US Bishops: Systematic racism
led to the death of George Floyd
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| A man walks in front of a mural in honor of George Floyd |
Following the murder of George Floyd, Bishop Shelton Fabre,
Chairman of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Ad Hoc Committee
Against Racism, speaks of the systematic racism the US faces today.
By Francesca Merlo
The murder of George Floyd has brought “many emotions” into
people’s minds and hearts, according to Bishop Shelton Fabre, Chairman of the
US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism.
“There is naturally a broken heartedness and a sadness”, he
says, which includes “a righteous outrage and a righteous anger” manifested at
the fact that we continue to struggle with a loss of lives as a consequence of
racism.
George Floyd was an African-American man who was killed last
week in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by a white American police officer who kept his
knee pressed on his neck for almost 9 minutes.
The need to respond
Speaking to Vatican News’ Devin Watkins, Bishop Fabre says
it is “unbelievable” that we have witnessed the death of another African-American
male who was in police custody. He says it another example of disregard for the
dignity of another person who was pleading to breathe.
“Not having that responded to is just beyond belief,” says
Bishop Fabre.
According to Bishop Fabre, this killing has brought many
people to ask themselves what they can do to help heal racism.
“People want to do something”, he says. They want to help.
“Within all of that pain, and all of that struggle, and all of that outrage,
and all that righteous anger”, there are also people constantly asking
themselves ‘what can I do?’"
Some, he says, are “examining their own hearts, guided
by the Holy Spirit."
An end to riots and destruction
This tragedy has led to widespread civil unrest, says Bishop
Fabre.
Along with peaceful protests, the US has seen days of riots
and destruction of property. Bishop Fabre says these are actions that the Bishops
do not support and “call for an end to”.
Although the Covid-19 pandemic has added to some of the
frustration and anger, Bishop Fabre stresses that the root of the problem is
“something that we in the United States have been struggling with since the birth
of our nation: racism. Thinking that people who are of a different race –
people of colour – are less than me because of their race”.
A history of inadequately addressing racism
He explains that he does not want to attribute what we are
seeing to the pandemic. “I don't want to say its roots lie in this present
moment. Its roots lie in a long history of our struggle to constructively and
adequately address racism."
Bishop Fabre adds that the pandemic has “revealed racial
realities”.
"People of colour in this country, especially
African-Americans, have been disproportionately affected by the virus because
of systemic racism, by things that have placed people of colour in the position
where they are."
Systematic racism in a pandemic
He explains that many people of colour do not have health
insurance, many work in the service industry, and do not have paid sick days.
Many also live in conditions where several generations live together, making
social distancing impossible.
Therefore, says Bishop Fabre, “the roots of the current
situation do not lie only in the pandemic. They are deep, historical roots that
are part of the disregard for life in this country and our inability or
unwillingness to address the issue of race and racism."
Unheard frustration
Finally, Bishop Fabre stresses that the Catholic Church in
the United States does “not condone violence” but rather calls for peaceful
protest.
“A lot of attention is being given right now to a quote from
Dr. Martin Luther King”, says Bishop Fabre. It says that a riot is the language
of the unheard.
“While we certainly condemn the violence of riots”,
concludes Bishop Fabre, “we understand the frustration and the outrage of
people who are also engaging in peaceful protest to attempt to get people to
hear them."
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