White Supremacists March in Charlottesville, VA in August 2017
White Supremacist Participants in the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, VA
Migrants Bused from Texas to Washington, DC
Migrants Bused from Texas to New York City
Five years ago this week, Charlottesville, VA and our nation were rocked by the infamous Unite the Right Rally. White supremacists gathered for a night time march that evoked images of torch lit marches in Nazi Germany. The following day clashes erupted between white supremacists carrying Confederate flags and other racist symbols and counter protestors. By the end of the day a nonviolent protester named Heather Heyer was killed by a white supremacist who used his car as a weapon by driving into a crowd of protesters. Two Virginia State Troopers also died that day in a helicopter crash. Despite its rich history and many positive assets, the name “Charlottesville” has become synonymous with the terrible events of August 11-12, 2017.
Five years later, our nation continues to struggle with the long legacy of racism. Many racist acts are less obvious than the hate filled speech and symbols of the Unite the Right Rally. In fact some have been initiated and supported by elected officials and many of their constituents. One of the latest examples was the forced busing of migrants from the border of Texas to Washington, DC and New York City. Men, women, and children were bused over a thousand miles and dropped off with no other means of support. The governor of Texas was trying to make a point about immigration policy, but he did so at the expense of dehumanizing people in this degrading way. Take a moment to reflect on the photos of the people departing the buses, especially the children. Fortunately city officials in both DC and NYC committed to helping the stranded people despite the challenge of limited local resources. Many of those who supported busing the migrants identify as Christians and call our country a “Christian nation.” Yet I believe the gospels are clear that Jesus was on those buses rather than sending those buses (see Matthew 25). Watch the short videos posted below for more about this shameful act of dehumanizing racism. We need to have open and honest discussion and debate about immigration policy. We must not settle for using people made in the image of God as pawns in that process.