Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, Pastor Eric Manning From Mother Emanuel AME Church Talk About Stopping Racism, Growing Communities
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The death of George Floyd elevated the conversation about police brutality and opened some deep wounds involving race relations.
On Wednesday, two prominent spiritual leaders who experienced their own tragedies offered perspective on the nationwide events over the last two weeks.
When a heavily-armed gunman spewing hate for Jewish people went on a murderous rampage at the Tree of Life Synagogue in October 2018, Rabbi Jeffrey Myers was there.
When a white supremacist gunmen brutally murdered nine people in 2015 at Mother Emmanuel AME Church in South Carolina, Pastor Eric Manning helped lead the congregation in healing.
The two leaders assembled a Facebook event on Wednesday, offering their experiences. One of the many important suggestions were about listening and destigmatizing.
"I can disagree with anyone about anything that I wish, but I got to be able to listen and understand the point of view of that person first," Myers said.
The virtual event was designed to work together for justice, peace and equality.
"Those who are white have to acknowledge that there is a thing called white privileged. They have to understand that you may not be able to understand how it is to grow up black in America," Manning said.
"To find the good in all humanity and to utilize that good as a tool to make society better," Myers said.
The journey of healing and recovery, the two say, has a key message of eliminating racism and forging relationships with one another.