A group of multi-denominational clergy from across New York City came together in solidarity with the Asian American community outside the First Presbyterian Church in
Jamaica. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
Asian and Black clergy condemn anti-
Asian hate during rally in Jamaica
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
A group of multi-denominational
clergy from across New
York City came together in solidarity
with the Asian American
community outside the
First Presbyterian Church in
Jamaica on Tuesday, April 6,
condemning the violent racist
attacks on the AAPI community,
but also announcing the
creation of a support network.
“We gather here to raise our
voice. We are a multi-racial,
multi-faith group of clergy
who gather together to condemn
all types of hatred, all
types of discrimination,” said
Senior Pastor Adolphus Lacey
of Bethany Baptist Church in
Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
“What these types have
revealed is that we do not have
connections. There is no infrastructure
for us to have bridge
building, and we are starting
the process right now to build
bridges to connect with all of
these communities.”
Rev. Patrick O’Connor of
the First Presbyterian Church
of Jamaica welcomed the clergy
members on the steps of the
359-year-old church.
“We stand with our Asian
brothers and sisters, but we
stand with all people who
experience hate and harm.
Let love and righteousness
and goodwill prevail,” the
reverend said.
Pastor Charles Ryu of
Morningside United Methodist
Church in Manhattan, a mostly
Korean and Asian American
congregation, was grateful
for the show of solidarity.
He shared that he attended an
anti-Asian hate rally in Times
Square last Sunday, organized
by young Black and Asian activists
and that they changed
the rallying cry “the people
united will never be defeated”
to “together united, we will
never be divided.”
“The white racist structure
will always try to divide, and
the history between the Black
and Asian community has
both been division and cooperations.
And when I see young
people coming together, we are
together, and together united,
we will never be divided. We
will fight together,” Ryu said.
Bishop H. Curtis Douglas
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.2 COM | APRIL 16-APRIL 22, 2021
wanted the Asian community
to know that he was standing
with them.
“We condemn all acts of
white supremacy against any
race, any group of people, especially
those of us of color.
And we want to connect and
make sure that together, we do
all that we can to ensure that
our children and our grandchildren
do not have to deal
with or go through this kind of
abuse,” the bishop said.
Priest Wang of the International
Buddhist Progress Society
thanked everyone for supporting
the Asian community.
“We would love to work together
to build a loving, kind,
compassionate community,”
Wang said.
Tisha Dixon Williams
of the First Baptist Church
Bridgehampton invoked the
tagline “who are you going to
call?” from the soundtrack of
the movie “Ghostbusters.” She
admitted that she did not know
who to call when the racist attacks
happened in the Asian
community. She thanked the
organizers for creating a support
system and connecting
the communities.
“We’re here today because
today we’re building a call list
when something horrific happens.
When strange things
happen in our neighborhoods
when our Asian brothers and
sisters are attacked. And I
know that they feel the same
way when their African American
brothers and sisters are
attacked. From today forward,
we’ll know who to call,” Dixon
Williams said.
Imam Shamsi Ali of the
Jamaica Muslim Center expressed
that hate was the United
States trademark recalling
a time when hate was also directed
towards Italians, Irish,
Catholics and Jewish people.
He reminded everyone that
New York wasn’t the most
beautiful and powerful city in
the world because of its skyscrapers
or Wall Street, but because
of the people who forge
connections.
“So let’s continue building
our bridges, working together
to break down the walls that
separate us, my brothers and
sisters,” he said.
Rev. Stephen A. Green of the
Greater Allen AME Cathedral
spoke of the late Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King and how much
he had believed in the power of
community.
“We’re standing here as
faith leaders. As African
American and Asian leaders,
because we are here to resurrect
the dream. We are here
to resurrect and reconstruct
the dream that says that all
human life has dignity and
worth. We’re here to reconstruct
the dream and to resurrect
the dream to affirm that
black lives matter, and we will
stop Asian American hate in
this country,” the reverend
emphasized.
Rev. Gregory Woo of the
Faith Bible Church asked everyone
to continue to raise
their voices and love each
other.
“Some of us Asians, we have
a hard time voicing out and
sharing what we feel, what we
care about. You know, with our
African American brothers
and sisters, our Black brothers
and sisters, we’re gonna learn
a thing or two from you,” Woo
said.
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