Beloveds of God,

I am beyond words! I am sure by now you have heard many versions of what happened at the special called General Conference. Some of you perhaps followed the live stream, others may have followed social media interpretation of the proceedings. It has taken me a couple days to figure out what to say, because words seem to be inadequate to express the level of pain that was caused, and the harm that has been done! Personally, I feel embarrassed and ashamed to even claim to be part of this church that has loudly proclaimed, all over again, the message of unwelcome and exclusion.

So, where do we go from here?

I am writing to you from the conference floor, during the breaks. I wanted to give you an accurate and current glimpse of the moment.

Dr. Barbara Ransby is a historian, writer, and longtime political activist. She is a Professor of History; Gender and Women's Studies; and African American Studies and Director of Social Justice Initiative at the University of Illinois in Chicago. In her newest book, Making All Black Lives Matter: Reimagining Freedom in the 21st Century, she examines the BLM movement, discussing its roots and motivations, its politics and its future as part of what she calls a new Black Freedom movement.