(Seguin) — A member of the Seguin City Council made an impassioned plea on Tuesday for more people in the community to stand up for the rights of African Americans, and to take a stand against racism in all its forms.
Councilman Jeremy Roy says he came across a recent quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which states that “there comes a time when silence is betrayal.” Roy, who is also an ordained minister, says he can no longer be silent and it’s time for him and others to step up and speak out.
“So, I want to speak as a member of the clergy but also as a member of this council. I also want to speak acknowledging that I know that I am a white male. It’s obvious but I also want to acknowledge that that gives me certain privileges and I think it’s important to acknowledge that. Being so has afforded me employment and other options that I might not have had, had I not been,” said Roy.
Roy says this conversation about race is again long overdue in Seguin and across the nation. He says black people are suffering in ways that white Americans can’t imagine. The pain, anger, and fear experienced by African Americans is something that has to be heard and acknowledged.
“I speak this evening because I don’t want to betray my African-American brothers and sisters any longer. So, I’m speaking and I’m speaking specifically about my black friends. I want to acknowledge that there are people in our country that are suffering deeply from racism and I want to acknowledge that innocent lives have been lost as a result and that that absolutely breaks my heart and I want to acknowledge that there are those of us that want to speak from a place and this isn’t criticism but speak from a place of seemingly willful ignorance and at times when we attempt to speak to issues of race, we come up very short and sometimes even make the situation worse,” said Roy.
Roy says he’s seen some evidence that people are already starting to listen. He says Seguin Police Chief Terry Nichols has been a great example of that during this time. Nichols has spoke openly about his belief that the officers in Minnesota committed a crime when they allowed George Floyd to die while in police custody. Floyd, who was cuffed and prone on the ground, had officers with knees on his body, including one officer, Derek Chauvin, who kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes. The officers were all fired, and Chauvin now faces murder and manslaughter charges in Minneapolis. Additional charges are expected to be filed against the other officers involved, but those officers have not yet been arrested. Roy says Chief Nichols has tried to bring his honest perspective to the conversation locally, including talking about the need for the police and the African American community to come together to start trying to heal some of these old wounds. Roy thanked Chief Nichols for stepping forward to try to help during this difficult time.
“I have seen strength in your actions and I’ve seen compassion in your responses to the issues of late and more importantly, I see in you a desire to be slow to speak, slow to anger and quick to listen and eager to learn and eager to break down barriers all the while protecting our community,” said Roy.
Roy also addressed some controversy surrounding an event held on Monday night in Central Park. The community has been blasted by some on social media for hosting an event that they described as “tone deaf.” The “All Souls Matter” prayer event prayed for George Floyd and his family, for victims of racial injustice and it also prayed for police officers and firefighters in the community. The emergency officials joined the event by driving up together along River Street. That parade of vehicles led critics to suggest that Seguin was hosting a parade for police officers, and ignoring the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of George Floyd and others who have died in violent encounters with police. The organizer of the event, Carlos Hiracheta, says that’s not what happened and that was never their intent. They wanted to pray for everyone in an attempt to make Seguin and the world a better place.
Roy says he attended the event, and felt like it was a meaningful moment for the community. He says it’s being mischaracterized by some who only saw video clips of the gathering. He says this was organized by people of color and it was a moment for them to pray for the people who are hurting and to pray for those who will also have to be part of any solution.
“This event was organized by people of color. I was simply a very grateful onlooker and so where the other two white pastors that were there but the Hispanic and African-American pastors were the ones reaching out, organizing and all the pastors that prayed were either black or Hispanic and so that no one is confused and it seems as though people have been on Facebook — they’ve been confused about what last night was about. Last night’s prayer service was organized by Pastor Hiracheta and he and the other pastors prayed first for George Floyd’s family and they thoughtfully and passionately acknowledged the broken hearts and the broken lives in our country and then they also addressed the issue of racism and they acknowledged the absolute poison that it is and it was after that — and our chief is okay with this — it was after that, they prayed for him and they prayed for his officers and prayed for EMS and prayed for the first responders,” said Roy.
Roy ended his address by calling on other citizens, particularly white citizens to step up. He says it’s time for them to listen and to insist on changes that will begin to ease the suffering being experienced by so many in the African American community. He says it will not be easy, but it’s something that has to be done now, because additional silence at this time would be a “betrayal” to humanity.
“One of the bravest things that we can do right now as white men and women is to listen. We need to pray and we also need to acknowledge our own prejudices and admit where we are ignorant and where we don’t know and hopefully, sit down and have some intelligent thoughtful conversations with people of color and my prayer is that the ultimate result will be the breaking down of barriers, the stopping of violence. I am willing to be a part of the conversation in our community and I think it’s been a longtime coming,” said Roy.
Roy also announced an initiative being started by some of the predominantly African American churches in Seguin. Pastors like Jimmie Flakes, of Second Baptist Church; and Arthur J. Malone Jr., of New St. James Baptist Church are opening up their congregations to police officers this Sunday. Chief Nichols and some of his officers have agreed to be guests on Sunday. It’s an attempt to begin the dialogue that Roy suggests is necessary for changes to be made.
Roy made his comments during the citizens to be heard portion of Tuesday’s regular council meeting.
Councilman calls for community to stand against racism
