For Planning Purposes: August 26, 2020
Contact: Heather Cabral | 202-550-6880 | heather@westendstrategy.com
Erin Williams | 202-748-0699 | ewilliams@faithinaction.org
OAKLAND, CA — Days after the shooting of Jacob Blake and the civic unrest that has followed, Pastor Michael McBride, director of the LIVE FREE campaign, Faith in Action’s program focused on ending mass incarceration and gun violence; and PICO California co-director Rev. Ben McBride, who created the Bring The H.E.A.T. public safety reimagining campaign condemned the brutality, rage, and civic protest that has erupted on the streets.
Pastor Michael McBride: “The lethal actions of Kenosha police officers have left holes in the body of Jacob and permanent scars in the psyche of his young children watching in horror. Who will reign in the police terror on display across the country? Violence begets more violence, and we for almost 300 years, police violence is the trigger that sets off these chain reactions. Asking for peace from Black people who for 400 years have not been given the same peace from the state is an act of cruelty by the oppressor, and an act of self preservation by Black people. One day, preservation will give way to revolution. America is on the clock. One day, preservation will give way to revolution. America is on the clock. I pray for justice. I pray for healing. I pray for a reimagined society. Only then will we have peace.”
Pastor Ben McBride: “We are way past reform. There can’t be police reform when police cannot do their jobs. We will work towards abolishing the police state. We will work towards justice for the attempted murder of Jacob Blake. Jacob Blake did nothing but BE Black – and white America has made it clear that even no provocation is enough cause to shoot us dead. We will not be quiet. Death by police or pandemic is not our inheritance. The current climate can tempt us to be driven by our biases and trauma. But there’s also the opportunity to widen our circle of human concern during moments like these, and experience deep healing that may have felt out of reach before.”
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The LIVE FREE Campaign is a campaign of Faith in Action, the largest grassroots, faith-based organizing network in the United States. LIVE FREE is committed to ending structural discrimination and the mass criminalization of people of color by mobilizing the faith community to reduce the number of gun-related shootings and homicides, decrease the number of individuals incarcerated and increase opportunity for those caught in these deadly cycles.
Faith in Action, formerly known as PICO National Network, is the largest grassroots, faith-based organizing network in the United States. The nonpartisan organization works with 1,000 religious congregations in more than 200 cities and towns through its 46 local and state federations. For more information, visit www.faithinaction.org.
Faith in Action is a 501c(3). Faith in Action and its affiliates are non-partisan and are not aligned explicitly or implicitly with any candidate or party. We do not endorse or support candidates for office.
