Genesis Statement on Daunte Wright

“We want to go forward, not backward”

~by Rev. Dr. Hubert Ivery

Last week we witnessed events that followed after 20 year old Daunte Wright, a father, a son and a human, was fatally shot by a Minnesota police officer. Genesis laments the system that allows for a brutal death after a “routine” traffic stop. One would think that all the roads leaving from the Civil Rights era in the sixties, more than fifty years ago, would have led to more systemic transformations. Instead, we witness the death of yet another unarmed Black man.

Our hearts go out to the family and friends for this unnecessary loss of life. We cannot perfectly know your pain, but we pray that your faith will provide you with the spiritual resources to help you traverse these troubled waters of grief and despair. At times it feels like we are marching in place to the same drum beat, fighting the same battles, over and over again without really making, much, if any, progress.

At this time in our society we are plagued by two viruses that are running rampant. The Covid-19 virus and the other the virus of racial violence which stem from deeply seated bias, fear, ignorance, and racism and manifests as callus actions and disregard for black and brown lives.

Our hope is for a society that reflects what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. referred to as the "Beloved Community" where love, justice, inclusivity, and mutual affirmation are governing principles for all human beings. We want to go forward, not backward.

In pursuit of this outcome, Genesis will continue to strive to do our part in addressing racism wherever we find it. We are particularly concerned how young black people are targeted for discipline and other problems and end up in the criminal justice system.

Call to action:

If you would like to join the Disrupt the School to Prison Pipeline campaign, please fill out this interest form linked here.
We are gathering names to call on elected officials in Pleasanton, California to invest in the health and wellness of youth and have police free schools. Please support by signing our petition.