In keeping with the vision of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal Church offers three ways this week to commemorate the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder and to participate in reflections and action steps:
- Virtual service of commemoration on Tuesday, May 25, at 8 p.m. ET: A service led by six Episcopal bishops and featuring a reflection by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will air on the Facebook pages of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, and the Episcopal dioceses of Colorado, Indianapolis, Michigan, Missouri and Washington. The pre-recorded service includes a prayer of lament from George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, a candlelit remembrance from Ferguson, Missouri and a special video. Learn more here.
- Racial healing engagement on social media: All are invited to record a 10-second video of themselves lighting a candle and to post that video to personal social media during or after the May 25 service. Participants are asked to describe one thing in their post that they commit to do toward racial healing and justice in memory of Floyd and all victims of racial injustice. Those posting should also consider sharing a link to the commemoration service from one of the participating dioceses’ Facebook pages.
- Take action: The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations offers the following opportunities to learn about and take direct action on legislative efforts for police reform.
- Urge Congress to Enact Police Reform Many police reforms need to take place at the local level, but members of Congress have introduced legislation that would set national standards and would attempt to bring about lasting change to the ways that police departments operate. Click the link above to take action.
- Nine Actions on Police Reform Click the link to take action today to learn about and address police violence in your community.