​As a part of worship on March 16th, our musical ensamble sang "Say Her Name" by Alysia Lee.  She tells of writing her song in 2020 from a place of frustration at the deaths of so many Black people, with hope to bring us to a place of community, of coming together, and standing “with action and love at the front.” 

The piece names a few individuals whose lives have been lost tragically and too soon. Many of these died wrongfully at the hands of police officers and SWAT teams who are called to serve and protect; others were victims of hate crimes. All stand in a long line of people whose lives have ended due to systemic racism and violence, unjust policies, and/or inability to understand racism, addiction and mental health. 

Additional Resources

When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, by Patrisse Khan-
Cullors and Asha Bandele, 2018

My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our
Hearts and Bodies, by Resmaa Menakem, 2017 ... see also Somatic Abolitionism
and other resources at resmaa.com

NPR article and video: https://www.npr.org/2020/05/29/865261916/a-decade-of-watching-black-people-die

The Star Tribune article highlights 215+ police-involved deaths in Minnesota
since 2000; includes a graphic with demographics and linked stories. https:// www.startribune.com/every-police-involved death-in-minnesota-since-2000/502088871/