Following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, March 13, the Facing Systemic Racism Committee presented our second session on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. Led by Dr. Beverly Harris-Schenz, we explored a summary of one of the seminal issues in Dr. King’s letter: “just” vs “unjust” laws. A video of the presentation is available below.

Dr. King explains the use of “legality” in authoritarian societies, as a means to control and discriminate against marginalized people. Such “laws” apply to those groups, but rarely to those in authority. As examples, Dr. King cites laws used by segregationists in Alabama to prevent Blacks from voting; the laws of Nebuchadnezzer, which led Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego to follow a higher moral law; as well as the laws employed by Hitler to discriminate and isolate Jews, and those in Hungary against their freedom fighters.

There is no dearth of other historical examples. However, our discussion will focus primarily on how “unjust” laws have been used in the past and are currently used in our country to discriminate against and marginalize people of color. This presentation will be followed by small group discussions, both in person and on Zoom.

Revisit Session 1. Mark your calendars for Session 3 on Saturday, April 9, 6 pm.