CIRCLE CITY FELLOWS’ RESPONSE TO RACIAL INJUSTICE AND OPPRESSION
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once eloquently stated “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Circle City Fellows as an organization summarily denounces the ongoing racism that exists in our city and country. We condemn acts of police brutality against blacks in particular and speak against the continual systemic injustices that oppress both blacks and other minorities in our city and beyond. We grieve the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery among others. And we support the peaceful protesting that is necessary and important for change to come. Each of these deaths, injustices, and forms of oppression and brutality stand contrary to God’s mission of liberation and reconciliation for which we as Christians are to be signposts, foretastes, and instruments of in this world! So we are compelled to speak and we are compelled to act.
Circle City Fellows is an organization whose vision is contributing to the flourishing of the city of Indianapolis according to the mission of God in this world by raising up individuals to live their faith in the workplace and beyond on mission with God. We believe that God’s mission is a mission of love, expressed most notably as a mission of reconciliation and liberation.
From our beginning we have made concerted efforts to pursue diversity within our organization: from our leadership to Fellows to partnerships to the program and curriculum itself. And while we have made a start toward being that signpost, foretaste, and instrument in this crucial part of God’s mission of liberation and reconciliation, we commit ourselves to do more:
We will continue our review of our program and curriculum to increase the number of black and other minority voices speaking to our Fellows.
We will continue to engage more black leaders and other minorities as content presenters for our Fellows to learn about the issues, needs, and priorities for all of Indianapolis’ residents to flourish, not just those of privilege.
We will continue our plans for opening up specific Saturday Forums beyond our Fellows to invite the public to join us to learn about the issues that stand as obstacles toward equity in our city and the steps we can all take to contribute toward change.
And we will ask, “What else? What else can we do?” And we will listen.
May God have mercy on those of us who have implicitly contributed to our current state of injustice and oppression. And may God give all of us, together in unity, the courage and strength to fight for liberation and reconciliation that demonstrates God’s kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven.
