a moment into a movement” and seeking a “radical turnaround”
Black parents, Wallis announced, were well versed in having “the talk” with their children about how to act in presence of white police officer.
“I don’t know any white parents who have that talk,” Wallis offered, terming the disparity unacceptable. “What does it mean when you can’t trust the people who are supposed to protect you?”
The ordained American Baptist pastor, making level eye contact with each of the six participants at the press club gathering, declared it was not enough to be empathetic. Asked about the future, Wallis conveyed that “Sadly, most on the ground don’t see a Darren Wilson indictment” referring to an investigation of the confrontation between teenage Michael Brown and the police officer. Wallis explained that there was significant worry about what the reaction would be if Wilson was not indicted.
The former campus organizer also described disconnect between youth in Ferguson and the visiting pastors.
“Post-church kids aren’t deferential when pastors arrive,” Wallis revealed, chalking their response to a lack of churchgoing. “Kids aren’t going to come back to church, so we go to them.”
Asked if any unexpected or unaccustomed coalitions have formed in the wake of the shooting, Wallis noted the participation of the deans of both mainline protestant Eden Seminary and evangelical Covenant Seminary in the pastor’s march. Covenant, Wallis reported, even offered seminarians that wished to participate in the march the day off of classes. Both seminary officials plan to participate in a follow-up event this December.
Noting that it was Election Day, Wallis also raised the subject of voting rights, alleging that a suppression of voting rights is now demonstrable issue throughout the country.
“[President] Obama won because of changing demographics,” Wallis insisted. “If you can’t control the demographics, you can try to control who can vote. When we see direct efforts to suppress people voting, that’s taking democracy backwards.”
The Sojourners chief was hopeful for a better future, insisting that it would come with demographic and generational change. “In the meantime, we’re losing a bunch of young black men.”
Comment by Noel Weymouth on November 5, 2014 at 5:22 pm
Jim Wallis and Cornel West…
this is all you need to be know about American liberalism.
The last thing people of this ilk desire is racial harmony. They thrive on it. Wallis deleted “Blessed are the peacemakers” from his Bible years before most of us were even born. What a disgraceful excuse for a Christian.
Comment by MarcoPolo on November 6, 2014 at 2:16 pm
The good Reverend Wallis has done, and is continuing to do the work of God within the constructs of a very biased group: White Power / Police supremacy.
Certainly not a walk in the park!
If we don’t recognize the perpetuation of these racial biases, how are we ever going to address them properly enough to change them?
And to eMatters2, abortion is not included in Rev. Wallis’ comments, because that’s NOT the subject at hand!
Get over it. If you don’t support abortion…don’t ever have one! The unborn are not your property, and you have no legal authority over them. …but I’d bet you’d like to!
Comment by virginiagentleman on November 7, 2014 at 4:55 pm
Abortion demonstrates that those having one believe their unborn child is THEIR property. Abortion violates the sanctity of viable life.
Comment by MarcoPolo on November 7, 2014 at 6:11 pm
And thanks to our legal rights, she CAN believe that.
So, still, the Mother is the legal “decider” (‘never thought I’d quote George W. Bush, …Sheesh!)
One’s personal religious tenets are just that…PERSONAL. And they shouldn’t impinge upon another person’s beliefs.
Each mother in question, must make that decision for herself. Please don’t add shame to her burdens.
Comment by JohnnyAngel Advocacy Group on November 7, 2014 at 6:39 pm
Mother is the “legal” decider at her soul’s risk ! God states in the Bible, I knew you in the womb. You can fool some men, but not God. Tread lightly with your “wisdom” .
Comment by MarcoPolo on November 7, 2014 at 6:47 pm
Thanks for your advice, JohnnyAngel.
But not everybody believes in the same God and Book… so we’re good!
Comment by eMatters2 on November 5, 2014 at 5:44 pm
Jim “the Gospel is all about wealth redistribution” Wallis is just another poverty pimp. Blacks are killed at a rate three times that of whites via abortion, but you never hear Wallis talk about that. He refuses to acknowledge the facts of the case. He and his kind are ghouls over people like Trayvon Martin.
Wallis must be having a bad day now that their race-baiting campaign backfired!
Comment by DD on November 8, 2014 at 10:28 am
“Poverty pimp.” Right on target.
Comment by MarcoPolo on November 8, 2014 at 7:12 pm
Excuse me?
“….people like Trevor Martin…”?
Comment by gary on November 6, 2014 at 4:38 pm
Whacko Wallis at it again! This guy is so sleazy and dishonest. Ferguson is not everywhere in this country. We are having some issues with police-public relations in Albuquerque where I live. People are shouting that our police department needs reforming. I gotta tell ya I think a segment of the public needs reforming. It is very simple – stop doing criminal activity and you will not have one iota of a problem with police.
Comment by MarcoPolo on November 8, 2014 at 4:29 pm
Gary, Your summation of how to avoid being shot dead by the Police, is indeed a practical suggestion, however, there are many individuals who die at the hands of the Police, without ever committing any crime! That’s the issue in the article, and the current problem with some communities.
Comment by virginiagentleman on November 7, 2014 at 4:54 pm
Jim and Cornel are soooo 1960’s and sooo outdated. Who listens to them now except the already convinced?
Comment by JohnnyAngel Advocacy Group on November 7, 2014 at 6:35 pm
I don’t know who is still being fooled by this man, but he is doing nothing good for Christians in my estimation. He is a misguided extremist Leftist and a danger to values this country holds dear. Truth is not in him and if he lacks truth, he must be spreading lies.
Comment by Neil Bragg on November 8, 2014 at 5:19 pm
St. James Wallis,
a man of many words,
all of them silly.
Someone please send the man to some nice retirement community in Florida where he can play golf all day and annoy only his golf buddies with his pontifications.
Comment by Namyriah on November 9, 2014 at 8:30 am
Wallis, the great beneficiary of the atheist George Soros.
When your “Christian” organization gets funded by an avowed theophobe, doesn’t that raise a few questions?
Comment by Beekeeper on November 9, 2014 at 7:22 pm
This guy is in the race business. If he doesn’t keep things stirred up he’s out of work.
Comment by Orter T. on November 15, 2014 at 12:02 pm
My son is in week two of police academy. Going into this profession is not my choice for him, but he is sure with every fiber of his being that this is what he needs to be doing. What I am realizing is a policeman has an uphill battle with himself to react appropriately in any given situation, they do not need criticism from society.
This last week my son learned that after an officer is reprimanded for too much force, the next time he hesitates and it may or may not be the right thing to do. Even the police training process can unwittingly instill habits that prove fatal for an officer in the field. Both have been documented and proven.
I suggest everybody that is crying foul with the police, and especially one as front and center as Mr. Wallis walk a mile in a police man’s shoes. Should the police be held to a high standard, yes; but are they human and make mistakes, sadly, yes. Do we really want to live without them?
Bottom line is we are broken and imperfect people trying to live in a broken and imperfect world that will not be made perfect until the second coming of Christ! Should we try to make our world a better place? Yes, but with the realization that all our efforts will produce less than perfect results.
I pray that my son never has an encounter with a black youth; obviously, according to Wallis, being white will automatically make him guilty of wrongdoing. And if that is not discrimination, I don’t know what is!