Media Contact:

Rev. Faye London, Interfaith & Outreach Coordinator, SisterReach
901.283.7204
 afaye@sisterreach.org

MEMPHIS,TN, NOVEMBER 3, 2016:  Tuesday night around 11 pm, Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville, MS was burned and vandalized with a single message scrawled in white spray paint along its side, "Vote Trump." This is the latest of several acts of terrorist violence against Black faith communities - a base of interest we've seen during the Trump campaign. SisterReach is concerned that while Black voters of faith are admonished to get out and vote, the Trump campaign remains silent about these attacks and has only recently directly rejected the support of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist organizations.

"Once again the words of the powerful and privileged, through the actions of the hateful, have inscribed their violence upon the very bodies, neighborhoods and institutions of Black folk and Black life. It is time now that we stand up and acknowledge that the people who have been emboldened to commit acts of violence against Black people through attacks on Black churches over the last few years are simply attempting to follow their candidate's mandate to 'Make America Great Again.'  The burning of Black churches in recent years is connected to both the history of slavery and Jim Crow terror and violence for which groups like the Ku Klux Klan were known AND to the recent resurgence of a twisted nostalgia for those historical 'glory days,' which took its lead from the rhetoric of the Trump campaign and tends to reflect the values of organizations like the KKK. By spraying 'vote Trump' on their evil handy work, these terrorists have at least made seen what has long been known, but rarely spoken. Now it's time for us to keep publicly making that clear without fear and press our white colleagues, neighbors and friends to be brave enough to do the same," states Rev. Faye London, Interfaith Outreach Coordinator at SisterReach.

Lack of mainstream media coverage of these types of attacks on Black institutions--especially faith communities in the south--is a barrier that must be overcome. "We recognize the importance of covering the election and the recent shootings of two police officers. However, Black communities and the Black church in particular are under assault in cities across the country. These attacks are why Black people and our allies are exercising our right to protest and demonstrate. Our oppression is not monolithic and we clearly see that our sacred spaces are also as disrespected as our bodies. The Trump campaign was eager to mobilize black preachers around his racist infused political agenda. We expect the same fervor in bringing a halt to supporters that in his name mean to destroy our bodies and our communities. We also expect that Black terrorism gets the attention of national media at the same capacity as ads encouraging us to vote," says Cherisse Scott, Founder & CEO of SisterReach.

SisterReach has committed to continued advocacy and action toward the safety of all of their communities. They will continue to educate and encourage all Tennesseans to participate in the election process and statewide politics. At the same time, they will work to keep the hate and violence that threatens their community members' lives visible and centered in broader conversations about the impact of campaign talk on the lives of vulnerable people and beloved institutions.