Black Ministers in Response to Charlie Kirk’s Racist Legacy Targeting Black Americans

When Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley approached the podium at Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, last Sunday, he delivered a poignant message regarding the shocking daytime murder of Charlie Kirk, a far-right political figure. Within just an hour after his 8 a.m. service concluded, his words resonated across the nation; while Kirk's death was tragic, he was far from a martyr. “I’m astounded to see the flag at half-staff for someone who proudly spread racism and division,” Wesley remarked, a video of which went viral almost immediately. As the aftershocks of Kirk's assassination on September 10 unfolded, Black clergy nationwide contemplated their response. Nearly all denounced the violence while simultaneously critiquing Kirk's divisive rhetoric. They heralded the need for moral clarity over partisanship. This sentiment was echoed by Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Gina M. Stewart, who labeled America a "powder keg." Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III emphasized the distinction between Kirk and iconic civil rights leaders.