Immediate Release
March 28, 2018
Contact: Rachel Schmidt
rschmidt@paxchristiusa.org
Pax Christi USA Executive Director Speaking at A.C.T. to End Racism Rally on Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Death
Washington, DC – Pax Christi USA (PCUSA) is attending the April 4th A.C.T. to End Racism rally on the National Mall in Washington DC. The day will begin with a silent march at 7am followed by a rally where Sr. Patricia Chappell, Executive Director of PCUSA will speak.
The National Council of Churches (NCC) has organized the event and gathered a coalition of over 50 faith community partners who recognize that those of moral conscience have a specific responsibility and unique gift to address and eliminate racism. Included among these partners are numerous Catholic organizations
This landmark event, held 50 years to the day since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s assassination, is part of a movement to honor his death with a witness to end racism. The rally is the starting point of a multi-year effort, launched by NCC, to remove racism from the nation’s social fabric and bring the country together. Dr. King’s message is still alive, and Catholics are carrying on the work to end racism.
“50 years since Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination, and we are still dealing with the deep history of racism in our Catholic Church and our nation. Poverty, racism, and militarism are woven into the fabric of our society keeping us stuck and sick. Black and brown people are disvalued, gunned down, and forgotten, and we’ve been brainwashed to see people of color as statistics or not see them at all. However, we hold the vision of the Beloved Community steeped in active nonviolence where human beings are truly valued. Pax Christi USA hopes for a world that loves people more than violence, equality more than greed, and character more than skin color. We must unravel the yards and years of oppression and create a new way.” Sr. Patricia Chappell, Executive Director, Pax Christi USA
“Dr. King spoke forcefully about the “fierce urgency of now”, but even as we mark 50 years since his assassination we have yet to see the dream realized. We have come a long way and can celebrate many accomplishments towards the end of racism, but we must also remain vigilant. We have tragically witnessed a resurgence of the most blatant types of racism in the public sphere and we know that the hidden seeds of racism are planted deeply and must be uprooted. Let’s lift our voices now and contribute to a world where no one race is exclusively normative and all races contribute to the rich beauty of humanity. The dream still has its time…. now!” Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., Bishop of Lexington, KY, Bishop President of Pax Christi USA
Visuals:
On April 4th at 7am, Catholic rally participants will be gathering at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial by the bookstore at 1850 West Basin Drive SW, Washington, DC. There will be a silent march from that point to the rally staging area between 14th St. SW and 12th St. SW.
To learn more about the rally, visit: http://www.rally2endracism.org.
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