With its modern architectural exterior, Northaven United Methodist Church fits in nicely with its surroundings in the affluent Preston Hollow neighborhood of north Dallas. But since June, each night as the sun sets this building becomes center stage for a #BlackLivesMatter statement.
To pastor Rosa Cándida Ramírez, it’s evident that the same institutional systems that dehumanize immigrants perpetuate the mistreatment of black Americans.
“We cannot say that immigrant lives matter if we can’t say that black lives matter,” said Ramírez, 31, who helps lead the largely Latina and immigrant La Fuente Ministries in Pasadena, California.
In June, Phil Vischer—creator of VeggieTales and voice of Bob the Tomato in the popular Christian animated series—posted a now viral video called “Race in America” that attempts to answer the question: “Why are people so angry?”
Filled with graphics, photo montages, factoids, and comic asides that make the concept of systemic racism accessible for all ages, the 17-minute tutorial garnered more than 2.8 million views in the first week.