I AM SORRY that our nation has prospered at the expense of African Americans for 400 years through slavery, slave codes, Jim Crow, segregation, and lingering inequality in many systems in America.
I RECOGNIZE that many of the most devastating social problems in our country and local communities are direct results of these deeply-rooted injustices.
I KNOW that there is nothing I can do to change what has happened or to fix everything, but I can say that I am truly sorry. I acknowledge this legacy and its effects and I grieve.
BECAUSE OF WHAT I RECOGNIZE, I repent and I will respond by seeking to build genuine relationships with those who bear the brunt of this legacy.
I WANT TO listen, learn, and better understand how the perpetuation of systems that leverage benefit for some and pain and disadvantage for others, continues today. I will also do what I can to promote communities of equality, justice, reconciliation, and love for one another.
