by Congregational Life Coordinator and Ministerial Intern Yvette McDonnell, M.Ed., MASC
In 1965, as state violence was unleashed against Black citizens in Selma, Martin Luther King Jr. called clergy across the nation to action. Today, history is repeating itself in Minneapolis.
After the murder of Renée Nicole Goody, Rev. Jen Crow, Senior Minister of the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis, described the city as a war zone. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been deployed in Minneapolis, shooting and killing people, teargassing communities, and violating civil rights. Agents are unlawfully entering homes and schools. This is a militarized takeover by Trump’s regime.
Just as Dr. King called on clergy to march on Selma for “the survival of democracy everywhere in our land,” MARCH (Multifaith Antiracism, Change & Healing) now calls clergy and faith leaders across the country to bear witness in Minneapolis—for a new America, a new Beloved Community, and a new democracy.
MARCH states, “This is not a crisis confined to one city. It is a crisis all over the land, born of original sins: stolen land, slavery, genocide, and the ongoing violence required to sustain them.
“This is a crisis of our Constitution, federal overreach, militarized enforcement, and the erosion of civil liberties.
“A crisis of our democracy.
“A crisis of our morals.
“A crisis of faith communities failing to live into a vision of Beloved Community—or, across traditions, our shared commitments to justice, dignity, compassion, right relationship, and collective care.”
Your support is urgently needed. Many Unitarian Universalist leaders, including a handful of local ministers, are traveling to Minneapolis this week to answer the call and follow in Dr. King’s footsteps. Please donateto support this critical work. To learn more about MARCH and the call to Minneapolis click here.