Five years ago, people around the United States—and the world—watched a police officer kneel on the neck of George Floyd on a street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, ending his life, shocking our nation, and leading to protests, reflection, and predictions of a racial justice reckoning. In response, the Initiative held one of our most powerful and widely viewed dialogues, which challenged us to resist the racism in our streets, structures, and ourselves. On this sad anniversary and as we remember Juneteenth, our nation is still in pain and still needs greater justice. For Catholics and all believers, racism is not just a political issue: it is a sin, a national moral failure, and a fundamental test of our faith.
Now five years later, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, a leader in Catholic social ministry, a journalist and pro-life leader, and a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama looked back at what happened and what didn’t, looked around at signs of both progress and retreat on racial justice, and looked ahead to what we are called to do now in light of Catholic social teaching.
Kimberly Mazyck, associate director for engagement for the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, moderated the dialogue.
Resources
View articles, videos, and other resources for this dialogue.
