AZ faith leaders demand action
Pastors tell Ducey they are tired of ‘lip service’
In his first public statement condemning the death of George Floyd at the hands of police, Gov. Doug Ducey on Sunday said leaders should heed “those who seek to have a civil dialogue on how to ensure it never happens again.”
“In Arizona, we will listen,” he said, after police brutality protests rocked downtown Phoenix for the third night in a row.
The Republican leader appeared to follow through a few hours later, inviting African American faith leaders to “discuss how Arizona and our country can move forward together,” according to a Twitter post.
But some of those leaders said they’re unconvinced real action will follow.
“The main thing that came out the meeting was: ‘Mr. Governor, we’re tired of lip service,’” said the Rev. Reginald D. Walton, pastor at Phillips Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Phoenix.
Walton was one of several civilrights leaders to decry the governor’s refusal to back removal of the state’s six Confederate memorials in 2017.
“History has proven that he is a politician, and he will say one thing and do another — I have no qualms about saying that,” he said. “I am cautiously waiting to hear what he may do.”
Warren Stewart Jr., founder and lead pastor of the Church of the Remnant, said he wanted to feel hopeful after Sunday’s “listening session” but didn’t.
“(Ducey) said he was going to have some takeaways from suggestions that were made, and he was going to write up things he wanted to do,” Stewart said.
“But I’ve had a lot of meetings with this governor. We’ve had a lot of meetings with this governor. We’re tired of telling America racism or systemic injustice is a real thing.”
‘I wept in that meeting’
The Governor’s Office said it contacted Warren Stewart Sr., pastor at First Institutional Baptist Church, to set up the private meeting, and he “made invitations to other members of the faith community.”
Attendees told The Arizona Republic the governor spent much of the discussion — which included black, Latino and white faith and community leaders — getting feedback on his handling of the week’s protests.
Many were frustrated by the statewide curfew he’d imposed just a few hours before, the day after looters hit Scottsdale Fashion Square.
“We talked about, why did they put a curfew in effect in the wake of protests when there was no curfew (to curb the spread of ) COVID-19, which has ravaged poor people and communities of color?” Walton said.
The governor did implement a statewide stay-at-home order in response to the new coronavirus pandemic, but it did not forbid protests.
He allowed that order to expire in mid-May.
Warren Stewart Jr. said leaders told Ducey they felt that “if it wasn’t for Scottsdale really being hit hard, we doubted there would be a curfew.”
“It was like Phoenix was fine, but not Scottsdale — like it’s fine as long as we’re tearing up our own communities, but if we’re tearing up a rich white community, then people get upset,” he said.
He said his father, Stewart Sr., was also “upset over the ‘law and order’ comments” the governor made over the weekend.
Ducey’s first public statement after video emerged of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, ignoring his pleas for air, never mentioned Floyd’s death.
Instead, he said the state would not “tolerate rioting, looting, violence, destruction of property or any behavior that endangers the safety or rights of other individuals.”
Ducey condemned Floyd’s killing in the following day’s remarks.
But he again focused the bulk of his statement on “law and order,” arguing that “destruction of property does not qualify as freedom of expression.”
“You’re mad over stuff and not over the life of George Floyd? We see what your stance is,” Stewart Jr. said.
He said he grew increasingly emotional as clergy members appealed to Ducey’s “Christian convictions,” urging him to “stand up for everyone that’s a child of God.”
He shared his own life experience with the governor, he said, pressing him to “have the courage to call out systemic injustice and racism.”
“I wept in that meeting,” he said. “I was literally sobbing. I said, ‘I’m tired, governor. I have two black sons where, if they go get a Slurpee, I don’t know if they’ll come home. You don’t know what that’s like.’”
‘You’re going to have to make some bold statements’
Walton said attendees also demanded transparency in the case of Dion Johnson, a 28-year-old black man whose fatal shooting by an Arizona Department of Public Safety officer last Monday contributed to local protests.
Police have said Johnson was shot following a struggle with a trooper on May 25 on Loop 101 at Tatum Boulevard but have no body-camera footage of the incident.
Additionally, they asked the governor to diversify the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, which establishes selection, recruitment, retention and training standards for law enforcement agencies.
There appears to be no one of color on the 12-member board.
“We also want him to look at diversity in his office,” Walton said. “Several people said, ‘You are the governor for all of Arizona, and some people do not feel that is reflected.’”
Aubrey Barnwell, pastor at First New Life Church, said attendees also requested that the governor call together the state’s law enforcement chiefs to sign a letter outlining their stance on police brutality.
“In order to address systemic issues … you’re going to have to make some bold statements,” he said. “If you’re not willing to make them, I believe we’ll continue down this path of protest and everything that goes along with it.”
The Governor’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposals put forth by faith leaders. Ducey spokesman Patrick Ptak said only that the conversation was “honest and frank,” and the governor was “grateful for the faith leaders’ openness and time.”
He said Ducey “is advised by not just members of his staff but by members of all communities in all parts of the state, including leaders in the nonprofit, businesses, government and faith communities” on issues of racial justice.
“He hopes to continue this dialogue to help ensure the voices of all Arizonans are heard,” Ptak said.