by Natalie Romero and Darla Martin Tucker
In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Dr. Joy Fehr, Dr. Ricardo Graham, and La Sierra’s Divinity School faculty have spoken out against racism. In these calls for justice, our university and union leaders, pastors, and theologians urge all Christians to take action and demand lasting change for the Black community in the United States.
“For too long words of comfort have been spoken in moments such as these and systems have gone unchallenged,” writes Dr. Fehr. “Universities are places where structures are examined critically and other, more equitable solutions are thoughtfully crafted and proposed. La Sierra is proud of contributing to this work, but we also recognize much more needs to be accomplished.”
Dr. Graham, who in addition to being the president of the Pacific Union Conference serves as chair of La Sierra’s Board of Trustees, called on people of all faiths to “stop passively accepting the intolerable as the status quo.” He writes, “What is the legacy of the church in a nation plagued by systemic racism? Yes, it is a plague—as real and deadly as the locusts that rained down upon the Egyptians in the Exodus. Systemic racism in America is a plague of biblical proportions.”
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