‘An exorcism attempt’: COREM statement calls out Trump administration’s harmful policies

The Council for Racial and Ethnic Ministries (COREM) released what they are calling “A Prophetic Cry,” denouncing the policies and actions of the Trump Administration, calling them cruel and delusional. 

“It is an exorcism attempt — meant to purge this nation of the stories, identities, and truths that refuse to conform to white supremacist lies,” the statement reads. 

COREM, which is a ministry of racial and ethnic groups of the United Church of Christ, works to discern appropriate ways by which the many and varied gifts of racial and ethnic groups may be made available to the Church, and advocate for racial and ethnic concerns within the denomination. The statement was born from a discussion about immigration during a recent COREM meeting. The majority of the statement was authored by the Rev. Jason Carson Wilson, vice president of the Ministers for Social, Racial, and Economic Justice (MRSEJ), with input from the COREM team, and unanimously affirmed at its April 10 meeting. 

“Yes, the language is strong, as it calls out the [Trump] Administration’s Executive Orders to remove historical and vital health information from Government websites, which are tax-payer funded,” said Deborah Dee Brayton, who serves as first vice president of United Black Christians, one of the represented groups of COREM. 

‘A call to action’ 

The statement calls for the church to “speak boldly, and demand the restoration of public data,” a reference to the Trump administration’s Executive Order 14151 on “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.” This has resulted in the removal of hundreds of web pages from government websites that hosted information from HIV/AIDS resources, diversity programs, and funding for school initiatives. 

“We are witnessing another empire in the form of the tyrannical Trump administration gleefully torture marginalized communities one Executive Order at a time,” said Carson Wilson.

Carson Wilson says those that are feeling depleted and hopeless can work to find actions within their individual congregations or communities that everyone can do. 

‘I nearly cried’ 

Libby Fairchild, interim executive director of the Council of American Indian Ministries (CAIM), one of the represented groups of COREM, said that after the election, she suspected Indian issues would be low on the list of priorities, but it’s worse than she imagined.

“I did not write the statement, but once it was sent out, I nearly cried,” Fairchild said.

Fairchild stated that members of her tribal nation, the Hochunk Nation of Wisconsin have been stopped and questioned by ICE agents. She said efforts are underway to ensure members of tribal nations have passports and tribal identifications. “Make no mistake, we are proud of our dual citizenship,” Fairchild said. 

Carson Wilson says the UCC’s history is steeped in social justice, and the church must ‘emulate the real genesis’ of the denomination and aggressively confront oppression. 

“Staying silent in the face of this Administration’s sadistic moves isn’t an expression of God’s love,” Carson Wilson said.

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