My parents raised me without prejudice. A female friend and former boss once told me, “You don’t see color.” Every life matters to God. Every life matters, but no lives matter unless Black lives matter. I pray the love of power can be transformed by the power of love.

Seeing Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin and three other officers kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, even after he said “I can’t breathe,” was horrific. Some people would have been more upset had they been doing it to a dog. Seeing this brought many other instances of police brutality to light. While I don’t know what it’s like to grow up Black in America, I do know racial injustice is undeniable and must be stopped.

While I was participating in a Black Lives Matter protest in Monroeville, a white trucker threw his drink at us. Many people moved toward the truck, calling the trucker names. One of our leaders got in front of us and said, “Let’s just let this idiot move along.” I later thanked this leader for keeping the peace and not letting us lower ourselves to the trucker’s level.

There has been some growth toward racial justice since 1967, but much more needs to be done. The church and America need to step up to show racial injustice and inequality won’t be tolerated. God is calling us to do this. Maybe the death of George Floyd can bring the change we need, so his death won’t have been in vain.

Jeffrey Else

Turtle Creek

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