'We can't sit this one out:' The BLVD holds first Sunday service after release of Nichols video
When the Rev. J. Lawrence Turner asked for anyone in his church Sunday morning who desired prayer to come forward or stand up, nearly the entire congregation at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church rose to their feet.
"This has been a particularly difficult week," Turner, the church's senior pastor, said in his sermon. "I believe God has a word for us, but in these moments as we come into this space on this Lord's day, I believe the promise of God, 2 Chronicles 7:14, 'if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,' this is God's promise to us, 'then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and I will heal the land.' We need a healing here in Memphis."
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Sunday marked two days since the city of Memphis released videos showing officers tasing, pepper spraying and brutally beating 29-year-old Tyre Nichols during a Jan. 7 traffic stop. He died three days later. The videos have been described by law enforcement and attorneys for Nichols' family as "absolutely appalling," "alarming," and "unconscionable" and led to multiple days of peaceful protests across the city and demonstrations across the nation.
"Inhuman. Heinous. Vicious. Depraved," Turner said. "These are all words to describe what many of us witnessed this past Friday evening when the video of Tyre Nichols' beating at the hands of five African-American police officers was made public. But I must admit, after meeting with the district attorney and city officials this past week, their descriptions did not come close to what we saw on that video."
Turner gave his Sunday sermon in front of a still of the Tyre Nichols' video with the words "what did I do?" printed on it. It is a question Nichols asked in the video, Turner said, that has yet to be answered.
"On that fateful evening, here in Memphis, what facilitated this horrific experience, where officers, who willfully, and knowingly, abused their power and authority that they had been given and began to abuse our dear brother Tyre. On two levels, this is not anything new. Their actions are representative of some in law enforcement who have convinced themselves that they are above the law and beyond accountability," Turner said. "But in this instance, these five officers and those who stood by and did nothing, took advantage of their authority and power and used it brutalize one of God's children and whenever anyone assumes they have absolute power over another, the saying is true that absolute power corrupts absolutely, it will cause some to believe that they have the right to treat people with impunity just because these people, they may feel, are oppressed and dispossessed, and then treat them any kind of way."
Five officers of the Memphis Police Department have been fired and, on Thursday, were each indicted with charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault-acting in concert, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct and one count of official oppression. The five officers fired and charged are Black, and Turner said in his sermon that he has been asked over and over this week if that matters.
"No," Turner unequivocally said. "Our brother, Rhodes college professor Dr. Duane Loynes has done the research. And what he has found is that Black officers are often as brutal, or more brutal, than their white counterparts. So this is not about skin color, it is a certain mentality that is woven into the culture of policing in this country that normalizes that kind of violence against Black people, it doesn't matter the color of the skin of those in authority when they abuse their authority. All skin folk ain't kin folk."
Mississippi Blvd., also known simply as The BLVD, has long been a church active on voting-rights and civil-rights issues. Turner is also president of the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, a group of ministers who focus on economic empowerment, civic engagement and criminal justice reform.
His Sunday sermon honed in on the brutality Jesus faced from Roman soldiers and the brutality Nichols faced from Memphis officers, but it also looked forward.
"We can't sit this one out," Turner said. "We can't just be onlookers, we've got to get into the struggle, we've got to get into the fight. And what does that mean? That don't mean you take to the streets and tear up the city. That means we've got to have some brave conversations with those who are in leadership. You don't have to have hate in your heart to hold somebody accountable."
Turner challenged the congregation to call leadership, even if it means calling people across the aisle, and referenced the partisan deadlock that has stopped the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act from becoming law. The act contained several reform measures that included a ban on chokeholds and federal no-knock warrants and passed the Democratically-controlled House in 2020 but was brought up in the Senate which was controlled by Republicans at the time.
After Democrats retained control of the House and claimed the Senate in 2021, House Democrats passed the bill again. A group of Congress' most prominent Black lawmakers, now-former Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., led bipartisan negotiations but the bill ultimately was never taken up in the Senate due to disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ending qualified immunity for police officers.
Since Nichols' death, Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Nichols’ family, called on President Joe Biden and Congress to discuss passing the act and Biden referenced it in his initial statement on the matter.
"It saddens my heart to know that a act such as what happened, happened, but it also brought people together," congregant Brenda Baity said after Turner's sermon. "When we see practices such as one that took place, it hurt not only the family of the deceased young man, but it hurt the families that have children. And when you grieve life and one is taken because of ignorance, that's another thing that strikes everyone. Because when we're trying to move forward into peace, it seems like something is always taking us backwards. But I'm hoping this year, 2023, will bring about a change of reality as things that happen get better."
Mississippi Blvd. is hosting a public funeral at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday for Nichols at its Midtown sanctuary on Bellevue Blvd. The service will feature a eulogy from civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton.
Turner recommended that anyone who would like to come and support the Nichols' family come early and to be prepared for the possibility of extra security.
"I know it hurts right now, I know there's still some unresolved questions," Turner said in winding down his sermon. "Tyre still deserves some answers but until then, we've got to continue to fight and struggle."
USA Today contributed to this report.
Gina Butkovich covers DeSoto County, storytelling and general news. She can be reached at 901-232-6714.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: The Mississippi Blvd. first Sunday service after Tyre Nichols video
