Charleston Shooting Narrative a Product of America's Ugly Past? Lecrae Paints a Picture Between Racism, Media, & Evangelicals

Lecrae

Christian rap superstar Lecrae recently expounded his thoughts on the Charleston shooting with an op-ed piece on Billboard, called Charleston Shooting Comes From Deeply Rooted Racism & Injustice, that discussed the narrative humans come up with when dealing with a situation.

Lecrae questioned the way narratives are portrayed and perceived by people in a media fueled world, and whether those perceptions are just in the first place. "We have pretty much come to terms with the fact that even media outlets -- that should only give facts surrounding a story -- have their own narratives that usually lean toward particular audiences."

He continued, "You see, we all have our own ideas of how stories should be told. And we don't want to hear our protagonists being denigrated or antagonists being applauded."

The emcee said the tragic events that unfolded at that church seem "cut and dry to some" but yet there are all different conclusions. He offered three headlines, one focusing on the Christians killed, another taking the white man kills black man angle, and the last referring to the suspect killing nine people of no particular religion or race.

He admitted there was a struggle in which route he would take. The Christian view would make it a "evangelical" issue that removes the ethnicity and focuses on the world's evil and how we all need a Savior. He then quips, "I'd hope if nine people who were Muslim were killed, evangelicals would still be concerned."

Focusing solely on the shoot, Dylann Roof, will see the media break down his entire life. Something that Lecrae says, "creates empathetic views and humanizes the aggressor. It isolates him from what could be a systemic problem or act of terror. This often makes a person's actions the unfortunate product of psychological warfare or terrible influences."

Then there is the racial narrative, which is what Lecrae deems the "more popular." He points out to racially charged headlines just throughout the past year from Donald Sterling, to Ferguson, Freddie Gray, Rachel Dolezal and the confederate flag still flying in the south.

Lecrae has found in his travels through touring that other countries often do not shy away from some of their core problems in the past. He says American history is filled with a lot of things that people tend to sweep under the rug, and that this image of a nation founded on Go is not entirely true.

"we'd rather ignore the brokenness of our country, which then leaves us limping because we've not tended to a serious wound," he wrote. "...We have wounds that we have not healed from, and covering them with a bandage does not make them go away."

Lecrae then questioned if America really lived in a "post-racial society" with the existence of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church as the poster example for the question.

He also cited examples of perhaps ignorant or passive racism on his own Facebook wall after posts about Baltimore and Ferguson with people telling him to stand up for cops not "thugs and looters." A similar thing happened with Roof. People posted about praying for the suspect or to not make it about race, or even the fact that he was a kid.

America has gone through a few centuries worth of culture to shape the way people live, work, and think. Lecrae said it's this history that makes Mike Brown look like a "thug" and Dylann Roof look like "your son, your neighbor, your friend..."

Lecrae says while humans are all responsible for their actions it is hard to overlook the effects of what has been ingrained as fact and truth in American culture.

He feels it is his "moral responsibility" to try and be a voice as a prominent Christian black man, and is pleading for "consistency in love and concern."

Lastly, the Anomaly rapper calls his "brothers and sisters" to help be the solution and be "hands and feet" in the cities beyond an evangelical mission.

"There is a great antagonist, and it does not have black or white skin. It is the brokenness of humanity. May a love that miraculously mends our brokenness be the protagonist."

 

Lecrae | BREATHEcast.com (HD)

What do you think about Lecrae's comments about America's past? Which narrative of the Charleston shootings are you following? Do you agree or disagree with Lecrae? Sound off in the comments.