The latest publicized acts of police brutality have sparked anger and indignation over racial inequality throughout the nation. Videos of repeated police violence along with images of protests and tear gas have raised awareness amongst all Americans in unprecedented ways. These images highlight the pain, suffering and injustice that Black Americans have faced for centuries. The murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Elijah McClain, and countless other black individuals at the hands of police have shone a spotlight on the generational trauma of systemic racism in our society, including, but not limited to, our law enforcement agencies.
As the still-ongoing demonstrations have shown, this moment in American society has inspired a movement of reflection, action, dialogue, and awareness around basic human rights of equality and respect that are not afforded all Americans. The protests represent a call to action for every American—a call which affirms that until we can say Black Lives Matter, we can never say all lives matter.
Since our founding in 1986, Pacific Health Ministry has remained committed to our mission to provide the highest quality interfaith spiritual care to the people of Hawaiʻi, pastoral training to students around the world and education to our communities. To that end, and in clear alignment with our core beliefs of justice, equality, inclusion and diversity, Pacific Health Ministry stands in solidarity with this movement to dismantle the impacts of white privilege, white supremacy and racial injustice.
While communities in Hawai’i are diverse and people of different ethnic, religious, and racial backgrounds in many neighborhoods coexist with mutual respect, we are not immune to issues of racism and privilege. We can always do better, and we should do better. We urge our friends, neighbors, and families to reflect as we all search for ways to build a better future, not only in Hawaiʻi but across the nation and around the globe.