Bethany Statement on Verdict of Derek Chauvin Trial
April 20, 2021
Grand Rapids, MI— Bethany continues to mourn the loss of George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor and the many other Black men and women who have unnecessarily and tragically lost their lives. We bemoan the trauma their loved ones and the Black community have experienced time and time again.
Racism and unequal treatment still exist in many of our institutions. Bethany remains committed to continue standing beside Black, Brown, and Asian communities as our nation works to confront and address systemic injustices. As we journey toward becoming an anti-racist organization, we won’t shy away from studying, calling out, and addressing racial injustice in the systems where we work, especially in the child welfare system. While we mourn, we urge and pray for peace across our nation, for constructive dialogues, and for tangible actions to address injustice.
Together at Bethany, we pursue racial justice and equity because of our faith in Jesus Christ, and we will continue to loudly advocate for better systems within our nation so that all people are treated with dignity and recognized as precious children of God. We pray that we, along with all Americans, will more fully and boldly embody Christ’s commandment to ‘love our neighbors as ourselves.’
Reverend Marben Bland, pastor of New Bethel AME in Dublin, Georgia and member of Bethany’s corporate board, recently urged Bethany’s 1,500 staff in the U.S. and around the world to respond to racism, injustice, and inequity by talking the talk of Jesus. We pray that Rev. Bland’s message challenges and inspires you like it did for us.
Watch Rev. Bland’s message: The Talk: Confronting Racism, Inequity, and Injustice
About Bethany Bethany is a global nonprofit that supports children and families with world-class social services, all designed to help families thrive. Over 75 years ago, we began our work by serving a single child. Today, we work in more than 30 states and in countries worldwide, impacting hundreds-of-thousands of people every year.
