Lecrae Says Ignoring America’s Dark Past Is the Reason Behind the Charleston Shooting

Lecrae has penned an op-ed piece for Billboard, offering his opinion on the recent shooting that left nine dead in Charleston, S.C. last Wednesday (June 17). The Grammy-Winning artist says that ignoring America's dark history and "the brokenness of our country," is a major factor behind the Charleston church shooting.

The 35-year-old rapper starts by discussing how the media creates specific narratives of the Charleston shooting based on their audience. One headline reads, "Christians Killed During Prayer Meeting," while another says "White Man Kills 9 Members of Black Church in South Carolina." The last major headline focuses on the shooter: "Dylann Roof, 21, Unexpectedly Kills 9 People." Lecrae uses all three of these viewpoints to point out that humanity will "undoubtedly create a narrative" because we are condition in our minds that believe when tragedy happens, there must be an antagonist, a protagonist and a storyline to be told. He also asks Americans to be unbiased when remembering America's history, in a plea for "consistency in love and concern."

"[M]any times we’d rather ignore the brokenness of our country, which then leaves us limping because we’ve not tended to a serious wound," writes Lecrae. The Houston native reviews the different responses people have to incidents like Ferguson and the Baltimore riots in comparison to Charleston, and the parallels between slavery and fatherless Black homes. He concludes by asking readers to not view the incidents as Christians being attacked.

"We don't need a cliché and a proof-text for every social issue," he wrote. "We need hands and feet in the cities, institutions, and infrastructures. Let's not simply encourage the oppressed to be calm and act peacefully. Let us in the words of Isaiah 1:17, 'Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression.' 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."

Read the full piece here.