Episcopal Press and News
CHICAGO: Bishops respond to Imus' remarks
Episcopal News Service. April 13, 2007 [041307-02]
Episcopal Diocese of Chicago Bishop William Persell and Assistant Bishop Victor Scantlebury issued a statement April 12 concerning derogatory comments made recently by CDS Radio talk show host Don Imus in which they connect the controversy to the Episcopal Church's efforts to confront racism.
Imus's show was cancelled later in the day on April 12.
During his CBS Radio broadcast on April 4, Imus referred in racially and sexually derogatory terms to the women of the New Jersey-based Rutgers University basketball team. The University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team had defeated the Rutgers team two days earlier for the annual National Collegiate Athletic Association women's basketball championship.
Imus, 66, is a member of the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame whose syndicated radio show featured his often-politically incorrect commentary. High-profile politicians and other well-known people were guests on his show. A number of companies stopped advertising on his show in the past week and on April 11 NBC News announced that it would no long simulcast the show on its MSNBC television channel.
The complete text of the bishops' statement is available here and follows below.
For the past 15 years, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church has called us to work toward the eradication of what is termed "the sin of racism." The House of Bishops has issued pastoral letters to the Church reminding us of our Baptismal Covenant "to respect the dignity of every human being," and to encourage all Episcopalians to go into the world to work for the eradication of racism. Every diocese of our church has been asked to form an anti-racism committee to serve as an advisory group to the diocesan bishop and to promote training programs that will increase our sensitivity towards persons of different races and our effectiveness in combating racism.
The news media has been reporting on the outrage of some segments of the community, mostly African-American, and women, over a statement made by the national syndicated radio program commentator, Don Imus, against the Rutgers women's basketball players, most of whom are African American young women. The statement was racist and insulting to these young women and an offense to their dignity as human beings. As a society, we cannot accept the use of the airwaves to promote and practice hate against any person or group. This is an abuse of our "freedom of speech."
As Christians, we are called to "Love our neighbors as ourselves." The statement by the radio commentator was not an expression that came out of love. We call upon the members of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Chicago to use this moment to discuss and reflect upon our own insensitivity as a community towards persons of different races, gender and culture. This is an opportunity to look at ourselves in the mirror and to see our own prejudices and to commit ourselves to doing something about them. We also urge each of us to analyze our own reactions to this controversy for what they tell us about ourselves.
Please note that our next diocesan anti-racism training will take place May 3-5, 2007 at the Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago. Please contact Frederica Bradford at 773-363-5326, e-mail fmerryBrad@aol.com, or Newland Smith at 773-328-9300 ext. 25, e-mail nsmith1@seabury.edu to register.
Racist and sexist statements in the media help to alert us to how much work we still have to do.
In Christ,
William D. Persell and Victor A. Scantlebury