In the wake of the horrific, hate-fueled shooting in Buffalo, NY, our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and the entire community.

Time and time again, we have seen the toll racism and white supremacy take on our society. Once more it has turned deadly with this horrific and terrifying assault. This was an act of terror perpetrated on Black people. It was a lynching. The shooter targeted Black people and committed an act of anti-Black hatred, in response to false and dangerous claims about “replacement theory.”

These motives cannot be set aside; neither can the political and cultural milieu that produced them. The shooter’s extremism was cultivated by cynical bad actors in politics and the media, giving credence to the conspiracies he had come to believe. And the result is this tragedy.

The twin scourges of racism and white supremacy run deep in this country; they are written into its very founding. That is why CTS is committed to continuing to do the hard work of reckoning with past and present realities to secure a more equitable, more just future. We will not let hate win.

The very first thing we learn about human beings in the Hebrew Bible is that we are all created in the image of God – and the diversity of creation is repeatedly blessed by God: Ki tov – for it is good. We will continue to do our part to combat white supremacy and make this country a better place for all people.