Statement by GCORR & GBCS on the Killing of Ahmaud Arbery

How long, O Lord, how long?

The February killing of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia, is another incident that torchlights the darkest moments of our history. The recurrence of these killings, coupled with the fact that justice is seldom served, is a strong indication of how deeply entrenched racism is in our society’s systems and beliefs.

Eric Garner, Terence Crutcher, Philando Castile, Samuel DuBose, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, and Walter Scott are few of the many innocent black lives who have been killed by police officers. The incomplete list of the named and unnamed indicate the pervasive culture of racism and white supremacy in America.

While arrests have finally been made in the first step towards a judicial process to Mr. Arbery’s case, the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) and General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) of The United Methodist Church vehemently condemn racism and white supremacy as sin and also enjoin the Justice Department to look into the situation without any iota of fear or favor. Read more...