Letter from Racial Healing Commission in Response to Daunte Wright and Others
To the people of the Diocese of East Carolina:
Our hearts are heavy as we grieve the death of another unarmed black man, 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who was shot by police during a traffic stop in Minneapolis a few days ago. Daunte was a son, father, and a beloved child of God. Daunte joins a long and growing list of unarmed black men and women who should still be alive, yet who died at the hand of excessive police force. We say their names. We pray for justice and an end to violence. We are tempted to grow weary, but we must not lose hope. Faced with an empty tomb, we proclaim a God who brings life out of death and makes a way where there is no way. Through our baptism we are brought into God’s covenant and called to join God in making all things new.
The vision of the newly reformed Racial Healing Commission of the Diocese of East Carolina is to join God in this covenant work. We envision our work as that which promotes the healing of the wounds of racism by truth-telling, demonstrating love for all our neighbors, and striving for justice and peace among God’s people. Our mission is to identify and share the harsh truths of our racial history and legacy here and across the nation. We aim to promote repentance and reconciliation for the wrongs of the past and find remedies for the continuing biases and inequalities of the present. We commit to action to change our society into an equitable and healthy home for all people so that God’s will is done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
To that end, we believe that violence against black and brown bodies, whether individual or institutional, is a sin and that we are all in need of healing from racism and its various forms. Racism can be found in our politics, prisons, policing system, and our churches. We proclaim the same God who resurrected Jesus Christ at Easter has the power to forgive and change us. We believe that the longing we have for a better world, a kind that looks more like the one Jesus preached, draws us deeper into our covenant with God to uphold justice and dignity.
We lament alongside Daunte Wright’s family and those who recognize the injustice of yet another death like his. We grieve and pray with our hearts, as we commit our bodies to doing the work of justice until there are no more names added to this list. As always, we invite your prayers and your participation in this work:
For resources for individuals and congregations to engage the work of anti-racism check out The Episcopal Church’s resource page for Racial Reconciliation and Justice If you’d like to learn more about the diocesan Racial Healing Commission and how you can partner with this ministry reach out to The Rev. Adam Pierce [email protected] or Rachel Williamson [email protected].
In Christ,
The Racial Healing Commission of the Diocese