Tell President Biden to wipe the stain of racism from our nation's character

We could be the generation that finally wipes out the stain of racism from our national character. We have an unprecedented opportunity to put our hope for healing, repair, and change into action.   As President Joe Biden prepares to give the State of the Union address, it’s time for him to prioritize bold initiatives to deal with the legacy of systemic racism and harm that has pervaded the pursuit of the American dream for the descendants of the enslaved.   Contact the White House In Christian theological traditions, justice does not occur until harm has been repaired; our nation needs mechanisms focused on repairing past harms that lead to systemic transformation and holistic healing. This is why we are calling on the White House and President Biden to create two executive orders that:  Establish a commission to study and develop reparations proposals for African-Americans, first.  Establish a United States Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Commission immediately thereafter.  Establish a truth process by which the U.S. will inform and educate the public about the historical context for current racial inequalities and inequities.  Examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the U.S. from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies.  Create proposals for addressing and repairing past harm and building a more just nation for every American.  Identify the role of federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery.  Identify a transformative pathway necessary to achieving the lasting and sustainable racial healing and equity our country so desperately needs and deserves.  Identify forms of discrimination in the public and private sectors against freed slaves and their descendants.  Identify lingering negative effects of slavery on living African Americans and society.  Recommend ways to educate the American public about findings.  Recommend appropriate redress actions.  These executive orders will advance the goals of bill H.R. 40: Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act and resolution H.Con.Res.19: Urging the Establishment of a United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation. We are also asking President Biden to mention his plans regarding these two executive orders in the upcoming State of the Union address.   Contact the White House The roots of the current health inequities, the senseless murders of Black bodies by white vigilantes and the police, the dismantling and suppressing of voting rights, and the censoring of the truth of our nation’s history all can be traced back to the brokenness of our nation’s past.   Now is the time for truth-telling about our nation’s past. We must address the sin of racism by repairing past harms. President Biden, in his reflections on the 2017 deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., said, he believes “we’re ready” and he believes “we’re up to the task.”  The late Congressman John Lewis once said, “Every generation leaves behind a legacy. What that legacy will be is determined by the people of that generation.” I pray ours would be the kind that erases the stain of racism on our nation’s character.   Today, on Feb. 28, urge the White House to meet this moment that will define our generation and to advance racial healing through truth-telling and repair.  In faith, Rev. Terrance McKinley P.S. Tomorrow, please call the White House comment line between 11am-3pm ET in order to keep the pressure on President Biden. The link above will give you a call script so you know what to say! Rev. Terrance M. McKinley Director of Racial Justice Mobilizing

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