A Lament for Our Nation

Ferguson rally
August 2104 rally to address the ongoing violence in Ferguson, Mo., attended by Congressman Hakeem Jeffries & the Garner family. a katz / Shutterstock.com

7 Our ancestors sinned the great sin of instituting slavery; they are no more—but we bear their shame.

8 The system of slavery and institutionalized racism ruled over us,

and there is no one to free us from their hands.

9 We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the guns on the streets.

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An image of the November 2026 issue of Sojourners, titled "Face to Face." It features George Lakey on the cover
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