The Daily Signal - We 'Need a Change in Hearts': African American Explains Why He Organized a Prayer Walk

Episode Date: June 9, 2020

Louis Brown, an African American man, organized a "rosary walk" in Washington, D.C., in response to the death of George Floyd. Brown, who is the executive director of health care nonprofit Christ Medicus Foundation, joins The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss why he did this, and the importance of prayer in these times. We also cover these stories: House Democrats proposed sweeping changes to America’s police departments Monday in response to the killing of George Floyd. The Minneapolis City Council said it would disband the city's police department.  Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, marched with protesters in Washington, D.C.  The Daily Signal Podcast is available on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Pippa, Google Play, or Stitcher. All of our podcasts can be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave a review. You can also leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at [e-mail]. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I'm Virginia Allen. And I'm Rachel Del Judas. Our colleague Kate Trinco talks with Lewis Brown, an African-American man who organized a rosary walk in Washington, D.C., in response to the death of George Floyd. Brown discusses why he did this and the importance of prayer in these times. Don't forget, if you're enjoying this podcast, please be sure to leave a review or a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and encourage others to subscribe. Now on to our top news.

On Monday, House Democrats proposed sweeping changes to America's police departments in response to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Officer Derek Chauvin. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi presented the just. and Policing Act of 2020, an act that would restrict police officers' use of excessive force and would make it easier for law enforcement to be held accountable for their actions in court. Pelosi outlined some of the objectives of the bill per CNN. We cannot settle for anything less than transformative structural change, which is why the Justice in Policing Act will remove barriers of prosecuting police, misconduct and covering damages by addressing the quality immunity doctrine. It will end to will

demilitarize the police by limiting the transfer of military weaponry to state and local police departments. It will combat police brutality by requiring body and dashboard cameras, banning chokeholds, no knock warrants in drug cases and end racial profiling. It will stop, will finally make lynching, Mr. Hoyer, a federal hate crime, and I support Chairman, woman Bass, and Representative Bobby Smith and our two distinguished senators Harrison Booker and others for their work in helping to pass H.R. 35 this year. Produce brutality is heartbreaking reflection of an entrenched system of racial injustice in America. True justice can only be achieved with full comprehensive action. That's what we are doing today.

This is a first step. There is more to come. In the coming weeks, the House will hold hearings, mark up the bill. Once the House passes it, the Justice and Policing Act, Leader McConnell will hopefully, he must swiftly take it up. It remains to be seen how Republicans in the House and Senate will respond to the new legislation. Attorney General William Barr said on Sunday, per CBS, face the nation, that, quote, I don't think that the law enforcement system is systemically racist. On Sunday, the Minneapolis City Council said they would disband their police department.

Nine of its 13 members voted for the move. Jeremiah Ellison, a council member and son of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, said on Twitter, we are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. And when we're done, we're not simply going to glue it back together. We are going to dramatically rethink how, we approach public safety and emergency response. It's really past due. During an interview with CNN's Allison Camerota on Monday, Lisa Bender, president of the Minneapolis City Council, discussed the bill. Here's part of what she had to say via CNN. We have a state action against our

police department, which gives us legal mechanisms in the very short term. You know, there's lessons from all over the country, all over the world that we're looking to take immediate steps while we toward building the systems that we would need to imagine that future. Do you understand that the word dismantle or police-free also makes some people nervous, for instance? What if, in the middle of the night, my home is broken into? Who do I call? Yes, I mean, I hear that loud and clear from a lot of my neighbors, and I know, and myself, too,

and I know that that comes from a place of privilege, because for those of us, for whom the system is working, I think we need to step back and imagine what it would feel like to already live in that reality, where calling the police may mean more harm is done. Senator Mitt Romney marched with peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C. on Sunday. Romney explained why he was marching in a short video via Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson. On Monday, President Trump tweeted in response to Romney marching, writing, quote, tremendous sincerity. What a guy. Hard to believe with this kind of political talent, his numbers would tank so badly in Utah. And violence and brutality and to make sure the people understand the Black Lives Matter.

The United States wants Britain to turn over Prince Andrew for an interview to uncover what he knew in regards to his ties with Jeffrey Epstein. According to CNN, which relied on an announcement. source, the interview would be to determine Prince Andrew's relationship with Epstein as authorities investigate the sex trafficking ring Epstein was part of. Andrew's lawyers issued a statement that said the prince has on at least three occasions this year offered his assistance as a witness to the DOJ, according to CNN. A recent New York Times op-ed by Senator Tom Cotton has led to the resignation of editorial page editor James Bennett. Bennett published Cotton op-ed entitled, Send in the Troops on June 3rd. The opinion piece explains that in some cities across

America, it may be necessary to send in military troops in order to stop the violent riots in the wake of George Floyd's death. Cotton wrote, quote, these riots, if not subdued, not only will destroy the livelihoods of law-abiding citizens, but will also take more innocent lives. Many poor communities that still bear scars from past upheavals will be set back still further. One thing above all else will restore order in our streets, an overwhelming show of force to disperse, detain, and ultimately deter lawbreakers. Outcry over Cotton's peace led to New York Times editor Bennett, first defending the piece, then apologizing, and then ultimately resigning.

Cotton joined Fox News, Fox and Friends on Monday to share his reaction to the situation. But the New York Times actually asked me to explain in further detail that exact point I made. They even defended it. The publisher defended the decision to publish that column after it was published, and the mob in their newsroom began to demand that it be taken down there'd be consequences. And within a day, it turned into something like a struggle session from the Cultural Revolution in Mao's China where the adults had to prostrate themselves and apologize in front of the woke children that apparently now run the New York Times newsroom. and now you've had the opinion page editor have to resign.

But let's be clear, this all goes back to the publisher and his unwillingness to stand up to a bunch of 20-year-olds and 30-year-olds who are raised on social justice seminars on our campuses. They need to behave like grown-ups, not like children, who are confronted with an opinion that they don't like. Ivanka Trump is speaking out against the canceled culture movement. Trump's remarks follow Wichita State University disinviting her from delivering a commencement speech. Ivanka Trump obviously represents her father's administration as one of his closest advisors. Jennifer Ray, an associate professor, wrote in a letter requesting Trump's speech, be canceled, per Kansas.com. To many Americans, that administration has come to signify the worst of our country,

particularly in its recent actions toward those peacefully protesting against racist police brutality. Ivanka Trump shared the commencement address she had planned to give on Twitter, saying, Here is the message I recorded on May 18th for the graduates of WSU Tech. I know that all of these talented graduates will dream big and aspire to make the world a better place, adding, Our nation's campuses should be bastions of free speech. Cancel culture and viewpoint discrimination are antithetical to academia. Listening to one another is important now more than ever. Now stay tuned for Kate Trinko's interview with Lewis Brown and African American Man,

who organized a rosary walk in Washington, D.C. and response to the death of George Floyd. Our top priority at the Daily Signal is to ensure that you have the most accurate information regarding COVID-19. Here's an important message from the White House. We are dealing with an unprecedented public health crisis with coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19. We're working around the clock to develop treatments and vaccines to combat the disease. We have taken an unprecedented all of government and all of America approach to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. FDA is working around the clock to help innovators around the country develop medical products for Americans and providers.

Joining us today is Lewis Brown, who is the executive director of the Christ Medicus Foundation, a Catholic healthcare nonprofit. Lewis, thanks for joining us. Thanks for having me on, Kate. All right. So last week, I got an email for, from a friend that Lewis was organizing a prayer walk this weekend in the aftermath of George Floyd's death. I went on the march myself. I personally found it really inspiring. But Lewis, I wanted to ask you, why did you feel inspired to organize a prayer walk? No, that's a good question. I felt inspired

to organize the prayer walk, the rosary walk, because it's something that is meaningful, has real power behind it, but something that can take some of the political extremes out of it and really focus on the reality of faith and the reality of God's power to really move mountains. And at the Christ Medicus Foundation, we do a lot of nitty-gritty work within health care, but we're first and foremost, a Christian Catholic organization that believes in the supernatural power of God to really heal. I'm an African-American man. I went to historically black law school, and I've gone through nearly three decades now of being aware of and dealing with issues of police misconduct or police brutality, much of which is racially motivated that I've seen,

not all of it, maybe not even most of it, but a lot of what I've seen growing up. And work needs to be done there immediately. At the same time, however, on a person-to-person level, at the same time as we deal with things on a natural level and say, hey, police misconduct, police brutality, particularly against African-Americans and against anyone, it needs to stop. at the same time as we say that right now, we also really need to recognize that these issues are issues of the heart in a failure of love, in a failure in a deprivation of love.

And there's a spiritual realm, which is from where I reach out into everything. And as much as we have to change policy and change law and have reforms, and I'll leave it to others to navigate, what exactly those reforms should be, we also need a change in hearts and we need healing. And I take it as an answer to prayer that Saturday night after we did the Rosary Walk and even yesterday and so far today, as far as I can see, peace has reigned. That's part of what we

prayed for. We prayed for peace. And peace has rained in many of the cities across the country. There's a way to do this, but it needs to be done. in a nonviolent matter that respects the rule of law. And so there's power there. And I believe in healing. I believe we have to do the natural things when it comes to policy and law and reform. But we also have to do the supernatural things if we really believe in faith that can move mountains. And we really recognize that the fundamental problem that we're dealing with, at the very core,

is the problem of hearts and minds that need to change. And this was a way to attempt to beg God's mercy. to move those mountains and to change those hearts. So how did the Rosary Walk go in your mind? It went really well. It's very simple, not meant to be a political event, simply intended to be an exercise of faith, particularly of Catholic faith, for those that attended.

And it was excellent. We went from a parish that literally overlooks you could argue, or at least you can see it from the steps outside the parish. You can see it's right down the street from the Capitol building itself. And we went from one parish on East Capitol Street, passed by, not directly, but passed by the Capitol building, and went down to another parish also on Capitol Hill, where amongst a lot of its history, many historical things have happened to the parish that we went to. but Robert Kennedy was an usher there, and then we went back.

And so as I see what's going on with the death of Mr. Floyd, and as I pray through it and discern through what should be done, first I mourn and I'm angry about what happened to Mr. Floyd. I'm worried that police officers, you know, that those police officers that were there on the scene could allow to happen what happened or partake in what happened. I'm highly concerned about the need to end this kind of violence against any person. You know, unjust violence is one thing, defensive self-defense of others, but when you're

unjustly taking someone's life, when you're depriving someone of their right to life, which is something we believe in very much, the Chrys Madagos Foundation, there's a problem. It's a violation of the person's human dignity. it's a violation of their civil and human rights. And I'm outraged by that. But then also in seeing other things that have been happening, ways in which Mr. Floyd's death has been co-opted by rioters and looters and other forces that, in my opinion, would only make the situation worse

and only make it more likely that there's going to be another black man like me who has to face police miscarriage. conduct or police brutality or some form of racism in the future, I wanted to step back and say, Lord, you know, God, we need you. We need you to heal hearts and minds. And there's been a history in the United States. We have the best country in the world. The overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers, whom I've worked with a fair amount of my career, particularly at two points in my career, are phenomenal people, law enforcement officer, phenomenal people. But as I step back and look, for African Americans in particular, the images from the video from Mr. Floyd, it recalls

all the times where there's been police misconduct or police brutality in the 90s, in the 80s, in the 70s, and 60s. And some of it really goes back to reconstruction where particularly southern police departments were working with, you know, white supremacist group in the South. It recalls to mind a lot of police brutality towards African Americans. American men in particular, even in the north, the so-called liberal north. And so it just, it hurts. But the issue with racism is that, again, fundamentally, it's sin. Racism is evil. And it is an equal opportunity offender. I have seen all different sorts of people and all different types of

races act in a discriminatory way towards other people. No race or ethnic group is cornered the market and racism. But as I look back throughout American history, I see that there's been a lot of destruction, there's been a lot of human carnage from the sin of racism and that it infects and it wounds both the person that is committing a racist act and it infects and wounds the person that's the victim of that act. And so there's a need for those of us that are people of faith.

There's a need for those of us who are Christians. To be engaged in the public square, yes, but also to step back and ask, God for mercy, ask for healing, and to make reparation for what we all have done. We have all cast stones. You know, we've all thrown stones. For us as Christians, we have all sinned and we all believe that we have crucified the risen Lord.

And so let's step back. In humility, not in false equivalency, that's important, but let's step back and come together and say, you know, we have all failed here. a certain particular horrible, heinous things have been done in the United States to African Americans, you know, a couple hundred years of slavery, a certain level of subjugation where even after slavery where a significant number of African Americans did not have meaningful freedom until at least the early 60s. And so those are significant things that are different than what other ethnic and racial groups have experienced, very severe, also Native Americans, very severe deprivation.

And so those are much more severe than I think a lot of the other discriminatory and racist acts that have been committed towards other groups. And so that's important to see the weight of it. But on a certain level, we've all failed in this area. I've seen it. And we have to be honest about that. Yes, slavery is the most severe instance of racism in the country's history. And I don't think anything compares to it. And you also think about what happened in the Native Americans.

But we've all contributed to this environment in a particular. way. And so can we come together as Christians as people of faith and repent and make reparation and call upon the mercy of God to heal the country, to heal the land? Last thing I could say, Kate, on to this, I know I'm going on a little bit long, but I don't believe that, you know, someone whose family that moved here in 1917, right, or 1920, are they directly responsible for something that happened 100 years before their family got here? No, of course not, right? But at the same time, Scripture talks about, for those

of us who are Christian, Scripture talks about the nation and the need to heal a nation. And so we are responsible on a spiritual level, on a spiritual plane I'm talking about not on an economic or a policy level. That's a different, a little bit of a different conversation. But we're responsible

for the collective, for the sins of our country, the sins of our nation. And so those of us who are very pro-life of which I am, we repent and we ask God's mercy for the sin of abortion, though I have never been involved with an abortion. You know, most of the listeners I would, of this podcast, I would think are all pro-life, but we ask for God's mercy for things that we haven't done because we are part of this country. And so in the same way, I think it's a time right now for us, Kate, to come together. And though we have not directly contributed to a lot of the ills of racism in our country,

though some of us, some of us have. I know that I have not been perfect here. We can come together and ask for God's mercy for the nation, for the country. And so whether it's the life issue, particularly the unborn, whether it's turning away from God, whether it's the center of racism,

and other issues, we can come together as a country, recognizing we've all been in perfect and humility and ask God for mercy. And that's something that every American can do, and I think that's something that we can do. And it can, it's not political. We believe in faith and we believe in God and we ask God to act.

And that's more important in this country, perhaps now than any time I would argue maybe since the 19th century. So you've touched on this somewhat. But when we were walking during this Rosary Walk, we passed a sign in someone's front yard. In Capitol Hill, a lot of people had political quotes, signs in their front yards. And this particular science is something along the lines of, thoughts and prayers aren't enough. You need action. My impression as we were walking was a lot of people were a little bit confused, which, to be fair, I mean, you had someone holding a cross, and then you had a lot of nuns and priests and full habit, which is not a site you see a lot on Capitol Hill.

But it also spoke to a broader thing that I've noticed in the past few years where there seems to be a lot of hostility, probably more among people on Twitter than real Americans, I mean, you know, to put them against each other, toward prayer in general, and just that it shouldn't be part of it. But you spoke so powerfully about the need to change hearts. What would you say if someone came to you and was just like, look, this was not an effective response to Floyd's death? Right. So we are permitted to have many responses. And, um, on some level, civil rights and the protection of human dignity has been much of my life's work, not all of it, but much of it.

I mean, not even most of it, but much of it. And so there is a place for faith in all of this. The long-term work that we need to do in this country to protect every human life, to provide them the dignity they deserve can only be done through love of God and love for neighbor. Because at a certain point, when you don't like someone and there's a temptation to reject their humanity, you need something else beyond that. And it's the reality of God. It's not something that we're imposing on someone. There's a reality of a higher power in this country and this world.

And so faith is fundamental because ultimately, God is love. And love is the strongest force in history. And as Martin Luther King would talk about, as we saw as the roots of the abolitionist movement, that love can wash away the greatest division, the greatest hatreds. It's not one or the other. It's a false choice between prayer and action. I'm saying we need to do both. We need to pray and we need to act.

We need to pray and we need to act. So Saturday's Rosary Walk is not the response. It's part of many responses to this. I think chiefly prayer and speaking out, you know, calling out for reform and also coming together in peaceful demonstrations, peaceful protests, completely appropriate. But it needs to be peaceful. It's got to be peaceful. And we have to reject those forces in the country, whether intentionally or unintentionally, that are fomenting, you know, violence, that are provoking, you know, violence that are provoking,

the writing, the looting, which seems to have calm down, we need to reject an effort to take the death of a black man, an unjust death, an unjust killing, reject the attempt to use this unjust killing of a black man as an opportunity to co-op the civil rights legacy in the United States and further undermine human dignity. That's very important. So I'm not saying just prayer, because I think that's a cop-out.

And I would say also, too, we as African-Americans, and really all Americans, particularly black folks who have felt this for a long time, we can't wait. We, as I was talking to a friend earlier last week, Kate, black men and women, black folks, Chicano-Latino-Hispanics, in particular, who have certain stereotypes that we deal with. We have to go out at night to go put gas in the car. We have to get up early in the morning. You know, maybe we want to go running. We want to do this, we want to do that.

We want to live as productive, honest citizens. We can't wait for, on a certain level, we can't wait for hearts and minds just to change. We need to know that our life will be valued and protected each and every day. And all Americans, regardless of color, should expect that all of our white brothers and sisters, our African American brothers and sisters, Hispanics, everyone should believe that. Everyone should be driving towards that. So we can't wait. And so action, calling for action, calling for change, very appropriate. And I would say absolutely necessary, but we also have to pray. Particularly for us as Christians, we should have the spirit of God, not the spirit of the world and not let the worldliness, particularly of secular culture. In fact, those of us who are people of faith that know that it's faith and works together. So right now, you know, we've talked a lot about prayer and policy and people are grappling over which policies might be right to adapt after,

Floyd's death. The officers involved in his killing have been charged. So justice is hopefully moving in that direction. But you know, you talked a lot about the human heart. And I think a lot of Americans right now are just really troubled to see, you know, that racism still exists in our country. And do you have any advice for people on how to both examine your own heart and see whether, you know, maybe you have some troubling attitudes? And also, like, are there ways to be talking with friends and family that are helpful. For Christians and particularly Catholics, there's something that is big within the Ignatian tradition of the examination of conscience. And I think it's important for us to be, you know, as free as we possibly can, to examine our consciences over our lives and just understand

where we have fallen short or where we have missed the mark. And particularly on this issue, in terms of how do I see folks? And we're all fallen people. And when we fail, that's part of the human condition. But I believe everyone needs to examine their conscience. And to be honest, to have the courage and the strength, to be honest with themselves about ways that their heart needs to grow. And really to particularly to forgive where needed, you know, in the name of God,

to forgive those that have hurt you. those that you know and to and to if possible you can be in contact with folks ask forgiveness for ways that you may have hurt them the power of that is extraordinary the power of that is absolutely extraordinary but part of part of meeting the deepest desire the deepest desire of the human heart is not survival kate it's it's love the deep desire of you of the human heart is to give and receive love and so that kind of healing forgiveness amongst neighbors amongst coworkers amongst colleagues amongst folks that we went to school with within community is vitally important. Someone I was talking to made a very good point.

I think there's a real need within all of this to listen to each other, to truly, truly listen and be aware that there's so much that we do not know. I think that which we know is garbage, you know. if someone's going out in revenge or an act of violence or rioting or looting or, you know, seeking to, you know, act out in a way that is hateful, then that just has to be rejected. You know, we just know that that's not the way. But as we seek to reflect on all this, there's a lot that each of us do not know. And so the ability to listen to others.

And I'm not talking about the media. I think there's a lot of problems right now with the national media around covering all of this. But I think the bigger thing is within your community, within your workplace, within your church, is to really seek to listen to those that are in your community that are of a different color

and see what their perspective is. Hear them out. What are their personal experiences? I think that, to just sit there and admit that, hey, I don't know everything. I need to learn. I think all of our hearts can grow. And I think that's vitally important. That's the long-term work of the healing of hearts. That's vital. Okay. Well, Lewis, thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you for the opportunity, Kay. I really appreciate it. And that'll do it for today's episode. Thanks for listening to the Daily

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