Here at the Network we grieve the loss of George Floyd along with all other losses of black life at the hands of the state. For us, we can't help but be reminded of a dear member of our community, Michael Marshall, whose breath was taken from him in December 2015 while in the custody of law enforcement.
It's typically discouraged for a non-profit or a church to speak out directly on matters of politics or government behavior, but when a hashtag or distant news story ends up in your very living room and impacts a loved one, matters of politics and respectability quickly transitions to solidarity and justice. Silence is simply not an option.
Justice begins with a relationship.
For thirty eight years, Network has been in the business of redemptive relationships among the marginalized and unhoused. Spending significant time among our community has changed the way we see everything. In this work of befriending, kinship, and humanizing in the way Christ, you can count on us to always boldly proclaim that Black Lives Matter.
Michael Marshall