Dear White Christians: Be and Do Better

There are doubts and rumors surrounding the killing of Anthony J. Thompson Jr by officers. Law enforcement and the media initially described the killing as part of a potential school shooter situation and initial reports claimed that Anthony shot at officers and they returned fire and killed him. However, The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has confirmed that the bullet that injured one of the responding officers did not come from him. The Knoxville Police Department and the Knox County District Attorney General's Office are declining to release footage while the killing is being investigated.

During situations where cops kill a Black or brown child, family members, friends, community members, and those of us who are part of the general public are asked to refrain from speculation, to trust that the system is working and let the investigation run its course. Yet, what’s funny is that in the initial days after the shooting, law enforcement itself was responsible for the rumors and stories that painted Anthony J. Thompson Jr. as a potential school shooter while the responding officers were portrayed as heroes. We are expected to refrain from “undue” speculation and engaging in “Monday Morning Quarterbacking” yet law enforcement has demonstrated again and again that they cannot be trusted to tell the truth.

Law enforcement consistently depicts Black and brown people as criminals and thugs who deserve to die. (And they often excuse and downplay the actions of white perpetrators of violence. They also manage to refrain from killing many of them and instead arrest them, a courtesy not often offered to Black and brown people who are automatically assumed guilty and dangerous).

And what truly breaks my heart is how often my white Christian peers will reinforce the dehumanization of Black and brown people killed by police. It is often from white Christians I hear the phrases: “she/he should have stopped resisting.” “If they didn’t want to die, they should have followed the law.” “He/she was a known criminal. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.” All of this said without irony, as they worship a brown, Palestinian Jew, executed by state authorities as a criminal.

My white Christian peers will, during the week, justify the deaths of Black and brown people killed by police by arguing that the victims of police violence were criminals or were associating with criminals and they deserved to die. Then on Sunday, they will head to worship and claim to praise a God that loves all.

Of course, not all white Christians react that way. Quite a few are joining Black and brown people in demanding a stop to police killings of Black and brown people. Quite a few white Christians are re-examining the ways in which they have intentionally or not, enabled white supremacy and racism to flourish. They are doing good work and are taking seriously God’s calling to advocate for a more just and better world.

But too many other white Christians, are content with worshiping a brown skilled, unjustly killed savior on Sunday, while justifying and rejoicing over the deaths of Black and brown people during the week.

Anthony J. Thompson Jr. was a beloved child of God. He should still be with us.