If you'd like something featured in an upcoming edition of Central News, you can reach out to Pastor Julia.
pastor's note
CW: police violence, gun violence
On July 6th, around 1 in the morning, Illinois woman Sonya Massey was shot to death by a sheriff's deputy after calling 911 to report a suspected prowler outside her home. She called for help because she felt unsafe, and she was murdered for no other reason than she was removing a pot of boiling water from the stove (as she was asked to do) and rebuking the officers for assuming she would harm them with that pot of water. She was across the kitchen from the officers, nowhere close enough to put them in danger, and she even ducked and apologized when the officer first pointed his gun at her. And still, he shot her. And now, she's gone.
Sonya Massey was a mother, a friend, a daughter, and a beloved human being created in the image of the divine. She was also a Black woman with a history of paranoid schizophrenia (according to her family), both of which tend to increase the likelihood of a dangerous or deadly interaction with law enforcement. It can be easy to look at these as isolated events perpetrated by bad people, but as of today, July 24, a total of 730 civilians have been killed by the police this year, with Black Americans 2.9 times as likely to have been victims as compared with white people, (according to the Mapping Police Violence database). The officer in question has been removed from his position, arrested, and charged with murder, but even if he is convicted, Sonya Massey will still be gone.
Massey cried out for help when she felt unsafe, and, instead, she lost her life. No one should have to fear for their safety or even their life when they need help. And yet, this is the reality many people, including Black Americans, unsheltered folks, and sexual assault survivors, face every single day. Author Cole Arthur Riley wrote this in the wake of Massey's death: "Her first words at the door - 'Please don't hurt me.' Sonya Massey knew what we've always known. That those who claim heroism in this country are just as likely to be cowards more concerned with protecting their own fragile egos than those who call on them for help. Evil in a uniform. And she was punished for knowing it. Justice is not enough." Justice brought upon this single officer is not enough because Sonya Massey should never have lost her life in the first place.
We have to create a world where anyone can call for help without fear of violence or death. We have to create a world where the humanity of all people is acknowledged and respected. We have to create a world where Sonya Massey would never have been killed in the first place, where justice would never have to be sought for her murder. Writer Marcie Alvis Walker wrote, "Justice is this: Sonya Massey calls 911 and the right help comes. And they leave her alive and breathing." May we dream and pray and work for a world where this is the reality.
-Pastor Julia
On July 6th, around 1 in the morning, Illinois woman Sonya Massey was shot to death by a sheriff's deputy after calling 911 to report a suspected prowler outside her home. She called for help because she felt unsafe, and she was murdered for no other reason than she was removing a pot of boiling water from the stove (as she was asked to do) and rebuking the officers for assuming she would harm them with that pot of water. She was across the kitchen from the officers, nowhere close enough to put them in danger, and she even ducked and apologized when the officer first pointed his gun at her. And still, he shot her. And now, she's gone.
Sonya Massey was a mother, a friend, a daughter, and a beloved human being created in the image of the divine. She was also a Black woman with a history of paranoid schizophrenia (according to her family), both of which tend to increase the likelihood of a dangerous or deadly interaction with law enforcement. It can be easy to look at these as isolated events perpetrated by bad people, but as of today, July 24, a total of 730 civilians have been killed by the police this year, with Black Americans 2.9 times as likely to have been victims as compared with white people, (according to the Mapping Police Violence database). The officer in question has been removed from his position, arrested, and charged with murder, but even if he is convicted, Sonya Massey will still be gone.
Massey cried out for help when she felt unsafe, and, instead, she lost her life. No one should have to fear for their safety or even their life when they need help. And yet, this is the reality many people, including Black Americans, unsheltered folks, and sexual assault survivors, face every single day. Author Cole Arthur Riley wrote this in the wake of Massey's death: "Her first words at the door - 'Please don't hurt me.' Sonya Massey knew what we've always known. That those who claim heroism in this country are just as likely to be cowards more concerned with protecting their own fragile egos than those who call on them for help. Evil in a uniform. And she was punished for knowing it. Justice is not enough." Justice brought upon this single officer is not enough because Sonya Massey should never have lost her life in the first place.
We have to create a world where anyone can call for help without fear of violence or death. We have to create a world where the humanity of all people is acknowledged and respected. We have to create a world where Sonya Massey would never have been killed in the first place, where justice would never have to be sought for her murder. Writer Marcie Alvis Walker wrote, "Justice is this: Sonya Massey calls 911 and the right help comes. And they leave her alive and breathing." May we dream and pray and work for a world where this is the reality.
-Pastor Julia
upcoming events
other community highlights
front row central
copyright © 2024 galveston central church, all rights reserved.
If you enjoyed our newsletter, please consider subscribing by filling out the form below!