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| May 26, 2020 AN OPEN LETTER FROM MINNEAPOLIS DOWNTOWN INTERFAITH SENIOR CLERGY We, the below signed members of the Downtown Interfaith Senior Clergy, condemn in the strongest possible terms the May 25th killing by a police officer of an unarmed African American man in Minneapolis. As leaders of faith traditions that include Judaism, Islam, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Humanism, we affirm our common conviction that all life is sacred and that every human being is our neighbor, worthy to be loved. Not killed. Our hearts break, going out to the family and to those in our community who continue to bear the historical brunt of racially-motivated oppression that too often leads to violence and even death. In a press conference, Mayor Jacob Frey phrased it well: “Being black in America should not be a death sentence.” We all say amen! We call for a swift response by city officials and Minneapolis law enforcement leaders, and a deeper addressing of the systemic issues that led to this and similar killings. We say “enough and more than enough!” Law enforcement must interact with all our neighbors in all our neighborhoods fairly and equally. Might we finally learn from this most recent tragic incident? We must. We are all called to love our neighbors as ourselves. Signed, Imam Makram Nu’Man El-Amin, Masjid An-NurRev. Dr. David Breeden, First Unitarian Society Rev. Dr. Dan Collison, First Covenant Church Rev. Jen Crow, First Universalist Church Rev. Dr. Laurie Feille, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Imam Dr. Hamdy El-Sawaf Islamic Community Center of Minnesota/Masjid Al-Amin Rev. Dr. Tim Hart-Andersen, Westminster Presbyterian Church The Very Reverend Paul Lebens-Englund, St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral Rev. Dr. Paula Northwood, Plymouth Congregational Church Rev. Peter Nycklemoe, Central Lutheran Church Rev. Laura Smidzik, Michael Servetus Unitarian Society Rev. Judy Zabel, Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman, Temple Israel |
| Some Resources for UU Congregations (added by MUUSJA) Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism Allies for Racial Equity What White People Can Do For Racial Justice Anti-Racism Resources for White People Reclaim the Block Minneapolis Police Evaluation Project Black Lives Matter Minneapolis Showing Up for Racial Justice – MN |
