Council of Black Majority Churches campaign for justice
The Council of Black Majority Churches (CBMC) is calling for the government to act morally by acknowledging the systemic racism that breeds racial inequality and other disparities experienced by the UK's black and ethnic minority communities compared to their white counterparts.
The CBMC stands together with church leaders around the UK, joining in partnership and solidarity with national and international condemnation and outrage at the unlawful and merciless killing of George Floyd - an unarmed African-American man who was effectively suffocated to death by a white Minneapolis police officer.
Besides its support for the Black Lives Matter campaigning that continues across the UK, Europe and other parts of the world, the CBMB is also protesting against the health disparities among black people and white people as a result of systemic racism that impacts various social and economic systems in the UK.
The sad and unfortunate trend of BAME communities existing with a heightened risk of death and economic downfall from the coronavirus has also sparked the holy union among the UK's black majority churches.
The CMBM is calling for justice for George Floyd and his family, based heavily on the notion that justice requires wisdom for the right legal decisions to made and administered, and that righteousness always requires us to do the 'right thing' - it is something that all four officers involved in Floyd's death have been charged, but, the charges must be escalated to a full conviction over his death so that Floyd has not unlawfully died in vain.
Issues of systemic and institutional racism that have bred racial inequalities and injustice in the UK has occurred for far too long, requiring a collective response to eradicate them.
The unified black majority churches want to see changes in the police, particularly by adequately training officers to uphold the law with compassion and grace, and with the understanding of the needs and culture of the black community.
The CMBM has also taken a strong stance toward the young black lives matter movement, arguing the brutal arrests, unfair treatment and racial profiling of young black people - particularly young men - needs to be reexamined at a governmental level and eradicated.
The 24 churches that support and endorse CMBM will over the coming weeks develop a strategic plan to address the issues of systemic racism, and all other issues that unfairly and unjustly impact black people, by pushing for the following steps to be initiated:
To ensure legislation and policies for BAME communities are fair;
To ensure that BAME communities are fairly represented in key decision making at all levels;
To ensure that communities are adequately resourced to function effectively - poor access to financial, transport, educational, housing and health resources continue to keep black and ethnic minority groups at greater risks of illness and poverty than their white counterparts;
To ensure appropriate education and training of governmental institutions including educational establishments.
Ultimately, CMBM wants to see lasting economic and social change for black and minority ethnic communities in the UK, and eventually, across the world.