In the past few weeks, the Province released two statements in response to the killing of George Floyd and in support of the calls for justice reverberating around our countries and world. The Provincial Team issued its own statement promising “to raise our voice in opposition to acts of racial discrimination and to fight tirelessly against the sin of racism.” They also issued a statement affirming the USC Province’s support for the National Black Sisters Conference statement, which condemns the disease of systemic racism, and calls for criminal justice reform. Members of the Society of the Sacred Heart family have participated in protests, and have lifted their voices through social media.
June 19 is Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, as well as the Feast of the Sacred Heart. The end of slavery did not end the fight for human dignity and social justice, a fight integral to the mission of the Society of the Sacred Heart. There are opportunities for individuals to advocate now for reform.
- In the United States: The NAACP is collecting signatures on a petition, which includes a demand for federal police reform legislation, and a full and impartial investigation of the murder of George Floyd. You can sign the petition here.
- Network Lobby invites us to send letters to our Members of Congress supporting the Justice in Policing Act, which will hold police accountable and fundamentally change the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they are meant to serve. You can send a letter here.
- The Poor People’s Campaign is calling for broad social transformation. You can sign their open letter to our nation’s lawmakers, and join their virtual national assembly and Moral March on Washington on June 20. Learn more here.
- In Canada, demonstrations for racial justice have also taken place after the killing of George Floyd in the U.S. Kairos Canada marks June as Indigenous Women’s Month, with more information here.
